For the past couple of years, the NHL has allowed teams a small window in which to talk to free agency before the official date that players could be signed. During that period, no player was technically allowed to sign a deal — or even talk numbers for that matter — but, in many cases, the details of contracts were worked out and deals almost in place.
Now TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes that the interview period will be eliminated altogether.
For fans, this should make the free agency day a lot more fun and it will likely push back the speed in which free agents come off the board. Before, and within minutes, players would have signed massive deals upon the opening of the marketplace. It was clear teams had negotiated those contracts with players. Now, if that happens, it will likely be because of illegal tampering.
What could also make this year so interesting is that offers might come and go quickly as teams are working on a much tighter salary cap and players may or may not been keen to let unemployment loom. If a player might believe themselves to be a potential casualty of the lower cap, they might take the first offer presented. That means a team might quickly pull other offers if they have multiple hooks in the water.
Related: Key Dates for the NHL Moving Forward
