I've been trying to wrap my head around all the recent RFA changes, and honestly I haven't quite figured out how the changes have been a positive for the owners and players of the league, but I have since put a lot of thought about the current RFA compensation system. Currently I believe the amounts listed are too low to encourage players to be valued at current market prices. There are many teams who can't bid at the highest bracket due to a lack of draft picks which begins at $5,750,000+. I just don't believe you're forcing anyone's hand to raise the price to a market price with those amounts. Current bracket for those who aren't aware: $500,000-1,000,000 - 3rd round pick $1,250,000-$2,500,000 - 2nd round pick $2,750,000-$4,000,000 - 1st round pick $4,250,000-$5,500,000 - 1st and 3rd round picks $5,750,000+ - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks I'd propose the following amounts: $500,000-$1,750,000 Third-round pick $1,750,000-$3,500,000 Second-round pick $3,500,000-$5,500,000 First round picks $5,500,000-$8,000,000 First and third-round picks $8,000,000+ - First, second and third-round picks I feel like if we don't make this change that RFA we could avoid potential pitfalls of team stacking. Say you have 2 top players who are able to switch from Forward to Defense seamlessly, with 2 resigns at the end of the season and then a hop into RFA, our current system forces other teams to either let those tops players go for cheap contracts that won't be higher than 5.5m, or they can pay 3 draft picks for one season of a "market value" defensemen. Meanwhile the team with the 2 re-signs can keep getting them to switch positions (say a C to D and the other D to C) every offseason and guarantee either low re-sign amounts (circumventing the 25% increase from the re-sign), or they exchange one of their re-signs for 3 draft picks by letting them walk. I just feel like this could be abused. If not then it is what it is.
I think the current system with draft picks going to RFA was okay. Now with that removed I see RFA for position changes as abusable. That's why I was mentioning having 2 guys re-sign and then hop into RFA.