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For Rent: Pending UFA’s

Written by: Tyler Bodman on 26th February 2010

For Rent: Pending UFA's | read this item

The concept of a rental player in the NHL is still relatively new. Adding a potential unrestricted free agent for young prospects or draft picks has become increasingly popular since the lockout.

Usually the rental player is an aging veteran on his last legs. This year some of these players include: Scott Niedermayer, Marty Turco, Maxim Afinogenov, Kurtis Foster, and Keith Tkachuk. Each of these players still has a lot to offer to teams down the stretch run. You can never get enough experience in a line up.

The problem is that with the parity in the league, there are fewer teams looking to get rid of their players. That lack of sellers is driving rental player prices through the roof. Something that is making NHL GM’s cautious of making deals.

“I think teams are leery of it,” said Columbus GM Scott Howson. “But, I think if you’re in the right situation with a real chance to win the Stanley Cup, you can get a really, really good player, I think you still have to do it.”

One of those really good players that Howson is talking about is from two years ago when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded for Marion Hossa.

“I don’t think either team would take back that deal because I think it worked for both teams,” said Howson. “It can certainly work if it’s the right player with the right team.”

“The pressure doesn’t change,” said Burke. “It’s unrelenting, unremitting.”

“It has to do with supply and demand,” added St. Louis Blues President John Davidson. “It has to do with, even through this last weekend here, if key injuries hit teams that become long-term injuries, they may have to go do something.”

In a case of injuries, a team is looking for a short-term fix. The UFA is the best option for that because there aren’t any long-term financial implications.

“Sometimes you don’t even want the player to stay,” said ex-Calgary Flames head coach Mike Keenan. “And, that’s based mostly on financing. In some cases you do, and you’ll have the conversation with the player when he arrives.”

Last year there had been a lot of talk about one particular potential UFA. Jay Bouwmeester. Panthers GM Jacques Martin was in a tough situation. His team hadn’t made the playoffs since ’00. Bouwmeester was one of his best players. Martin couldn’t afford to lose him for nothing. But decided to keep the pending UFA and make a run at the playoffs. Martin later moved Bouwmeester at the Entry Draft in Montreal.

Leafs’ GM Brian Burke feels that it’s a risk that teams are going to be taking more and more as the age of unrestricted free agency drops. He thinks the NHL will switch to more of a NFL philosophy.

“I think you’re going to see a shift in the paradigm on the way we do business,” said Burke. “ A guy makes your team at 18. At 25 he’s unrestricted. If he goes, he goes, and you have to replace him.”

Burke knows that especially in Toronto, there is lots of pressure to make a ton of moves to turn an organization into a Cup contender. Even if that means adding a rental player.

“The pressure doesn’t change,” said Burke. “It’s unrelenting, unremitting.”

“Therefore, the temptation to add to your team or take from your team at the deadline, regardless of the price, is always there.”

Topics: Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets GM, Free Agents, GM Brian Burke, John Davidson, Mike Keenan, NHL Trade Deadline, Scott Howson, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs