San Jose Sharks—Should I Stay or Should I Go?, RFAs Volume I

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The San Jose Sharks have an astounding 26 NHL and minor league players who are not under contract for 2009-10. Nine of those players were regulars in the lineup, appearing in 35 or more games in the regular season or in the majority the of postseason; seven more were active for between two and 19 games of the team's 88 games that counted.

That spells a tough summer of decisions for General Manager Doug Wilson. Those decisions are vital against the backdrop of the clash between past playoff failures and future playoff success.

That is why I am out to help Wilson with this series inspired by the the hit single from The Clash, Should I Stay or Should I Go? I start with the team's 12 restricted free agents.

In order to really analyze what the team should do, it is important to understand the rules governing restricted free agents.

Players can be offered "tenders," legitimate contracts that a team must pay the player if they are not offered more by another team. Those tenders also determine what a team's compensation will be if a player is signed away from them. Teams also have the right to match any offer and keep the player.

The salary cap could adjust a bit in 2009-10 in either direction from last season. However, we will use last season's figures to examine what compensation teams receive if they lose a player, based on different tender levels offered by that team...

• $863,156 or below: None
• Over $863,156 to $1,307,812: Third-round choice
• Over $1,307,812 to $2,615,625: Second-round choice
• Over $2,615,625 to $3,923,437: First-round and third-round choice
• Over $3,923,437 to $5,231,249: First-round, second-round and third-round choice
• Over $5,231,249 to $6,539,062: Two first-round choices, one second- and one third-round choice
• Over $6,539,062: Four first-round choices

Thus, if a team has any desire to keep a player, they need to offer that player at least $863,157. If they want to make sure, a contract near $4 million means only the Edmonton Oilers will be in the market for that player...

Some restricted free agents are also eligible for arbitration. However, I will be starting with those who are not; the rules for arbitration will be explained in my next article addressing the players who are eligible for it.

C Torrey Mitchell (5'11", 190 lbs., 24 years old)

Mitchell broke his leg in the first week of camp and was out the entire season, as well as the first two Sharks losses in the playoffs. In the four games he played against Anaheim, he had no points and was -1, but his speed was a factor in the Sharks splitting the next four games.

In 2007-08, his rookie season, Mitchell played in all 82 games, scoring 10 goals and 10 assists and finishing -3 with 50 PIM while centering the checking line. He also was a key penalty killer, scoring two short-handed goals. In the playoffs, he finished -2 with 10 PIM while playing in all 13 games, recording a goal and two assists.

Coming off injury, Wilson could gamble that there will not be much interest in a one-year player. But Mitchell is a definite keeper, and the team needs to make the price high.

If he tenders a small contract and counts on matching another team's offer, he risks that team pricing him right out of contention. But by offering a contract that requires a team to also give up a second round pick to sign him away, it seems unlikely that even Kevin Lowe will pony up for Torrey both that and a load of money.

Even if some team does try to beat the Sharks' offer, unless it is $2 million-plus, Wilson should and will match the offer.

Expected tender: $1,307,813; Mitchell stays.

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