EHM The Blue Line

Sorry accidentally posted this in the wrong forum.

Exactly how does Arbitration/Restricted Free Agency work?

Playing as the Senators in the 2016-17 season I had a few RFA's coming up, including Curtis Lazar, Mike Hoffman, and Jared Cowen, now I qualified all these players, but only Cowen ended up going to arbitration while Lazar and Hoffman accepted offers from the Red Wings and the Wild. I didn't get any compensation in the form of draft picks, not even a notification that players whose rights I owned were signing elsewhere (other than the typical 'Mike Hoffman accepted an Offer from the Minnesota Wild; Mike Hoffman moves to the Wild')

I'm baffled as to how arbitration works, or any sort of compensation does.

Can someone explain it?

Compensation is based on what the contract is worth. There is a minimum amount required to get compensated so if the contract $ amount didn't meet the minimum you get no compensation. I can't remember if I've ever had one of my RFA's accept an offer sheet. But you are suppose to have 7 days to match offer or choose not to match and get compensated. Go to a trade page with any team and see what draft picks you have to offer.

As far as arbitration goes, a player will choose to have an arbitrator determine a dollar amount and you either agree to sign the player for that amount of that RFA becomes a UFA and you lose the player for nothing.

Yeah see, I get how it works in real life.

But when Curtis Lazar signs a multiyear $15 million contract, I not only don't get the option to match the offer, but I also don't get the compensation I should.

He was 'qualified' prior to entering free agency.