NHLPA Filing Grievance Over Blackhawks Offers

((HT: TSN/Dreger))

Sources tell TSN the National Hockey League Players Association has filed a grievance over the Chicago Blackhawks mishandling of a number of its qualifying offers and intends to argue the players affected by the mishap, who remain unsigned, should be ruled unrestricted free agents.

The NHL will be notified and can agree with the NHLPA's filing, or the league can disagree and the case will move on to an expedited hearing.

"In response to various media inquiries, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) confirms today that it has filed a grievance regarding the failure of the Chicago Blackhawks to submit Qualifying Offers to its 2009 Restricted Free Agents prior to the deadline stipulated in the CBA. The NHLPA will make no further comment on the matter, which is now pending before the Impartial Arbitrator," said Jonathan Weatherdon, NHLPA Spokesperson.

At this moment, it's the Players' Association's contention, these players are unrestricted free agents and free to negotiate with any team.

The NHL is sure to fight back.

If the PA is accurate and the players involved are deemed unrestricted free agents, the Blackhawks could lose both forward Kris Versteeg and defenceman Cam Barker ((pictured, thanks Dave Sandford/Getty)) to the open market.

The interest in these two players league wide as UFA's would be significant. In Barker's case, one league source cites his value at $3 million on the low end, and as much as $5 million on the high end.

The Chicago Blackhawks have cap issues and may not be able to afford to compete in the feeding frenzy without making drastic moves to free up money.

This issue is far from resolved, but early indications suggest it may not end well for the Chicago Blackhawks.

UPDATE: The Chicago Blackhawks have responded very quickly to a grievance filed by the NHL Player's Association of mishandling their qualifying offers to restricted free-agents by signing defenceman Cam Barker to a three-year, $9.25 million contract extension.

Barker was one of five players whose qualifying offers from the Hawks reportedly were mailed but didn't arrive on time. Had Barker not agreed to a deal, and the grievance had gone through, he could have potentially become an unrestricted free-agent.

23-year old Barker had six goals and 34 assists in 60 games for Chicago last season and added three goals and six assists during the Blackhawks' playoff run.

The Winnipeg native was originally selected third overall by the Blackhawks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Blackhawks Signings Now With NHLPA

((HT: TSN/Dreger))

The National Hockey League has concluded its portion of an investigation into the Chicago Blackhawks mishandling of a number of qualifying offers made last week.

At the request of the Players Association, the league has forwarded its findings to NHLPA and now awaits reaction to determine what happens next.

Unless the NHLPA chooses to grieve the situation, the issue could be dead.

Last week, sources with hands on knowledge of how qualifying offers have to be filed told TSN that some restricted free agents on the Blackhawks didn't receive proper notification from the team.

Blackhawks stars Kris Versteeg ((pictured, thanks Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty)) and Cam Barker are among that group.

Dale Tallon told TSN he believed all of the qualifying offers were post marked for June 29th and didn't sound concerned when the matter was discussed on Friday.

Tallon acknowledged there was a mistake made and wondered if the July 1st holiday may have interfered with the players and player agents receiving the qualifying offers via mail, on time.

Multiple sources say it's clearly stated in the collective bargaining agreement, qualifying offers, or QO's, as they're commonly referred to, are not supposed to be mailed, but rather faxed or delivered by courier.

Tear Down The Bulin Wall...???

Darren Dreger of TSN in Canada is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to move goalie Nikolai Khabibulin- and fast.

As of right now, the Blackhawks are two-and-a-half million dollars over the newly minted US$56.6-million number and need to move some freight. Dreger maintains, and those of us at OSG HQ have agreed for a while now, that the LA Kings is the likely destination. Khabibulin ((pictured, thanks yahoosports.com)) is set to make US$6.75-million in the last year of his current deal, and has told anyone willing to listen that he wants to play the lion's share of the games for whatever team he plays for in 2008-2009.

With Cristobal Huet:
A)Also in net,
B)Making a million dollars less and,
C)Under contract for three more seasons

That ain't happening...

With Khabibulin in Los Angeles, the Kings get:
A) A Number One goaltender, which Jason LaBarbera is not...
B) Closer to US$32-million which is STILL seven million dollars short of the NHL-imposed floor-level number for salary cap purposes...

((Ed. Note- Seems like an Atlanta/Nashville move trying to underspend, but we digress))

But, then who do the Kings move to Chicago...?

The Hawks need a winger that can stay with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The answer, to the chagrin of Kings fans ((if there are any left)) would be Young Star Anze Kopitar. Kings fans would, then, disappear if Kopitar left the building. The level of "care" Kings' owner AEG would have is, probably, slight.

Kopitar is still under his entry-level deal where, with bonus money thrown in, he will make close to US$900,000. He is set to be a restricted free agent at the end of the 08-09 season.

Salary figures in LA also lean toward a Raitas Ivanans or a Matt Ellis, but neither has the pop a Kopitar does.

Six weeks ago, the Toronto Sun reported on the possibility of a three-way dance among the Kings, Hawks, and Senators. Kopitar goes to Chicago. Andrej Meszaros and Martin Gerber go to Los Angeles. The Sens get Khabibulin and either Brent Seabrook or Cam Barker. Meszaros, however, may have thrown a monkey in that wrench by signing an offer sheet with an undisclosed franchise Thursday for US$5-million per season. The Sens, acknowledging a contract negotiation impasse, could match and then pull a sign-and-trade if the Sun's info was anywhere close to correct to keep this paragraph accurate.

Choose your dance partner and start the carnival music...
Here's a sample of what someone could be getting very soon...