Is Weber going to be a RFA or UFA and why?

he is restricted because he will not achieve the age of 27 at the start of the free agency period (he misses by a month or 2, cant remember his exact birthdate but recall a conversation where he is just shy on age) nor will he have played 7 seasons in the NHL (this is his 6th season). So according to the CBA he isnt eligible because he misses the criteria for one of the 2 standards required (there are other standards for lesser players who can become eligible at an earlier time due to certain contract stipulations). Bottom line is Nashville holds the cards for one more season (if they choose).

Just think if they hadnt overhauled the CBA, this wouldnt even be a topic of discussion as the old NHL free agency standard was pretty one sided with the team having control of players past their so called prime years.

Tuna....I think that is where there is some confusion but from my understanding a player must have played 40 games to constitute a year of service in the NHL. That is how I understand his 05-06 year technically costs him that 7th year. Again by literally days he loses his shot as a UFA but I am 110% positive he will be an RFA and must wait until the end of next season to be a UFA.

Per cap geek and the NHL, Weber will be a RFA (meaning Nashville controls his rights) after the 2011-12 season (he signed a one-year deal at the start of the season). He will become a UFA after the 2012-13 season. If Nashville thought otherwise they wouldn't have gone to Arbitration with him over the summer when he could sign a one year pump-and-dump deal, and then leave as a UFA on July 1st.

The only way this would change is if the CBA were changed in the offseason that would lower the threshold for UFA's to a level that Weber would then become one (it's not out of the realm of possibility).

Put it this way- if Weber becomes a UFA after this season it'll make the Brad Richards spectacle look like child's play. You'd have Zach Parise AND Shea Weber as UFA's.

I have nothing to add to the question, but it is interesting that he does not meet the age requirement. The cutoff day for the NHL Entry Draft is 18 years old by Sept 15, so players like Weber and Crosby end up getting drafted when they are 17, and yet they change the date for RFA/UFA status (I am assuming so anyway since Weber is still a RFA). Seems like a double standard so that the teams can get as much time out of the player as possible.

To be unrestricted, he needs to have either 7 seasons of NHL experience or be over 27 years old. I can't recall what goes into the classes of free agency (For example, Ben Bishop is going to be a UFA after this season unless he plays 15 games, though he doesn't qualify for the age (25) or seasons (1).) but I don't know why they'd force Weber back into arbitration.

Now, while Weber will be 27 this year, I don't think the UFA will kick in as it will be after the contract negotiations. However, this is his 7th season. He's listed as an RFA, and I don't fully know why. It's one of those odd rules in the system. Ideally, he SHOULDN'T be an RFA after this season, but it seems hew ill be.

GoFlames.....................out of 40 six # a million possibilities in NHL historic previous, greater suitable than sixty 5% have replaced communities 2006 Erik Johnson (never a bust) 2001 Ilya Kovalchuk (third optimal scorer tghis decade) 1999 Patrick Stefan 1997 Joe Thornton (2d premier scorer this decade) 1995 Bryan Berard 1994 Ed Jovanovski 1993 Alexandre Daigle 1992 Roman Hamrlik 1991 Eric Lindros 1990 Owen Nolan 1989 Mats Sundin 1988 Mike Modano 1987 Pierre Turgeon 1986 Joe Murphy 1985 Wendel Clark 1983 Brian Lawton 1981 Dale Hawerchuk (HHOF) 1980 Doug Wickenheiser 1979 Rob Ramage 1978 Bobby Smith 1977 Dale McCourt 1976 Rick eco-friendly 1975 Mel Bridgeman 1974 Greg Joly 1972 Billy Harris 1971 guy Lafleur (HHOF) 1969 Rejean Houle 1968 Michel Plasse So, in basic terms right here in no way replaced communities 1970 Gilbert Perreault (HHOF) 1973 Denis Potvin (HHOF) 1982 Gord Kluzak (had he performed greater suitable than 4 seasons - who's conscious) 1996 Chrisd Phillips 1998 Vincent Lecavalier 2000 Rick DiPietro 2002 Rick Nash 2003 Marc-Andre Fleury 2004 Alexander Ovechkin 2005 Sidney Crosby 2007 Patrick Kane 2008 Steven Stamkos 2009 John Tavares 2010 Taylor corridor the two Stamkos and Weber will sign extensions. Now that we've settled into the sales Cap era, there is helpful little left for somebody to disillusioned the apple cart

I just checked my November 2011 edition of "The Hockey News" to see what they called Shea. They too said he is a RFA and not a UFA. Now please bare with me, as I'm not that smart when it comes to these Hockey Related subjects, but the article also said something along the lines of, if he were to sign a deal with the Preds for a one year season, the following season he would be considered a UFA? So maybe it has to do with his current *pending* status with the Preds Organization, and that's why he is listed as a RFA and determines if he becomes Unrestricted? If that even makes any kind of sense.....as I proof read what I wrote it doesn't even make sense to me and I wrote it!

Again, sorry, I'm probably not much help to your question lol. So if I stated anything that isn't even true or something that needs to be corrected, I honestly wouldn't mind!

Shea is a RFA but he will either be on the Market or be traded to a team like the Leafs before the Deadline.