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By DAMIAN CRISTODERO and MIKE STEPHENSON
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 1, 2001
The league breaks players whose contracts have expired into six groups. According to Lightning assistant general manager Jay Feaster, here's the breakdown:
ENTRY LEVEL: Includes rookies and players entering their first year in the league, such as the Lightning's Nikita Alexeev. These players cannot accept offers from other teams.
GROUP II: Includes players whose contract has expired but do not qualify for another form of free agency, such as the Lightning's Vinny Lecavalier. Teams must offer players who make less than the league average at least a 10 percent raise to retain the right to match other teams' offers or receive draft-pick compensation. For players earning the league average or more, the team must offer a salary equal to previous season. Compensation can range from no draft choices (for players offered $400,000 or less) to five first-round draft choices (for players offered more than $3.7-million). Players 26 or older must be offered at least $585,000 for the club to retain the right to match. Players who don't receive qualifying offers become unrestricted free agents.
GROUP III: Any player older than 31 is an unrestricted free agent upon completion of his contract. His team does not have a right to match other offers or receive compensation. The Lightning's Wade Flaherty falls into this category.
GROUP IV: Players who never signed a contract and meet the requirements of a "defected player," a player not unconditionally released.
GROUP V: Players who have completed 10 or more pro seasons, including the minor leagues, earned less than the league average salary in the previous season and received a qualifying offer may elect to become an unrestricted free agent once in their career. This would have applied to Tampa Bay's Jassen Cullimore and Matthew Barnaby had they not signed.
GROUP VI: A player 25 or older who has completed three or more pro seasons, whose contract has expired and who has played at least 80 NHL games (28 for a goaltender) is unrestricted. This applies to Tampa Bay's John Emmons. -- Compiled by Damian Cristodero and Mike Stephenson.