Ed. Note: Bumped from the FanPosts. Fantastic work, Jen. - Travis

As noted in this morning's Fly By, there's some confusion over whether Danny Syvret is a Restricted Free Agent or an Unrestricted Free Agent. CapGeek still says he's an RFA, but he said on the radio yesterday that he's a UFA....

So which one is the truth?

In short:  I believe Syvret is correct, and he is actually a UFA.  

The explanation:  

First off, there are lots of different types of free agents, numbered group 2 through group 6.  Group 2 and group 4 are RFA types, and groups 3, 5, and 6 are UFA types.  Most players fall into groups 2 or 3; while 4, 5, and 6 have special restrictions.  There are also non-numbered UFA types, such as those that are draft related or who weren't tendered a qualifying offer when they became an RFA.  

Let's look at the special restrictions for Group 6 Unrestricted Free Agency.  From CBA Section 10.1, Unrestricted Free Agents (emphasis mine, and excess wording has been removed for clarity):

Group 6 Free Agents.

(i) Means any Player who is age 25 or older who has completed three 

(3) or more professional seasons, whose SPC has expired and: (i) 

in the case of a Player other than a goaltender, has played less than 

80 NHL Games... For the purposes of the foregoing, the term professional

season shall: (A) for a Player aged** 18 or 19, ... 

(B) for a Player aged** 20 or older, mean 

any season in which such Player plays in one or more Professional 

Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor 

league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any 

European professional league, while under an SPC). 

 

(ii) Any Group 6 Player shall, at the expiration of his SPC, become an 

Unrestricted Free Agent and shall be completely free to negotiate

and sign an SPC with any Club, and any Club shall be completely 

free to negotiate and sign an SPC with such Player, without penalty 

or restriction, or being subject to any Right of First Refusal, Draft 

Choice Compensat ion or any other compensation or equalization 

obligation of any kind. 

 

** Refers to the age of the player at the time they sign their first NHL contract.  

Syvret Fact Check:
Birthday: June 13, 1985, currently 25 but will be 26 before free agency starts July 1st.
Draft year - 2005, Draft age - 20
First NHL contract signed - 8/29/2005, Signing age - 20
Career NHL games played: Reg Season - 59, Playoff - 10, Total - 69
Number of NHL seasons played by the above definition: 5

Feel free to double check me, but I'm pretty sure that makes DSOD a group 6 UFA, if he wasn't already a UFA by some other means.