Quoting: A_K
Following suit with what happens IRL. Contracts go from July 1 to June 30th. This has always been the rule.
I hear ya, and that's where it gets confusing in a small way.
Guy signs a new contract on Aug 14th
Doesn't count to us because it was after May 19th
Guys contract clause runs out June 30th
Doesn't count to us because it's not June 30th yet.
That's more what my thought process is/was.
We're looking away from crappy new contracts based on our games start date, but we're honoring contract clauses because we follow real life contract dates.
If that's the way we want to do it, WE in game should NOT be doing any UFA signings "in game" until it hits July 1st
This is a perfect example of how us doing things far ahead of real life finds some of us with craptastic contracts such as Thomas Hickey signed to 7yrs x $5M when he signed a "real life" contract only 41 days after our game started at 4yrs x $2.5M
That alone explains the problem with our game. We as team GM's "negotiate" a contract but then real life happens and the same player is signed to a much shorter, less expensive contract just days later.
This only happens when dealing with UFAs, because when it comes to our RFAs I am absolutely considering the idea of not re-signing any of mine until AFTER they sign their shiny new real life contract just so I don't get stuck with a possibly "bad contract". And it keeps a little more "realism" in our game because we're considering trades based of real life players with real life contracts.
No chance in Hell I could ever trade Hickey at $5M for now 6 more years, but a 5-6 Dman making $2.5 for only 3yrs might be much more attractive to a team needing to fill a hole due to injury.
**Please note, Hickey is simply brought up as an example I am familiar with**