The notion of "restricted free agency" ranks right up there with "jumbo shrimp" and "deafening silence" in the oxymoronic hall of fame.
None of the NHL players that qualify for it are "free" to do anything but remain shackled to the team that holds their rights. Sure, it could be argued that some of them have the "agency" to decide to haggle over salary or, if they just want to watch the world burn, sign an offer sheet with another team. But "restricted" is the bold-face term in the title, casting a shadow over the rest of the descriptor like a granite massif.