9.1. Trade Assets
Teams in the OTHL may trade players under contract, draft picks, prospects, cash, and future considerations (see 9.5). Teams may not trade inactive list players.
9.2. Trade Limitations
There are fivecurrent trade limitations in the OTHL:
- First, new GM's will be watched very closely for the first little while to make sure they are making smart trades. This may mean that more of their trades go to the TRB for review.
- Second, a team cannot make a trade that would put them over the salary cap, or put them below the salary floor. Any trade that violates the salary cap/floor, will be rejected right away. If a team is trying to make a trade that would put them over the cap, they have to make adjustments prior to the deal being sent in for league approval, either by sending down players to the farm, or make another separate deal as needed for the first trade to go through.
- The third limitation is when including future considerations in a trade, they may not suggest that a player in the trade will return to his original team that he was traded by, via another trade or waivers. If the future considerations do suggest this then the trade is void. Future considerations are also restricted to OTHL based stipulations. NHL based stipulations are not allowed.
- Maximum money allowed in any trade is $1 million dollars. No trade can contain more than $1 million dollars in any kind of form. Money is also not allowed to be split up in any kind of value. All the money must be paid at once. Cash assets also cannot be the only asset in a trade for one team.
- Draft picks cannot be traded beyond the current draft year plus the next two years. For example, if the current draft year is 2025, you cannot trade any picks beyond 2027, meaning all 2025, 2026, and 2027 draft picks are available. As soon as the 2025 Draft is completed, the current draft year plus two years means 2026, 2027, and 2028 picks are open to trade. An easier way to track this rule is by reviewing the draft picks on the html sim output file, as the first three years of the output will always be in line with this rule for what picks can be traded.
The Trade Review Board (TRB) will consist of 7 GMs from the league, 3 of which will be members from the Board of Directors (BOD). This board will review trades that have been requested (See below for rules on requesting a trade review) to be reviewed by any member of the league. The board will pass or veto by majority vote, based on the number of eligible voters. Members involved in a trade may not vote on their own trade. The mission of this TRB is to ensure that all trades are made in good faith, and that no GM is taken advantage of such that the trade value being returned is grossly inadequate OR severely devalues the franchise. The board understands there are "winners" and "losers" of trades, not only in the immediate present tense, but also in the future. A veto of a trade will be taken seriously and only used to protect the value of a franchise. After a voting has ended, the decision will be posted in the message board, with an explanation of their ruling, when possible and appropriate.
Any GM may request a trade to be reviewed by the TRB by posting in the message board (in the appropriate forum) the trade in question within 24 hours from the time it is posted on the OTHL sim website. After 24 hours has passed, if no request for review has been made, the trade will pass. The BOD may request a trade at any point, even after the 24 hour period has ended.
9.4. Trade Deadline
Towards the end of every regular season there will be a set time where all trading will end until after playoffs, this is called the trade deadline. The trade deadline occurs after approximately 88% of the OTHL games have been played in the regular season, and is set in the league schedule by the simulation software.
9.5. Future Considerations
Future considerations are conditions you can place on a trade where assets may be included or changed based on a result that is yet to be determined.
If you trade future considerations, they must be clearly stated what they are. They may not suggest that a player in the trade will return to his original team that he was traded by, via another trade or waivers. If the future considerations do suggest this then the trade is void. Future considerations are also restricted to OTHL based stipulations. NHL based stipulations are not allowed.
If the FC compensation is no longer available (because the GM mistakenly traded the asset) at the time of FC execution, the GM must give similar compensation (ex: a draft pick in the same round the following year). If similar compensation cannot be agreed upon, the BOD will determine fair value based on the teams current assets. The GM who didn't have the necessary FC compensation will also be fined 5 million for trading away compensation that was part of a FC.