LOL! This is getting interesting! This post could continue to change as I tossed it up this morning before I went out the door. I've since changed it, however it could be changed yet again if I hear a better explanation.
Other sites have wondered why he isn't waiver eligible. Well, I've found the answer. Since he signed his first pro contract at 18 and played less than 11 NHL games that season his waiver eligibility kicked in at age 19 and means that until he either plays 4 pro seasons or plays in 160 NHL games he is waiver exempt. He currently stands at 157 NHL games and this will be his 4th and last pro season before he becomes eligible for waivers. This is very interesting because many people penciled him in for a spot figuring that he'd be lost via the waiver wire if he wasn't kept on the opening day roster.
That is not the case, he could very well see more time in the AHL this season and not get a chance to be an NHL regular until he performs exceptionally well in the AHL. This most certainly opens the door that much more for guys like Schremp, Potulny, Stone, and to a lesser extent Eberle.
http://www.nhlscap.com/waivers.htm
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=72051
6 comments:
Interesting.
Thanks for tracking this down.
Not quite true, but you are close. Because he didn't play 11 NHL games in 05-06 (his 18 year old season), that doesn't count as one of his 5 years. You need to play 11 games before your years start to count. Technically speaking his countdown didn't start until he was 19.
What does happen though, is even though he had 4 years, as soon as you play 11 games in one NHL season, your 4 years gets reduced to 3 and that first year counts as one of those 3.
The idea was to allow teams to sign their NHL players at 18 without risking them to waivers but still allowing them to play in the minors if they were eligible.
It's not common because most players play major junior anyways, but it works if you have an 18 year old Euro and bring him over to play in the AHL. The idea is to allow him to do that for 2 years without it costing you waiver years.
Take Sam Gagner for instance... the Oilers could send him to the AHL this year (before he plays 160 NHL games) but next year can't because he will have used up all 3 waiver seasons.
Second Dawgbone's comment. It's a 3-year, not 5-year exemption.
Actually DB, unless I misread what you said, his playing more than 11 games in his 19 year old season means that he has 4 seasons or 160 NHL games before becoming waiver eligible. Meaning he is indeed waiver exempt.
The 4 year exemption for a 19 year old is reduced to 3 in the first year they play 11 games.
From 13.4 of the CBA:
For purposes of Regular Waivers and Re-Entry Waivers, the five (5) year
exemption for an 18 year old skater and the four (4) year exemption for a 19 year old
skater shall both be reduced to three (3) years commencing the first season that the 18 or
19 year old skater plays in eleven (11) NHL Games or more. The next two (2) seasons,
regardless of whether the skater plays any NHL Games in either season, shall count as the
second and third years toward satisfying the exemption.
I've been in contact with NHLcap.com and I have yet to see a loophole that leaves Brule exempt from waivers. I assumed all along that he would be waiver eligible this season just like Schremp and Reddox, and until I hear something that makes sense it still seems that way. The guy from NHL cap also told me that his birthday still falls into the 3 year rule so that is not a potential reason for him to be waiver exempt.
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