Daws has spent much more time in the NHL and the Devils think he will be in the NHL full-time in 2025-26. Nolan Foote is coming off a season where he was injured for almost the entire year.
So the 1-way is not a rule of thumb it's discretionary. I get Daws may have earned it , but Thompson certainly didn't. He sucked. He held out and got his 1-way and sucked worse, He then became a total loss and got traded so they didn't have to pay him. The Isles finished that season paying him his contract for the season. This season, his 4th, the big paycheck was cut back to $175K.
Graeme Clarke was traded for Adam Beckman. Both are entering their 4th year. Clarke made $70K for each of his 3 ELC years with NJ. This year with the Wild he will make $105K
Adam Beckman, who Clarke was traded for, also made $70K for each of his 3 ELC years. His salary with NJ will pay him $125 with Utica.
Clarke put up 25G and 49Pts in 67GP with Utica last season and 3 pointless GP with NJ.
Beckman put up 19G and 33Pts with AHL Iowa in 51GP, but he also played 11 games with the Minnesota Wild recording 2 Assists. Pretty much the same seasons for both guys , but Beckman, having played 23 with Minnesota in his 3 ELC seasons stay with Minny apparently earned him an extra 20K from NJ.
All of these guys in their 4th seasons and the payout is drastically different. Of the guys actually getting a lower salary on the 2-wy in the AHL the worst player of the bunch, Thompson, is getting the biggest check at $175K.
It looks like that 4th yr 2-way is 100% discretionary with all NHL franchises.
Just as another example look at DeSimone's deal. Entering his 8th pro season also on a 2-way. Last season he made the biggest portion of his $950K. This season on his 2-way he will make $83K. He also has a contract for next season. His NHL 2way will play him $885K - $83K. Quite the pay-cut considering his chances of going up to NJ in the next 2 seasons are very remote.