If true, that's a bit of an issue. However I have not seen any evidence that Fletcher and Briere did that. If you have it, I'd like to see it.
It seems suspicious that two friends, Gauthier and McGroarty both represented by the same agency, are doing the same thing in demanding that a year be burned off of their contracts or else. Both players were happy as could be when they were drafted. Two years later they are out on their clubs with no reason being given.
Both wanted what is becoming the norm for NCAA 1st round picks and that is being signed going pro and seeing some NHL action
McGroarty watched several of his teammate's sign with NHL clubs and get NHL games after NCAA year ended over last 2 years
Luke Hughes (4th overall) - 2 games with Devils in 2023 (+ 3 played in 3 playoff games)
Frank Nazar (13th overall) - 3 games with Hawks this past year
Gavin Brindley (34th overall) - 1 game with Jackets this past year
Jets excuse not to do same for McGroarty because of "Being in race for division title, etc" rings hollow when Devils were in same spot, and Hughes still got a few games (And then found himself playing a few playoff games as well)
It also rings hollow because dressing guys like Axel Jonsson-Fjallby and David Gustafsson but being afraid to actually play them in playoffs (Both barely played in playoffs averaging paltry TOI) certainly undercuts any claim of kid playing on playoff team being issue since those guys were waste of roster spots and stapled to bench for majority of playoff games and playing low TOI in regular season
They also gave Brad Lambert (30th overall in 2022) and Nikita Chibrikov (2nd round in 2021) NHL game to end season. Lambert had good year in AHL so getting game was reward for him while Chibrikov at times struggled in AHL but they decided to give him an NHL game. Surely your 14th overall drafted top prospect who has been one of the best players in NCAA getting game or two should not have been issue if you're going to play a few rookies to end year
And the Jets inexplicably played Kupari for final game of NHL season after he was injured for a month and had been healthy scratch for his struggles at times in year and generally had awful year when healthy. He then was carried as extra forward in playoffs but never played a game
Surely it would not have hurt the Jets to sign kid and give him a few games to NHL season and carry him on NHL playoff roster over several people
Also....it's VERY common for top prospects to get that 1 year burned off their ELC. Gauthier was asking for something that hundreds of other prospects got.
Yep
The new reality is this is leveraging NCAA 1st round picks have now along with other productive NCAA prospects. Most organizations know they are going to burn off ELC and give them a few games at least to end year
Neither Cutter or McGroraty situations should have surprised organizations, and both were mishandled by organizations IMO