Speculation: NCAA (Drafted) Players set to become Free Agents on August 15th

[WarriorofTime]

Here is the list of players that officially become free agents on August 15th and off of teams' reserve lists. Which ones do you think will be in high demand?

Jack Perbix (C) - ANA (116 OA; '18) - Returning to school for 2023/24 - ANA retains rights
John Farinacci (C) - ARI (76 OA; '19) - Signed ELC with Boston Bruins
Demetrios Koumontzis (LW) - CGY (108 OA; '18) - CGY retains rights
Kevin Wall (C) - CAR (181 OA; '19) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Milwaukee Admirals (NSH affiliate) / ATO with NSH
Jake Wise (C) - CHI (68 OA; '18) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Charlotte Checkers (FLA affiliate)
Robbie Stucker (RD) - CBJ (210 OA; '17) - Signed 2023/24 ECHL contract with Iowa Heartlanders (MIN affiliate)
Robert Mastrosimone (LW) - DET (54 OA; '19) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Toronto Marlies (TOR affiliate)
Skyler Brind'Amour (C) - EDM (177 OA; '17) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Charlotte Checkers (FLA affiliate)
Christian Krygier (LD) - NYI (196 OA; '18) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Bridgeport Islanders (NYI affiliate)
Jacob Pivonka (C) - NYI (103 OA; '18) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Bridgeport Islanders (NYI affiliate)
Jakov Novak (LW/C) - OTT (188 OA; '18) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Laval Rocket (MTL affiliate) - OTT retains rights
Jonny Tychonick (LD) - OTT (48 OA; '18) - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Toronto Marlies (TOR affiliate) - OTT retains rights
Jay O'Brien (C) - PHI (19 OA; '18)* - Signed 2023/24 AHL contract with Toronto Marlies (TOR affiliate)
Arvid Henrikson (RD) - SJS (187 OA; '16) - Signed 2023/24 Allsvenskan contract with Västerviks (Sweden)
Ryan O'Connell (LD) - TOR (203 OA; '17)) - Signed 2023/24 FFHG Division 2 contract with Toulouse-Blagnac (France)
Harrison Blaisdell (C) - WPG (134 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24 - WPG retains rights
Jared Moe (G) - WPG (184 OA; '18)

Trevor Janicke (C/RW) - ANA (132 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Anthony Romano (C/RW) - ARI (176 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Dustyn McFaul (LD) - BOS (181 OA; '18) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Josh Nodler (C/RW) - CGY (150 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Matthew Stienburg - COL (63rd OA; '19) - Signed ELC with Colorado Avalanche
Ethan Phillips (C/RW) - DET (97 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Marshall Warren (LD) - MIN (166 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Case McCarthy (RD) - NJD (118 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Patrick Moynihan (RW) - NJD (158 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Eric Ciccolini (RW) - NYR (205 OA; '19) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Riley Hughes (RW) - NYR (216 OA; '18) - Returning to school for 2023/24
Luke Loheit (C) (RW) - OTT (194 OA; '18) - Returning to school for 2023/24

* - Team receives a compensatory draft pick for the player going unsigned.

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[Brodeur]

Out of that bunch, Farinacci would be the guy I'd target. Maybe a team like Florida/Boston could lure him as they haven't had a ton of draft picks recently. Seemed like O'Brien will get offers, but he's a bit of a long shot now.

 

[montreal]

If they go back for their 5th year don't their rights extend for another year?

The Habs brought in Novak (Sens) on an AHL deal but don't think they will be interested in anyone else. Jay O'Brien on an AHL deal I wouldn't mind but wonder if he gets a NHL contract or not.

 

[MMC]

Can someone explain to me why these players are allowed to sign with other team's AHL affiliates before this deadline?

 

[WarriorofTime]

Can someone explain to me why these players are allowed to sign with other team's AHL affiliates before this deadline?

I'm not entirely sure, but it seems that you can technically sign an AHL deal (that removes NCAA eligibility since it's a pro contract) but remain on a different team's reserve list (as they are the only team that can offer you an NHL deal at that point). I'm not entirely clear on the logistics of AHL deals, but I think any player on an AHL deal can be signed for an NHL deal at any point. So if if a guy blows up mid-season on an AHL deal, a different team could sign him to an NHL contract even if they are not that player's AHL team's parent club.

 

[uncleben]

If they go back for their 5th year don't their rights extend for another year?

The Habs brought in Novak (Sens) on an AHL deal but don't think they will be interested in anyone else. Jay O'Brien on an AHL deal I wouldn't mind but wonder if he gets a NHL contract or not.

I think you're right, but the CBA on college players is annoying, imo, lol. @mouser might have a good answer


Of the players without a pro contract though:
O'Connell, Koumontzis, Stucker, and Wise already did 5 years (I think temporary pandemic exceptions were in play there, too). The latter three also already played pro games at the end of last season on ATOs so they can't go back to NCAA anyway.
Notably, Farinacci also only did 3 years NCAA, so he may be a good candidate to go back

 

[mouser]

If they go back for their 5th year don't their rights extend for another year?

The Habs brought in Novak (Sens) on an AHL deal but don't think they will be interested in anyone else. Jay O'Brien on an AHL deal I wouldn't mind but wonder if he gets a NHL contract or not.

Yes. But the 5th year rights don't fully "vest" until January 1st. i.e. if the player changed their mind between August 16th and December 31st they can leave school and still sign a NHL deal for this season.

If the player is still in college on January 1st then the player rights are extended to next Aug 15th.

 

[Brodeur]

Notably, Farinacci also only did 3 years NCAA, so he may be a good candidate to go back

Quote from Farinacci from an article in March:

While the NCAA granted most college players an extra year of eligibility due to Covid, the Ivy League did not follow suit. Farinacci, the Crimson’s captain, has the option of transferring to another school for an added year of eligibility. Arizona State was among the programs interested in him, but Farinacci put the kibosh on such plans.

“Obviously, not being able to come back to Harvard rules that option out, but there’s really not any other place that I want to play college hockey besides Harvard,” he said. “It’s where I have spent my whole college career and that means a lot to me.”

 

[cwede]

Can someone explain to me why these players are allowed to sign with other team's AHL affiliates before this deadline?

why not?
their exclusive NHL rights only apply to NHL teams
also, we dont know, some may not have received the'bona fide' offer from drafting team which retained their rights

a player confident of an NHL offer might not,
but most guys, not signed soon after NCAA season ends, are projected as marginal pros anyway

the 5th, even 6th year, thing does complicate which guys' rights expire when
NYR had 3 guys whose NCAA eligibility might have ended, but 2(Ciccolini, RHughes) have already transferred, so i expect NYR retains their rights longer. S.Kjellberg could transfer, or return to NMU, and have his NHL rights extended

 

[Curufinwe]

JOB was such a waste of a pick.

 

[Brodeur]

Farinacci's sister married Brady Tkachuk recently. I half-jokingly wondered if there was anybody recruiting him during the reception.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

JOB was such a waste of a pick.

Hey, you got Carson Bjarnason out of it

 

[Brodeur]

Hey, you got Carson Bjarnason out of it

The O'Brien compensatory pick (51st overall) will be in 2024. Philly got the Bjarnason pick with the Kings' 2024 2nd as part of the Provorov deal. Granted, the Kings pick will probably be in the same neighborhood as the O'Brien pick.

 

[hamzarocks]

JOB was such a waste of a pick.

JOB, Rubstov, Laberg, Allison, Ratcliffe, and Patrick busting/being ruined by injuries cost the flyers to set a support core to help giroux/couterier/Vorachek contend in from 2015-2022 period

They were all pretty high picks (patrick obviously a lotto win at 2OA) and not getting the value expected cost the flyers.

Frost, Farabee; Forester, Konency was a good supporting group just needed 2-3 of those guys to hit

 

[mouser]

why not?
their exclusive NHL rights only apply to NHL teams
also, we dont know, some may not have received the'bona fide' offer from drafting team which retained their rights

a player confident of an NHL offer might not,
but most guys, not signed soon after NCAA season ends, are projected as marginal pros anyway

the 5th, even 6th year, thing does complicate which guys' rights expire when
NYR had 3 guys whose NCAA eligibility might have ended, but 2(Ciccolini, RHughes) have already transferred, so i expect NYR retains their rights longer. S.Kjellberg could transfer, or return to NMU, and have his NHL rights extended

College players don’t require a bona fide offer to retain draft rights.

 

[cwede]

College players don’t require a bona fide offer to retain draft rights.

i am not a lawyer, and the CBA wording is often unclear to me,
so I respectfully defer to folks who comment with confidence on such matters

but the term 'bona fide offer' is sprinkled among the sections dealing with NCAA players, such as 8.6.c.iii and 8.6.c.iv

thanks

 

[RangersFan1994]

JOB was such a waste of a pick.

As a Rangers fan so was Kravtsov. I wanted Farabee. All teams miss on 1st round picks from time to time.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

Checkers are the panthers affiliate not the Canes

 

[uncleben]

Checkers are the panthers affiliate not the Canes

Thanks, that's on me! I forgot they switched... years ago!

 

[mouser]

i am not a lawyer, and the CBA wording is often unclear to me,
so I respectfully defer to folks who comment with confidence on such matters

but the term 'bona fide offer' is sprinkled among the sections dealing with NCAA players, such as 8.6.c.iii and 8.6.c.iv

thanks

The key detail to look for in 8.6.c.iii and 8.6.c.iv is all the ”bona fide offer” language in 8.6.c refer to bona fide offers required in section 8.6.a

8.6.a covers North American players who were not college student when drafted.
8.6.c covers college players

So the “bona fide offer” language in 8.6.c is only covering transition situations from (a) to (c).

Trying to summarize the main scenarios:
- For players drafted under (a), the team gets 1 year of rights, and a 2nd year if a bona fide offer is made during year 1.
- If a player drafted under (a) becomes a college player during year 1 then they transition to 8.6.c with no bona fide offer required.
- If a player drafted under (a) becomes a college player during year 2, but announces that college commitment prior to the first June 30th following the draft then no bona fide offer is required. [The CBA doesn’t explicitly state this but that’s my understanding how it works]
- If a player drafted under (a) commits to college after the first June 30th then a bona fide offer is required by the first June 30th to retain the player’s rights under both (a) and (c).

So there is a fringe case where a bona fide offer is technically required to retain a college players rights. But that same bona fide offer would be required to retain any non-college NA players draft rights.

Lastly I’d note the fact that all of the players discussed in this thread have rights expiring on Aug 15th. Thus either they never required bona fide offers, or if they fit into the fringe scenario then they must have received the bona fide offer. Otherwise their draft rights would have expired two or more years ago.

 

[Djp]

Can someone explain to me why these players are allowed to sign with other team's AHL affiliates before this deadline?

AHL is no different than signing with a team in Europe. Nhl rights are held by the club but not all AHL players have nhl contracts. A club can sign theitr prospect t. To an all only deal because they still have exclusive rights for 4 yrs on Europe players.

AHL players can be allowed to play on other AHL teams.

Quote from Farinacci from an article in March:

in ncaa you can straight transfer or grad transfer if they still have eligibility.

i am not a lawyer, and the CBA wording is often unclear to me,
so I respectfully defer to folks who comment with confidence on such matters

but the term 'bona fide offer' is sprinkled among the sections dealing with NCAA players, such as 8.6.c.iii and 8.6.c.iv

thanks

this would likely be true if a college player could sign a contract and defer it till they leave college.

under current rules player can’t sign thr offer without killing college.

I believe this it true if a college drafted player opts to turn pro after 1 or 2 yrs of college and wants to turn pro but the club won’t sign him.

 

[Brodeur]

in ncaa you can straight transfer or grad transfer if they still have eligibility.

Yes, but Farinacci himself said he wasn't interested in that option.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Can someone explain to me why these players are allowed to sign with other team's AHL affiliates before this deadline?

Because the team that drafted them indicated they would not sign them.

 

[PettersonHughes]

As someone who's uninformed about this crop of prospects, is there a centralized site to find stats and player comparables, or if someone has said list, could they share it? Thanks

 

[mr4tno]

Out of that bunch, Farinacci would be the guy I'd target. Maybe a team like Florida/Boston could lure him as they haven't had a ton of draft picks recently. Seemed like O'Brien will get offers, but he's a bit of a long shot now.

That's the Flyers drafting strategy on how to acquire "extra" 2nd round picks -- trade all of your own but then draft college nobodies in the 1st round and don't sign them

As someone who's uninformed about this crop of prospects, is there a centralized site to find stats and player comparables, or if someone has said list, could they share it? Thanks

www.hockeydb.com has that and more

That's the Flyers drafting strategy on how to acquire "extra" 2nd round picks -- trade all of your own but then draft college nobodies in the 1st round and don't sign them


www.hockeydb.com has that and more

sorry - no comps but a lot of other stuff