[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Svatos and Nabokov I believe.

Thanks. But I believe the difference in this case that the Flames were pressing was the fact that O'Reilly was a RFA, and that there seemed to be an amendment to this rule on that condition:

All Players on a Club’s Reserve List and Restricted Free Agent List will be exempt from the application of CBA 13.23 Waivers in the case of a mid-season signing.
For further clarity, if Club A trades such a Player to Club B and Club B signs the Player to an SPC, such Player will be exempt from the application of CBA 13.23.

I still think that (1) there was real latitude at the time of the offer in the interpretation of the rule, that (2) none of Daly's direct quotations provide any actual confirmation of the NHL's position, and (3) since Colorado very promptly matched, there was no impetus for them to clarify the rule in the face of what was a pretty unusual situation.