Unless the league changes the veteran rule, I still think the independent team is going to have a hard time to fill up a roster that could compete with an NHL affiliate:
Quote:
In the AHL, player development is a top priority. The American Hockey League and the Professional Hockey Players' Association have the following development rule in place:
Of the 18 skaters (not counting two goaltenders) that teams may dress for a game, at least 13 must be qualified as "development players." Of those 13, 12 must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (including AHL, NHL and European elite leagues), and one must have played in 320 or fewer professional games. All calculations for development status are based on regular-season totals as of the start of the season.
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That off the bat limits how many veterans a team can sign/dress. Independent teams will be left signing overage major juniors and college free agents that NHL didn't want (and perhaps once in a while a Euro but very unlikely without an NHL contract).
NHL teams rarely loan their prospects to other teams. Flames have only done it twice that I can recall.