Quote:
Originally Posted by getbak
One thing I haven't seen brought up is the AHL playoff eligibility rules. This was something that came up last season where Agostino, Van Brabant, Gaudreau, and Arnold were all signed to NHL contracts after the trade deadline, so they were ineligible to play for the Heat in the playoffs.
According to the CBA, a player can only be sent from the NHL to the AHL after the trade deadline if he was also called up from the AHL after the trade deadline. That's why there's always a bunch of paper transactions to "send down" players on the morning of the deadline and immediately recall them after the deadline (which, barring any changes to the lineup between now and then, will likely happen with Wolf and possibly Jooris this year)
The only players who can play in the AHL playoffs are those who were on the AHL roster at the NHL trade deadline plus any draft picks/signees who were in an amateur league at the deadline who go to the AHL after the completion of their junior/college season.
I believe that Bennett can only be eligible to play in the AHL playoffs if he is returned to Kingston prior to the deadline (or upon being cleared to play if it's after the deadline). If he is on Calgary's active NHL roster after the trade deadline, I believe it would make him ineligible for the AHL playoffs (because he can't be "paper transactioned" at the deadline).
Oddly enough, if I understand the rules correctly, he could be in Adirondack on a conditioning loan at the trade deadline and it would make him ineligible to play for Adirondack in the playoffs because he would be considered to be on Calgary's roster.
This will likely have minimal impact on Treliving's decision, just as it had no impact on the Gaudreau and Arnold signings last year, but you'd have to think it's one more thing for them to consider.
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So basically if he's not assigned to Kingston before the trade deadline and is sent back to the OHL the only place he can play after Kingston's season is done is Calgary.
Just to add a bit of a time line:
Feb 14th - Bennett is cleared for contact, reports say the Flames will take 7-10 days to decide what is next for him
Feb 21/23 - Flames make their decision. Bennett is presumably either returned to Kingston or is placed on the active roster and goes on a conditioning stint to the AHL for a max of 2 weeks
Mar 2nd - NHL Trade deadline day. Approx. one week into Bennett's conditioning stint. If Bennett is not assigned to Kingston by this day Bennett is ineligible to participate in the AHL playoffs. NHL roster limit is lifted.
Mar 22nd - Final day of regular season games in the OHL. Kingston will presumably make the playoffs as one of the Eastern Conferences bottom 4 teams
April 6th - Approximate end date of the first round of the OHL playoffs. If Kingston is out and Bennett is called up at this point he would be available for the Flames final five regular season games and playoff is we make it. If he was sent back to Kingston prior to the trade deadline he would be eligible to be assigned to the AHL
I feel like if he is ineligible for the AHL playoffs and Kingston makes it past the first round it highly unlikely the Flames put him in for his first game in the playoffs unless there are several injuries