Quote:
Originally Posted by MattyC
After the first few games, players in this position tend to look pretty ordinary, but they almost always get these full 9 games to see if they can round it out.
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If you look at the numbers, that's not usually the case.
I don't remember who it was, but I remember someone posting the stats and it's actually very rare for a player to get exactly 9 games to start the season and then get sent down. Teams tend to make up their minds after 3-5 games and if the player makes it to 9, he'll almost always play game 10 and beyond.
Look at this year's draft for example. 6 players drafted in June have played in the NHL this season. Sergachev got three games before Montreal sent him back to the OHL. The other five will all have hit the 10 game mark by the end of today (Puljujarvi is the only one still under 10 and he should play it on Saturday).
Of those 5, Tkachuk and Chychrun are the only ones who'd actually have to be sent back to the OHL. Matthews, Laine, and Puljujarvi could all play in the AHL this season.
From what I can tell, since the last lockout, Sam Reinhart is the only player who had a slide-eligible ELC who played 9 NHL games to start the season and then was sent back to junior.
The only other 9 game rookies were players who were able (and did) play in the AHL that season, and their 9 games weren't played right at the start of the season. For example, Kapanen last season played most of the year in the AHL but got 9 games in Toronto near the end of the season.