The key points in that clause state that “when the unfit-to-play Player is once again fit to play”, …, “the Club shall once again be required to reduce its Average Club Salary to a level at or below the Upper Limit”. Once they are fit to play, not once they are activated from IR, not once the team has cap space, but once the player is fit to play. Teams are responsible for ensuring that they are cap compliant by the time a player is medically fit to return. So if reports that Martinez is fit to play are true, then the VGK are in violation of the letter of this rule as well as clearly being in violation of its intent, and the NHL should immediately apply the prescribed penalties for violation of this rule.
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