Last year, we had the discussion about using Calder Trophy eligibility, but that would have excluded Coronato and Pelletier due to the number of games played, but the consensus was that they were still prospects.
The criteria I would use...
Unsigned drafted players:- Do the Flames still own his rights?
- a) Was he drafted in one of the four most-recent drafts? OR
b) Is he an NCAA player with at least one more year of college eligibility remaining?
If the answer to #1 and either #2a or 2b are "yes", then he should be included, otherwise, not.
For example, the following players have a yes for one of the questions, but not both, so they wouldn't be included:- Ronni: N for 1 / Y for 2a
- Rafikov: Y for 1 / N for 2a
- Boltmann: Y for 1 / N for 2b
Players under contract (or Flames RFA):- Is he signed to his ELC, or has he completed fewer than 2 seasons beyond the end of his ELC?
- If he is an RFA, has he not signed a contract to play the next season in Europe?
- Was he assigned to a league other than the NHL at any point last season?
- Has he played fewer than 40 games in any single NHL season?
- Has he played fewer than 60 total NHL games in his career?
If a player answers "yes" to all questions, he is included. If any question is a "no", he is not included.
For example, Cicek and Morton would be included because they haven't played 2 seasons beyond their ELCs. Okhotyuk would not be included because he is signed to a European contract and has exceeded the 40 games in one season and 60 total games thresholds.