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[article] Vancouver Canucks: Which Young Players Are Subject To Waivers in 2015-16?


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Vancouver Canucks: Which Young Players Are Subject To Waivers in 2015-16?

With all the talk of the Canucks working young players into their lineups next season, this seems like a good time to go over the league's waiver rules. It's a bit of a soup working through all the clauses and conditions, but hopefully what I've laid out here will help to clarify which players the Canucks will be able to send down to Utica next season without exposing them to waivers, and which one will be at risk.

CapGeek used to have an excellent waiver calculator that made it easy to determine a player's waiver status but for now, it seems like we're on our own. So let's go back to the original source material—the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The pertinent section starts here, on page 71.

The bare bones: waiver eligibility is determined by three factors: a player's age, the number of NHL games he has played, and the number of years that have passed since he signed his first NHL contract.

Here's the basic breakdown:

Goalies who are 20 or under become subject to waivers after playing 80 NHL games.

After that, the eligibility number drops to 60 games for players who also meet these conditions:

- 21 and 22-year-olds who signed their first NHL contracts at least four seasons previously (basically, all 21-year-olds and the 22-year-olds who first signed at 18)

- 23-year-olds who signed their first NHL contracts at least three seasons previously (by age 20)

- 24-year-olds who signed their first NHL contract at least two seasons previously (by age 22)

Goalies who are 25 or older become waiver eligible one year after signing their first NHL contracts.

The numbers are different for skaters:

Skaters who are 20 or under become subject to waivers after playing 160 NHL games.

After that, the eligibility numbers drop by age:

- a 21-year-old who signed his first NHL contract three years previously (at age 18) becomes waiver eligible after 80 NHL games

- a 22-year-old who signed his first NHL contract at least three years previously (by age 19) becomes waiver eligible after 70 NHL games

- a 23-year-old who signed his first NHL contract at least three years previously (by age 20) becomes waiver eligible after 60 NHL games

- a 24-year-old who signed his first NHL contract at least two years previously (by age 22) becomes waiver elgibile after 60 NHL games

Like goalies, skaters who are 25 or older become waiver eligible one year after signing their first NHL contracts.

Games totals include regular season and playoffs.

So, where do the Canucks' young players stand on that chart?

Goalies:

Jacob Markstrom: 25 years old, six NHL seasons, 50 NHL games - waiver eligible

Richard Bachman: 27 years old, five NHL seasons, 42 NHL games - waiver eligible

Skaters:

Sven Baertschi: 22 years old, four NHL seasons, 71 NHL games - now waiver eligible - he remained exempt last season because he signed his entry-level deal in July of 2011, when he was 18, but only played five games in his first season. There are some exceptions to the basic chart for the players who sign at a very young age and don't immediately become NHL regulars.

Linden Vey: 23 years old, two NHL seasons, 94 NHL games - signed his entry-level deal on May 23, 2011, so he completed his three years of waiver exemption before joining the Canucks last season

Bo Horvat: 20 years old, one NHL season, 74 NHL games - waiver exempt for another 86 games

Ronalds Kenins: 24 years old, one NHL season, 35 NHL games - signed first deal July 2013 - two years ago - so he'll require waivers as he enters his third NHL season

**EDIT - NOT SURE ON THIS ONE - BelcherBD suggests that the seasons are calculated based on the year that the contract is first signed, rather than current age. If that's the case, he could have one more waiver-eligible year, which will end when he plays his 70th NHL game.

**ANOTHER EDIT (thanks Bryndog): Alex Grenier: 23 years old, 0 NHL seasons. He has played in the minors for three seasons but didn't sign his entry-level contract till April of 2013, so he has only played two years off an NHL contract. He should be waiver exempt for one more year.

Adam Clendening: 22 years old, one NHL season, 21 NHL games - signed entry-level deal May 31, 2012 - three years ago - so he'll require waivers as he enters his fourth NHL season

Frank Corrado: 22 years old, three NHL seasons, 32 NHL games - signed entry-level September 23, 2011, when he was 18, but didn't play till he was 19, so he got an exemption that's similar to Baertschi's. He has now played in three NHL seasons, so he'll be waiver-eligible next season.

Alex Biega (age 27) and Taylor Fedun (age 27) are also both waiver-eligible.

The rest of the youngsters who are AHL eligible are waiver exempt That means it'll be tougher for them to stick on the Canucks roster unless Benning makes more trades or is otherwise willing to dispose of players, since he can easily stash them in Utica without worrying about the possibility of losing them.

That list includes:

Forwards: Brendan Gaunce (21), Hunter Shinkaruk (20), Cole Cassels (20)

Defense: Andrey Pedan (22), Jordan Subban (20), Anton Cederholm (20)

* Note: I bolded the names for easier reference.

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I have waded through these rules before and I still find them hard to follow. But I think that Kenins is still waiver exempt for 2015-16. So is Grenier.

For Kenins the calculation is as follows. He was signed on July 30, 2013 at the age of 22. As a 22 year old he had 3 years of being potentially waiver exempt: 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16.

The only issue is whether he has played enough NHL games to eliminate the exemption. The answer is no. He has played 35 NHL games, much less than the 70 games allowed for a guy signed at age 22.

Grenier is in a similar situation.

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I think Alex Friesen is waiver eligible this season. In my mind he's got a 50/50 chance of getting through waivers. It's a matter of if there's a team out there who wants to take a chance on him (similar to the Stanton situation) despite not having any real NHL experience. That's why I feel like he's got a legitimate chance of making the team this year in the 4C spot.

And Alex Grenier, thankfully, isn't waiver eligible... I suspect that if he was and the Canucks tried to send him down, he'd be scooped up almost immediately. Hard to see at least one NHL team not take a chance on a 6'5" RW with a wicked shot and steadily improving defensive abilities in this day and age.

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I am excited for this season to start! The roster will be wide open to changes especially if more of the prospects make a push. Does anyone see a trade early on or during preseason? And if Benning wanted to ship Higgins what would he be worth? Can it happen? I am really wondering if there's gonna be a buyer for him.

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waiver eligibility is as overstated as the "9 game" window.

EVERYBODY was convinced last year that markstrom would get claimed on waivers when it was obvious he wouldn't.

every team has waiver eligible prospects, and they're far more likely to give them a chance than a player drafted and developed elsewhere.

the canucks are a team that should be especially unconcerned, as in their depleted state, if a waiver eligible player isn't good enough to crack their roster, they're not good enough to crack any other roster in the league, either, which makes a waiver claim pointless.

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[...]

Ronalds Kenins: 24 years old, one NHL season, 35 NHL games - signed first deal July 2013 - two years ago - so he'll require waivers as he enters his third NHL season

**EDIT - NOT SURE ON THIS ONE - BelcherBD suggests that the seasons are calculated based on the year that the contract is first signed, rather than current age. If that's the case, he could have one more waiver-eligible year, which will end when he plays his 70th NHL game.

Good idea to do this recap.

I tend to prefer to just use the table in the CBA - don't know how to upload an image but it's Art. 13.4 where they list eligibility at signing age (so my wording below might be a bit different but it should lead to the same conclusion).

See bolded. Kenins is indeed waiver exempt as he has not yet reached the 70 NHL game mark - see also post #7 for explanations by JamesB.

As stated by Quantum in post #12 - Friesen is waiver eligible this year. He signed as a 21 year old in May 2012 - so he had 3 years of exemption.

You may want to add to the list the upcoming ones too - as they could be call-ups before they hit waiver eligibility.

2016/17: Grenier, Pedan, Jensen, Kenins (unless he reaches 70 NHL games earlier)

2017/18: Gaunce, Shinkaruk

Pedan signed in April 2013 as a 20 year old - 3 years or 160 games. (He played in the AHL in April 2013 but on an ATO and not his ELC).

Nicklas Jensen signed in September 2011 as an 18 year old - 5 years or 160 games.
Brendan Gaunce signed in August 2012 as an 18 year old - 5 years or 160 games.
Hunter Shinkaruk signed in August 2013 as a 19 year old - 4 years or 160 games.
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So basically Baertschi, Vey, Corrado and Clendening have to either make the team or be wasted in the press box or they'll end up on waivers and most likely be snagged?

If Kenins is in fact waivers-exempt it gives WD and JB a lot of wiggle room, because the kid will ideally split next season between the Canucks and Comets. I don't see him playing consistently enough to stay all season long. As for Baertschi and Vey, they'll have to hang around the big club all season long, as will our two novice defencemen which puts us in a bind.

Sedin - Sedin - Vbrata

Baertschi - Bonino - Burrows

Higgins - Horvat - Hansen

Dorsett - Vey - Prust

Kenins

Shinkaruk

Gaunce

Jensen

Edler - Tanev

Hamhuis - Bartowski

Sbisa - Clendening

Corrado

Weber

I'd be happy to carry Kenins around in the press box for most of the season and slot him into the lineup when Dorsett/Prust are playing like crap, and when we have 1 or 2 or 3 injuries have him slot into a bigger role while Jensen, Shinkaruk and Gaunce get an opportunity up front as well.

As for defence, not sure if we can afford to carry around 8 defencemen all season long. Injures will hit this club eventually by when Corrado and Clendening will be playing 20+ minutes a night, but until that's the case I like them in our bottom-4.

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Pretty much seals the fate of Shinkaruk and a few others,,they will be going to Utica even if they blow everyone away at camp.

JB has stated numerous times that if someone plays themselves onto the team that he'd make room for them.

Not saying anyone specific is/isn't making the squad,but JB has been publicly very clear on this issue.

I like this stance because it sends the message to vets not to take anything for granted (Dan/Hank think you're safe;), and tells the kids there's a shot if someone earns it.

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JB has stated numerous times that if someone plays themselves onto the team that he'd make room for them.

Not saying anyone specific is/isn't making the squad,but JB has been publicly very clear on this issue.

I like this stance because it sends the message to vets not to take anything for granted (Dan/Hank think you're safe;), and tells the kids there's a shot if someone earns it.

i dont belive what any gm has to say. They lie. In this case they lie to motivate young players.
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