Prospect Info: #80 Graeme Clarke RW

[NJ Fan 12]

Released from Team Canada. Does this mean he will be in Devils' camp? Could be a blessing in disguise.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

We have a ridiculous amount of competition for bottom 6 spots.

 

[GeNeXt]

I think it’s best for him to just focus on his OHL season. Hopefully a clean slate of health for him in 2021. He could use it.

 

[Figgie]

I think it’s best for him to just focus on his OHL season. Hopefully a clean slate of health for him in 2021. He could use it.

I think that WJC would have been amazing opportunity and experience to him. When is the OHL season even starting.

 

[Triumph]

Could be wrong about this but I doubt NHL teams are inviting draftees who are not under contract to camp. It's going to be a short camp and it's going to have to be focused on the NHL players.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Even if he was under contract I wouldn't want him to make the team, he needs to go back to juniors after essentially missing a year of development.

 

[My3Sons]

Hopefully he can use this experience to help him get off to a good start in his regular season and get an ELC

 

[GeNeXt]

I think that WJC would have been amazing opportunity and experience to him. When is the OHL season even starting.

Not disputing that, I was speaking in regards to coming to training camp. Don't think he would be ready for that since we've yet to see him play to his full potential in juniors yet.

 

[HBK27]

Not sure what Fitzgerald is waiting for to sign Clarke - both him and Vukojevic would become UFA's if they're not signed by June 1st, 2021.

Devils only have 40 players under contract, which will increase to 42 once Blackwood & Bratt are signed.

Hopefully both players sign an ELC during camp in a few weeks.

 

[Darkauron]

Not sure what Fitzgerald is waiting for to sign Clarke - both him and Vukojevic would become UFA's if they're not signed by June 1st, 2021.

Devils only have 40 players under contract, which will increase to 42 once Blackwood & Bratt are signed.

Hopefully both players sign an ELC during camp in a few weeks.

Because they still have over a year. And no players on juniors, college, ect will be on training camps.

Only players that have a realistic shot of getting roster positions and ahl players as the NHL wants to cut down on the number of people.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Not sure what Fitzgerald is waiting for to sign Clarke - both him and Vukojevic would become UFA's if they're not signed by June 1st, 2021.

Devils only have 40 players under contract, which will increase to 42 once Blackwood & Bratt are signed.

Hopefully both players sign an ELC during camp in a few weeks.

On the flip side, what's the rush? It's only an ELC there wouldn't be too much negotiation there, it's more of if he wants to sign them (which he should) and then the formality of actually doing so. Plus, Clarke's coming off a full-season injury pretty much so may as well see how he does this year in whatever action he ends up playing in.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Because they still have over a year. And no players on juniors, college, ect will be on training camps.

Only players that have a realistic shot of getting roster positions and ahl players as the NHL wants to cut down on the number of people.

Is there a source for that? I thought the plan was to have expanded roster and what they were calling taxi squads (similar to what the NFL has done) in anticipation of positive tests.

 

[HBK27]

Because they still have over a year. And no players on juniors, college, ect will be on training camps.

Only players that have a realistic shot of getting roster positions and ahl players as the NHL wants to cut down on the number of people.

Except they don't have over a year, as his rights are set to expire on June 1st (though realistically, that date likely gets pushed back a bit due to COVID).

On the flip side, what's the rush? It's only an ELC there wouldn't be too much negotiation there, it's more of if he wants to sign them (which he should) and then the formality of actually doing so. Plus, Clarke's coming off a full-season injury pretty much so may as well see how he does this year in whatever action he ends up playing in.

No rush necessarily, it's just that Clarke doesn't exactly strike me as the type of prospect they should be on the fence about signing. I get that he had a major shoulder injury last season, so maybe they would like to see him in more action again versus what he showed at the end of last season before play was suspended - but it seems like he had a great WJC camp and was one of the last cuts for Canada. I would just be very surprised if they don't try to sign him to an ELC and with 8 spots still open on the 50 man roster I'd rather they not chance it and walk him towards UFA status. Devils are extremely deep on their forward prospects and there's a chance he may decide he would have an easier path to the NHL elsewhere like Kerfoot did.

 

[HBK27]

Is there a source for that? I thought the plan was to have expanded roster and what they were calling taxi squads (similar to what the NFL has done) in anticipation of positive tests.

Will be interesting to see how many players are actually invited to camp and if guys like Clarke (who are ticketed to the OHL anyway) would get a look or not. On one hand, they'd have to quarantine upon arrival to the US...though on the other hand, the OHL isn't supposed to start up until February 4th so what would Clarke be missing out on by not being at camp? Maybe with the whopping extra 3 days they have some of the younger guys come in a few days early for a mini-rookie camp. Seems like it would be a positive experience for guys like Clarke.

 

[Triumph]

I believe if the Devils signed Clarke now his ELC would end in 2023 whereas if they wait until March 1, his ELC will end in 2024.

 

[HBK27]

I believe if the Devils signed Clarke now his ELC would end in 2023 whereas if they wait until March 1, his ELC will end in 2024.

Would certainly make sense if something along these lines was the reason to hold off on signing him, though I thought ELC's would slide.

Out of the 2019 NJ draft class, so far Hughes & Okhotyuk (signed December 30th, 2019) are the only two players to sign contracts thus far.

I believe that with Okhotyuk also being in the OHL that he would've needed to be signed by this upcoming offseason as well if he hadn't signed earlier. Popugayev & Hellickson rights also expire this offseason - highly doubt they sign Big Poppy and Hellickson could go either way (though likely not given influx of defensemen in the system).

Have to figure they make a hard push to sign Thompson this upcoming offseason as well versus allowing him to go into his senior year unsigned.

 

[Guttersniped]

If Clarke signed for 2020-21 season it should slide a year since he doesn’t turn 20 until April 24th.

According to Cap Friendly:

If a player who is signed to an entry-level contract and is 18 or 19 years of age (as of September 15 of the signing year), does not play in a minimum of 10 NHL games (including both regular season and playoffs; AHL games do not count), their contract is considered to ‘slide’, or extend, by one year. For example, if a player signed an ELC for three seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-2018, and their contract slides, their contract is now effective from 2016-17 to 2018-19. An exception to this rule is that if the player is 19 on September 15 of the first year of their contract, and turns 20 between September 16 and December 31, their contract does not slide.

NHL CBA FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Triumph]

If Clarke signed for 2020-21 season it should slide a year since he doesn’t turn 20 until April 24th.

According to Cap Friendly:


NHL CBA FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Ah, right, I always get this wrong. Well, they'd have to pay out his signing bonus immediately, but they should want to do that because it would reduce his cap hit in Year 3.

I'm curious what the torrent of league news will be when the NHL and NHLPA ratify the return to play.

 

[HBK27]

Relieved to see him signed, as the Devils only held his rights until this upcoming offseason.

 

[Blackjack]

Relieved to see him signed, as the Devils only held his rights until this upcoming offseason.

Okay, March 4th must have been some kind of date of significance because the Rangers just signed Schneider too. Whatever it was, congratulations to Clarke and godspeed. Lord knows we could use some goals around here.

 

[FooteBahl]

Okay, March 4th must have been some kind of date of significance because the Rangers just signed Schneider too. Whatever it was, congratulations to Clarke and godspeed. Lord knows we could use some goals around here.

...and his brother come draft night

 

[Lou is God]

As I said in the Bing thread, this is the kind of sniping this team needs, Clarke is pretty damn good prospect, a lot people like him.

 

[Lou is God]

He might be the perfect winger for Jack.

 

[Blackjack]

He might be the perfect winger for Jack.

If he makes it we could be overloaded at wing with Holtz, Mercer, Foote, and Thompson almost ready to join Bratt.

 

[glenwo2]

He might be the perfect winger for Jack.

Any one of our highly-touted prospects would be the perfect winger for Jack.

Being better than Andreas isn't exactly a high bar to clear.

But I am excited for him and that we have him in our Organization.