Confirmed with Link: Thomas Gregoire signs with Barracuda

[LadyStanley]

I think it's the first time I've seen a 3-year AHL deal.

As pointed by this journalist, Gregoire is still draft eligible next June despite having signed a pro contract.


Thomas is the younger brother of Jeremy Grégoire who plays for the Laval Rocket.

But unclear if it's an AHL deal (which Booba thinks it is) or ELC.

Click to read more...

 

[The Nemesis]

But unclear if it's an AHL deal (which Booba thinks it is) or ELC.

If we take Gaudreau's tweet at face value, it's not an ELC since being on a team's reserve list in any fashion beyond an ATO voids draft eligibility.

The tweet says (paraphrasing):

"Details on Gregoire's contract: He's still eligible for the draft at 19 years old because he signed an AHL-only contract. If another team drafts him they get his NHL rights, but it would be surprising for a team to take that risk. Good job Sharks."

Woo, high school french paying off! (with a couple of assists from my dictionary because I couldn't remember what every word meant.)

 

[Eegs]

What's the deal with this guy Sharks fans? Putting up some really nice numbers with the 'Cuda. Has he worked his way into San Jose's longer term plans?

 

[themelkman]

What's the deal with this guy Sharks fans? Putting up some really nice numbers with the 'Cuda. Has he worked his way into San Jose's longer term plans?

I think most of us hope he signs with us. Likely Doug offers him a contract end of this year once UFA's leave, otherwise maybe signs with someone else.

 

[OrrNumber4]

If we take Gaudreau's tweet at face value, it's not an ELC since being on a team's reserve list in any fashion beyond an ATO voids draft eligibility.

The tweet says (paraphrasing):

"Details on Gregoire's contract: He's still eligible for the draft at 19 years old because he signed an AHL-only contract. If another team drafts him they get his NHL rights, but it would be surprising for a team to take that risk. Good job Sharks."

Woo, high school french paying off! (with a couple of assists from my dictionary because I couldn't remember what every word meant.)

Gregoire is 21.

The fact that it is a 3-year-deal makes me think that this is an NHL deal.

 

[The Nemesis]

Gregoire is 21.

The fact that it is a 3-year-deal makes me think that this is an NHL deal.

The post you quoted is like a year and a half old. In May of 2018 when I wrote it (and when the tweet I was referring to was from) he was 19.

Also, no: It was an AHL deal -

BARRACUDA SIGN FORWARD VIEL AND DEFENSEMAN GREGOIRE | San Jose Barracuda

The San Jose Barracuda, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, and General Manager Joe Will announced today that the club has signed Forward Jeffrey Viel and Defensman Thomas Grégoire to multi-year AHL contracts.

(formatting, twitter handle references, and pronunciation guides were removed by me from that quote for readability)

Even if it wasn't stated there (which admittedly was well after the fact because that release comes from July when the above tweet and instagram embeds and the early posts in this thread were from May), the logic of the tweet checks out:

This was May '18, a month before the 2018 draft (June 22-23, 2018). Said draft was open to all undrafted/non-rights-held N.A. players born between January 1, 2018 and September 15, 2000. Gregoire's birthday is July 15, 1998. He was still eligible to be drafted and it makes sense for him to sign a deal that wouldn't limit his draft eligibility on the off-chance that he could get taken, while still giving him an 'in' with a pro organization to prove himself going forward if he didn't get picked (and indeed he didn't)

Also keep in mind that Viel was signed by the Cuda in that same period as noted in the press release. It wasn't until May of this year that the Sharks signed him to an NHL deal. Even if we tried to bend over backwards and say that the Cuda press release was unintentionally misleading about the nature of the deal and that it included NHL rights even though the focus was on him suiting up in the AHL, why would Viel be mentioned in the same breath as Gregoire there and then require the signing of a separate, specifically-NHL-centric contract a year later?

It appears for all the world like his contract was not and is not inclusive of any sort of NHL rights. He is signed to the Barracuda and the Barracuda only. Does that mean that he might be willing to give the Sharks a sort of right of first refusal if he has the opportunity to sign an NHL deal given the fact that their org has helped him get this far? Sure. It might. Does it mean that the Sharks might have the most inside track to making the judgement that he's worthy of an NHL deal since they'll see him every single night? Sure. It might. But those things, as advantageous to the Sharks as they may be, do not appear to be reflected in the nature of the actual contract itself. There does not appear to be anything that could stop a team like.... say.... Vegas from showing up at the Gregoire house tomorrow and saying "Hey, Thomas, here's a 2-year NHL contract. We want you to compete for a job on our roster starting right now" and him accepting it and being gone from the Cuda and any connection to the Sharks org with absolutely no recourse or recompense.

(Also sorry if any of that appeared terse or rude. I didn't mean it that way. I was just trying to be as forceful as I could be to say that I disagree with your assertion and correct what would appear to be your misconception about the accuracy/timing of my post. I swear I'm not trying to b a jerk. It just sounds that way sometimes )

 

[OrrNumber4]

I didn't realize this was an old thread. I thought that this was a newly signed contract and was sure he wouldn't sign another AHL deal.

 

[Barrie22]

I didn't realize this was an old thread. I thought that this was a newly signed contract and was sure he wouldn't sign another AHL deal.

Before yesterday there was only 2 posts in over a year lol. I could see why, man did nobody care about this kid lol.

 

[OffSydes]

Fire Joe Will

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Before yesterday there was only 2 posts in over a year lol. I could see why, man did nobody care about this kid lol.

I was excited about him when we bought him on just based on stat watching. He produced at a PPG average over his last 2 years in the Q. I really don't know much about him outside of that. Seems like he has improved his production in his 2nd year on the Cuda as well. Hopefully we sign him up. Would be a valuable prospect to have even if we end up moving him at some time.