Prospect Info: 2015 21st overall - Colin White (C/RW) USNTDP, going to Boston College

[danielpalfredsson]

What they did with Tage Thompson is have him start with an ATO in the AHL , and have his ELC start in the fall.

Yeah but I am not sure this is relevant to White.

I'd be more than happy if someone corrects me if I am wrong, but White is 20. ELC won't slide even if he plays in the AHL. Thompson and Werenski were both 18/19 Sept of their signing year, meaning their ELCs would have slide regardless. There were no consequences to either player by signing a ATO+ELC other than (I would have to assume) waiting a few months for their signing bonus cheque. For White, there would be a huge consequence, which is not burning off the 1st year of his ELC. Neither Thompson or Werenski would have burned off a year due to their age. They would have slid.

The ATO thing seems to be gaining traction because Garrioch who has a big audience suggested it after Thompson who was in a different scenario got one. I get that he is trying to cover all angles, but it makes no sense unless White's contract will slide in the AHL (which at 20 I don't think it is supposed to).

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Different situation entirely.

Werenski needed to sign an ATO in order to be eligible to play for the Monsters in the AHL playoffs. His contract would have slid regardless due to his age. Entirely different situation where an ATO was a technicality at best.

If an ATO is on the table, I don't get why White doesn't just go back to school next year and then do this dance again next Spring where he can finally convince them to burn a year off the deal or just hold out to complete his degree. I have to be missing something, because the idea of an ATO seems extremely farfetched. The only reason the idea has any traction is because Bruce Garrioch went on TV and suggested it after Tage Thompson signed an ATO. Thompson similar to Werenski would have had his contract slide anyways. I could be wrong, but White @ 20 won't have his contract slide so the ATO idea gaining traction is baffling. With Thompson, it might be as simple as the Blues didn't want to use a contract spot on him pre-deadline when he was not going to play for them this year anyways but still wanted him to benefit from getting AHL games/possible playoffs in.

IMO if White decides to go back to school for his 3rd year, the chance of him remaining for a 4th and going the Vesey route is more probable. The time to sign him is now IMO.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

IMO if White decides to go back to school for his 3rd year, the chance of him remaining for a 4th and going the Vesey route is more probable. The time to sign him is now IMO.

I agree.

I know people have said that Garrioch is a mouth piece for the organization, but there is no way this ATO thing could have come from the team if White's contract indeed won't slide as he is 20 in Sept 2017. It is just so farfetched and mickey mouse to suggest a team would try to pull that with a top prospect. If this is the case, this is just bad journalism because if I can figure this **** out in a few minutes with a google search, there's no excuse for a guy paid to deliver news to not know it. (Yeah I know cap/contracts can be complicated but still)

If I'm wrong about his contract not sliding, then that changes the context. But at that point, an ATO is irrelevant to White as the only way he'd burn a year off would be playing 9+ games in the NHL. So other than waiting a few months for his signing bonus, an ATO+pre-emptively signed ELC for next season would be the same for a player whose contract will slide as just signing an ELC that starts right away.

I think where myself and others got mixed up about the "playing 1 game in the NHL to burn a year off the ELC" thing is that it sometimes happens with College prospects near the end of the year who aren't eligible for an ELC slide but also aren't going to report to the AHL since the season there is effectively over. (As mentioned before, Johnny Gaudreau)

 

[WadeRedden]

Considering most people in the know seem to think this guy is NHL ready now, the idea of him going back to school for two more years seems highly unlikely. Remember, if he wants to go the UFA route he wouldn't be able to sign until August, so like 2 1/2 years from now. BC ain't exactly Harvard so I'd expect him to come out and start making NHL money asap.

 

[WadeRedden]

Honestly, who cares about burning a year? RFA's get shafted anyways because they can't negotiate with other teams so it's not like it matters a whole lot. Remember how Mike Hoffman was on a $2 million dollar deal last year? Frankly, I think we could use him in our line-up now. Our scoring 5 on 5 is terrible and we could use a guy like him over a Wingels or Kelly.

 

[Ouroboros]

Games played on ATO's don't count against your ELC. So White can go to Binghamton and not burn a year off his contract even though he's 20+. It would start running in 17/18.

It's common practice. The Sens have done it many times in the past - Dzingel, Gryba, Sdao, Grant, Blood. Maybe some others as well.

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Games played on ATO's don't count against your ELC. So White can go to Binghamton and not burn a year off his contract even though he's 20+. It would start running in 17/18.

It's common practice. The Sens have done it many times in the past - Dzingel, Gryba, Sdao, Grant, Blood all did it.

I don't think anybody has suggested in this thread that an ATO would count against his ELC.

There's a big difference between those names and where Colin White is right now as a top prospect in the league. The point is that suggesting he take an ATO when his ELC wouldn't slide in the first place (20 in Sept) is farfetched given White's stature as a prospect.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Honestly, who cares about burning a year? RFA's get shafted anyways because they can't negotiate with other teams so it's not like it matters a whole lot. Remember how Mike Hoffman was on a $2 million dollar deal last year? Frankly, I think we could use him in our line-up now. Our scoring 5 on 5 is terrible and we could use a guy like him over a Wingels or Kelly.

yup.