You are right that there was a zero chance that Teves would sign an ATO in the AHL for the remainder of this season and his ELC starting in 2019-20 but not because he was a UFA it was because of the GM that signed him. When a GM has a reputation for always burning off a year of an ELC with NCAA players, always adding more term to bottom six UFAs and always throwing in draft picks with trades Jim Benning starts every negotiation at a disadvantage.
To say that a college UFA has a zero chance of signing an ATO with the AHL farm team and have his NHL ELC start in July is simply not true. These signings happen every season and you don't have to look very hard to find a new example. Joseph Duszak is a higher regarded NCAA defeneman prospect than Josh Teves (A top 10 Hobey Baker finalist) . Duszak had multiple teams interested in him so the leverage was his on negotiating a contract that would get him into NHL games this season but instead he signed with the Leafs starting in the 2019-20 season and an ATO with the Marlies so that he could get meaningful minutes this year in the AHL.
Don't say that there is a zero chance of these things happening because it isn't true. Don't accept Benning's excuses for this or why he has packaged draft picks with trades in the past or why he wasn't able to trade for picks at the deadline. The best thing for Teves, the Canucks and certainly the Comets would be for Teves to be playing in the AHL adjusting to the pro game after his college career and not sitting in a NHL press box. It is up to Benning to sell that idea to him in his negotiations. But Benning never does.
"You are right that there was a zero chance that Teves would sign an ATO in the AHL for the remainder of this season and his ELC starting in 2019-20 but not because he was a UFA it was because of the GM that signed him."
Let me illustrate this a little better.
Since March 20th these are some college guys who signed ATOs.
1) Ludvig Larsson (Undrafted) - C/D, NCAA Penn State, 25Pts/39 GP. Assigned to AHL Binghamton.
2) Christopher Brown (6th RD Buffalo) - C, NCAA Boston College, 16Pts/39GP, Assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Assume Buffalo lost interest as W-B/S is the Pittsburgh farm.
3) Michael Kim (Undrafted) - D, NCAA Boston College, 15Pts/39GP, Assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
4) Tommy Marchin (Undrafted) - LW, NCAA Brown, 26Pts/34GP, Assigned to AHL Providence.
5) Kurt Gosselin (Undrafted) - D, NCAA Alabama-Huntsville, 15Pts/25GP, Assigned AHL Rochester.
6) Sebastian Vidmar (Undrafted) - LW, NCAA Union, 22Pts/39GP, Assigned AHL Stockton.
7) Atte Tolvanen (Undrafted) G, NCAA Northern Michigan, 2.35/.917/39GP, Assigned AHL Syracuse.
8) Tyler Sheehy (Undrafted) - C, NCAA Minnesota, 41Pts/38GP, Assigned to AHL Iowa.
9) Matt Morelli (Undrafted) - F, NCAA Nebraska - Omaha, 34Pts/36GP, Assigned to AHL Stockton.
10) Corey Schueneman (Undrafted) - D, NCAA Western Michigan, 21Pts/37GP, Assigned to AHL Stockton.
11) Colt Conrad (Undrafted) - C, NCAA Western Michigan, 38Pts/37GP, Assigned to AHL Toronto.
12) Grant Hutton (Undrafted) - D, NCAA Miami of Ohio, 21Pts/37GP, Assigned to AHL Bridgeport.
13) Ryan Dmowski (Undrafted) - F, NCAA UMass Lowell, 23Pts/37GP, Assigned to AHL Hartford.
14) Cole Maier (Undrafted) - C/LW, NCAA Union, 32Pts/39GP, Assigned AHL Manitoba.
15) Adam Rockwood (Undrafted) - F, 35Pts/38GP, NCAA Northern Michigan, Assigned to AHL Springfield.
16) Ryan Walker (Undrafted) - LW, NCAA Union, 29Pts/35GP, Assigned to AHL Binghamton.
17) Peter Tischke (Undrafted) - D, NCAA Wisconsin, 10Pts/36GP, Assigned to AHL Colorado.
18) Brendan Robbins (Undrafted) - F, NCAA Maine, 14Pts/36GP, Assigned to AHL Springfield.
19) Dylan Steman (Undrafted) - C, NCAA Michigan Tech, 13Pts/37GP, Assigned to AHL Hershey.
20) Mason Bergh (Undrafted) - F, NCAA Colorado College, 28Pts/41GP, Assigned to AHL Ontario.
Drafted players
1) Jake Oettinger (1st RD Dallas, signed) - G, NCAA Boston U, 2.45/.926 in 36GP, Assigned AHL Texas.
2) Brent Gates (5th RD Anaheim, unsigned) - C, NCAA Minnesota, 31Pts/38 GP, Assigned to AHL San Diego.
3) Steven Ruggiero (6th RD Anaheim, unsigned) - D, NCAA Lake Superior, 11Pts/37GP, Assigned to AHL San Diego.
4) Ryan Lohin (7th RD Tampa Bay, signed) - F, NCAA UMass Lowell, 27Pts/33GP, Assigned to AHL Syracuse.
5) Chase Pearson (5th RD Detroit, signed) - C, NCAA Maine, 29Pts/34GP, Assigned to AHL Grand Rapids.
6) Tommy Novak (5th RD Nashville, unsigned) - C, NCAA Minnesota, 21Pts/38GP, Assigned to AHL Milwaukee.
7) Fredrik Oloffsson (4th RD Chicago, unsigned) - LW, NCAA Nebraska - Omaha, 34Pts/36GP, Assigned to AHL Rockford.
All of the above players were assigned to AHL rosters
whether they were drafted high or low or not drafted at all. They were assigned to the AHL clubs of high ranked NHL teams and low ranked NHL teams in the current NHL standings. It didn't matter. This is standard procedure for all but the very highest profiled kids coming out of the NCAA. Those guys are just like the highest profile Canadian Jrs entering the pro ranks. They are thought to be can't miss, blue chip rookies and will likely start their pro careers in the NHL. Apparently none of the above meet that criteria as of today.
JOSH TEVES (undrafted, signed by Vancouver) - D, NCAA Princeton, 20Pts/30GP, Placed on the Vancouver Canucks roster.
This player is just like all of the above. Players like him ARE NOT signed or you lose them. They are looking for a job. The reason to sign with Vancouver would be the sorry state of their defense corps and thus the greater the chance to break into the NHL with them than a lot of other teams. Giving up a contract spot to a player like this is not a high percentage use of a contract when you can sign them to an ATO and then release them if their play in the AHL doesn't meet your expectations.
This kid will become an RFA and likely end up with a better contract than the ELC players on the Comets roster making $70Gs. It will be the 3rd season for MacEwen, Brisebois, and Chatfield and the 2nd for Gadjovich, Lind, Jasek, and Palmu (if he shows up again) and any other incoming 1st year ELC player like Eliot. They will all be at or less than that $70Gs income. Does this breed resentment in the ranks if that guy doesn't produce at a higher level than all of these guys making less? I know it's a business but that doesn't mean these guys will be smiling it if happens. Thus, in their RFA seasons Benning gets an earful from their agents demanding compensation. We all know how he reacts to that.