I guess I'm going to have to write an FAQ on waivers this weekend. That will not be answered here.
Entry Level Contracts
By default, all ELC's are two-way contracts, no exceptions. The length of the ELC is determined in the CBA:
Age 18-21 when first signing: 3 years
Age 22-23: 2 years
Age 24: 1 year
Age 25-27 (European players only): 1 year
Otherwise: not subject to entry-level restrictions
In general (I'm not going into all of the possible variations here) ...
If a player is age 18 or 19 (and doesn't turn 20 between September 16 and December 31 in the first year he signs an SPC) and does not play at least 10 NHL games (regular season and playoffs), the contract is extended for one (1) additional season except for signing bonuses, which will "slide". If a player then doesn't play at least 10 NHL games (regular season and playoffs) in the second year, the contract can be extended for another year, again except for signing bonuses - which "slide".
So ... to the original question. How old is the player today, and if 19 now does he turn 20 between 9/16 and 12/31?