Ellis was on the AHL roster last year, not sure what you are saying there. The season ends, then training camp starts, preseason then regular season. All players on NHL contracts are on the NHL roster before the season starts. So for any player on an NHL contract, they don't start the season in the AHL no matter if they played last season. They are on the NHL roster and have to be sent down to play in the AHL. Everyone no matter what your NHL contract status is, ELC, one way, two way, etc... If you are waiver eligible then you must pass through waivers first before you can be assigned to an AHL club.
OK, ... and since the two way Qualifying offer contains both the NHL and the AHL amounts, it still does contain the NHL offer amount and is an NHL contract and therefore they are on the NHL roster.
So they all would have to clear waivers, and since the Qualifying Offer amount is:
Flynn is eligible for one way for $715K,
Tinordi is eligible for two way for $850K for NHL duty or $67K for AHL,
Bournival is eligible for two way $715K for NHL duty or $67K for AHL,
Thomas is eligible for two way $850K for NHL duty or $67K for AHL,
... any one of them could be picked off on waivers at the bold amount which is the NHL contract level if they were sent down to the AHL.
Nygren is signed in Sweden and the Qualifying offer will be rejected. It's only protecting NHL ownership rights. He would not be sent down and would therefore not go on waivers and could not be picked off.
Galchenyuk, who is also part of this bunch would not be picked off on waivers either since he would not be sent down to the AHL.
However, what this also seems to say is that of the $4.9M of salary cap left, that $3.130M is added to the cap by Flynn, Tinordi, Bournival, and Thomas leaving what would seem as just $1.8M left to sign Galchenyuk until the cap limit is reached, but that is also a dead number since the active roster, which can be higher than 23 prior to the season has to be trimmed to 23 by season start. With all of them up at NHL level, the team number of players would sit at 25 if Galchenyuk is signed. As such,
at least two of those four at the minimum must be sent to the AHL and therebye go through waivers before the season starts and that is assuming no other players are signed. That also really leaves at least $3.3M for Galchenyuk's contract.
Well, it certainly looks like we won't be signing any more players ... trades excluded though.
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I also see that a following paragraph on
Article 13.4 of the NHL CBA - WAIVERS AND LOANS OF PLAYERS TO MINOR LEAGUE CLUBS ...
The first season in which a Player who is age 20 or older plays in one (1) or more Professional Games shall constitute the first year for calculating the number of years he is exempt from Regular Waivers.
(c) A 20 year old Player who plays in one or more Professional Games in the 2013- 14 season will be exempt from Regular Waivers as follows:
Season Regular Waivers
13-14 Exempt
14-15 Exempt
15-16 Exempt
16-17 Eligible
Note: Once a 20 year old Player has played in his 160th NHL Game, he will immediately become eligible for Regular Waivers.
Since Tinordi played in the NHL and was:
12-13 Exempt
13-14 Exempt
14-15 Exempt
15-16
Eligible.
So, as such, Tinordi has to clear regular waivers if he is to be assigned to an AHL team in 2015 - 2016.
Now I see and understand why the first exemption statement I listed on total number of games won't apply. Without printing any more, it's that the exemption is for three years only.