Confirmed with Link: Whitecloud signed to 3 year ELC

[LadyStanley]

Congrats.

Click to read more...

 

[BattleBorn]

Comes from, wait for it....


Brandon, Manitoba.

Also finished his sophomore season at Bemidji State. Is apparently joining the team this week.

Golden Knights Sign Free Agent Defenseman Zach Whitecloud

 

[BattleBorn]

Here's a paragraph from an article SinBin just happened to write this morning.

The school that produced undrafted free agent Brad Hunt, has developed another free agent ready for the pros. Whitecloud has been the most scouted undrafted NCAA free agent this season. He even got to meet Kings GM Rob Blake and Tampa GM Steve Yzerman at one of his games. In fact, the amount of NHL scouts coming to Bemidji games became so ridiculous, the school had to set up new policies.

There's more: Three Undrafted College Free Agents That Should Be On VGK's Radar - SinBin.vegas

 

[IceNeophyte]

nm BattleBorn beat me to it.

 

[HanSolo]

Damn. Sounds like a decent signing.

 

[Nevada Jones]

 

[Nevada Jones]

I'm guessing it has to do with contracts, etc. and things I'm too stoopid to understand, but why wouldn't they send Whitecloud to Chicago. Sounds like he's gonna stick with the big team. Is it because they'd rather have the coaches here working with him? Maybe I just answered my own question?

 

[BattleBorn]

I'm guessing it has to do with contracts, etc. and things I'm too stoopid to understand, but why wouldn't they send Whitecloud to Chicago. Sounds like he's gonna stick with the big team. Is it because they'd rather have the coaches here working with him? Maybe I just answered my own question?

AHL has roster limits after the trade deadline, can't play unless you're on the roster then. The roster limits in the NHL go away after the trade deadline so the 23 man limit no longer applies.

I don't know if he can play in the NHL playoffs since he was signed after the deadline, but I have to guess he can.

 

[IceNeophyte]

I'm guessing it has to do with contracts, etc. and things I'm too stoopid to understand, but why wouldn't they send Whitecloud to Chicago. Sounds like he's gonna stick with the big team. Is it because they'd rather have the coaches here working with him? Maybe I just answered my own question?

To be eligible for AHL post season, a player must be on roster by trade deadline day. Also, there is no roster limit for the rest of the season for VGK. If the kid isn't going to see ice anyway, he may as well not see ice for VGK.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Stop beating me, BattleBorn!

 

[Mike Jones]

AHL has roster limits after the trade deadline, can't play unless you're on the roster then. The roster limits in the NHL go away after the trade deadline so the 23 man limit no longer applies.

I don't know if he can play in the NHL playoffs since he was signed after the deadline, but I have to guess he can.

I don't think he can play in the playoffs as he wasn't on the roster at the trade deadline.

According to Elite Prospects he is a Brandon product and did play for a midget team called called the Wheat Kings. McCrimmon probably knew about him from that program.

Link: Zach Whitecloud

BTW - looks like a good signing. Freebies are never a bad thing - especially when you need to fill out an AHL team and send a few folks to the ECHL.

 

[Nevada Jones]

Okay. After I posted I started thinking maybe it had to do with roster limits and such.

Thanks, guys!

 

[Brodeur]

I'm guessing it has to do with contracts, etc. and things I'm too stoopid to understand, but why wouldn't they send Whitecloud to Chicago. Sounds like he's gonna stick with the big team. Is it because they'd rather have the coaches here working with him? Maybe I just answered my own question?

I'll have to double check on this, but depending on the signing age, a player can burn a year off their ELC by being a rostered player and not even necessarily have to dress for a game. Philadelphia did this with Alex Lyon a couple years back. That might have very well been part of the negotiation. The CBA outlines the type of ELCs players have to sign. Since Whitecloud is 21, he had to sign a three year ELC.

Teams might be willing to burn the year in order to get the player. Other teams might have been trying to get Whitecloud to sign an AHL ATO for this season and then an ELC which would have kicked in next season. But obviously if you're Whitecloud, you'd rather get your ELC done as quickly as possible.

 

[cneely]

Zach's uncle is a good friend of mine. His family is from Sioux Valley Dakota First Nation.

He's a high quality young man. You got a good one there.

 

[CupInSIX]

Org definitely needs more 21-22yo defensemen.



and yeah I think 'trade deadline' is a misnomer because it's more of a playoff roster freeze. Deadline just sounds sexier anyhow.
EDIT: wait, Tolvanen can sign with Nashville...I'm wrong.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Org definitely needs more 21-22yo defensemen.



and yeah I think 'trade deadline' is a misnomer because it's more of a playoff roster freeze. Deadline just sounds sexier anyhow.
EDIT: wait, Tolvanen can sign with Nashville...I'm wrong.

AHL's playoff roster freeze coincides with NHL's trade deadline.

 

[CupInSIX]

AHL's playoff roster freeze coincides with NHL's trade deadline.

Wondering about the NHL playoffs though. Maybe you just can't use a player in the playoffs if you've traded for him after the deadline. My guess is this Whitecloud kid can play in the postseason if need be.

 

[willy702]

Wondering about the NHL playoffs though. Maybe you just can't use a player in the playoffs if you've traded for him after the deadline. My guess is this Whitecloud kid can play in the postseason if need be.

Yes, there have been a lot of players who have gone straight into the NHL playoffs from college hockey free agency. Its the quirk of the AHL-NHL system where even though the NHL roster is unlimited, you can only make 4 moves after the deadline. With the way injuries go at the end of the season this kind of signing makes sense, but then again as we saw with Hyka VGK caught a break by not having to use up one of the 4 callups on him due to lack of healthy bodies. Whitecloud kind of prevents that on the D side of things so no free call up for Holm should other guys get hurt. Will be interesting to see who GMGM eventually uses on those limited call ups. Thinking Hyka, Garrison and Holm are likeliest candidates, of course depending on injuries. I'd like to see Dansk but that depends on how long Subban is out. Not sure if Matteau is needed anymore and it doesn't seem like Pirri is going to get a shot this year. Who else might be on the list?

 

[willy702]

Yes, there have been a lot of players who have gone straight into the NHL playoffs from college hockey free agency. Its the quirk of the AHL-NHL system where even though the NHL roster is unlimited, you can only make 4 moves after the deadline. With the way injuries go at the end of the season this kind of signing makes sense, but then again as we saw with Hyka VGK caught a break by not having to use up one of the 4 callups on him due to lack of healthy bodies. Whitecloud kind of prevents that on the D side of things so no free call up for Holm should other guys get hurt. Will be interesting to see who GMGM eventually uses on those limited call ups. Thinking Hyka, Garrison and Holm are likeliest candidates, of course depending on injuries. I'd like to see Dansk but that depends on how long Subban is out. Not sure if Matteau is needed anymore and it doesn't seem like Pirri is going to get a shot this year. Who else might be on the list?

Oops after writing this saw Hyka was recalled so down to 3 moves...

 

[GoldenKnights2017]

Golden Knights make their first College Free Agent signing of 2018 with Bemidji State University Defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a three-year entry level contract.

Golden Knights Sign College Free Agent From Bemidji State University Defenseman Zach Whitecloud

 

[Vegan Knight]

Here's a paragraph from an article SinBin just happened to write this morning.



There's more: Three Undrafted College Free Agents That Should Be On VGK's Radar - SinBin.vegas

Wow, reading that article it's impressive how Pittsburgh has definitely leveraged these "free assets" to allow them the flexibility to more easily trade away draft picks on players that would help them win.

 

[LadyStanley]

Probably a way to "advance" player's career by burning year of ELC "playing" through the spring.

Prospects signed to ELCs after TDL can play in NHL playoffs (either drafted or undrafted). I think they can also play in AHL playoffs too (either on NHL ELC or AHL SPC/ATO). I recall a few CHLers playing in AHL after their junior season done. (thought that included playoffs). AHL Chicago is in the playoff mix, so the "minimum" extra black aces will probably called up by VGK to keep the Wolves with good options.

 

[LadyStanley]

Wow, reading that article it's impressive how Pittsburgh has definitely leveraged these "free assets" to allow them the flexibility to more easily trade away draft picks on players that would help them win.

Not just those who trade picks, but also those who let RFAs walk and older UFAs go un-re-signed. Sharks have been averaging 3-5 undrafted (by them) players/year. (Some of their signed draftees end up playing in ECHL for depth.)

 

[BattleBorn]

Doesn't have have to play in nine games to burn a year off the ELC?

 

[LadyStanley]

Only for 18-19 year olds. As he's older, he will burn year even if he gets into none.



Lots more stuff from Steve on his twitter feed with quotes from GMGM