If there is a lockout come next Saturday and games are lost to the labor stoppage, Flyers' players will start to make contingency plans for the start of the season. It is likely that if there is no resolution by Friday, the Flyers will assign their entry-level (i.e., waiver exempt) players to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms. They can be recalled to the NHL roster at any time.
Once the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Players' Association expires, the waiver rules for non-entry level players will (temporarily) not apply. However, the Flyers cannot assign players anywhere after that point. Veterans could technically play for the Phantoms, but it's unlikely. The AHL's "developmental rule" would still apply. I explained these conditions in my
August 30 blog.
Following below is my guesstimate of where Flyers roster players will go during a lockout. The longer a lockout goes, the more likely that some players who are inactive while hoping to wait out the end of the work stoppage will sign contracts with teams in European or independent North American leagues.
FORWARDS
Claude Giroux -- Inactive or Europe (Swiss NLA? HC Rytiri Kladno of Czech Extraliga?)
Scott Hartnell -- SM-liiga (KalPa Kuopio)
Jakub Voracek -- Czech Extraliga (HC Rytiri Kladno)
Brayden Schenn -- PHANTOMS
Sean Couturier -- PHANTOMS
Danny Briere -- Inactive or Swiss NLA (Played for SC Bern in NLA during 2004-05 lockout)
Wayne Simmonds -- ????
Matt Read -- Europe (KHL, Swiss NLA, SM-liiga, DEL, EBEL)
Max Talbot -- ???
Eric Wellwood -- PHANTOMS
Zac Rinaldo -- PHANTOMS
Jody Shelley -- Inactive (Played for JYP in SM-liiga in 2004-05)
Tom Sestito -- Phantoms are a possibility (On two-way contract; recall waiver exempt)
DEFENSEMEN
Kimmo Timonen -- Inactive (May join KalPa Kuopio if lockout is prolonged)
Luke Schenn -- ??? (European teams may have interest)
Braydon Coburn -- ??? (European teams may have interest)
Nicklas Grossmann -- Europe or inactive (would have played for Södertalje but Allsvenkan made "gentleman's agreement" not to sign NHL players to temporary contracts)
Erik Gustafsson -- PHANTOMS
Marc-Andre Bourdon -- Phantoms are a possibility (two-way contract; recall waiver exempt)
Bruno Gervais -- ??? (If Talbot signs in Europe, Gervais might join him)
Andrej Meszaros -- Inactive (Achilles tendon surgery)
Andreas Lilja -- Inactive (Hip surgery + Swedish hockey nixing temporary contracts for NHLers will preclude him from playing for Rögle BK)
GOALTENDERS
Ilya Bryzgalov -- Inactive or KHL's Lada Togliatti
Michael Leighton -- ???? (DEL or EBEL teams may have some interest)
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Flyers prospect Nick Cousins, along with teammates Andrew Fritsch and Mark Petaccio have been reinstated by the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after completing 10-day behavioral and psychological counseling programs. Cousins faces an Oct. 1 court hearing after he, Fritsch and Petaccio were charged with sexual assault following an August incident in Sault Ste. Marie.
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