So complete change of topic here:

I was poking around to do some early guesswork on who the Red Wings might protect / expose in the expansion draft, and hit a snag with Filip Zadina.

Every published source I found (including Capfriendly’s expansion draft calculator) claims he’s exempt, but … I don’t think that’s true?

From the NHL rulebook:

For the purposes of the foregoing, the term “professional season” shall: (A) for a Player aged 18 or 19, mean any season in which such Player plays in eleven (11) or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC), and (B) for a Player aged 20 or older, mean any season in which such Player plays in one or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC).

By 2021 Zadina will have accrued three professional seasons since signing his SPC. He played almost a full season in the minors in 2018-19 before splitting 2019-20 between the AHL/NHL, and then there’s this upcoming year (which he’s already started in the Czech league.)

I think people have mistakenly assumed Zadina is exempted for the same reason other 2018 draft picks from the CHL who didn’t make the NHL right away (like Quinn Hughes, Barrett Hayton, and Joe Veleno) are exempt. But in 2018-19, Hughes went back to the NCAA. Hayton and Veleno went back to the OHL. Almost all juniors drafted did, because the transfer agreement gave them no other choice. But because of a technicality, Detroit was able to send Zadina to the AHL and get his professional career started early.

Remember too that Mantha had to be protected for the Vegas draft even though he had only played 11 or more NHL games in one season up to that point, as he had played two full seasons in the AHL in the preceding years (so, again, three professional seasons).

TL/DR: Unless I'm overlooking something, I'm pretty sure Zadina is NOT exempt from the expansion draft, even though everyone seems to think he is.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
- Sven22

It appears you are correct. CapFriendly even has him as accruing 2 years already if you look at the waivers calculator. Either way not a big deal because there’s barely enough players worth protecting. Unless something with him being on the loan/European class the first year has something to do with it.

It appears you are correct. CapFriendly even has him as accruing 2 years already if you look at the waivers calculator. Either way not a big deal because there’s barely enough players worth protecting. Unless something with him being on the loan/European class the first year has something to do with it.
- Feds91Stammer

Check that found this on CFs Twitter:

It does, but only in the years of the SPC in which the players Waiver Age is 20+. At Waiver Age 18 or 19 (Hughes is 19), the only games that are taken into consideration with regards to accruing a pro season for purpose of expansion, are NHL games.

It appears you are correct. CapFriendly even has him as accruing 2 years already if you look at the waivers calculator. Either way not a big deal because there’s barely enough players worth protecting. Unless something with him being on the loan/European class the first year has something to do with it.
- Feds91Stammer

Yeah, it's very confusing. I did add an edit to my original comment that the language about entry-level slides makes it a bit more ambiguous. Since Zadina's ELC slid in 2018-19, does that mean that year doesn't count as one played "under his SPC"?

Either way, it seams to me that Capfriendly has to be wrong in one place or the other. Either he's already played two seasons under NHL contract (and thus would not be exempt from the expansion draft) or he's only played one, in which their waiver calculator is incorrect.

I do agree with you that it's not the biggest deal in the world, since either way the Wings will end up protecting garbage simply because they ran out of worthwhile players to protect.

FINAL EDIT: It goes without saying that, in general, you should assume the folks at Capfriendly know more than you do about how these things work. So after doing more research I'll take their word for it. Still, it would help to have this clarified, since it's not really fully spelled out anywhere convenient that I can find -- and because this stuff is so arcane the regular journalists get it wrong constantly.

So complete change of topic here:

I was poking around to do some early guesswork on who the Red Wings might protect / expose in the expansion draft, and hit a snag with Filip Zadina.

Every published source I found (including Capfriendly’s expansion draft calculator) claims he’s exempt, but … I don’t think that’s true?

From the NHL rulebook:

For the purposes of the foregoing, the term “professional season” shall: (A) for a Player aged 18 or 19, mean any season in which such Player plays in eleven (11) or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC), and (B) for a Player aged 20 or older, mean any season in which such Player plays in one or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC).

By 2021 Zadina will have accrued three professional seasons since signing his SPC. He played almost a full season in the minors in 2018-19 before splitting 2019-20 between the AHL/NHL, and then there’s this upcoming year (which he’s already started in the Czech league.)

I think people have mistakenly assumed Zadina is exempted for the same reason other 2018 draft picks from the CHL who didn’t make the NHL right away (like Quinn Hughes, Barrett Hayton, and Joe Veleno) are exempt. But in 2018-19, Hughes went back to the NCAA. Hayton and Veleno went back to the OHL. Almost all juniors drafted did, because the transfer agreement gave them no other choice. But because of a technicality, Detroit was able to send Zadina to the AHL and get his professional career started early.

Remember too that Mantha had to be protected for the Vegas draft even though he had only played 11 or more NHL games in one season up to that point, as he had played two full seasons in the AHL in the preceding years (so, again, three professional seasons).

TL/DR: Unless I'm overlooking something, I'm pretty sure Zadina is NOT exempt from the expansion draft, even though everyone seems to think he is.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

EDIT: The best I can come up with on the "I'm overlooking something" front is that maybe due to Zadina's ELC "sliding" in 2018-19, that year isn't considered a "professional season under his SPC" even though he played a full professional season. (Mantha is not in the same boat since his professional career started at age 20, hence no slide.) I think that makes sense but it would be nice to see that clarified, since all the sites I've read give the logic of Zadina's exemption as "only two NHL seasons played," which is at best misleading.
- Sven22

That’s some fantastic digging! I can try to reach out to see if I can get clarity. Very, very well put together (as always)!

Yeah, it's very confusing. I did add an edit to my original comment that the language about entry-level slides makes it a bit more ambiguous. Since Zadina's ELC slid in 2018-19, does that mean that year doesn't count as one played "under his SPC"?

Either way, it seams to me that Capfriendly has to be wrong in one place or the other. Either he's already played two seasons under NHL contract (and thus would not be exempt from the expansion draft) or he's only played one, in which their waiver calculator is incorrect.

I do agree with you that it's not the biggest deal in the world, since either way the Wings will end up protecting garbage simply because they ran out of worthwhile players to protect.

FINAL EDIT: It goes without saying that, in general, you should assume the folks at Capfriendly know more than you do about how these things work. So after doing more research I'll take their word for it. Still, it would help to have this clarified, since it's not really fully spelled out anywhere convenient that I can find -- and because this stuff is so arcane the regular journalists get it wrong constantly.
- Sven22

Still very worthwhile to get some clarity here. I love your tenacity and process

Yeah, it's very confusing. I did add an edit to my original comment that the language about entry-level slides makes it a bit more ambiguous. Since Zadina's ELC slid in 2018-19, does that mean that year doesn't count as one played "under his SPC"?

Either way, it seams to me that Capfriendly has to be wrong in one place or the other. Either he's already played two seasons under NHL contract (and thus would not be exempt from the expansion draft) or he's only played one, in which their waiver calculator is incorrect.

I do agree with you that it's not the biggest deal in the world, since either way the Wings will end up protecting garbage simply because they ran out of worthwhile players to protect.

FINAL EDIT: It goes without saying that, in general, you should assume the folks at Capfriendly know more than you do about how these things work. So after doing more research I'll take their word for it. Still, it would help to have this clarified, since it's not really fully spelled out anywhere convenient that I can find -- and because this stuff is so arcane the regular journalists get it wrong constantly.
- Sven22

Yeah it’s weird because based on the tweet I found it seems that 18-19 counted as a pro season for Zadina in terms of waiver exemption but not in terms of expansion. It seems as though they don’t want to penalize teams for having prospects that were AHL eligible while other players were still stuck in juniors.

Ek:

Ekman-Larsson/Kessel package?
The Coyotes are trying to make a move however and clear space. In an ideal word, they would look to move Kessel and a first-round pick to sweeten the deal, but currently, the Yotes lack picks to make this happen...There is however lost of talk that Arizona could be packaging Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Phil Kessel to get space...Teams who could do such a deal are very limited of course...Detroit, Ottawa, Minnesota, and NJ are possibilities I am told.

Would Stevie go for something like this???

Ek also said Sergachev may be available.....I can't see this.....it really hurts my eyes!

Ek:

Would Stevie go for something like this???

Ek also said Sergachev may be available.....I can't see this.....it really hurts my eyes!
- HenryHockey

If he doesn't go for something like this, then it concerns me.

If he doesn't go for something like this, then it concerns me.
- DRW1991

Well yes he would go for Sergachev........But that is not what I meant.
The Kessel + OEL deal would be cost prohibitive!

Well yes he would go for Sergachev........But that is not what I meant.
The Kessel + OEL deal would be cost prohibitive!
- HenryHockey

Kessel and OEL for 32OA, Nielsen, Rasmussen, and Cholowski.

Donato would be nice, low-cost for potential high reward....But what about OEL/Kessel in a package? Could buy out Kessel and gain one HECK of a D-man....

No. Ilitch sells pizza. Not hot dogs. But seriously I don't want to waste a bunch of cap space and term on Fat Phil. He wouldn't want to play here anyway. We need all the draft picks we can get. Coyotes will want at least a 1st if they're trading OEL to make up for Chayka's blunders. Hard pass for me.
- gergeswillems

That’s why my proposal you send Nielsen back it would be less of a cap burden on AZ and they wild save $4m in cash.

That’s why my proposal you send Nielsen back it would be less of a cap burden on AZ and they wild save $4m in cash.
- Feds91Stammer

If we can turf Nielsen then I'm in.

If we can turf Nielsen then I'm in.
- gergeswillems

Yeah only way it makes sense is if we can dump a contract and keep all our top futures. Otherwise we can find some more free picks.

That’s why my proposal you send Nielsen back it would be less of a cap burden on AZ and they wild save $4m in cash.
- Feds91Stammer

Ok, was the original comment by G deleted? I can’t find it. Hot dogs are delicious

Ok, was the original comment by G deleted? I can’t find it. Hot dogs are delicious
- Jeremy Laura

- gergeswillems

Where do you FIND this stuff?!!! One of the last games I went to at LCA, a guy had a 2 foot long Bratwurst with nacho cheese and bacon bits. He was sharing it with his date. It was the most revolting thing I’ve seen in a long, long time

Not worth a new blog. It may shock everyone, but this just in. Howard will not be re signed.
id=124907[url] https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2020/10/detroit-red-wings-will-not-re-sign-jimmy-howard.html?fv-home=true&post-id=124907

Dumba and Donato for Larkin.

Not worth a new blog. It may shock everyone, but this just in. Howard will not be re signed.
id=124907
- Jeremy Laura[url] https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2020/10/detroit-red-wings-will-not-re-sign-jimmy-howard.html?fv-home=true&post-id=124907

Dumba and Donato for Larkin.
- mnhockeyguy

Not likely

Not worth a new blog. It may shock everyone, but this just in. Howard will not be re signed.
id=124907
- Jeremy Laura[url] https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2020/10/detroit-red-wings-will-not-re-sign-jimmy-howard.html?fv-home=true&post-id=124907

Shocking.

Dumba and Donato for Larkin.
- mnhockeyguy

Nielsen and Abdelkader for Kaprizov.

Dumba and Donato for Larkin.
- mnhockeyguy

Ah yeah I would love a POS and a fringe NHLer as the return for the face of the franchise.

Nielsen and Abdelkader for Kaprizov.
- gergeswillems

We can add Cholo in too