Latest On Eligibility For Current Year Contracts To Be Signed

We’re now less than a week away from the renegotiated July 1st deadline regarding whether or not players can still sign entry-level contracts for this season, making them eligible to play in the play-in round and postseason.  Normally, this isn’t an issue as most recently evidenced by Cale Makar signing his entry-level deal with the Avalanche last April.  It was well past the trade deadline but it was still a valid contract.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the league announced that no more contracts for the current year could be signed.  A few teams decided to get creative and indicated that players had agreed to terms on two separate entry-level pacts, one that started next season but another that came into effect this season.  Neither of them was filed with the league in the hopes that the NHL would reverse its position.

In an email to Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required), Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly indicated that while a final decision hasn’t been made, “we continue to support a prohibition on Clubs and Players being able to enter into contracts beginning with the 2019/20 season”.  Meanwhile, the NHLPA declined to comment but clearly, they’re of the mindset that those contracts should be allowed.

There are several players whose availability for the play-in round and playoffs are in question as a result – Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, Canadiens defenseman Alexander Romanov, Blues blueliner Scott Perunovich, Panthers winger Grigori Denisenko, Golden Knights winger Jack Dugan, and most notably, Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov.  A handful of undrafted college players signed similar contracts as well but aren’t eligible to play now although a ruling in their favor could still allow them to burn the first year of their deals right away.

While we still don’t have a resolution on this, July 1st is now less than a week away so there should be an announcement on this matter before too much longer.