Dustin Slade/NHL draft

[rinkrat]

Can someone please try to explain Slades situation?
I see him ranked at 97th according to McKeens ranking.
Question.. Isn't he a free agent now? Could a team just sign him and not draft him?Also the NHL central scouting doesn't even have him in the top goalies list,probably because he is overage?
Thanks.

[Bran]

Can someone please try to explain Slades situation?
I see him ranked at 97th according to McKeens ranking.
Question.. Isn't he a free agent now? Could a team just sign him and not draft him?Also the NHL central scouting doesn't even have him in the top goalies list,probably because he is overage?
Thanks.
I think it has something to do with his birthday. He could be drafted because he was born after a certain date. Or he could opt out and become a free agent. I think that would probably be more beneficial to him, and I could really see him going that route. Why NHL central scouting doesn't have him ranked is beyond me though. I could be wrong, but that's the way I understood it.

[Beaner]

Can someone please try to explain Slades situation?
I see him ranked at 97th according to McKeens ranking.
Question.. Isn't he a free agent now? Could a team just sign him and not draft him?Also the NHL central scouting doesn't even have him in the top goalies list,probably because he is overage?
Thanks.

I dont think they can just sign him now.

**North American players born between January 1, 1986 and September 15, 1988 are eligible for selection in all rounds.**

Since Dustins' DOB is Feb 28 1986, he is still draft eligible, and thus not quite a free agent. There is no more opting in and out of the draft, if your of age you can be drafted.

If he goes thru the draft this year undrafted then he is a UFA.

And yes I would assume that central scouting didnt have him listed due to his age.

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Reading the new CBA what I gather is this:

If you go thru the draft undrafted you are a UFA from the End of the Entry draft until the begining of Major Junior Hockey Season. If you dont sign you go back into the draft pool.

If you sign a NHL tryout form, you are a UFA from the end of the NHL draft, till the start of the NHL season. If you dont sign you go back into the draft pool. ** This is what I believe happened with Festerling, he signed the try-out contract, Burke liked what he saw and signed him to a SPC (Standard players Contract) before the start of the NHL season.**

Once the Season starts you lose your UFA status, and thus go back into the pool of draftable players.

If you go thru your last year of draft eligibility undrafted then you are a UFA, and are free to sign whenever you can.

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There is a signing freeze right now as well, so the earliest Dustin or Paul Albers for that matter could be signed is after July 1st.

[rinkrat]

I
If you go thru the draft undrafted you are a UFA from the End of the Entry draft until the begining of Major Junior Hockey Season. If you dont sign you go back into the draft pool.


Ok,Beaner,that explains alot.The limit on time makes sense.So,Albers is available too?

[Beaner]

Ok,Beaner,that explains alot.The limit on time makes sense.So,Albers is available too?

Albers as far as I can gather is an UFA now since he is no longer eligible for the draft as he is an '85.

But since the NHL Free Agency period doesnt start until July 1st, Paul can't sign till after that date. After July 1st I *believe* he can sign anywhere anytime.

[Crosby rules]

The nhl has rules, they want slade to go into the draft, but his agent does not want that. He wants him to go in as a free agent. But we will see. in a recent goalie mag, it had slade rated 10th in whl.