One of the issues that complicates the roster decisions the Flyers will have to make by the start of the regular season is the waiver eligibility of some of the prospects on the bubble of making the team.
Last year, there was confusion over whether Oskars Bartulis was waiver eligible. As it turned out,
he became subject to waivers in 2010.
The NHL's waiver rules are not easy to explain in a neat-and-tidy fashion but basically boil down to the age the player was when he signed his first pro contract and the lesser of two different eligibility thresholds (professional games played or seasons elapsed since signing his entry-level contract).
Here is the most succinct plain-English explanation of the rules that I have ever found.
Although Flyers defense prospect Erik Gustafsson is only entering his second full professional season in 2011-12, he may now be subject to waivers. Gustafsson (born Dec. 18, 1988) was 21 years old when he signed his entry level contract (ELC) after completing his junior season at Northern Michigan.
For players who sign their ELC at age 21, waiver eligibility kicks in either when the player has played 80 professional games or three years have elapsed since the contract was signed. Under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement with the NHLPA, "professional Games" is typically defined as all NHL regular season and playoff games. However, for players older than age 20, the definition expands to include AHL regular season and playoff games. The collective bargaining agreement refers to NHL games played, but also indicates that the clock is ticking on waivers for a player in his 20s, regardless of whether he plays a single game in the NHL.
Gustafsson has played exactly 80 professional games (77 in the AHL and 3 in the NHL) and, thus, is subject to waivers this season if his AHL games count toward waivers given when he signed his ELC. If Gustafsson had signed his entry level contract even a few months earlier -- when he had yet to celebrate his 21st birthday -- the games played threshold would have been 160 games.
With the signing of free agent veteran Andreas Lilja to a two-year contract this summer, the Flyers may face the proposition of having to waive either Gustafsson or Oskars Bartulis before sending one down to the AHL. Of course, that is based on the assumption that the team does not intend to carry 8 defensemen on the opening-night roster, that Chris Pronger is ready to play on opening night and there are no other injuries on the blueline during training camp.
Among the Flyers' other young defense prospects, their waiver status is as follows:
* Kevin Marshall (born March 10, 1989) is still waiver exempt for one more season. He signed his first professional contract in November of 2008. Because he was not yet eligible for the AHL, the contract did not lose a year for free agency and waiver purposes while he played an extra season in the QMJHL. Marshall played his first pro season in 2009-10 and has played 156 AHL games to date.
* Marc-Andre Bourdon (born Sept. 17, 1989) is also still waiver exempt. He signed his entry-level contract in July 2009 and has played two professional seasons, with 107 AHL games and 15 ECHL games (5 regular season, 10 playoff).
* Oliver Lauridsen (born March 24, 1989) is waiver exempt this year but will become waiver eligible next year if he plays 78 games this season, including combined AHL and NHL games and combined regular season and playoff appearances. He is entering his first full professional season after played 2 games with the Phantoms last year. He was a few days shy of his 22nd birthday when he signed his entry-level contract on March 15, 2011.
Among the Flyers' forward prospects on the bubble of the NHL roster, here's how their waiver status shapes up:
* Tom Sestito became waiver eligible last season, which was a key factor in why Columbus traded him to the Flyers. If he does not make the Flyers out of training camp, he will have to clear waivers before he is sent to the Phantoms.
* Mike Testwuide (born Feb. 5, 1987) is waiver eligible this season if his AHL games count. He was 23 when he signed his ELC, and played 76 games as a Phantoms rookie, surpassing the 60-game threshold for waiver eligibility in 2011-12.
* Ben Holmstrom (born April 9, 1987) would also be subject to waivers this season if his AHL games count. He has played 94 professional games (92 in the AHL, 2 with the Flyers) after turning pro and signing an ELC in 2010.
* Matt Read (born June 14, 1986) is waiver exempt this fall but will be subject to waivers next season. He was 24 when he signed his ELC and played 11 games with the Phantoms last year.
* Eric Wellwood (born March 6, 1990) is waiver exempt for another couple years.
* Zac Rinaldo (born June 15, 1990) is also waiver exempt for another couple years.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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