"The 10th NHL game has long been a milestone of sorts for young players looking to break into the league, especially teenagers. That's because it's an indication of whether the player is ready to play at the sport's highest level or if he needs more time to develop. A team that thinks the player needs more time to develop will often decide to send the player back to his junior team before that 10th game, preserving the first year of the player's entry-level contract (ELC) for another season."
"The 40 means you're on the roster for 40 games, whether you play or not, and that 40th game gives you a year towards arbitration and unrestricted free agency," said Friedman. "So, I think it's a situation where most of these teams care more about the 40th overall game than they do about the player's 10th game. Some of these teams say, 'Okay, we'll burn that first year because two or three years down the road, we don't think it's really going to matter in terms of your contract.' But you burn that year towards arbitration or UFA, that one absolutely matters."
"The 40th game on the Sharks' calendar happens at the turn of the new year, Dec. 31, 2025 against the Minnesota Wild. This may be a better date for Sharks fans to circle on the calendar because it will indicate the direction the Sharks are taking with Dickinson and Misa."
The 10th NHL game has traditionally signaled whether a young player is ready for full-time NHL play, and teams often send players back to junior before that game to preserve the first year of their entry-level contract. Playing the 10th game uses the first ELC year and starts the contract clock. The 40th roster game, whether played or not, gives a year toward arbitration and unrestricted free agency, making it strategically important for teams. The San Jose Sharks faced the 10th-game decision with Sam Dickinson and will face a similar choice with Michael Misa, with Dec. 31, 2025 as the Sharks' 40th-game marker.
Read at Fear the Fin
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]