Vladimir Tkachev Back In the Draft: Not Eligible for Oilers ELC

Word from Edmonton this evening:

Vladimir Tkachev's Standard Players Contract has been ruled ineligible by the National Hockey League.

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 30, 2014

So there's that.

Hours after signing training camp surprise star Vladimir Tkachev to an ELC, the Oilers find out they can't do that.  Like so many times before.

At least the Oilers are in good company:

This was a brutal mistake by the Flyers. We're not going along with the assumption that they knew this was the case all along, either. A team source told Anthony SanFillippo of the Delco Times yesterday that they were looking to sign Hyka, and now all of the sudden they can't? Until we're led to believe otherwise, what other conclusion can we draw but that the Flyers didn't know this wrinkle in the CBA?

The ghost of Ricky lives.

The relevant passage from the CBA:

(a) had been claimed in the last Entry Draft, or was ineligible for claim under Section

8.4; or

(b) had been eligible for claim in the last Entry Draft, but was unclaimed, and:

ii) had played hockey in North America the prior season and was under age 20 at the time of the last Entry Draft, and signed an SPC which was signed and registered with the League between the conclusion of the Entry Draft and commencement of the Major Juniors season (except that if such Player had signed an NHL try-out form, which was signed and registered with the League during the aforesaid time period, then the deadline for signing and registering with the League an SPC with such try-out Club shall be the commencement of the NHL Season).’

And so it goes.