Clock ticks for junior-aged prospects on NHL rosters

The clock could strike midnight for several top junior-aged prospects this week when general managers around the NHL are forced to make franchise-defining decisions on the immediate future of those young stars.

Will Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, chosen No. 1 in the 2014 NHL Draft, take the next step in his career? Can Jonathan Drouin, selected No. 3 by the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2013 NHL Draft, stick with the team that returned him to the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at the end of training camp in the 2013-14 preseason?

Those questions will be answered as early as Wednesday.

The NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for nine games at the start of the regular season during which a player on his entry-level contract can be evaluated. The player can be returned to his junior team without his contract kicking in at any point before the player dresses for his 10th game.

If the team believes the prospect in question may not get the required playing time against bigger, stronger and faster players, he can still be returned to his junior team without burning a year of his three-year entry-level contract. He wouldn't be eligible to play in the American Hockey League since there is an agreement in place between the NHL and Canadian Hockey League that prohibits 18- and 19-year-old prospects from playing in the AHL.

One other stipulation to consider: A player on an NHL roster for 40 accrued games, whether he was sent back to junior or not, becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency at age 26 instead of 27. That scenario could come back to haunt an organization down the road.

The Edmonton Oilers appear to be sold on power-forward Leon Draisaitl, chosen No. 3 in the 2014 NHL Draft. They're set to dress Draisaitl in his 10th game on Wednesday against the Nashville Predators at Rexall Place.

Does Draisaitl feel he's done enough to remain with the Oilers and not be returned to the Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey League for a third season?

"I think so; it's always hard to answer that question since there are always things you can do better and things you have to get better at," said Draisaitl, who celebrated a birthday on Oct. 27. "I'm a 19-year-old guy. There are things you can get better at, but I think I was pretty solid for the most part in the games."

One thing is certain, no prospect wants to hear he is being returned after getting that initial taste of the good life.

"Of course I would be disappointed [if returned to Prince Albert]," Draisaitl said. "I said it right from the start, I want to play in the NHL, but if [I am returned] then that's the way it is. Obviously, I don't want to, I want to be here, but whatever happens, I can still get better. Whatever league I'm playing in, I'm going to do my best to get better."

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound left-handed shooter has one power-play goal and three points in nine games with the Oilers and has averaged 13:14 of ice time for coach Dallas Eakins. He has recently been centering the second line with David Perron and Teddy Purcell.

"I think it was a great time so far," Draisaitl said. "I've learned a lot, all the people that I've been with, they've been tremendously supportive and they've taught me a lot already."

Drouin, No. 1 on NHL.com's Top 60 rankings list, has a goal and three points in five games; his ninth game would tentatively be Nov. 8 on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coach Jon Cooper has provided Drouin top-line minutes alongside center Valtteri Filppula and right wing Steven Stamkos, and Drouin has performed well on the power play.

Could the solid start in any way be the result of spending an extra year in juniors?

NHL Network analyst Craig Button, who served as the director of player personnel for the Dallas Stars for two seasons and was vice president and GM of the Calgary Flames for three, felt the decision to return Drouin to juniors last year was the right move.

"I believe that players can go too early [into the NHL], but can't go too late," Button said. "Steven Stamkos was the first overall pick [in 2008] and was an outstanding talent, but it wasn't until about February of his rookie year that he started to feel that he could play in this League. Stamkos had those growing pains, so why wouldn't Jonathan Drouin? Let's not forget, Drouin essentially only played a year-and-a-half of junior hockey [prior to 2013-14], so I think going back for another year wouldn't hurt his development.

"I think the Stamkos growing-pains experience contributed to [the Drouin decision]."

New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said if in doubt about keeping a player beyond the nine-game trial, he should be returned.

"I don't think you could ever put a barometer on whether a player's development is taking too long or not," Lamoriello said. "A lot of it has to do with how the team is doing when you have a young player; you have to be careful with how you recognize that. When a team is struggling a little, and you have a young player, there's a lot of pressure on him. If the team is going good, he can go along slowly.

"It's a decision you make and shouldn't feel bad about, because given the information at that time, that was the right decision made. You should never look back."

One player in his first season in the League but not restricted by the nine-game threshold is New York Rangers forward Anthony Duclair.

Duclair, chosen in the third round (No. 80) of the 2013 draft, did not sign his first contract until Jan. 6, 2014; six days after the deadline of Dec. 31, 2013. As a result, he has just two years remaining on his entry-level contract after this season, and is eligible for restricted free agency in 2017 no matter if the Rangers keep him on their roster or return him to the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL.

As such, the Rangers are already in the first year of Duclair's entry-level contract and could essentially return him to Quebec whenever they see fit. That could happen once forward Derek Stepan (fractured fibula) comes off long-term injured reserve on Nov. 3.

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mikemorrealeNHL