There has been a lot of discussion lately among fans about why the Ducks haven’t sent Jonas Hiller down to Syracuse for a few games to rediscover his form. The answer to why they haven’t is simple: They can’t.
Although the official explanation is more complicated, basically, no NHL player can be reassigned to the American Hockey League on a conditioning loan after the NHL’s trade deadline, which was Feb. 28.
Therefore, the Ducks’ only option is to keep Hiller on the big club as he comes back from symptoms of vertigo. The topic mushroomed after Hiller started a game in Nashville last week and struggled, giving up three early goals before being pulled.
Coach Randy Carlyle explained that the rule is in place, in part, to prevent organizations from loading up their AHL rosters with NHL-caliber players at the end of the season.
For this same reason, Pittsburgh, for example, will not be able to send Sidney Crosby (concussion) down for conditioning if and when he’s ready to resume playing.
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