cant call up players in franchise

Did you send him down to his Jr. team?

If he is back on his junior team you won’t be able to put him on your team until next year. 

Have you signed him?

Is he still playing Junior hockey? I know this happened in years past. Players were signed but remained playing for their respective OHL, QMJHL, or WHL team. Contracts were considered exempt, yet you could not move them onto your minor league team or your NHL team. Sometimes you had to wait 1 to 2 years before you could call them up or until the appeared on the minor league roster.  Guentther for the Coyotes was a prime example for me in years past.