Next CBA - potentially shortened draft

[Golden_Jet]

Not sure teams would like this, can see why an agent brought it up though, hard to say if would get passed, could see possibly dropping the seventh.

 

[4thline]

If someone like Bedard was draft eligible this summer, I think it's very likely he would've not played in the CHL at all and played his D-1 and possibly D-2 season too in Europe.

But why do you think it's likely in the face of a long list of exceptional top picks that were faced with that exact scenario and elected to stay in the CHL, a couple even coming to the OHL only for their U19 draft year?

 

[Whalers Fan]

the draft at one time was 9 rounds was it not?

edit back in 1984 it was 250 selections, in a 21 team league, for 12 rounds.

...and today it's 224 selections, in a 32 team league for 7 rounds.

I don't see an issue with reducing the draft to five rounds in today's expanded league.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I actually want them to go the other way, I want them to go back to a minimum of 9 rounds and I actually want 10+ rounds because it gives teams more assets to trade and who doesn't like trades?

It will also allow teams to find more gems like Hasek, or lucky Luc, or Kaberle.

If we shorten it to 4 rounds we don't get Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Stone or Kaprizov and that's just off the top of my head there are hundreds more.

I know I'm in the minority but make the draft longer.

You'll get more talent that's fact.

...and today it's 224 selections, in a 32 team league for 7 rounds.

I don't see an issue with reducing the draft to five rounds in today's expanded league.

It allows for less talent

 

[lamp9post]

I don't mind the idea as it pertains to the draft itself, but I do wonder if this would have an impact on trades given that 5th-7th round picks as currency would no longer be in circulation. It would mostly impact depth deals and I guess more and more of these types of trades would be for future considerations, but would it then be worth it for the selling team?

 

[WarriorofTime]

But why do you think it's likely in the face of a long list of exceptional top picks that were faced with that exact scenario and elected to stay in the CHL, a couple even coming to the OHL only for their U19 draft year?

Europe doesn’t work. Most of them turn 18 a few months into the season and it’s not so straightforward to play while 17. Add that European teams have limited import slots and would rather use it on a veteran than a teen that will leave next season and they won’t wait to wait a few months into a season until they can even play. Matthews worked because of the exact timing of his birthday.

CHL is the traditional path so it’s the most straightforward. If you’re Canadian it means not leaving your home country. I also know when Kane was there for instance he hasn’t graduated high school yet so he would have had to accelerate schooling to play ncaa. For what it’s worth, that’s basically what all the late NTDP birthdays do these days like Zeev Buium and James Hagens. It’s becoming more rare to see Americans in the CHL.

 

[AvroArrow]

If that does happen, we'll see who the good drafting teams actually are. A lot of teams just luck out on guys extremely late, would be insane though. Imagine a guy like Kucherov just comes as a free agent undrafted, then again would those late round picks still develop the same ?

Seems like a huge chance though, 7 to 4 is a big difference, a lot less trade assets. We see guys at the deadline get thrown around for 5th/6ths, or retention deals.

 

[Brodeur]

I actually want them to go the other way, I want them to go back to a minimum of 9 rounds and I actually want 10+ rounds because it gives teams more assets to trade and who doesn't like trades?

It will also allow teams to find more gems like Hasek, or lucky Luc, or Kaberle.

If we shorten it to 4 rounds we don't get Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Stone or Kaprizov and that's just off the top of my head there are hundreds more.

I know I'm in the minority but make the draft longer.

You'll get more talent that's fact.

Draft length is collectively bargained, the NHLPA wouldn't agree to a longer draft unless it got something else in return. Datsyuk himself was drafted as a 20 year old. A shorter draft would just mean more guys in their D+1 years would get taken which happens with some regularity; Wayne Simmonds, Sean Durzi, David Perron, Blake Coleman are some guys who went undrafted at least once. Shorter draft would mean more guys who slip through and become UDFAs which the NHLPA would want.

 

[Whalers Fan]

I actually want them to go the other way, I want them to go back to a minimum of 9 rounds and I actually want 10+ rounds because it gives teams more assets to trade and who doesn't like trades?

It will also allow teams to find more gems like Hasek, or lucky Luc, or Kaberle.

If we shorten it to 4 rounds we don't get Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Stone or Kaprizov and that's just off the top of my head there are hundreds more.

I know I'm in the minority but make the draft longer.

You'll get more talent that's fact.



It allows for less talent

The talent will still find its way. Scouting has improved in Europe since players like Zetterberg and Datsyuk were drafted, and any players that may get missed can still be signed as undrafted free agents. The odds of 6th or 7th round picks becoming NHL regulars is very low these days.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Draft length is collectively bargained, the NHLPA wouldn't agree to a longer draft unless it got something else in return. Datsyuk himself was drafted as a 20 year old. A shorter draft would just mean more guys in their D+1 years would get taken which happens with some regularity; Wayne Simmonds, Sean Durzi, David Perron, Blake Coleman are some guys who went undrafted at least once. Shorter draft would mean more guys who slip through and become UDFAs which the NHLPA would want.

Ya like you said it’s collectively bargained, what do you think the PA gives up to get less draft rounds, as teams wouldn’t want it.

 

[4thline]

Europe doesn’t work. Most of them turn 18 a few months into the season and it’s not so straightforward to play while 17. Add that European teams have limited import slots and would rather use it on a veteran than a teen that will leave next season and they won’t wait to wait a few months into a season until they can even play. Matthews worked because of the exact timing of his birthday.

CHL is the traditional path so it’s the most straightforward. If you’re Canadian it means not leaving your home country. I also know when Kane was there for instance he hasn’t graduated high school yet so he would have had to accelerate schooling to play ncaa. For what it’s worth, that’s basically what all the late NTDP birthdays do these days like Zeev Buium and James Hagens. It’s becoming more rare to see Americans in the CHL.

Yeah, I don't see it changing that much. There are very few players that are good enough at 14 to be so certain to be NHL ready/ too good for the CHL at 18.

As to the bolded- I always forget about jurisdictions that run their school year based on September rather than Jan cutoffs.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Yeah, I don't see it changing that much. There are very few players that are good enough at 14 to be so certain to be NHL ready/ too good for the CHL at 18.

As to the bolded- I always forget about jurisdictions that run their school year based on September rather than Jan cutoffs.

Yeah most of U.S. has schooling cutoffs that line up pretty close with draft year cutoffs rather than January 1 - December 31

 

[absolute garbage]

But why do you think it's likely in the face of a long list of exceptional top picks that were faced with that exact scenario and elected to stay in the CHL, a couple even coming to the OHL only for their U19 draft year?

It's not the "exact scenario". You are talking about the current system, where players are able to graduate to NHL after being drafted at age 18.

If they are drafted at age 19, I think it would change things.

 

[Roomtemperature]

If the draft age gets raised wouldn't that make the first draft that year really really crappy?

 

[4thline]

It's not the "exact scenario". You are talking about the current system, where players are able to graduate to NHL after being drafted at age 18.

If they are drafted at age 19, I think it would change things.

Except for the ones (like those listed) who due to the Sept 15th cut off have to wait that extra year and played 3 seasons (in a couple cases of exceptional status- 4 seasons) in the CHL before being drafted

 

[absolute garbage]

Except for the ones (like those listed) who due to the Sept 15th cut off have to wait that extra year and played 3 seasons (in a couple cases of exceptional status- 4 seasons) in the CHL before being drafted

Right, and if the draft age was bumped by one they would have to play 4 seasons (or 5 in some cases)?

 

[WarriorofTime]

If the draft age gets raised wouldn't that make the first draft that year really really crappy?

Yep, happened when the NBA raised the age to 19 and got rid of Prep-to-Pro. General sentiment was basically "yeah that sucks" but would even be worse in the NHL since players are automatically eligible and don't forfeit their CHL/NCAA eligibility by virtue of being in the Draft. So they'd likely have to think of some sort of phase-in to not have one completely irrelevant Draft.

 

[4thline]

Right, and if the draft age was bumped by one they would have to play 4 seasons (or 5 in some cases)?

More likely it would just be moved by 9 months

 

[alko]

Btw how many rounds does have a MLB draft?

 

[WarriorofTime]

Btw how many rounds does have a MLB draft?

20 rounds, until 2019 it was 40 rounds.

 

[JAK]

Then how will teams draft their staff's kids in late rounds to make them happy?

What if NHL buys out AHL and ECHL, and have an agreement with CHL to allow undrafted to be signed at 19, and turn those into development leagues as an opposite of the NCAA route.

 

[SepticFish]

20 rounds, until 2019 it was 40 rounds.

Before they shortened it to 40, it lasted as long as one team wanted to keep taking players. In 1990, the draft lasted 101 rounds with the Astros being the only team to pick players the last 25 rounds. They ended up drafting 100 players.

 

[Evergreen]

This change will benefit the teams that already have advantages in terms of signing free agents. I don't think it's a huge deal, but I think there should still be at least 5 rounds.

I'm more upset that they will no longer be holding the draft in person and are going to go to the NFL model of having players on camera at home. It's much less special.

 

[mouser]

They've never been challenged in court. The NHL has.

Ken Linseman challenged the legal ruling. If the NHL tried to raise it to 19 it would certainly end up back in front of a court.

The Linesman ruling wouldn’t establish precedent in the current NHL because the NHL is a union shop with a CBA and player union.

As long as the NHL and PA are in agreement they can set the eligibility age to 19 or higher.

I haven’t researched the WHA in depth, but I presume they did not have a CBA and active player union.

 

[seafoam]

Considering they are moving away from the current draft model, I could care less.