Confirmed with Link: Bruins sign Matthew Poitras

[Gee Wally]

I think they should raise the draft age to 20.

Juniors gets significantly better, and the draft becomes far more reliable/predictable. The only trade off is those rare talents that can play at 18/19 have to wait to come into the league, but I bet you also have less 1st overall busts.

It wouldnt stand a chance. It was 20 up to mid 70s.
But then Ken Linesman sued pro hockey I believe in ‘77 for right to be drafted and earn a wage at 18.
He won and how we got to 18

 

[PlayMakers]

It wouldnt stand a chance. It was 20 up to mid 70s.
But then Ken Linesman sued pro hockey I believe in ‘77 for right to be drafted and earn a wage at 18.
He won and how we got to 18

Interesting. Did not know that.

 

[Lobster57]

can junior players move from one league to another within the CHL? like OHL to WHL?

 

[Mainehockey33]

I get it, but at that point you basically destroy Juniors, and that doesn't benefit anyone

It would just put them on par with college hockey, which is doing better than ever as a development league.

 

[Mainehockey33]

I think they should raise the draft age to 20.

Juniors gets significantly better, and the draft becomes far more reliable/predictable. The only trade off is those rare talents that can play at 18/19 have to wait to come into the league, but I bet you also have less 1st overall busts.

I hear what your saying but would that put less emphasis on scouting? Teams with the best scouting staff would have less of an advantage.

He is not ready for the AHL or he would be playing for Providence tonight and helping them.

Maybe the NCAA should change their rule so he can go there. That's a better option.

I’m sure if he wanted to be in the NCAA he would have chosen that path. Crazy how he’s not ready for the AHL when guys like Jack Studnicka played in the AHL playoffs at 19. Maybe I should temper expectations.

 

[Raleighfern]

I hear what your saying but would that put less emphasis on scouting? Teams with the best scouting staff would have less of an advantage.

I’m sure if he wanted to be in the NCAA he would have chosen that path. Crazy how he’s not ready for the AHL when guys like Jack Studnicka played in the AHL playoffs at 19. Maybe I should temper expectations.

i think he was giving you insight on the player he's seen a lot. not suggesting that the player isn't a good prospect.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

It would just put them on par with college hockey, which is doing better than ever as a development league.

College Hockey is a league full of 20-25 year old players with a few elite teens. Yes It can be good for the prospects to competed against the kids 4-5 years older than them.

Juniors is a league that is mostly 17-19 year old with some 20/21 year old kids, and some 16s.

If you take the better 18/19 year out of the league what is it?

 

[UncleRico]

I wish him the best of luck. This team could desperately use a center or three in the next few years.

 

[DominicT]

College Hockey is a league full of 20-25 year old players with a few elite teens. Yes It can be good for the prospects to competed against the kids 4-5 years older than them.

Juniors is a league that is mostly 17-19 year old with some 20/21 year old kids, and some 16s.

If you take the better 18/19 year out of the league what is it?

Exactly. It's not a rule. It's an agreement between the NHL and CHL where the NHL understands that it needs to keep the CHL a viable league. Take those players out and it kills it. Not only that, it affects the U16 leagues because they will all of a sudden be in the CHL. And it trickles down lower and lower.

Like I said it's an agreement not a rule. So much so that the NHL pays over 15 million dollars a year to keep it viable.

You want rules that keep players out of the NHL or AHL? Look at the NCAA not the CHL. The CHL has no such rules.

 

[Lobster57]

i think a draft age of 19, and ability to go straight to the AHL is a decent compromise. Will probably hurt the CHL a little, but the number of 19 year olds leaving might be offset by an extra year of the rare guys who would otherwise go right to the NHL after getting drafted

but labour laws/rulings probably make that a non-starter too

 

[Mainehockey33]

Exactly. It's not a rule. It's an agreement between the NHL and CHL where the NHL understands that it needs to keep the CHL a viable league. Take those players out and it kills it. Not only that, it affects the U16 leagues because they will all of a sudden be in the CHL. And it trickles down lower and lower.

Like I said it's an agreement not a rule. So much so that the NHL pays over 15 million dollars a year to keep it viable.

You want rules that keep players out of the NHL or AHL? Look at the NCAA not the CHL. The CHL has no such rules.

Can’t the CHL raise the age cap to be comparable to the NCAA? That would raise the level of competition in the league without the need for players ready to move on.

 

[finchster]

He is not ready for the AHL or he would be playing for Providence tonight and helping them.

Maybe the NCAA should change their rule so he can go there. That's a better option.

How about loans to European teams?

 

[JoeIsAStud]

Can’t the CHL raise the age cap to be comparable to the NCAA? That would raise the level of competition in the league without the need for players ready to move on.

At that point then it is not really juniors, it is the ECHL or AHL. You don't want 16/17 year olds playing in a league with 24/25 year olds, especially a league like CHL which allows fighting, and no full cage etc.

 

[LouJersey]

Too small for center in the NHL? WIll Bruins move him to RW? Maybe keep him in the middle and have a poor man's Matt Barzal?

 

[Mainehockey33]

At that point then it is not really juniors, it is the ECHL or AHL. You don't want 16/17 year olds playing in a league with 24/25 year olds, especially a league like CHL which allows fighting, and no full cage etc.

Maybe it’s time for a change to create more parity within development leagues? I think the league should be working hard to create more D1 hockey teams around the country in hockey markets like Arizona, Washington, Carolina, Atlanta. I’m not sure why Canada doesn’t have a similar league where players can get a college education as well. Why not expand the NCAA into Canada?

 

[KnightofBoston]

I think they should raise the draft age to 20.

Juniors gets significantly better, and the draft becomes far more reliable/predictable. The only trade off is those rare talents that can play at 18/19 have to wait to come into the league, but I bet you also have less 1st overall busts.

Love it

Makes the scouting and decision making more paralleled with NCAA hockey as well

 

[DominicT]

How about loans to European teams?

That's not a CHL thing and has nothing to do with the NHL-CHL Agreement.

That is part of the CBA negotiated between the NHL and the NHLPA:

Section 8.7

8.7 Age 18 and 19 Players. (a) During the first two seasons next succeeding the draft of an age 18 Player, the Club he signs an SPC with must first offer him to the club from which he was claimed before it may Loan him.

The PA wanted protection for its membership by preventing 18 and 19 year old player influx and "taking away other player's jobs." The NHL gave into the PA demands and countered with they can't be loaned anywhere, hence the player must be offered to the team he was drafted from first.

In this case, the Guelph Storm could say they don't want him back (why would they?) and the Bruins can place him anywhere in the world they want. It's the same thing with players drafted out of the USHL that has almost identical age restrictions on its players as the CHL.

Players drafted out of Europe have always been allowed to go to the AHL immediately. But there's a new agreement between the NHL and some European leagues that will allow those countries to keep players there for a minimum of 4 years.

Player movement is not easy. There are plenty of negotiated deals between the NHL, PA, Hockey Federations, IIHF and other leagues. And everyone of those leagues/federations allows their players to go back if they so choose (or the NHL team chooses). The only league in the world that has a rule against it is the NCAA.

 

[Over the volcano]

So what's his developmental time line -
23-24 OHL
24-25 AHL
25 or 26 NHL
?

 

[DominicT]

Maybe it’s time for a change to create more parity within development leagues? I think the league should be working hard to create more D1 hockey teams around the country in hockey markets like Arizona, Washington, Carolina, Atlanta. I’m not sure why Canada doesn’t have a similar league where players can get a college education as well. Why not expand the NCAA into Canada?

Canada has U Sports or Canadian University Hockey. Logan Thompson is one current NHL'er from U Sports.

 

[ON3M4N]

So what's his developmental time line -
23-24 OHL
24-25 AHL
25 or 26 NHL
?

Have to think that's the most likely scenario. Best case would probably be OHL next year then NHL in '24-'25.

 

[Mainehockey33]

Canada has U Sports or Canadian University Hockey. Logan Thompson is one current NHL'er from U Sports.

I wonder why that isn’t a more popular route? The CHL is nice because they get a longer season and can just focus on hockey, but maybe a scholarship to a D1 school and education would be a better path for most players? I don’t follow juniors much but it seems like there’s more talent coming out of the NCAA these days than there was 10 years ago. The league produces more top end talent than ever. Just my opinion but I’d like to see that expanded.

 

[Saxon Eric]

I’m excited for this kid. He was one of the standouts at Development Camp last year.

He certainly stood out on the last day

I wonder why that isn’t a more popular route? The CHL is nice because they get a longer season and can just focus on hockey, but maybe a scholarship to a D1 school and education would be a better path for most players? I don’t follow juniors much but it seems like there’s more talent coming out of the NCAA these days than there was 10 years ago. The league produces more top end talent than ever. Just my opinion but I’d like to see that expanded.

Hot take
CHL players who haven't signed a pro deal will be allowed into the NCAA in the next few years
It's coming and nothing will stop it

 

[PlayMakers]

So what's his developmental time line -
23-24 OHL
24-25 AHL
25 or 26 NHL
?

Could be 2 years in the AHL. Probably more common than 1 year.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

Could be 2 years in the AHL. Probably more common than 1 year.

Definitely could be, but the league is getting younger and younger guys are coming in sooner than they used to. It's not impossible for him to be playing in Boston at the age of 20, or 21.