CHL Import Draft 2022

[Bra Wavers]

I find it interesting how teams approach the CHL import draft each year. There are a few different strategies a team might take…

1. Do you draft a player who was just drafted by an NHL team a week earlier and hope that the NHL GM will direct that player to join the OHL team to help adjust to playing in North America?
   (Liam Kirk PBO - 2018), (Alexei Toropchenko GUE – 2017)
   ​
2. Do you draft a D-1 player who will be interested in coming to play in the OHL prior to their draft in hopes of boosting their stock?
   (Ruslan Gazizov LDN - 2021), (Martin Chromiak KGN – 2019)
   ​
3. Do you draft a player who was undrafted a week earlier in the NHL entry draft, is bitter about it and wants to make the move to the OHL to show NHL teams what they are missing?
   (Yevgeni Oksentyuk FLT – 2019) (Roman Pucek SSM - 2018)
   ​
4. Do you draft a D+1 player who is undrafted but has improved significantly in the last year? (Ilya Solovyov SAG – 2019), (Nando Eggenberger OSH – 2018)
   ​

This year’s CHL import draft has some added wrinkles that will make things even more challenging GMs.

• COVID, yes it’s still a thing…...despite completing the full schedule this season, COVID could still be a factor that deters some players from moving to North America to play junior hockey.​

• The possibility that OA goalies may not count as one of 3 OAs for a team may make teams less apt to draft a goalie in the import draft? Since reinstating import goalies in the CHL there have been 6 or 7 goalies drafted each year, so not a huge factor.​

• CHL import draft may be before the NHL entry draft, making it harder to target players without knowing which NHL team will draft them​

• Russian and Belarusian players are being excluded as a sanction against Russia for their war against Ukraine. Below is a table showing the % of Russian and Belarusian players drafted in the last 5 drafts. On average about 30% of players drafted in the import draft each year are Russian or Belarusian players…...that’s significant.​

I’m out of my depth when it comes to the CHL import draft and the players involved. I’m interested to hear from others any insight regarding possible date of the draft and players that teams should target because they are likely to come to North America.

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[nelli27]

I find it interesting how teams approach the CHL import draft each year. There are a few different strategies a team might take…

1. Do you draft a player who was just drafted by an NHL team a week earlier and hope that the NHL GM will direct that player to join the OHL team to help adjust to playing in North America?
   (Liam Kirk PBO - 2018), (Alexei Toropchenko GUE – 2017)
   ​
2. Do you draft a D-1 player who will be interested in coming to play in the OHL prior to their draft in hopes of boosting their stock?
   (Ruslan Gazizov LDN - 2021), (Martin Chromiak KGN – 2019)
   ​
3. Do you draft a player who was undrafted a week earlier in the NHL entry draft, is bitter about it and wants to make the move to the OHL to show NHL teams what they are missing?
   (Yevgeni Oksentyuk FLT – 2019) (Roman Pucek SSM - 2018)
   ​
4. Do you draft a D+1 player who is undrafted but has improved significantly in the last year? (Ilya Solovyov SAG – 2019), (Nando Eggenberger OSH – 2018)
   ​

This year’s CHL import draft has some added wrinkles that will make things even more challenging GMs.

• COVID, yes it’s still a thing…...despite completing the full schedule this season, COVID could still be a factor that deters some players from moving to North America to play junior hockey.​

• The possibility that OA goalies may not count as one of 3 OAs for a team may make teams less apt to draft a goalie in the import draft? Since reinstating import goalies in the CHL there have been 6 or 7 goalies drafted each year, so not a huge factor.​

• CHL import draft may be before the NHL entry draft, making it harder to target players without knowing which NHL team will draft them​

• Russian and Belarusian players are being excluded as a sanction against Russia for their war against Ukraine. Below is a table showing the % of Russian and Belarusian players drafted in the last 5 drafts. On average about 30% of players drafted in the import draft each year are Russian or Belarusian players…...that’s significant.​

View attachment 534526

I’m out of my depth when it comes to the CHL import draft and the players involved. I’m interested to hear from others any insight regarding possible date of the draft and players that teams should target because they are likely to come to North America.

In many cases, these picks are pre-arranged with player agents and CHL teams.

 

[Generalsupdates]

I find it interesting how teams approach the CHL import draft each year. There are a few different strategies a team might take…

1. Do you draft a player who was just drafted by an NHL team a week earlier and hope that the NHL GM will direct that player to join the OHL team to help adjust to playing in North America?
   (Liam Kirk PBO - 2018), (Alexei Toropchenko GUE – 2017)​
2. Do you draft a D-1 player who will be interested in coming to play in the OHL prior to their draft in hopes of boosting their stock?
   (Ruslan Gazizov LDN - 2021), (Martin Chromiak KGN – 2019)​
3. Do you draft a player who was undrafted a week earlier in the NHL entry draft, is bitter about it and wants to make the move to the OHL to show NHL teams what they are missing?
   (Yevgeni Oksentyuk FLT – 2019) (Roman Pucek SSM - 2018)​
4. Do you draft a D+1 player who is undrafted but has improved significantly in the last year? (Ilya Solovyov SAG – 2019), (Nando Eggenberger OSH – 2018)​

This year’s CHL import draft has some added wrinkles that will make things even more challenging GMs.

• COVID, yes it’s still a thing…...despite completing the full schedule this season, COVID could still be a factor that deters some players from moving to North America to play junior hockey.​

• The possibility that OA goalies may not count as one of 3 OAs for a team may make teams less apt to draft a goalie in the import draft? Since reinstating import goalies in the CHL there have been 6 or 7 goalies drafted each year, so not a huge factor.​

• CHL import draft may be before the NHL entry draft, making it harder to target players without knowing which NHL team will draft them​

• Russian and Belarusian players are being excluded as a sanction against Russia for their war against Ukraine. Below is a table showing the % of Russian and Belarusian players drafted in the last 5 drafts. On average about 30% of players drafted in the import draft each year are Russian or Belarusian players…...that’s significant.​

View attachment 534526

I’m out of my depth when it comes to the CHL import draft and the players involved. I’m interested to hear from others any insight regarding possible date of the draft and players that teams should target because they are likely to come to North America.

If you want a good player it comes down to 1 thing. Do you have money to pay for them? If you can pay a team and an agent, you can get a good player. If you can't/won't, then you'll have to draft a guy who wants to come to the CHL on his own or is looking to up his stock

 

[WhatTheDuck]

If you want a good player it comes down to 1 thing. Do you have money to pay for them? If you can pay a team and an agent, you can get a good player. If you can't/won't, then you'll have to draft a guy who wants to come to the CHL on his own or is looking to up his stock

In hindsight, it was a big red flag to indicate the Bulls were in trouble in the years leading up to their sale/move. They were no longer able to bring over impact imports, weren't even using both their slots some years, and then had zero imports the final two seasons. They did use their early pick on Pastrnak one year but would have done so knowing that the Bruins would foot the bill if they wished to send him there.

 

[Ferda11]

Darren Dreger reporting that Russian and Belarusian players will not be eligible for the upcoming import draft.

 

[OHLTG]

CHL just issued it - Russians/Belarusians are ineligible.

 

[HockeyPops]

Oof. CHL draft will be rough this year

 

[aresknights]

Interesting. Going to be a mess for a while and as usual the ones paying the price will be the people not involved with the reasoning behind it at all. (players, families, fans)

 

[bcspragu]

Oof. CHL draft will be rough this year

Finns and Swedes are coming over less and less already. Now the ban. Gonna see alot of Czech players and players from less traditional markets.

Glad Saginaw has 2 returning imports (fingers crossed) and can draft an insurance player if Mintyukov goes in the 1st round in the NHL draft because its going to be bottom of the barrel

 

[Bra Wavers]

For the 1st year ever the CHL Import draft (July 1st) will be held before the NHL entry draft (July 7/8).
Not sure what impact this will have on the CHL import draft, but I guess we'll see.

 

[SarniaStingFan]

For the 1st year ever the CHL Import draft (July 1st) will be held before the NHL entry draft (July 7/8).
Not sure what impact this will have on the CHL import draft, but I guess we'll see.

It's not the first time this has happened. It's happened the last 2 import drafts.

 

[Bra Wavers]

It's not the first time this has happened. It's happened the last 2 import drafts.

You are correct.......my mistake

 

[SarniaStingFan]

You are correct.......my mistake

All good. We all make mistakes.

 

[Starry Knight]

Oof. CHL draft will be rough this year

I think there might be more high-end Swedish and Finnish players coming to NA because of Russia's international isolation. A lot of Western pros who were playing in Russia are going to head to the SHL and Liiga instead of playing in the KHL, and it's going to cause some fairly high-end junior age players to have fewer spots available for them in the men's leagues.

 

[Robray12]

Interesting. Going to be a mess for a while and as usual the ones paying the price will be the people not involved with the reasoning behind it at all. (players, families, fans)

You are so naive....

Post automatically merged: Apr 30, 2022

Interesting. Going to be a mess for a while and as usual the ones paying the price will be the people not involved

 

[Savard18]

All good. We all make mistakes.

I don’t. I did that one time but I quit that sh*t.

 

[OMG67]

I think there might be more high-end Swedish and Finnish players coming to NA because of Russia's international isolation. A lot of Western pros who were playing in Russia are going to head to the SHL and Liiga instead of playing in the KHL, and it's going to cause some fairly high-end junior age players to have fewer spots available for them in the men's leagues.

Great point.

 

[aresknights]

You are so naive....

Post automatically merged: Apr 30, 2022

Please explain n educate the naive.....