Prospect Info: Erik Portillo, G, 67th 2019, University of Michigan

[Ehran]

So you'd enjoy watching the Leafs win 10 cups in a row?

Sorry, should have used the sarcasm font.

 

[sabremike]

Well said. It's a feature, not a bug.

Players who get to that point are among the few who have destination control early in their professional careers. It's not something that would easily be removed from a future CBA without some other concession from management. It's not going to happen so it's an aspect of the draft process.

Only the NHLPA could have a CBA that benefits guys more who have never signed a pro contract instead of it's actual members.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

The Sabres loosing his goalie equipment was the last straw

As long as he doesn't turn into the best goalie in the league with one loss on the season, that could never happen...

The airline lost his equipment

 

[ValJamesDuex]

The airline lost his equipment

 

[Beerz]

This is horrible news.... We still haven't recovered from Cal Peterson sticking it to us.

 

[Jim Bob]

Well said. It's a feature, not a bug.

Players who get to that point are among the few who have destination control early in their professional careers. It's not something that would easily be removed from a future CBA without some other concession from management. It's not going to happen so it's an aspect of the draft process.

The other thing is that players drafted out of the CHL have the same ability to play 4 years post-NHL draft and become UFAs.

They just never do that for a variety of reasons.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

View attachment 632972

 

[TehDoak]

The other thing is that players drafted out of the CHL have the same ability to play 4 years post-NHL draft and become UFAs.

They just never do that for a variety of reasons.

Well, the CHL age limit being 20 is probably a big part. Not a ton of options after they run out of CHL eligibility. I'm reasonably sure that teams have to approve them going to Europe, etc.

 

[Jim Bob]

Well, the CHL age limit being 20 is probably a big part. Not a ton of options after they run out of CHL eligibility. I'm reasonably sure that teams have to approve them going to Europe, etc.

The challenge is that players have to go the Canadian college route, which isn't as good as the NCAA, to get to UFA after having gone through the draft twice. The really interesting thing will be if the NCAA ever changes their rules and allows players to move from the CHL to the NCAA without losing eligibility.

All I'm saying is that the "loophole" is there in that scenario as well. It's not just players that go through the NCAA route that can become UFAs prior to signing in the NHL.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

It's not a "loophole," it's just that some players want to go to college for the full 4-year college experience and get a degree. That takes priority over hockey for a lot of guys, and happens to have the benefit of allowing them to decide where they play once they're done too.

I personally wouldn't draft any of the players who say they want a college degree outside of the first round for this reason. We've gotten screwed twice, probably three times because we keep drafting kids who want to go to college.

 

[Gras]

The challenge is that players have to go the Canadian college route, which isn't as good as the NCAA, to get to UFA after having gone through the draft twice. The really interesting thing will be if the NCAA ever changes their rules and allows players to move from the CHL to the NCAA without losing eligibility.

All I'm saying is that the "loophole" is there in that scenario as well. It's not just players that go through the NCAA route that can become UFAs prior to signing in the NHL.

The fix to the loophole is to allow players to sign an ELC and continue to play in college just like they can with all the other leagues.

 

[Chainshot]

The fix to the loophole is to allow players to sign an ELC and continue to play in college just like they can with all the other leagues.

That's on the NCAA, not the players' association or the league though.

 

[Jim Bob]

The fix to the loophole is to allow players to sign an ELC and continue to play in college just like they can with all the other leagues.

The NHL cannot change NCAA rules.

 

[Gras]

That's on the NCAA, not the players' association or the league though.

Offer the NCAA a cut of the ELC, since all they really care about is money.

 

[Chainshot]

Offer the NCAA a cut of the ELC, since all they really care about is money.

Eh, that just enables their use of unpaid labor to line their pockets.

 

[Gras]

Eh, that just enables their use of unpaid labor to line their pockets.

Do players on ELCs still receive payment from the team if they are not in the AHL or NHL

 

[Chainshot]

Do players on ELCs still receive payment from the team if they are not in the AHL or NHL

They get their signing bonus. Giving the NCAA or even the athletic departments of these schools a cut of an ELC though seems... evil.

 

[Gras]

They get their signing bonus. Giving the NCAA or even the athletic departments of these schools a cut of an ELC though seems... evil.

I'd be fine with the NCAA going the way of the dodo, but with them allowing their players to get paid some money, the league should be putting pressure on the NCAA to change, even if all the ELC money gets deferred until the player leaves college.

 

[Jim Bob]

I'd be fine with the NCAA going the way of the dodo, but with them allowing their players to get paid some money, the league should be putting pressure on the NCAA to change, even if all the ELC money gets deferred until the player leaves college.

The problem is that the NCAA across sports pulls eligibility once a player opts into a draft (that is why being drafted in the MLB and NHL drafts do not cause a player to lose eligibility. They do not opt in. They age in.) or once they sign a pro contract.

I doubt you see the NCAA change their stance on that even though it would be nice.

Plus, I think NCAA hockey coaches would hate it as they would likely fear players leaving mid-season would increase.

 

[EichHart]

Sucks. At least we have hope with Levi.

 

[Ehran]

So, simply don't give drafted players going to college signing bonuses. Instead, refer to them as NIL payments.

 

[joshjull]

Why do you hate it? I'm always told that they almost never leave in free agency, so I'm a moron for worrying about it.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Our last 25 drafts we’ve drafted 42 players who went the NCAA route (I may have missed 1 or 2). So far only one has officially left as a free agent (Peterson).

These things can happen but its not very common. For that reason I doubt the NHL is worried about it.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

The numbers speak for themselves.

Our last 25 drafts we’ve drafted 42 players who went the NCAA route (I may have missed 1 or 2). So far only one has officially left as a free agent (Peterson).

These things can happen but its not very common. For that reason I doubt the NHL is worried about it.

Thanks for answering a question no one asked. No one said the NHL is worried about it, but here you are arguing against no one again.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

I’m not surprised but I don’t quite get it. He has a lot of opportunity here and can burn a year.

 

[joshjull]

Thanks for answering a question no one asked. No one said the NHL is worried about it, but here you are arguing against no one again.

Why so salty and wrong to boot? Posters have brought up in multiple posts about “addressing the college loophole”. So I commented on that after dealing with your post. Two thoughts directly related to things in your post or the thread.

1) You sarcastically stated “I’m always told they almost never leave in free agency. I laid out the facts behind that TRUE statement.

2) I also had a second thought about the loophole. Players leaving in free agency rarely happens so the NHL and teams in general aren’t worried about it.

Sorry for asking you to walk and chew gum. It seems to have upset you greatly.