Raising the draft age

cape islander

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Jul 20, 2003
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I think that the NHL should raise it's draft age because to me it seems kinda stupid to draft players and then not see them play in your system for 2 or 3 years or longer, and the NHL is the only league that does this, NFL, MLB, NBA players all come in and play pro after they are drafted.

Basically there are 3 areas where players come from, CHL, NCAA, and Europe, I think that all players enter the draft after their 19 year old season (so this year it would be players born in 1986 would be entering the draft) I think that all players in the CHL automatically enter the draft after their 19 year old season, players playing in the NCAA enter the draft after their final year or if they wish to leave early they can (like in other sports) but cannot return to NCAA if they are drafted, and europeans can enter when ever they want but have to come over to North America once they are drafted.

Now for the top young players like Crosby, and Ovechkin maybe have for the first round only teams can draft players under the age of 19 so this way the top young players can still goto the NHL.

I think that this would be the best format for players since it would give players that play major junior hockey 3-4 years instead of 1 or 2 before they get drafted, and players that goto NCAA can get drafted after they have played at a higher level for up to 4 years instead of having to draft them out of high school or jr "a".
And for euro's basically since they enter the draft when they are ready to come to North America you wouldn't be drafting them and then trying to convince them to come over.

NHL teams would benefit since the players could then step right in and play pro and can draft more for their needs right away insead of what they think 3 -5 years they might need.
 

Freaky Habs Fan

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I think it should stay as it is right now. Sure most of the young player will not make the jump right away, but at the same time, the young players drafted 2-3 years before will make the jump.

For exemple, this year, only a couple of player might be in the NHL for the next season. At the same time, many players from the 2003-2004 and 2005 draft will make it.

One cool thing about the present formula is that every team needs some really good scouts to draft a real good player. It's more of a gamble and that's what I like. If you draft a 20 years ols player, you know what you get, and it's fun for the teams, but not for the show ;)
 

Alpine

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Oct 28, 2005
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I have no problem with the current system, with one exception. If a drafted CHL player decides to play CIS hockey, he should be given the extra years to sign the same as an NCAA player has untill the end of his senior year. Why should a drafted US High School/Prep School/ Junior player be protected beyond the age of 20 if he plays NCAA.When a drafted CHL player cannot have the same given to him if he wants to further his education in CIS.
 

NYR469

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this arguement has been made lots of times and LOTS of people in the nhl would love to see it happen...

but imo if it didn't happen after the lockout it will never happen. they could have just canceled the draft and then pushed everyone back a year and instantly the age is changed. i just don't see it happening and it won't happen during this cba.
 

Shelby-villains

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Jan 20, 2006
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I like it but what the ramifications for North Americans who sign contracts with other European pro leauges before they get drafted? Do the same transfer rules apply? :dunno:
 

Freaky Habs Fan

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NYR469 said:
this arguement has been made lots of times and LOTS of people in the nhl would love to see it happen...

but imo if it didn't happen after the lockout it will never happen. they could have just canceled the draft and then pushed everyone back a year and instantly the age is changed. i just don't see it happening and it won't happen during this cba.

You're right on that...At this point, you can't just cancelled one of the next draft to raise the drafting age...
 

johnny_rudeboy

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Mar 20, 2006
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I like the draft the way it is today but I would like to see the prospects belong to team who drafted them with out the need for the club to sign them for a longer time then the 2 years it is today. A lot of the young players who are in Europe will now go over to NA rather then stay with their clubs in Europe and develop further. Only the best who are ready to claim a place in the team should go over to play in the NHL IMHO. The hockey in Sweden for example lose big time when the talented players move to early. Swedish hockey fans like me would like to see more of the players live before they move.
 

Letang fan 58

No More Fleury
May 12, 2004
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Alpine said:
I have no problem with the current system, with one exception. If a drafted CHL player decides to play CIS hockey, he should be given the extra years to sign the same as an NCAA player has untill the end of his senior year. Why should a drafted US High School/Prep School/ Junior player be protected beyond the age of 20 if he plays NCAA.When a drafted CHL player cannot have the same given to him if he wants to further his education in CIS.

What players go from the CHL.......a step backwards to the CIS and then still get signed anyways? Most teams would never want a player to go to a lesser league they would progress them if they had any intentions of signing them.
 

J17 Vs Proclamation

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Oct 29, 2004
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IMO its a bad idea. I don't see why the NHL must follow NBA draft, NFLA draft etc. I enjoy the draft alot, and don't see the need for changes. Unlike basketball for example, it will always take longer for prospects to develop.
Even if the draft was changed so that you had to be 19, the amount of players who step straight from junior/college/europe to pro would still be quite small. Most of fun about the draft for me is projecting and guessing who will become the better players etc, and if the age was rised it would be easier to project. You wouldn't get as many steals. An example would be Phanuef, you wouldn't have had him picked up at #9 a year later.

I see the advantages though. The CHL would have slighlty better quality, and europe would get to see their to prospects player a little longer.
 

cape islander

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Jul 20, 2003
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but what i am thinking is keep the first round for the younger better players like crosby, ovechkin, and phanuef so this way they can either step into the NHL or go back to junior, but for the later rounds i think most players might be better off getting drafted a year or 2 later since their might not be as much pressure on them at a younger age and it would give some of the late bloomers more of a chance. because most of these players are just moving away from home the first time and going to a new place, new league, new teammates, and if that isint enough pressue at 17 you also have to worry about playing good enough hockey that could determine your future.
why draft someone at 17 when you can wait and draft them at 19 then you can see how well they devlop over that time, it would also take a lot of pressure off the kids, and how many players get drafted that either dont get signed because they never devloped or stay in europe or whatever, to me it would be better to have a draft where you know everyone will be able to play pro the following year instead of having to wait at least 2 years to see how they progress.
 

El_Scoobo

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Aug 18, 2004
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phaneuf_fan_3 said:
What players go from the CHL.......a step backwards to the CIS and then still get signed anyways? Most teams would never want a player to go to a lesser league they would progress them if they had any intentions of signing them.

The backlash of a plan like this would be a raise in the age of junior players....perhaps make "overagers" 22 years old instead of 20. Granted, there is no way this would happn either.

The only other option for the player would be to go play pro in Europe.

Overall, there is no way this is going to happen. I agree with a previous poster who said that if it was going to ever happen, it would've occurred after the lockout.
 

El_Scoobo

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Aug 18, 2004
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cape islander said:
but what i am thinking is keep the first round for the younger better players like crosby, ovechkin, and phanuef so this way they can either step into the NHL or go back to junior, but for the later rounds i think most players might be better off getting drafted a year or 2 later since their might not be as much pressure on them at a younger age and it would give some of the late bloomers more of a chance. because most of these players are just moving away from home the first time and going to a new place, new league, new teammates, and if that isint enough pressue at 17 you also have to worry about playing good enough hockey that could determine your future.
why draft someone at 17 when you can wait and draft them at 19 then you can see how well they devlop over that time, it would also take a lot of pressure off the kids, and how many players get drafted that either dont get signed because they never devloped or stay in europe or whatever, to me it would be better to have a draft where you know everyone will be able to play pro the following year instead of having to wait at least 2 years to see how they progress.

Where exactly would you draw the line here? A player like Phanuef can get drafted at 18 but according to you---someone like a Patrice Bergeron (2nd rounder) could not until he was 19 or 20??? This makes no sense at all. Why draw the line at pick 30? Then you are leaving the future of the boardline 25-30 pick guys in the hands of the teams that are picking. Some teams may view a guy picked at 40 as superior to a player chosen by a different team at 25.

What is so wrong with having a player picked at 18 anyways??? I agree that drafting is an inexact science but I hardly think adding a year or two to some draft players but not others is going to help.

Heck, look at teams signing 35 year old free agents. You still see teams misevaluating talent. See Zhamnov or Aucoin.
 

NYR469

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ROOKIE CHARGERS said:
Isn't the draft age going up by 3 months until they reach 19 any more? Has the new CBA squashed that? :shakehead

nope that was rumored during the lockout but it wasn't part of the new cba
 

bleedblue94

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Jun 8, 2004
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NYR469 said:
this arguement has been made lots of times and LOTS of people in the nhl would love to see it happen...

but imo if it didn't happen after the lockout it will never happen. they could have just canceled the draft and then pushed everyone back a year and instantly the age is changed. i just don't see it happening and it won't happen during this cba.
if anyone thinks the loeague would have canceled a draft after the lockout youre nuts.....especially with crosby coming into the league....despite all the bad pub for the league, crosby and his being drafted remained high points for everyone bc he truely seemed to be the wiz kid who could make a difference for the league. why would the league have waited a year to bring him in. i think if there was no crosby last year then the draft age would have been changed, but his image was and is something the league needs
 

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