Some teams suggested December. I loved an idea of two drafts several days apart in Montreal during June 2022, although a few execs said they hate it because they’d rather concentrate on one set of prospects for a few months before moving to the next age group.
There are, however, significant hurdles to overcome.“Keeping the current draft date is unfair to players who haven’t played, and to clubs who haven’t seen them,” player agent Ian Pulver said. “But if we’re going to move the draft, the (NHL/NHLPA) should come up with a formula that’s fair across the board. The rights retention of a player should be adjusted accordingly.”
According to multiple sources, the chances of the draft being delayed took a turn for the worse late last week. Those two words — “rights retention” — are right at the heart of it.
There’s a laundry list of issues that the NHL and NHLPA would need to settle. Here are two of the most challenging:
• Would players drafted in December 2021 who make the NHL receive credit for a full service year towards arbitration and/or unrestricted free agency?
• A player taken from the CHL — and not signed within two years — goes back in the draft (as long as he is not older than 20). Will 2021–22 count as one season, even if the player is not selected until December 2021 or June 2022? This is even more challenging with 19-year-olds, since they cannot be re-drafted under this scenario.
Negotiating these issues isn’t the grind of a full CBA, but it’s challenging. The league can’t unilaterally say, “We’re moving this.” Nothing comes without some kind of concession. And, again, word seeping out last week was there isn’t the will for what it might take to get there.
