Every draft eligible player should be concerned primarily with their own future. Why would you tell a potential future employer during an interview you aren't certain you'll work with them? These players have zero obligation to come out up front and state they don't intend to play for a certain team because you're absolutely right, they may not get drafted by the team(s) they desire. Unless you have very strong feelings against a certain franchise why would you bring it up? Also, it makes no sense to hold onto a player when they aren't going to play for you out of spite. For one, that would only cause other draft eligible players/UFA's concern about how the franchise is run. For two, at least they can trade the RFA rights for an asset that would be potentially beneficial to them, even if it's essentially to a disadvantage during negotiations it's better than having nothing.
Unless you have very strong feelings against a certain franchise, why wouldn't you sign there? The strong feelings are obviously in place prior to being drafted there, or you would sign the ELC...yes? I feel like the majority of your questions can be flipped on the player and have the same affect.
Why would that cause any kind of dysfunction with other draft eligible players? The majority of draft eligible players just want to end up somewhere and don't have some form of entitlement about who they sign with. Yes they can trade for a beneficial asset, but that doesn't mean they should be in a hurry to dump the player for whatever scraps they can get. The Oilers didn't dump Poolparty for nothing, they just waited it out. If he wants to play overseas for 3 years he can do that, if these college guys want to play in college and waste 4 years of earning potential, they can do that.
Trying to equate ELC players to the job market you and I exist in makes no sense.
I don't apply for jobs that I have no intention of taking, do you? That's a waste of my time and the employers. I'm not going to apply to work at McDonalds just to have an interview and be like, "thanks for the interview, but I never intended on actually working for McDonalds, just wanted to do an interview for fun"...Note that this is not the same as doing and interview and finding out they want to pay way below competitive wages, then turning the job offer down at that point. I still had the intention of taking the job assuming it fit my needs. ELC players do not have this distinction because the ELC is the same for everyone, so there are no "better" wage offers.
lastly, if the job market is totally messed up like during Covid, then yes you may have plenty of people that are overqualified for jobs, applying for whatever they can in order to make money. Again this is not comparable to what we are talking about, because they are willing to take any job that comes up in the short term and aren't signing a 3year contract, but employers know this.. you can tell by someone's resume whether they are more likely to stay or not. The counter is that employers aren't often keen on hiring severely overqualified people like engineers to flip burgers, because they will obviously leave as soon as the market is corrected. Employers are also less likely to hire someone how has had 5 jobs in 5 years, because they will obviously just peace out ASAP. The average Joe like you and I rarely sign 3 year contracts for our entry level positions, and we have probation which doesn't really exist within the confines of the CBA. The closest you get to that in the NHL is being waived, but you still end up with a nice AHL salary which is guaranteed.
I really don't see the comparisons you are trying to make here. These guys want the safety net of being approached and drafted by everyone, but then want to turn around and tell 90% of the teams to piss off and send them where they actually want to go. They have this right obviously, but it's not some commendable action because they "should look out for themselves". The CBA provides a hell of a lot of security compared to what everyone else has to deal with in the real world.
TL;DR - This is not comparable to the job market you and I operate in and we don't apply for jobs we have no intention of taking, unless you are some person that just likes to do interviews for shi*s and giggles. Hiding your true intentions to maximize offers, but then hold teams hostage because you won't sign since you knew you didn't want to go there is not commendable. The NHL does not need a bunch of Kevin Durant types running around. EDIT - just because they have to right to do this, doesn't mean we need to respect it. If I get to a door before you, I probably have the right to walk through it before you close it in your face forcing you to open it, still not a good look.
ASIDE:
I actually look at this the same way as people who apply for jobs in order to get a better offer, then go back to their employer and say - pay me this or I walk. Then when they get their raise, they stay. So it basically just f***s over the place they applied at, which was actually interested in hiring them. Why don't you just go to your employer and ask for more money, if you don't get it, leave. Rather than trying to manipulate a bunch of people. If you need to manipulate your employer to get a raise, why the hell are you still wanting to work there????
