Why is Alexis Lafrenière’s draft eligible year 2020 instead of 2019?

[LordChazzi93]

He just turned 17 today (October 11, 2018) and isn’t eligible until a draft over 18 months from now? Let’s assume next season starts the at the beginning of October, he’ll be 17 for 11 days. Ryan Merkely was drafted in 2018 but didn’t turn 18 until August. Does the NHL really make such a big deal over 11 days? And that’s assuming the season starts on the 1st of October. It could start on the 7th or 8th and he’d only be 17 for 3-4 days. Is there something I’m missing here? This kid is supposed to be the next Crosby and McDavid. Some people even saying he’ll be better. He’s already 6’1, 192 lbs. You'd think the NHL would eat that sh*t up and let him get drafted in 2019. But he’s already 17 and will be for 8 months before this upcoming draft. There are lots of players that have played underage in overseas men’s leagues. Rasmus Dahlin, last year’s #1 overall pick, played in the SHL as a 16 and 17 year old. I know the SHL isn’t the NHL but it’s still men.

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[Flynn84]

Why is Alex Ovechkins’s draft eligible year 2004 instead of 2003?

 

[filinski77]

The rules say you have to be 18 either on or before September 15th. Rules are rules, sucks for him if he is indeed NHL ready, but that's the way it is.

 

[Leafs87]

You have to be 18 before the season September 15. Wanna see how strict they really are look at Matthews and Ovechkin as the other cases. Usually the player is better served to start at 19 instead of 18 anyways

 

[Judas Tavares]

The cutoff date for the draft is turning 18 by September 15th of the year you are drafted and has been for a while.

Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau are some of many interesting cases of what year they were draft based on their birthdays.

 

[LordChazzi93]

The cutoff date for the draft is turning 18 by September 15th of the year you are drafted and has been for a while.

Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews and Patrick Marleau are some of many interesting cases of what year they were draft based on their birthdays.

I honestly think that’s quite ridiculous. You’re gonna take away a year from a potential franchise player’s career just because he turns 18 a month after the cutoff date? The CHL has exceptional player status and I think the NHL should too for players who are being compared to Crosby and McDavid when they’re 15. Lol. But like filinski77 said, rules are rules. I do think that rule should be changed a bit though for #1 picks and especially generational players.

 

[filinski77]

I honestly think that’s quite ridiculous. You’re gonna take away a year from a potential franchise player’s career just because he turns 18 a month after the cutoff date? The CHL has exceptional player status and I think the NHL should too for players who are being compared to Crosby and McDavid when they’re 15. Lol. But like filinski77 said, rules are rules. I do think that rule should be changed a bit though for #1 picks and especially generational players.

I agree personally that there should be an exceptional status for the NHL. The main issue I'd imagine is at what point do you announce they are eligible, it's hard to know for sure 2 years out if a player is going to be ready for the NHL. This also screws up teams that are planning for "tanking" etc.

Owners also would be extremely salty at the league if for ex/ they get the 1st overall pick in the actual year a player should have been draft eligible, yet that player was suddenly announced to be draft eligible the year before.

 

[Judas Tavares]

I honestly think that’s quite ridiculous. You’re gonna take away a year from a potential franchise player’s career just because he turns 18 a month after the cutoff date? The CHL has exceptional player status and I think the NHL should too for players who are being compared to Crosby and McDavid when they’re 15. Lol. But like filinski77 said, rules are rules. I do think that rule should be changed a bit though for #1 picks and especially generational players.

It sucks that rules are rules, but I think if you do the exceptional status thing for the NHL you run into 2 problems.

1. For the player, it puts instant pressure on them. If they don't live up to it right away, it can ruin their career but also then have everyone questioning the rule in the first place.

2. The bigger issue becomes tanking. Draft year X has player Y and Z as the premier prospects. All the sudden, its decided player W will be granted status and moved into that draft. Ok, now we have 3 players to tank for instead of 2. I like those odds, let's throw away our season now instead. It could potentially screw with the competitive balance of the league.

I think tinkering with the rules would throw too many wrenches into things for the player himself and for the teams as well. Stick to the rules and let them come as they come.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

I agree personally that there should be an exceptional status for the NHL. The main issue I'd imagine is at what point do you announce they are eligible, it's hard to know for sure 2 years out if a player is going to be ready for the NHL. This also screws up teams that are planning for "tanking" etc.

Owners also would be extremely salty at the league if for ex/ they get the 1st overall pick in the actual year a player should have been draft eligible, yet that player was suddenly announced to be draft eligible the year before.

It is something they would have to announce now to go into effect a couple years down the road if they were to do it I would think.

 

[filinski77]

It is something they would have to announce now to go into effect a couple years down the road if they were to do it I would think.

For sure, teams would have to know a few years in advance that players who are 14/15 now could potentially be drafted early

 

[LordChazzi93]

I agree personally that there should be an exceptional status for the NHL. The main issue I'd imagine is at what point do you announce they are eligible, it's hard to know for sure 2 years out if a player is going to be ready for the NHL. This also screws up teams that are planning for "tanking" etc.

Owners also would be extremely salty at the league if for ex/ they get the 1st overall pick in the actual year a player should have been draft eligible, yet that player was suddenly announced to be draft eligible the year before.

I think the best time to announce it would be during the year prior to their draft eligible year, so this year for Lafreniere. I’d say after the CHL seasons are done but before the NHL draft. This year the QMJHL season ends on March 16 and the NHL Draft (first round) is June 21. That’s about a 3 month window to decide if they’re ready or not. And tbh, you’ll always have teams trying to tank for a good pick. Adding an exceptional status would only mean an extra “tanking” team gets a better player than the already good player they’re gonna get from tanking. And it should only be for players like McDavid, Crosby, Lafreniere, Tavares, etc. Players who, at such young ages, are already predicted to be NHL greats. So not every projected 1st overall pick should get the exceptional status. Just the ones that make you think, “Damn, they should get exceptional status.” lol.

 

[Tryamkin]

A team tried to draft Ovechkin a year early in one of the late rounds using some leap year excuse

 

[Cor]

A team tried to draft Ovechkin a year early in one of the late rounds using some leap year excuse

The Florida Panthers did that, apparently trying to draft him several times in the 2003 draft, saying if you took into account leap years, Ovechkin is technically eligible for that draft.

Another funny draft story is in the 70's, the Buffalo Sabres drafted an imaginary player in the 11th round of a draft. I guess drafts then went on until everyone had decided to stopped, so the Sabres GM drafted a fake player from Japan and it was seen as official and at training camp the Sabres GM admitted it was a prank, and the NHL changed the pick to invalid lol

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

gotta be a legal adult before training camps start for insurance reasons I believe is what they have cited

 

[HOPE]

so you created an account on HFboards just to say that?

You need a certain date to have rules and control. september 15 is a balanced one, he's not the first and won't be the last, in draft you have early and late guys. hence why sometime you bust or make a steal!


i'm not worried about his career simply because he will be drafted a year later.

he can do exacly what Matthews did and go play oversea in a stronger league, he missed the draft by 2days.

 

[mouser]

I think the best time to announce it would be during the year prior to their draft eligible year, so this year for Lafreniere. I’d say after the CHL seasons are done but before the NHL draft. This year the QMJHL season ends on March 16 and the NHL Draft (first round) is June 21. That’s about a 3 month window to decide if they’re ready or not. And tbh, you’ll always have teams trying to tank for a good pick. Adding an exceptional status would only mean an extra “tanking” team gets a better player than the already good player they’re gonna get from tanking. And it should only be for players like McDavid, Crosby, Lafreniere, Tavares, etc. Players who, at such young ages, are already predicted to be NHL greats. So not every projected 1st overall pick should get the exceptional status. Just the ones that make you think, “Damn, they should get exceptional status.” lol.

Have you ever considered the reason the NHL has this deadline is so all the players are legal adults before the regular season starts?

 

[93LEAFS]

so you created an account on HFboards just to say that?

You need a certain date to have rules and control. september 15 is a balanced one, he's not the first and won't be the last, in draft you have early and late guys. hence why sometime you bust or make a steal!


i'm not worried about his career simply because he will be drafted a year later.

he can do exacly what Matthews did and go play oversea in a stronger league, he missed the draft by 2days.

Good luck with that. Hockey Canada owns his transfer card and those kids sign basically 4 year commitments to the junior team that drafts him, unless they go to the NHL. The CHL will never let a highly touted kid from Canada who is playing for them go over to Europe without a lawsuit. Which could destroy his season anyway if he can't get locked into staying by Hockey Canada getting an injunction.

 

[HOPE]

Good luck with that. Hockey Canada owns his transfer card and those kids sign basically 4 year commitments to the junior team that drafts him, unless they go to the NHL. The CHL will never let a highly touted kid from Canada who is playing for them go over to Europe without a lawsuit. Which could destroy his season anyway if he can't get locked into staying by Hockey Canada getting an injunction.

thank you wasn't aware of this, none the less it won't change anything to his career to be a Late, he'll likely spend those 3 years in junior and jump straight up to the NHL.

 

[Atas2000]

He just turned 17 today (October 11, 2018) and isn’t eligible until a draft over 18 months from now? Let’s assume next season starts the at the beginning of October, he’ll be 17 for 11 days. Ryan Merkely was drafted in 2018 but didn’t turn 18 until August. Does the NHL really make such a big deal over 11 days? And that’s assuming the season starts on the 1st of October. It could start on the 7th or 8th and he’d only be 17 for 3-4 days. Is there something I’m missing here? This kid is supposed to be the next Crosby and McDavid. Some people even saying he’ll be better. He’s already 6’1, 192 lbs. You'd think the NHL would eat that sh*t up and let him get drafted in 2019. But he’s already 17 and will be for 8 months before this upcoming draft. There are lots of players that have played underage in overseas men’s leagues. Rasmus Dahlin, last year’s #1 overall pick, played in the SHL as a 16 and 17 year old. I know the SHL isn’t the NHL but it’s still men.

Tell all that to the team that will draft first in 2020.

 

[Reddawg]

If John Tavares had been born five days earlier, he would have been #1 overall in 2008 instead of 2009. He actually staked a harder claim to the top pick in 2008 and an even harder claim in 2007 (72g and 134pts...yikes)

Same deal as Lafrenier, there’s just no getting around the September 15th rule.

 

[Gold Standard]

oh for the love of God. does this really need to be an issue? He's a late birthday like so many others in the past. Mario Lemieux was also an October birthday, played in the Q as an 18 year old and scored 282 points. If Lafreniere is the generational player people claim him to be, then he'll be just fine waiting out the year and turning pro at 19. I happen to disagree with the notion that Lafreniere is a McDavid level generational talent, so the extra year in junior will do him a world of good.

 

[UNITEDSTATESOFHOCKEY]

You have to be 18 before the season September 15. Wanna see how strict they really are look at Matthews and Ovechkin as the other cases. Usually the player is better served to start at 19 instead of 18 anyways

One of the major reason's why the draft age should be moved to 19.... Surely will be talked about for the Next CBA, naturally the NHLPA will right it tooth and nail tho...

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

This thread is actually still up?

It's obvious why its his draft year . its a rule that has affected a ton of players

 

[93LEAFS]

If John Tavares had been born five days earlier, he would have been #1 overall in 2008 instead of 2009. He actually staked a harder claim to the top pick in 2008 and an even harder claim in 2007 (72g and 134pts...yikes)

Same deal as Lafrenier, there’s just no getting around the September 15th rule.

He actually might have gone 2nd. He vs Stamkos was a big debate. Bob McKenzie did a piece on it at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, and he said NHL scouts had Stamkos ahead by a margin of 7-3.

 

[Peasy]

The NHL doesn't/didnt want 17 year olds in NHL camps, that is why the cutoff is mid September (15th).