Much of the talk surrounding the NHL has been, as you would assume, when or if the season can reconvene. However, perhaps inspired by the attention gained by the NFL, the 2020 NHL Entry Draft has come into focus.
Jack Hughes (#86) of the New Jersey Devils
While the league wants to play its remaining games and host the playoffs in some form, there is a chance that the 2019/20 NHL season won’t be completed, instead favoring the chance to play the 2020/21 campaign with a degree of normalcy from the usual starting date.
To achieve this, other events, such as the draft, would likely need to take place as scheduled. This would mean that NHL teams would select the best up-and-coming talents in the world of hockey on June 26 and 27. So, what are the pros and cons for the NHL should the draft take place at the end of June as planned?
Pros of keeping the 2020 NHL Draft in June
The most important aspect of any NHL Entry Draft is that young talents know if they’ll be getting a job and where they have to move to as a part of that contract. The players ranked the highest in the final rankings of Central Scouting, such as Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, and Jamie Drysdale likely have a good idea of the range of cities that they could land in.
However, all of the other players hoping for a place from the other 200-plus picks have next-to-zero knowledge of which team will take them off the board. For the sake of the upcoming talents, the NHL Draft should definitely take place as scheduled.
There’s an additional benefit to the league in performing the draft at the end of June, which is that the sport will finally have a way to connect fans again. Sure, it’ll be done virtually and without the show usually put on – which was to take place at Centre Bell in Montreal – but the pageantry isn’t why fans tune-in to the action.
The NFL has gained a tremendous amount of attention – even more so than usual – for keeping its 2020 Draft on the slate. Football fans and other sports fans are following the action, having been starved of sports for weeks. This is even to the extent that the best sites for NHL betting, like 888sport with its large welcome bonus, are offering odds on a huge range of betting markets for the NFL Draft – including specific player and team specials.
Furthermore, on June 30, many contracts will expire in the NHL, which means that several of the scouts and executives working on a team’s draft plans may be out of contract by the time the draft takes place.
Cons of keeping the 2020 NHL Draft in June
While the lack of a big staged event and the summoning of crowds would, admittedly, dampen the setting of a draft that is stacked with top-class talent, that aspect doesn’t really matter. What does matter is the draft order. With between 11 and 14 games left for each team, as well as the playoffs, the standings are far-from cemented.
This not only has an impact on the initial draft lottery odds and subsequent order, but it also brings up questions for conditional picks based on team finishes and if trades within the draft can be used for all teams. If the playoff brackets are expanded – as has been suggested – in theory, a team could win the Stanley Cup and the lottery.
It’s a very tricky situation, but the main aspect that should be kept in mind is that next season has a chance of going ahead as normal and that the prospects looking to come through the draft deserve to know where they’re going to play hockey next season. A solution to this while holding the planned 2020 NHL Draft date will undoubtedly upset some parties, but not everyone can be pleased in such unprecedented situations.
In uncertain times, when there’s a chance to uphold some level of continuity and offer something for fans to get behind, the opportunity should be taken.
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