Quote:
Originally Posted by Fire
I don't like the idea of a 19 year old draft, it will hurt the NHL by preventing top young players from playing in the NHL and I don't think it benefits the CHL much either. A lot of 18 year old future superstars will do what Matthews did and go play in Europe where leagues are sensible enough to allow younger players to play if they are ready.
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How many make the NHL straight out of the draft at 18? How many are ready at 18? 2-3 on average? Is moving the draft eligibility by a year going to make a massive difference?
Maybe a rule could be implemented where by the most outstanding 18 year olds can apply for early draft eligibility at 18, just like the CHL did with Tavares, Ekblad, McDavid and Day. That would allow the NHL to apply some common sense and let the truly outstanding prospects enter the league early.