2026 NHL Draft Thread

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by FlamesNightmare

Okay I jest that he never wanted the flames to get draft picks. I think I heard somewhere (maybe on reddit) he's all about favoring "America", or the league having an pro-american bias.

His mandate is to grow the game and make the league more money. His 'Pro America' stance does this. Outside of maybe another team in southern Ontario (which the Leafs will fight against), there is not another landing spot for a Canadian market. Quebec can't support a team, and neither can Halifax. So there isn't an 'anti-Canadian' bias - there is simply a 'grow the game' bias.


Simply looking at the valuation of franchises now, along with the cable contracts, is evidence that Bettman has been really good at his job. If not for him, Calgary and Edmonton would have likely lost their teams by now, Winnipeg would have never returned, and Ottawa would probably be in danger as well, if not gone by now.


As a Canadian hockey fan, I love Gary Bettman. I really don't see a reason to dislike him at all.

[Pellanor]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

As a Canadian hockey fan, I love Gary Bettman. I really don't see a reason to dislike him at all.

I feel he's leaned too far towards making money at the cost of growing the game. The huge broadcaster contracts are a big part of this. Since the broadcasters were very often the cable providers, a lot of the value they saw was using these rights to keep people from cable cutting. Since cable cutters were predominately younger this lead to sacrificing an opportunity to grow the game for a larger contract in the moment. These broadcast contracts relied on the exclusive rights to an existing audience to make money. If you wanted to watch hockey, there was only one place to go (unless you count the high seas). This lead the broadcasters to focus on cutting costs, raising consumer prices, and adding more and more ads to make a profit, none of which will help grow the game.

The NHL could have lead the north american sports industry in adapting internet streaming, innovating to grow a fan base in younger demographics. Instead they played it safe with big broadcast contracts. They could have allowed stars to have personalities and embraced social media to promote the players, instead they played it safe with dress codes and the tame media training. They could have innovated the rules to increase scoring opportunities and reduce defense oriented play, and there were big improvements post clutch-and-grab, but they played it safe to not upset tradition.

Garry Bettman has done a lot of good for the league. The salary cap has saved smaller market teams, including the Flames, and expanding to more American markets has grown the potential fan base. Arguably the game on the ice is as exciting as it's ever been, but the off ice product has done nothing but decline. I had a better viewing experience for less $$ in 2015 than I do now. Stream quality is still mediocre at best. There are ads everywhere, I counted 9 different ads in frame at the same time during play the other day. I haven't even touched on gambling yet. How does he expect to attract new fans in this environment?

In 2017 the average NHL fan was 49 years old, up 16 years from 33 in 2000. That's a stagnate league, one making money through milking an existing fan base instead of growing. Since then we've seen two new teams, and ESPN+ and TNT bringing in new fans. There has also been a weird surge of hockey popularity coming from young women and steamy hockey romance novels (if you want to see something very different to here check out the flames community on tumblr). So it's not all doom and gloom, but imagine if we'd actually had growth during the 2010s.

So yeah, I dislike Garry Bettman. As much as I hated him after the lockouts, what he did then was required for the league. Since then he has been far too focused on making money at the cost of growing the game. He has played it safe, happy to remain the 4th most popular NA sport, rather than trying to innovate and attract a younger audience.

[Sandman]

I want the draft to come back to Canada, so we can applaud Bettman when he starts the proceedings- instead of the usual booing he gets. A bit of a fantasy of mine.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Verhoeff, is a beast. Great consolation prize. But is a right handed shot.

Consolation?

I don’t understand how some people evaluate players. This isnt geared directly at this poster but how does a top pairing all situations huge right shot dman a consolation compared to a, while uber talented, undersized winger? Because thats what Mckenna is and i definitely see his ice time skewed heavily to offensive situations, dont see him on the penalty kill, dont see him out in the last minute to preserve a lead.

To me mckenna and stenberg are roughly equal but both below lawrence and Vaerhoff. Lawrence has all the tools to be s legit two way first line center and Vaerhoff ? Come on a giant right shot fluid skating defender. Bith have more impact on a game or series unless Mckenna turns out to be exceptional which i dont think he is. Undersized powerplay offensive specialist is what i see.

[Sandman]

There aren’t many suitable comparisons in the NHL today for Verhoeff- Pietrangelo and Ekblad come to mind, but KV might be even more talented than those two. Compare that to a McKinnon/Kucherov- level prospect. True, he gets put in positions to be able to put up points, but all top offensive players do, because that’s their job. Few young players play the game as smoothly and effortlessly as McKenna.

Verhoeff may be the consolation prize in this year’s draft, but that’s no indictment on him as a player, just indicative of how good McKenna is. KV is a franchise player in his own right.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by Sandman

There aren’t many suitable comparisons in the NHL today for Verhoeff- Pietrangelo and Ekblad come to mind, but KV might be even more talented than those two. Compare that to a McKinnon/Kucherov- level prospect. True, he gets put in positions to be able to put up points, but all top offensive players do, because that’s their job. Few young players play the game as smoothly and effortlessly as McKenna.

Verhoeff may be the consolation prize in this year’s draft, but that’s no indictment on him as a player, just indicative of how good McKenna is. KV is a franchise player in his own right.

Right-shot version of Hedman?

[mile]

Originally Posted by Sandman

There aren’t many suitable comparisons in the NHL today for Verhoeff- Pietrangelo and Ekblad come to mind, but KV might be even more talented than those two. Compare that to a McKinnon/Kucherov- level prospect. True, he gets put in positions to be able to put up points, but all top offensive players do, because that’s their job. Few young players play the game as smoothly and effortlessly as McKenna.

Verhoeff may be the consolation prize in this year’s draft, but that’s no indictment on him as a player, just indicative of how good McKenna is. KV is a franchise player in his own right.

Who do you like more between Schaefer and Verhoeff, Sandman?

[Lewis_D]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

His mandate is to grow the game and make the league more money. His 'Pro America' stance does this. Outside of maybe another team in southern Ontario (which the Leafs will fight against), there is not another landing spot for a Canadian market. Quebec can't support a team, and neither can Halifax. So there isn't an 'anti-Canadian' bias - there is simply a 'grow the game' bias.

I will always refuse to accept this. You guys can throw all the data and facts you want at me, call me naive, but I think it can be done. I'm not sure how, but where there's a will there's a way lol.

I gotta give Gary credit for bringing a team back to Winnipeg like you mentioned. 20 years ago I didn't think there'd ever be more than 6 Canadian teams again, so to me that in itself is a massive W for Canadian fans. And I agree on the whole he's done been pretty good at his job, although there's obviously things people will be critical about over a 30+ year span as commissioner.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Lewis_D

I will always refuse to accept this. You guys can throw all the data and facts you want at me, call me naive, but I think it can be done. I'm not sure how, but where there's a will there's a way lol.

There isn't a will. Nobody wants to own a team in Quebec City.

[Tbull8]

I almost see it like the Tavares draft. Highly touted forward prospect is seen as the next great one since he was 14. Big 2 way dman challenges him for that top spot. Can’t say either Tavares or Hedman was really the consolation, they’re both franchise cornerstones

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Ba'alzamon

Right-shot version of Hedman?

Of course! I forgot Hedman! I think Hedman is more mobile, and obviously bigger, but I feel like KV will flirt with a ppg in his prime, while providing solid two-way play, and making a dent in the playoffs. Hedman is an apt comparison IMO. I also like Shea Weber, but KV doesn’t quite have his shot.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by mile

Who do you like more between Schaefer and Verhoeff, Sandman?

I like Schaefer right now, and I definitely think he was a better junior player than KV, but my sentiments might change when both are in their prime. Shaefer is a world-class skater though, and is so smooth in both ends of the rink- he could have a Makar-like impact on his team in the future- NYI is already playing him 25 minutes a night, from what I’ve seen.

[Royle9]

I personally see KV more like a Josh Morissey than a Victor Hedman honestly.
But I'm not sold he's got franchise potential as his ceiling, I think he'll be a solid top 2, 2-way defender but he's not overly elite at anything outside of probably hockey sense.

No heavy shot
Not overly fast
Not very physical
Not super offensive

But all combined together, a solid 2-way guy and by no means a bad pick.
I'd be higher on a few different forwards before I'd be comfortable picking KV.

[Sandman]

You could be right Royle. My sentiments are based on his tippy-top ceiling. One blemish on his record is that he didn’t show well in the Gold-medal game at the Hlinka- very mistake prone in that one.

[Roof-Daddy]

I see the Blues are off to a crap start as well.

How funny would it be if they beat us out of a playoff spot with a tie breaker one year, and then the next year out draw us in a lottery for 1st overall lol

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I see the Blues are off to a crap start as well.

How funny would it be if they beat us out of a playoff spot with a tie breaker one year, and then the next year out draw us in a lottery for 1st overall lol

Shaddap-a you face!

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I see the Blues are off to a crap start as well.

How funny would it be if they beat us out of a playoff spot with a tie breaker one year, and then the next year out draw us in a lottery for 1st overall lol

No. Just no.