NHL considering moving up the draft age to 19

[TheOnlyBilko]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Probably a good thing.

No saying how his career would have went in Toronto. He got injured in Portland in training camp and that derailed his career.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Fire

If what Jay Random said was true, the NHL was already sued in the past for trying to do this.

I really don't see the benefit for the NHL to try this. All it does is prevent great young players from being in the league. Yes, it makes drafting a bit easier, but it's the same for every team.

Believe the NBA wasn't sued because it was collectively bargained. If the NHL tried this back in 70s, they probably just implemented the rule and it wasn't done though the CBA.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can see a lot of legal problems with this, labor laws, age of consents, marriageable age is all 18. telling someone they're too young to make a living at 18 will not go over well.

Because they aren't telling anyone they are "too young to make a living". They are telling someone that 18 is too young to play in the NHL. Those are not synonyms.

The NBA draft age is 19, and the NFL's draft age is "out of high school for three years", which effectively makes their draft age 21. If the NHL and NHLPA collectively bargain a higher draft age, then that's that.

[sureLoss]

Friedman says this week they are considering allowing the 1st round to have 18 year olds and subsequent rounds as minimum age of 19. This would allow the elite 18 year olds to enter the league on schedule.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Friedman says this week they are considering allowing the 1st round to have 18 year olds and subsequent round as minimum age of 19. This would allow the elite 18 year olds to enter the league on schedule.

What about those who are 1st-/2nd-round tweeners, like Ho-Sang was?

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

What about those who are 1st-/2nd-round tweeners, like Ho-Sang was?

Under that scenario, 18 year olds will only be eligible to be picked in round one.

I like it personally. Hopefully they do this.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Under that scenario, 18 year olds will only be eligible to be picked in round one.

I like it personally. Hopefully they do this.

Hmm. So those who don't make it in the first round would have to wait another year as opposed to another 20 minutes. Interesting.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Hmm. So those who don't make it in the first round would have to wait another year as opposed to another 20 minutes. Interesting.

Basically. Too bad, so sad, you didn't make the cut. I like it because it will significantly reduce guessing at a players potential as the difference between 18 vs 19 is huge. Draft picks will become more valuable than ever before.

[Enoch Root]

Yeah, the cool thing about that is that it kind of turns round 2 into another round 1.

The 18 year olds go in round 1, then the best of the 19 year olds, with another full year of maturity to add clarity, are sitting there waiting for round 2.

The downside is that, because most of the kids would then be drafted as 19 year olds, there are fewer surprises and mistakes. The vast majority of the best players will go in the first couple rounds.

That makes the latter rounds less valuable (but the 2nd round is more valuable, so it evens out)

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix

Draft picks will become more valuable than ever before.

Except in the year when they make the change. For that year, rounds 2 to 7 will consist of the previous year's leftovers.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Except in the year when they make the change. For that year, rounds 2 to 7 will consist of the previous year's leftovers.

Yes, but it is much easier to analyze potential with a 19 year old. I think 2nd and 3rd rounders will become extremely valuable and later picks will likely lose significant value because of this. Players that might have fallen in the past for whatever reason are going to have a whole other year to impress scouts, which is huge. This change could double or triple the success rates of players chosen in rounds 2 and 3 IMO. Obviously the success rates in the later rounds will take a hit because it will be much more difficult to hide as a diamond in the rough, because those guys will get picked sooner at 19 then they would at 18.