Could the NHL draft in June still go ahead?
Pierre LeBrun: NHL Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said that they’ve had discussions about holding the draft in June, possibly before the season has even resumed.
There are obviously complications of this, like the draft order and conditional draft picks that have been traded.
But the potential option to hold it is there.
Frank Seravalli of TSN: On draft picks that have conditions, notes; “This isn’t as complicated as you might think. Once the standings are finalized for Draft purposes and the lottery balls are drawn, then many – if not all – of the conditions will be satisfied.”
As for making trades, would they only be able to involve draft picks?
There is also the question of whether the salary cap for next season would be announced beforehand.
Asking some GMs their thoughts:
“Seems to be a lot of work for little gain,” one GM said.
“This makes zero sense,” another GM said. “I think it just gives you guys something to talk about.”
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Some question if the NHL held the draft before the season got underway.
“• What do you do with conditional picks based on where teams finish in the playoffs — or if they make the playoffs at all?
• How do you deal with players who would be able to start next season elsewhere if the 2020-21 NHL start is delayed until later in the year? That could include CHL/NCAA/European players — although their situations are unclear as of now. Would those players be removed from their teams and be given the opportunity to join NHL camps?
• Teams who know they are going to the playoffs will be unable to trade players they want to use for draft picks.
• Because of the possibility of expanded playoffs, someone asked if one team actually could win the lottery and then the Stanley Cup.”
