While it would create a rather unusual situation, the NHL continues to assess the viability of moving up the NHL Entry Draft. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that they are still vetting the responses to the idea from teams and anticipate having a decision in the near future. As things stand, this plan would involve bumping the draft up to early June so there would need to be time to allow for the Draft Lottery to take place (likely based on points percentage) and to put together the plans to hold one virtually as the NFL just did.
Of course, that would mean holding the draft before the season potentially ends and would significantly limit the ability to trade with the potential for play to resume afterwards. There has been some trepidation from general managers so far but it appears the league is still giving serious consideration to this idea and we shouldn’t have to wait too long to find out if this is the path they indeed choose.
More from around the hockey world:
- While the NHL still hopes to resume play this season, the AHL may not be able to follow suit. John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press report that it’s quite likely that the league won’t be able to get back going. That would certainly be understandable as games would inevitably have to be played without fans and with the AHL not having significant television contracts like the NHL does, they don’t have that level of revenue to fall back on. The league, meanwhile, responded that there is “nothing imminent” when it comes to a possible cancellation of the rest of their season.
- Canadiens winger Dale Weise has spent a good chunk of the season in the minors and it appears he knows that his NHL time may be numbered. In an appearance on Sportsnet 650 (audio link), the 31-year-old acknowledged that he is considering playing in Europe next season, a prospect that could be complicated by the resumption of the NHL’s season. The pending unrestricted free agent has played in 23 games with Montreal this season where he has a goal and four assists in 23 games and wasn’t much more productive with AHL Laval, tallying three goals and four helpers in 27 contests.