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NHL Rules On Conditional Draft Picks

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With both the regular season and playoffs up in the air for quite some time, there had been many questions about conditional draft picks and how they might be conveyed. However, now with the establishment of a 24-team playoff format, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) reports that the league has also clarified how conditional picks will change hands, meaning teams will have to reach the round of 16 in order to be considered a ’playoff team.’ The NHL doesn’t view the qualifying round as playoff hockey.

“More specifically, for Trade condition purposes, a Club will not be deemed to have qualified for the Playoffs unless or until they have progressed into the Round of 16, and ‘Playoff Games/Rounds’ will only include the games/rounds played in the Round of 16 or later. We believe this interpretation will best reflect the intentions of the parties at the time of the Trade,” the league stipulated.

There are several trades that fall into this category with the Vancouver Canucks pick being at the heart of the issue. The Canucks traded their 2020 first-round pick to Tampa Bay for J.T. Miller, conditional on the Canucks making the playoffs. That pick, in the meantime, was traded to New Jersey for Blake Coleman. With Vancouver in the 24-team playoff format, many believed that the Devils already had the Canucks’ first-round pick. However, this ruling indicates that the Canucks would have to win their play-in game against the Minnesota Wild first and reach the round of 16 before that picks transfers. If Vancouver loses in the first round, then they keep the lottery pick and will send a unconditional first-rounder in 2021 to New Jersey.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild are in a similar situation with the first-round pick that was sent from Pittsburgh to Minnesota for Jason Zucker (assuming the Penguins got into the playoffs). However, while that pick looked to be a lock, a play-in loss to the Montreal Canadiens would allow the Penguins to keep the pick and send an unconditional one in 2021, which Pittsburgh would be likely to do if they can get a lottery pick in a strong draft.

There are still a few conditional trades that the NHL will have to look deeper into, including the Edmonton/Calgary swap of Milan Lucic and James Neal as well as the New Jersey-Carolina swap of Sami Vatanen, which deals with a conditional fourth-round pick if Vatanen played in five regular season games for Carolina, which he didn’t do. However, the play-in games could constitute regular season games, depending on how the league rules on it.

NHL Announces Details On Return To Play Format

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman today explained how exactly the 24-team return to play format will work, a proposal that was submitted to and approved by the NHLPA executive board over the weekend.

First and foremost was the announcement that the 2019-20 regular season is officially over. There will be no more regular season games, meaning that Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl is the 2020 Art Ross winner as leading scorer.

Should the league return this summer, there will be 24-team postseason held in two hub cities. In early June, the league hopes to move to Phase 2 of small group workouts. Phase 3, which is a three-week training camp, is expected to start in early July.

The hub locations that are still in consideration are Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver. The final determination will come later.

The top four teams in each conference will play a round-robin to determine seeding for the playoffs. The other teams in each conference will be matched up in a qualifying round. Neither of these rounds are technically considered the playoffs, but are also not the regular season. The qualifying matchups are as follows:

  • 5. Pittsburgh vs. 12. Montreal
    6. Carolina vs. 11. Rangers 
    7. Islanders vs. 10. Florida
    8. Toronto vs. 9. Columbus 
  • 5. Edmonton vs. 12. Chicago
    6. Nashville vs. 11. Arizona 
    7. Vancouver vs. 10. Minnesota
    8. Calgary vs. 9. Winnipeg 

The league has not yet determined whether or not they will reseed after each round or use a bracket system throughout the playoffs.

The NHL Draft Lottery will be held in one or two phases and is quite a bit more complicated than in year’s past. It will be held on June 26th and include the seven eliminated teams—Detroit, Ottawa, San Jose (owned by Ottawa), Los Angeles, Anaheim, New Jersey and Buffalo—along with eight placeholders for the teams who will be eliminated in the qualifying round. Those 15 slots will have the same odds as previous years.

Should one of the bottom seven teams win the first, second or third pick, they will be awarded it. If those any of those picks are won by a placeholder, there will be a second lottery held after the qualifying round is over to determine which eliminated team is awarded it. Once those two lotteries are completed, the remaining 12 spots will be assigned in inverse order of their regular season points percentage.

The 2020 NHL Entry Draft will take place after the conclusion of the 2019-20 playoffs.

It is important to note that though this will be the format should the NHL resume, that is not yet a guarantee. As Devan Dubnyk of the Minnesota Wild explained recently to Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required), there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome just to get teams into their hub cities.

League Notes: Bettman, Draft, PWHPA

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Canceling the 2019-20 NHL season without awarding the Stanley Cup is not something commissioner Gary Bettman is “even considering” according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Bettman was confident in his answers that this season would be completed at some point, even if it does appear more and more likely that any resumption of play would move directly into a playoff.

Other reports have emerged, like the one from Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now, indicating that Arizona could be a hub to host playoff games at some point. That comes after the state’s governor announced that major league sports will be able to operate after Friday, May 15th. That very clearly does not mean that the NHL will be jumping back onto the ice in Arizona this weekend, but it does mean there may be a path forward for the state to host some games in the future—especially considering Bettman’s confidence that the season will resume.

  • As for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, deputy commissioner Bill Daly had his own update. Daly told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) that they will likely have some news to announce next week on when the draft will be held. A June draft before the completion of the season, which at one point seemed inevitable, has lost momentum recently but is still an option for the league. Of course, the draft will be virtual and is not expected to be held in Montreal as originally planned.
  • Though not exactly a league, the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association has announced some changes in its own structure for the upcoming season. After spending a year touring the continent playing showcase tournaments, the PWHPA will now focus on five regional training hubs for their members based in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, New Hampshire and Minnesota. There will now be try-outs for each training group (which will consist of 25 players) and they will be provided with additional resources.

West Notes: Engelland, Canucks, Steen

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The Vegas Golden Knights already have a roster full of defensemen, including six NHL players already under contract with another four defensemen in Nicolas Hague, Jimmy Schuldt, Dylan Coughlan and Jake Bischoff all waiting to get their chance to break out with the franchise.

That leaves a big question question mark for soon-to-be UFA and team leader Deryk Engelland. SinBin Vegas’ Ken Boehlke suggests that the writing is on the wall that the veteran defenseman’s time with the team could be over soon. The scribe points out that Engelland hasn’t been a favorite of new head coach Peter DeBoer since he took over on Jan. 16. He has only played in five games under the new coach and was scratched in the team’s last 12 games and 17 of the team’s previous 18 games.

DeBoer did recently praise Engelland’s dedication to the team:

To a man they all want to win the Stanley Cup, that’s their number one motivation,” said DeBoer. “They are willing to do whatever they have to do to be a part of it. I look at Deryk Engelland as an example of that. Tough situation, veteran guy, we had to scratch him some games here recently before the pause. The messaging to me was ‘I just want to be a part of this. When you need me, let me know, and I’ll be ready to go.’ You can’t have enough of that and that’s what makes groups like this special.”

However, it’s quite obvious that the team may be looking beyond Engelland in the future despite the veteran’s intent on continuing his playing career. He currently has a goal and six points in 49 games, while averaging his lowest ATOI (17:33) in his time with Vegas. With a number of blueliners waiting for their chance in the AHL, Vegas may have seen the last of him.

  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that while many teams are against the NHL’s recent memo that is suggesting the league have the NHL Entry Draft in June, the Vancouver Canucks are a team that is likely going to be in favor of the deal. The Canucks traded their first-round pick last offseason to Tampa Bay (now owned by New Jersey) and would rather give the Devils a non-lottery pick this year, rather than an unprotected one for the 2021 draft. The Canucks are currently in the playoffs as of this moment. However, if play does resume with a October/November draft, the Canucks could slip out of the playoffs and be forced to move a lottery pick then.
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that while there is a lot of talk of the St. Louis Blues buying out veteran forward Alex Steen in the offseason next year in order to make room for UFA Alex Pietrangelo, the scribe believes that’s an unlikely scenario. The scribe says it’s more likely that Steen, one of the most popular players on the team and a leader as well, is more likely to retire at the end of this season. That could solve a tough issue of being forced to buy him out, which the team might hesitate to do after the years of service both on and off the ice.

NHL Releases Memo About Potential June Draft

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The NHL released a memo Friday evening to all 31 teams stating its position on holding the NHL Entry Draft in June, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. While nothing is set in stone, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly wrote that broadcast networks are on board with the plan that is rumored to set a June 5 draft date, giving the league a month to prepare.

One major issue would be the draft lottery. Considering the remainder of the regular season hasn’t been played out or cancelled, the NHL is suggesting using points percentage as the means to determine the order of the draft. The memo also outlined that the lottery format would be adjusted for this season only. There would be only one winner of the lottery with teams only being allowed to move up a maximum of four spots.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston notes that would mean that the Detroit Red Wings, who have the best chance to win the lottery, would receive nothing lower than the second-overall pick, while the Ottawa Senators would pick no lower than the third and fourth overall picks (they currently have San Jose’s lottery pick as well via the Erik Karlsson trade in 2018).

That could cause some ire from general managers who are all hoping to get their hands on QMJHL winger Alexis Lafreniere with the No. 1 overall pick. Despite having a greater advantage, Friedman notes that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman stated on a Fox News Detroit Facebook Live chat on Thursday that he’s opposed to the idea.

My thought is: Why would you do that? Why would you need to do that?” Yzerman said. “There’s a lot of things that are affected, obviously. The draft position hasn’t been established; we don’t know who’s in the playoffs, who’s out of the playoffs, in some cases … But at this time, my own opinion is, I haven’t heard a good reason why we should do it prior to the end of the season, if we do conclude the season over the course of the summer.”

The league is also suggesting that teams would get seven days to deal with conditional trades that might involve draft picks in order that both teams reach a fair agreement. Many have sited the James Neal – Milan Lucic trade, which had Calgary receiving a conditional pick based on Neal scoring 21 goals and at least 10 more than Lucic. Teams would have a chance to renegotiate those deals so both teams are happy with the outcome.

However, the league is making it clear in the memo that they want to move on with the draft despite the uncertainty of the rest of the 2019-20 season. If the league is persuaded against using this format by teams, then the league would have to push it back much later with the best-case scenario being that the Stanley Cup awarded at some point in September with the 2020-21 season beginning in December and the draft being hastily dropped in between.

The fact of the matter is that whenever we hold the 2020 Draft — in early June or ‘shoehorned’ into a short window in October or November — (it) is not going to be a typical NHL Draft,” said Daly. “It is not going to look the same; it is not going to feel the same; and it is not going to be the same. While we may know more about next year’s landscape in terms of CBA, Salary Cap, Escrow, etc., in November than we will in June, we are still not going to know everything, and there is still going to be a multitude of questions that have no answers. So, any comparison of the 2020 NHL Draft to a typical year’s Draft is not — and cannot be — an ‘apples to apples’ comparison.”

Of course teams have to consent to this proposal, but the NHL is making it clear that this is the direction they would like to go, especially with the league’s financial security at stake. The NFL had a successful draft recently that gave a lot of attention to the league (including a 37 percent increase in viewership on the first night). With the NHL on suspension for more than a month, the league could use some of that attention headed its way until the league feels it can resume the NHL season later in the summer, at the earliest.

 

Snapshots: Draft Date, AHL, Weise

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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.

NHL Could Still Hold Draft In June, Resume Season Afterward

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As the sports world prepares for the first major event in more than a month with the NFL Draft occurring virtually this Thursday through Saturday, it seems that the NHL could be using the event as a test run for their own entry draft. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun relayed word today from Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly that the league has considered a virtual format for their own draft. This could potentially allow them to keep the event in June as scheduled.

The league had initially postponed this year’s draft, as well as the NHL Combine, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the indefinite nature of the current league year left questions as to when and how the draft would occur and the impact that would have on the rookies, their NHL clubs, and their junior teams. Holding the draft in June as planned would solve a number of these issues, but obviously raises a number of other questions.

First and foremost would be how this would impact the continuation of the 2019-20 season. LeBrun was quick to note that the draft being held in June, which ordinarily follows the end of the postseason, would not preclude the league year from continuing in July or August as many hope. This of course leads to other issues, such as how the draft lottery, draft order, and conditional picks will be sorted out if there are still games to be played. Abandoning the regular season in favor of jumping directly to the playoffs later this year would simplify these matters somewhat but would not entirely answer all questions.

Additionally, a continued season would also mean that teams remain prohibited from making trades, at least in the way that deals are normally made in the off-season. The lack of draft day trades would be another stark difference from how the NHL Draft operates and could frustrate a number of teams looking to leverage picks into players.

Given the lack of hockey during what would typically be the early stages of the postseason is certainly depressing for hockey fans and makes the idea of a June draft sound appealing. However, the league will need to respond to a number of major questions with satisfying answers before they could sign off on a virtual draft before making a decision on if and how the current season will continue.

Prospect Notes: Tychonick, Stockton, Senators

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When Johnny Tychonick was selected 48th overall by the Ottawa Senators in 2018 he was a high-flying defenseman that had just put up 47 points in 48 games for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and was ticketed for stardom at the collegiate level. Unfortunately that stardom never came in two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where Tychonick was buried on the depth chart of one of the nation’s strongest programs.

Now, Tychonick has entered the transfer portal and will take his talents to the University of Nebraska-Omaha according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 20-year old defenseman told Schlossman that the UND coaching staff is helping him try to be eligible to play for Omaha next season, where he would be starting his junior year. The Senators will continue to hold his exclusive draft rights while he remains in college.

  • The Stockton Heat have signed three undrafted free agents to AHL contracts, inking Greg Moro to a two-year deal, Noah King to a one-year deal and Koletrane Wilson to a one-year deal. Moro, 25, just finished his senior season at Clarkson University, recording seven points in 32 games. The 6’4″ defenseman is an Alberta native who played in the SJHL and AJHL before going the college route. King, 20, broke out this season for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL, scoring 40 points in 64 games. That total was more than double the combined amount King had registered in his other three CHL seasons. Wilson, another 20-year old defenseman, registered 33 points in 62 games for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL, while racking up penalty minutes as a tough, physical presence. All three players will bring a healthy dose of size and strength to the Heat blueline next season.
  • The Ottawa Senators are focused on the NHL Entry Draft, whenever it happens, and the three first-round picks they own this year. GM Pierre Dorion spoke with reporters including Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet, explaining that just like fans of his team he too is using a lottery simulator daily to fantasize about where his top two selections will land. The Senators of course own San Jose’s first-round pick, which means they could potentially pick first and second overall, but Scanlan writes that the executive believes the top-20 will all be “strong NHL players.”

Prospect Notes: Draft Rankings, 2021 Memorial Cup, McKay

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If you were perusing the NHL Central Scouting draft lists when they came out yesterday and wondered how exactly the North American and International skaters compared, Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet has you covered. The draft analyst released his latest ranking of the top prospects eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, led as always by Alexis Lafreniere.

Some of the other rankings, however, differ significantly from the Central Scouting lists. Of note is Jake Sanderson, who while fourth among North American skaters on one list, comes in seventh among the same group on Cosentino’s. If you want a riser, how about Dylan Holloway, who Cosentino believes is a top-10 talent despite his ranking of #12 among North American skaters by Central Scouting.

  • Many of the players drafted this year will be competing in the CHL’s 2020-21 season, trying to earn their way to the Memorial Cup tournament. They may have to wait a little longer, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that the CHL is considering pushing back the schedule for the 2021 Memorial Cup into June of next year to give them a little bit of wiggle room should the start of the season be delayed. McKenzie notes that the tournament will be held in either Oshawa or Sault Ste. Marie, though that decision has not yet been made.
  • Kirby Dach will have a familiar face at Chicago Blackhawks training camp after the Rockford IceHogs signed Riley McKay to an AHL contract for 2020-21. McKay, 21, played with Dach on the Saskatoon Blades in 2018-19, racking up 149 penalty minutes as one of the toughest players in the Western Hockey League. Undrafted, he’ll try to carve out a role for himself in the minor leagues, while still surely watching his teammates’ backs.

NHL Central Scouting Releases Final 2020 Draft Rankings

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Even though we still don’t know exactly when the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will be taking place, hockey fans around the world can still pour over prospect stats and lists hoping their favorite organization gets the chance to add their favorite young player at some point down the line. Today, NHL Central Scouting released its final rankings for North American and International skaters and goaltenders. The top names are as follows:

North American Skaters:

  1. Alexis Lafreniere – Rimouski, QMJHL
  2. Quinton Byfield – Sudbury, OHL
  3. Jamie Drysdale – Erie, OHL
  4. Jake Sanderson – USNTDP
  5. Cole Perfetti – Saginaw, OHL
  6. Marco Rossi – Ottawa, OHL
  7. Jack Quinn – Ottawa, OHL
  8. Kaiden Guhle – Prince Albert, WHL
  9. Braden Schneider – Brandon, WHL
  10. Dawson Mercer – Chicoutimi, QMJHL

International Skaters:

  1. Tim Stuetzle – Mannheim, DEL
  2. Alexander Holtz – Djurgarden, SHL
  3. Anton Lundell – HIFK, Liiga
  4. Lucas Raymond – Frolunda, SHL
  5. Rodion Amirov – Ufa, KHL
  6. Helge Grans – Malmo, Sweden-Jr.
  7. John-Jason Peterka – Munich, DEL
  8. Topi Niemela – Karpat, Liiga
  9. Noel Gunler – Lulea, SHL
  10. Roni Hirvonen – Assat, Liiga

North American Goalies:

  1. Nicolas Daws – Guelph, OHL
  2. Drew Commesso – USNTDP
  3. Samuel Hlavaj – Sherbrooke, QMJHL

International Goalies:

  1. Yaroslav Askarov – St. Petersburg, VHL
  2. Jan Bednar – Sokolov, Czech-2
  3. Joel Blomqvist – Karpat, Finland-Jr.

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