NHL Is Reportedly Thinking About Making A Big, Dumb Change To The Way It Holds Its Drafts

The NHL is reportedly thinking about changing the way it holds its draft by not having teams come to the draft and that is a terrible idea.

Terrible.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said the league is thinking about shifting to a decentralized draft, per Yahoo Sports. This would mean that team personnel would stay in their home cities while prospects would travel to the host city. The NBA and NFL both do this.

Except for years when COVID threw a wrench into the works, the NHL Draft involves all of the league's teams descending on a city.

As it should be.

If the league decides to go this route, it would likely be rolled out in 2025, but there's a possibility that it could happen in 2024 for this year's Draft in Las Vegas.

Although let's face it, everyone will want to go to that one...

According to Friedman, this idea is being kicked around because teams don't like how close the draft is to the start of free agency.

In an era where you can conduct business from practically anywhere, that's a ridiculous argument.

Changing The NHL Draft Is A Terrible Idea

I hate this idea. Absolutely hate it.

The fans and the players are there, so why not the teams themselves?

Seeing all the tables on the arena floor with the biggest names in the hockey biz making decisions in real time is part of what makes the NHL Draft a little unique. Teams aren't huddled in their own little war rooms. They're right in the middle of the action.

I also love that sometimes you know there's some kind of deal happening because of commotion among certain teams.

Plus, I like that you have the teams reading off the names. That's how you get classic moments like this.

Classic.

Would Gary Bettman fumble a few names too? Probably, but it just wouldn't be the same, dammit.

I just feel like a decision would make the NHL Draft significantly less watchable than it is now. That's a problem because, in all honesty, it's only marginally watchable now.

And this is the better, centralized version.

Don't do it, NHL. Keep the draft the way it is.

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