Paul Bissonnette questions logic behind potentially raising NHL draft age

On Episode 531 of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, NHL insider Paul Bissonnette discussed the idea of raising the NHL draft age. He and co-host Ryan Whitney talked about whether this change would be a good idea.

The NHL Draft is an annual event where teams select young players. North American players can be drafted between ages 18 and 20, while European players can be drafted at any age if they are entering the league for the first time.

Bissonnette raised concerns about how raising the draft age would affect the process. He said:

"I just don't know how you do it ... So this year, there just wouldn't be a draft where you just back it all up. I guess I would be okay with that. Some other teams who have been struggling for a while, hoping for a quick fix, would not really enjoy that."

For example, if a team like the San Jose Sharks only wins 10 games in a season, they would usually get the first overall pick. But if the draft age is raised, what happens to the draft order?

"So what happens? Does it not count? How do you divvy that up to this year? And next year?" Bissonnette questioned. "Do you take like the overall record from the two years, and then the team who has the worst record then has the best chance at that number one overall pick with the lottery balls? I just don't know."

Paul Bissonnette is not sure how the league would handle teams in this situation.

Paul Bissonette talked about the benefits of raising the draft age of players

Paul Bissonnette also spoke about the benefits of an extra year of development for players. He believes the additional year would help players grow physically and mentally.

"But it is so hard to grade these kids at that age to what they are gonna be when they are grown men." Bissonnette said. "And I think that that extra year would make a world of difference. Especially them growing into their bodies."

Raising the draft age is going to be complex. While it might help players develop, it could also change how the draft works for teams. However, per Paul Bissonnette, there is still a lot to consider before doing so.