Unsigned Draftees

[Northernsky]

Hello,

What's the standard for signing your draftees? If you sign them do they come over to your farm system or stay with their junior teams? What is the best practice for dealing with your draftees so they get as close to their potential as possible?

thanks!

[Adam B]

Originally Posted by Scott Gustafson

Hello,

What's the standard for signing your draftees? If you sign them do they come over to your farm system or stay with their junior teams? What is the best practice for dealing with your draftees so they get as close to their potential as possible?

thanks!

If you sign a draftee, he will immediately show up on your NHL roster. At that point it depends where he's from and league rights.

For instance let's use Nolan Patrick as an example. The Flyers signed him immediately after the draft. Nolan is Canadian and has league rights in the WHL to the Brandon Wheat Kings which means Nolan can only play in 1 of 2 places, either with the Flyers or with Brandon.

(continuing to use the Flyers as an example and because I was reading about top prospects in their farm system lately) - The Flyers also German Rubtsov. He is Russian. His rights were taken by a QMJHL team but previous to coming to North America, he was playing in the KHL. He could have been left overseas until they felt he was ready (but then you have to deal with the non-transfers with KHL contracts), or because he had been yet to play in the QMJHL/CHL (I believe) he could have been sent directly to the AHL. (This would also happen if no Canadian Hockey League team had his rights as well).

Another example; Flyers prospect Wade Allison - He actually just tore his ACL - but he was drafted out of the USHL and is playing at Western Michigan. They'll keep his rights until he's played 4 years in College basically, so signing him/moving him to a farm team maybe isn't the best option. However if they had and decided instead to let him play Major Junior, the Wheat Kings hold his rights so he could have ended up there.


It's a bit of a mess, but here's the best way to look at it (if above isn't clear)

If a player is <2 stars, don't sign him if he's playing in the CHL (that's the WHL/OHL/QMJHL), going to University, or is a European player playing in Euro leagues UNLESS you badly need some depth or you are worried a player may go to the KHL.

It's okay to have guys stay on your unsigned list for quite some time, especially since you only can have 50 guys under contract.

[donbanks99]

Do unsigned draftees eventually become free agents? (e.g. after 2 years for CHLers, 4 years for NCAA ... )

[Adam B]

Originally Posted by donbanks99

Do unsigned draftees eventually become free agents? (e.g. after 2 years for CHLers, 4 years for NCAA ... )

Yes. Rights can lapse. The dates of when that can happen is besides their name in Unsigned Draftees.

[Northernsky]

I'm never drafting players in the KHL league anymore. Such a waste because they keep getting their contracts renewed and I can never offer them a contract. Live and learn.

[Adam B]

Originally Posted by Scott Gustafson

I'm never drafting players in the KHL league anymore. Such a waste because they keep getting their contracts renewed and I can never offer them a contract. Live and learn.

That's the double edged sword with drafting players who are contracted to KHL teams.

[BLINZ218]

What is the difference in the Unsigned Draftees section between prospects with the signing deadline as June 30th, 20??/$240,000/$70,000 and no dollar amount?

[Adam B]

Originally Posted by BLINZ218

What is the difference in the Unsigned Draftees section between prospects with the signing deadline as June 30th, 20??/$240,000/$70,000 and no dollar amount?

The signing deadline is for when your rights expire to a given player. You don't hold onto anyone forever. The dollar amount I believe is what it costs you to actually transfer that players rights to you.