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Vegas Golden Knights will be impacted by new-look 2020 NHL Entry Draft

By Andrew Steele-Davis

A detailed view of the Top 31 draft picks on the video board after the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
A detailed view of the Top 31 draft picks on the video board after the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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A detailed view of the Top 31 draft picks on the video board after the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.
A detailed view of the Top 31 draft picks on the video board after the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. /

Due to the current health crisis enveloping the world, the Vegas Golden Knights and the rest of the hockey world are having to adjust to a new normal.

That new normal for the Vegas Golden Knights includes no hockey and also the potential of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and other major events on the NHL calendar taking on different forms.

For instance, the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will take on a whole new look this year and it will present teams with a whole new set of logistical challenges.

Originally set to be hosted in Montreal, the Draft has been postponed along with the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine and the 2020 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

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The league has yet to announce new dates for those three events, but it is feasible to predict that the Draft in particular will now be done via technology.

This of course coughs up a variety of obstacles for league officials, scouts, teams and Draft hopefuls, but this is all part of now living in a sporting world post-coronavirus.

Granted, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has to make a decision on the remainder of the season before committing to concrete plans about the Draft.

There has been talk about abandoning the remainder of the regular season and diving into the postseason, although several high-profile players have expressed their concerns at doing so during the NHL’s daily Conference Calls.

One option that has been explored has been expanding the playoff field to 24 teams, which would allow those teams currently on the playoff bubble a chance to compete in the postseason.

Cancelling the rest of the regular season will have a significant impact on draft positioning and the Draft Lottery, however, and those huge question marks plays into the uncertainty surrounding this year’s Draft for teams and for prospects.

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