Re: Maine Black Bears, 2010-2011, Redemption or FORE, I say......
Maybe if the NHL extended the period that a drafting team gets to sign a prospect before he becomes a free agent if a player goes the college route? I don't know that many college players are looking to become free agents, so it's not as if having to wait a bit longer would persuade them not to enroll. You could also have the waiting period "reset" when the prospect signs a rookie contract; just use the extra time as a pressure valve, so that teams are more patient with draftees while in college because the clock is not ticking.
The thing that bugs me, really, is that a team that doesn't routinely get blue chip prospects, but finds a diamond in the rough-- who is likely undrafted-- gets no protection whatsoever; any team can pursue that undrafted player and sign him. So the team that found and/or developed such a player gets any number of teams making him offers, while a blue chip draft choice only has one.
Maybe if the NHL extended the period that a drafting team gets to sign a prospect before he becomes a free agent if a player goes the college route? I don't know that many college players are looking to become free agents, so it's not as if having to wait a bit longer would persuade them not to enroll. You could also have the waiting period "reset" when the prospect signs a rookie contract; just use the extra time as a pressure valve, so that teams are more patient with draftees while in college because the clock is not ticking.
The thing that bugs me, really, is that a team that doesn't routinely get blue chip prospects, but finds a diamond in the rough-- who is likely undrafted-- gets no protection whatsoever; any team can pursue that undrafted player and sign him. So the team that found and/or developed such a player gets any number of teams making him offers, while a blue chip draft choice only has one.
