Letting nineteen year olds play in the AHL instead of CHL
Previously if you played one season in the NCAA, you could play in the AHL. Now, if you played in the CHL previously you weren't allowed to play for an AHL club unless you played a full NHL season, similar to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the 2012-13 lockout. But this raised a big question for players too good to play in the CHL but not good enough to play in the NHL. This was a similar case to Leon Draisaitl in 2014-15, who wasn't ready but could've easily played in the AHL.
Now, one big example was in the 2015-16 season Auston Matthews played for the ZSC Lions when it was expected he play in the NCAA. Had he been eligible because it was a late birthday, just like Taylor Hall, Leon Draisaitl, Victor Hedman, John Tavares, to name a few, all could've played in Europe and made money. Some hung in the CHL, but a guy like Victor Hedman is in the SHL when he wasn't even drafted yet.
All that to say, I'm not saying all of these nineteen year olds should play in the AHL, but the ones that aren't NHL ready but way too good for junior should definitely get a pass in a similar case of exceptional status if they sign an entry level contract. I like this idea a lot because they are with their respective organization and development could progress better as some CHL players would prefer to play close to the team that drafted them. It also makes the transition better as they could be called up and sent down. The ones I don't agree with are the ones who aren't ready and need a year in the CHL.
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