There are few quick fixes in the NHL Draft

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The 2022 National Hockey League Draft will usher in another group of young, promising players looking to make the jump to the professional level.

In a league that’s increasingly youthful, the days of extensive, multi-year development cycles are long gone. Teams are aggressively injecting young players into the lineup – if not because they are friendlier to the salary cap rules, then because they are the ones generally driving the performance bus. 

But there is clearly a limit to how aggressive franchises are willing to get with young talent. Despite the average age of lineups dropping off a cliff in recent years, teams are still reticent to put the youngest players into regular lineups.

Sometimes this is about physical development; other times, it’s about ensuring players can be successful against professional competition at lower levels first. From time to time you will find a player so uniquely talented and developed – think Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Florida’s Aaron Ekblad – that the decision is easy. But that’s not the case in most every other situation.

Consider the frequency with which first-year draftees have made their way into the NHL over the past 15 years. Not only is the trendline flat, but it also shows how difficult the immediate jump is for teenage rookies. Over the course of a draft with more than 220 players selected, only about five will see immediate NHL action.

Despite the league-wide revolution in finding and dressing young talent, this has been a firm red line:

Last season, only six skaters selected at the 2021 draft had so much as a cup of coffee at the NHL level. Columbus forward Cole Sillinger solidified a full-time roster spot, with five other skaters – San Jose’s William