The draft process in professional sports is a crucial period for franchises as they aim to secure the players who will help them achieve their ultimate goals. In the National Hockey League (NHL), this process can differ significantly from other major leagues like the NFL and NBA.
Both the NHL and NFL drafts typically allow for 224 player selections across seven rounds, though compensatory picks can increase this number. However, while many NFL draftees quickly see game time, NHL players often take longer to reach pro-level play. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, out of 259 players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, 239 have played at least one pro game, with 157 playing ten or more. Conversely, only six hockey players drafted in 2024 have appeared in an NHL game, and just three—Nikita Prishchepov (COL), Artyom Levshunov (CHI), Macklin Celebrini (SJS)—have played ten games or more.
The discrepancy is not unique to hockey when compared to basketball either. Per Basketball-Reference.com, 53 of 58 NBA draftees in 2024 played at least once for their teams, with 33 participating in half of the season's games.
The differences stem partly from league structures and available roster spots. The NHL has fewer openings for new players compared to leagues like MLB and NFL due to its smaller number of roster spots. Additionally, hockey requires players to develop a broad skill set before reaching the professional level.
Alison Lukan explains that "when the NBA, NFL or MLB draft a player, the team gains control of a player's rights and where the athlete plays." This contrasts with hockey's varied development paths which include college leagues like NCAA or junior leagues such as CHL and USHL.
In terms of draft success rates over the past decade (2015-24), older draft classes have yielded more NHL-ready players. Yet even among first-round NHL picks from recent years, only about 80.7% have played an NHL game compared to lower percentages in subsequent rounds.
Ultimately, drafting success in hockey relies heavily on evaluating potential talent accurately and exercising patience throughout player development. "Being drafted at a younger age...means that time frames for getting to the NHL aren’t as normalized as in the NFL or NBA," Lukan notes.
Data was sourced from Hockey-Reference.com; Pro-Football-Reference.com; Basketball-Reference.com.