According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the National Hockey League is considering the possibility of pushing back the 2021 draft from the summer to December 2021.

«If those junior leagues do play in the early 2021 and then a December draft would also give NHL teams the first half of next season to evaluate players,» said Garrioch's source. «It would give them a better handle on what they're looking at because the draft could be pretty tough based on what we've seen so far this season.»

NHL scouts likely won't be able to travel until restrictions are lifted, and vaccines are widely available, so they are limited to viewing players only by video. Moving the draft from the summer to December 2021 ensures that scouts are able to view these players in person, and are able to form their draft lists with 100% confidence.

Earlier this week, Bob McKenzie released his first rankings for the 2021 NHL entry draft. The draft is expected to be defensive heavy, especially in the top 10.

University of Michigan defenceman Owen Power leads the top of the list, Swedish defenceman Simon Edvinsson is second, Edmonton Oil Kings forward Dylan Guenther is third, University of Michigan forward Matthew Beniers is fourth, and Barrie Colts defenceman Brandt Clarke rounds out the top 5.

Source: Bruce Garrioch/Ottawa Sun

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