Before the 2021 Draft, many teams asses prospect development and drafting information which
has been impacted by COVID-19. Drafting has been particularly difficult due to prospect league delays
and cancellations. According to the ESPN article on how the LA Kings are a team struggling to find
players for the draft. It is seen that it is hard to even scout players at the moment in the statement,
“Instead, he’s tracking when leagues will start and whether his scouts will be able to go to the games.”
The article then goes on to talk about how they will manage to play so scouts can watch. “It will operate
as a “pod” for three weeks in Omaha, Nebraska where all eight conference teams — including the likes
of North Dakota, Denver and Minnesota Duluth — will converge to play the first portion off their
schedules in a plan that mimics the NHL’s bubble for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.” This is what is said when the subject of how scouting and and recruiting will work. For this year given the current restrictions. The article then talks about how current prospect players view the issues this year and how they will overcome them, “”I was finally in at Harvard,” Beniers said. “I took my time to commit in the first place, and then COVID happened and they postponed their season. It was really not looking good. We were open with coach that we were looking at other options because its my draft year, and as much as I loved Harvard, we needed to look around and see what was best for me this year and moving forward. I never wanted to be someone who decommited. I wanted to stay loyal, but it was a crazy time and this was something I needed to do.”” With the changes and challenges this year due to COVID-19 it has been very difficult to try and scout future prospects. “Not knowing when for the NHL is tough enough, but with so many players not able to play in leagues beneath the NHL — at least not at this time —there is valid concern.”