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Do you remember the compensation rule that meant the Oilers would have to give up a draft pick to both the Bruins and Sharks in exchange for employing a couple people who were no longer going to be working for their previous employer? Of course you do. And you thought it was a stupid rule, right? Of course you did.Well, the NHL has seen the light and will be getting rid of that rule.
NHL board of governors eliminating executive compensation policy
— Stephen Whyno (@SWhyno) December 8, 2015
No compensation takes effect Jan. 1
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 8, 2015
In the case of the Oilers, they owed a second round pick to the Bruins as compensation for bringing Peter Chiarelli on board. For Todd McLellan the cost was a third round pick; a pick the Oilers handed over at the draft last summer. So what does the elimination of this rule mean for the Oilers? Nothing good.
And, if you've already given up a pick, you are not getting it back
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 8, 2015
The #oilers (Chiarelli-BOS, McLelllan-SJ) and #leafs (Lamoriello-NJ, Babcock-DET) will still surrender two draft picks by 2017.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 8, 2015
I certainly wouldn't have expected the NHL to go back and award the Oilers a compensatory pick for the third round pick they gave up to San Jose. In that case what's done is done. But that they still have to give up a second round pick (according to generalfanager.com the Oilers don't currently have a second round pick in the 2016 draft so that's likely a 2017 thing) to the Bruins seems just a little bit bizarre to me. Eliminating the rule would appear to be an admission by the NHL that rule wasn't working as intended, continuing to apply then rule after the fact doesn't make much sense. Of course not making sense isn't necessarily new territory for the NHL.
There is an obviously an Oilers slant to all of this, and certainly something to be gained, but even if there wasn't I don't think I would feel any different. I simply don't understand this. Who knows, maybe the Leafs can get Lou Lamoriello to make a couple calls and get the NHL to change their minds and reverse course like they have in the past.