NHL Draft Analysis

Free-agency begins tomorrow, and there is much to get through before then, and one of those things is the NHL Draft, which was completed this weekend.  The first round went according to plan...for the first five picks or so.  Because the depth was such that anyone could have gone anywhere, the draft rankings meant little in the grand scheme of things.

The complete first round:

1. Florida-Aaron Ekblad, D, Barrie (OHL)
2. Buffalo-Sam Reinhart, C, Kootenay (WHL)
3. Edmonton-Leon Draisaitl, C, Prince Albert (WHL)
4. Calgary-Sam Bennett, C, Kingston (OHL)
5. NY Islanders-Michael Dal Colle, LW, Oshawa (OHL)
6. Vancouver-Jake Virtanen, RW, Calgary (WHL)
7. Carolina-Haydn Fleury, D, Red Deer (WHL)
8. Toronto-William Nylander, C/RW, Modo (Sweden)
9. Winnipeg-Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)
10. Anaheim (from Ottawa)-Nick Ritchie, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
11. Nashville-Kevin Fiala, LW, HV 71 Jr. (Sweden)
12. Arizona-Brendan Perlini, LW, Niagara (OHL)
13. Washington-Jakub Vrana, LW/RW, Linkoping (Sweden)
14. Dallas-Julius Honka, D, Swift Current (WHL)
15. Detroit-Dylan Larkin, C, US NTDP (USHL)
16. Columbus-Sonny Milano, LW, US NTDP (USHL)
17. Philadelphia-Travis Sanheim, D, Calgary (WHL)
18. Minnesota-Alex Tuch, RW, US NTDP (USHL)
19. Tampa Bay-Anthony Deangelo, D, Sarnia (OHL)
20. Chicago (from San Jose)-Nick Schmaltz, C, Green Bay (USHL)
21. St. Louis-Robby Fabbri, C, Guelph (OHL)
22. Pittsburgh-Kasperi Kapanen, RW, Kalpa (Finland)
23. Colorado-Connor Bleakley, C, Red Deer (WHL)
24. Vancouver (from Anaheim)-Jared McCann, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
25. Boston-David Pastrnak, RW, Sodertalje (Sweden)
26. Montreal-Nikita Scherbak, RW, Saskatoon (WHL)
27. San Jose (from Chicago)-Nikolay Goldobin, RW, Sarnia (OHL)
28. NY Islanders (from Tampa Bay via NY Rangers)-Joshua Ho-Sang, C/RW, Windsor (OHL)
29. Los Angeles-Adrian Kempe, LW, Modo (Sweden)
30. New Jersey-John Quennville, C, Brandon (WHL)

The OHL led the way with ten players picked in the first round, with Sarnia being the only team in the league to have two players go in the first round.  The WHL was not far behind, with nine players, all of them coming from the Eastern Conference, and none of them coming from the WHL champion Edmonton Oil Kings.  Red Deer and Calgary accounted for two each.  This is the second straight year that a goaltender was not taken in the first round.  The QMJHL had just one player go in the first round this year (Nikolaj Ehlers).

Aaron Ekblad is the first defenseman to be taken first overall since Erik Johnson in 2006 and is also the first Canadian defenseman taken in that spot since Chris Phillips in 1996.  Leon Draisaitl is the highest German-trained player taken, but not the highest German-born (Dany Heatley went second overall in 2000 and was born in Germany).