1. Buffalo Sabres-Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda (Sweden)
This was just a formality, as Dahlin is a generational talent on the blue line. He does everything well, and should easily step in as the Sabres' second best defenseman after Rasmus Ristolainen. He may very well be the team's best defender by the end of the season. He was the beginning of the Sabres' attempt to rebuild the blue line, as Mattias Samuelsson was taken at the beginning of the second round, and he should provide a physical presence.
2. Carolina Hurricanes-Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Barrie (OHL)
Carolina needs scoring, and Svechnikov provides that in numbers. His play off the puck isn't bad, but he may need to gain a little weight to withstand the rigors of the NHL. Still, his goal scoring is welcome on a team that may be getting a roster makeover soon. That makeover began in earnest today, as Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin go to Calgary while Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox come to Carolina. It feels like a shuffling of chairs, but Ferland provides a physical presence the team has lacked for years while Hamilton provides the team security in terms of contract term. The move also means the Hurricanes won't have the pain of renegotiating with either Lindholm or Hanifin, as both were set to be RFAs soon.
3. Montreal Canadiens-Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Assat (Finland)
While it may look on the surface that Montreal may have reached to get a center, a position that they have long been unable to fill in any way, shape, or form, Kotkaniemi had been rising on the draft boards in recent weeks. He's no generational talent, but great centers don't often grow on trees, and Kotkaniemi may yet to realize his full potential, especially if Montreal's front office and coaching staff don't foul it up.
4. Ottawa Senators-Brady Tkachuk, LW, Boston University (Hockey East)
The departure of Mike Hoffman opened a need for a scoring winger, and Tkachuk provides that. He also has the same snarl that his father Keith and brother Matthew have, and that should make the Senators a little harder to play against. His timetable to play in the NHL may be sooner than you think if he signs with the team in the next month or so.
5. Arizona Coyotes-Barrett Hayton, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
I've been on record as saying that the Coyotes reached on this pick. He wasn't projected until the middle of the first round, but given that Kotkaniemi went off the board, the Coyotes got spooked into reaching here. This may also be a pick that proves me wrong at this time next year, since Hayton is slated to have a more prominent role on the Greyhounds if he stays there.
6. Detroit Red Wings-Filip Zadina, RW, Halifax (QMJHL)
Conversely, I loved that Detroit picked Zadina here despite the team's massive hole on the blue line. Sometimes, the best available player is there and you just have to go for it. Detroit did well here, and their scoring is going to be better for it. This wasn't the only good thing the Red Wings did in the Draft, as you'll find out later.
7. Vancouver Canucks-Quinn Hughes, D, Michigan (Big10)
Hughes is short even by today's standards, but he provides the team a much needed offensive spark, and with no real game breaker on the Canucks plus some level of uncertainty with Olli Juolevi, it was wise of the Canucks to further bolster their blue line.
8. Chicago Blackhawks-Adam Boqvist, D, Byrnas Jr. (Sweden)
The Blackhawks need help just about everywhere in the pipeline, but they really needed it the most on the blue line. Boqvist is an offensive force from the blue line with some defensive issues (think Erik Karlsson in his draft year), but given that there isn't much for the Blackhawks right now combined with their two best defenders nearing 35, they need all the help they can get.
9. New York Rangers-Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Chelyabinsk (KHL)
Kravtsov wasn't projected to be going until the middle of the first round, and certainly, I had him not at all in the first round, given that Russian players in the draft that aren't potential superstars are rarely certainties. Kravtsov will need to add weight, but his skill set isn't far from what Valeri Nichushkin and Denis Gurianov were in their draft years. Like the Dallas Stars' prospects, Kravtsov carries question marks about whether he wants to be in North America, but he should provide the Rangers a physical presence should he decide to come across the pond.
10. Edmonton Oilers-Evan Bouchard, D, London (OHL)
The Oilers' search for defensemen continues, and Bouchard has the best all-around game of every defenseman not named Rasmus Dahlin. He should continue to develop in London and the Oilers should be thrilled that a player of his caliber fell here.
11. New York Islanders-Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, US NTDP (USHL)
There is still uncertainty with John Tavares, as he is going to talk to five teams in addition to the Islanders before making his decision. In the interim, the Islanders picked a pure goal scorer in Whalstrom. However, unlike Kiefer Bellows, Whalstrom may have the potential to be a little more, as he has power forward ability once he unlocks his full potential.
12. New York Islanders (from Calgary)-Noah Dobson, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
The run on defensemen I thought was going to happen earlier this round didn't happen until a little later. Fortunately for the Islanders, it brings them Dobson, a player that needs to fill out, but is already a winner, having won a league title and the Memorial Cup with the Titan. His skill set is also intriguing, as he is just as good as the other prospects, and has a height advantage over most of them.
13. Dallas Stars-Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint (OHL)
If Barrett Hayton had the talent lever that Dellandrea had around him, Hayton would have been right around this spot. As it is, Dellandrea is every bit the player Hayton is, but with proven character, as he had been drafted by the Firebirds when they had their ownership problems. The numbers are comparable, and Dellandrea can produce regardless of who's around him.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis)-Joel Farabee, LW, US NTDP (USHL)
The Flyers were incredibly frustrating in this round, as Farabee was a smart pick. They have no obvious holes in their pipeline, and Farabee has proven that he can play with superstars. You can never have enough scorers, and that is what Farabee can do.
15. Florida Panthers-Grigori Denisenko, LW, Yaroslavl 2 (Russia)
Denisenko is a Russian equivalent of Brad Marchand in that his play can sometimes go over the line. However, like Marchand, Denisenko is also capable of scoring, and given that Florida lacks snarl, this is an okay move. It would have been better had he not had the Russian factor hanging over his head, as he may be a while in coming over.
16. Colorado Avalanche-Martin Kaut, RW, Pardubice (Czech Republic)
Kaut is seen as a safe pick, as the worst he could end up in the NHL is third liner. The Avalanche coincidentally need secondary scoring, which is exactly what Kaut provides. If Kaut comes to North America to play, as reported by local sources, that may speed up his development.
17. New Jersey Devils-Ty Smith, D, Spokane (WHL)
Despite making the playoffs, the Devils' defensive depth was on full display, as they got repeatedly torched by Tampa Bay in the first round. Smith is similar to Will Butcher in that offensive upside may be limited, but he is responsible in his own end. With no real playmaker on the blue line available at this spot, the Devils picked the best available here.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets-Liam Foudy, C, London (OHL)
Columbus reached here a little, but like with Barrett Hayton, this pick may be looking good this time next year. Foudy is fast, and Columbus needs some speed down the middle. His offensive numbers looked way better in the second half of the season, and he is in line for a bigger role in London next season.
19. Philadelphia Flyers-Jay O'Brien, C, Thayer Academy (USHS)
Remember when I said the Flyers were a frustrating team in this round? This is why. O'Brien wasn't even projected to go until possibly the third round, yet the Flyers took him here. Why didn't they trade out of the pick? Better yet, why did they leave Joe Veleno on the board? You want to pick a center that badly, Veleno would have been a good pick here. Instead, this one has Mark Jankowski written all over it, as O'Brien may not even be ready for 4-5 years, and even then, he doesn't have high level talent potential.
20. Los Angeles Kings-Rasmus Kupari, C, Karpat (Finland)
Before Jesperi Kotkaniemi ascended the draft boards at a rapid pace, Kupari was relatively close in terms of which Finnish center would come off the boards first. Kupari tailed off a little in the second half, but his potential is there, and the Kings' continued commitment to speed in the draft rewards them here.
21. San Jose Sharks-Ryan Merkley, D, Guelph (OHL)
This pick has either the potential to be a home run or a major bust. Merkley has talent that would have put him in the top five of this year's draft. His attitude is what caused him to slide down the boards to possibly second round in some cases. In other words, he will either be PK Subban or Anthony D'Angelo in terms of what he can be in the NHL.
22. New York Rangers (from Ottawa via Pittsburgh)-K'Andre Miller, D, US NTDP (USHL)
The Rangers traded up to pick a project in Miller, as he's only been on the blue line for about three years. However, the potential surrounding him is immense and he could very well be the best pick the Rangers made this round, especially if he uses his time in Wisconsin wisely.
23. Anaheim Ducks-Isac Lundestrom, C, Lulea (Sweden)
Solid, two-way player and fills a need for the Ducks down the middle, as they are facing potential problems with center depth soon with Ryan Kesler likely missing this coming season to surgery and the uncertainty of what he can be if he comes back. Given Ryan Getzlaf is nearing his mid-30's, passing on Joe Veleno could be a mistake down the line, but Lundestrom provides more in terms of being a safe pick.
24. Minnesota Wild-Filip Johansson, D, Leskand Jr. (Sweden)
With a number of defensemen on the board and the Wild needing somebody there, Johansson isn't the best pick available, but he is solid in all areas. He may need a couple of years to put on weight, but it's not a bad pick here.
25. St. Louis Blues (from Toronto)-Dominik Bokk, RW, Vaxjo Jr. (Sweden)
Bokk provides scoring, something that the Blues lacked. However, they also needed a center, which once again, Veleno would have provided. This may turn out to be the pick that the Blues regret lest Robert Thomas is that second line center next year and/or Bokk turns out to be the second coming of Vladimir Tarasenko.
26. Ottawa Senators (from NY Rangers via Boston)-Jacob Bernard-Docker, D, Okotoks (AJHL)
At this point, you could put in a number of defensemen here and it would be good to decent. Bernard-Docker is actually the safest pick of the defensemen available, as nothing truly stands out, but he also doesn't make many mistakes. North Dakota awaits him next year.
27. Chicago (from Nashville)-Nicolas Beaudin, D, Drummondville (QMJHL)
Another undersized defender picked by the Blackhawks, I thought this would have been where they either took a forward or took a gamble on Bode Wilde. Still, Beaudin is a good pick that was often overshadowed by fellow QMJHL defenseman Noah Dobson. He will provide offense and maybe more if he adds weight.
28. New York Rangers (from Tampa Bay)-Nils Lundkvist, D, Lulea (Sweden)
Even this late in the first round, Lundkvist is a bit of a reach. However, his potential isn't bad and the Rangers can afford to let him develop for a while, especially with the glut of defenders already in the system.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs (from St. Louis via Winnipeg)-Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
I thought Sandin would have gone higher than most. Toronto was able to trade down and still get the guy they wanted plus extra picks. Sandin has offensive upside and will likely spend an extra year in major junior.
30. Detroit Red Wings (from Vegas)-Joe Veleno, C, Drummondville (QMJHL)
Shockingly, Veleno was the one to take the free fall in the draft. Fortunately, Detroit decided to take the best player available, and despite needing defenders (they would take Jared McIssac a few picks later), it's hard to pass on a player of Veleno's caliber. Great pick by Detroit here, as it seems to be the theme for them throughout the draft.
31. Washington Capitals-Alexander Alexeyev, D, Red Deer (WHL)
This is the Brooks Orpik replacement pick. Alexeyev had an up and down season, but he carries size and a physical component. Offense may be an issue, but character is not, as he had left Red Deer to be with family after the death of his mother and came back to finish the season in time for the WHL playoffs, where he played with an injured finger.
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