Follow along with the picks and analysis from the first round of the NHL draft with thoughts from our experts all night long.
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1. Montreal Canadiens: Juraj Slafkovsky, LW: Big, talented and edgy, Slafkovsky had a wild international schedule that saw him turn heads at the Olympics and the worlds. Playing in Finland, the Slovakian teen had decent numbers, but there’s still a lot of potential, too. (Ryan Kennedy)
2. New Jersey Devils: Simon Nemec, D: When scouts watch Nemec play, they don’t see any discernible flaws in his game. But they don’t see anything that gets them super excited, either. “He does everything so well and so efficiently without being overly dynamic or exceptional in any one area,” said one scout. “It’s just not fun to talk about him. There are not a lot of weaknesses.”
But that doesn’t mean Nemec doesn’t have a bright future. He has played well all season against men in the Slovak League. He has definitely got more of an offensive bent to his game than David Jiricek, but he’s not nearly as physical. (From The Hockey News’ Draft Preview)
3. Arizona Coyotes: Logan Cooley, C: The University of Minnesota commit is already fast, but he’ll likely get faster as he grows into his body and gets stronger. Cooley has excellent offensive tools and he can use his talents on the defensive side, as well. (Ryan Kennedy)
4. Seattle Kraken:
5. Philadelphia Flyers:
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (from CHI):
7. Chicago Blackhawks (from OTT):
8. Detroit Red Wings:
9. Buffalo Sabres:
10. Anaheim Ducks:
11. San Jose Sharks:
12. Columbus Blue Jackets:
13. New York Islanders:
14. Winnipeg Jets:
15. Vancouver Canucks:
16. Buffalo Sabres (from VGK):
17. Nashville Predators:
18. Dallas Stars:
19. Minnesota Wild (from LA):
20. Washington Capitals:
21. Pittsburgh Penguins:
22. Anaheim Ducks (from BOS):
23. St. Louis Blues:
24. Minnesota Wild:
25. Toronto Maple Leafs:
26. Montreal Canadiens (from CGY):
27. Arizona Coyotes (from CAR via MTL):
28. Buffalo Sabres (from FLA):
29. Edmonton Oilers:
30. Winnipeg Jets (from NYR):
31. Tampa Bay Lightning:
32. Arizona Coyotes (from COL):
