NHL Draft: Round 1 selections
The first round of the NHL Entry Draft in Philadelphia is complete.
Find all of the round-one selections below:
No 1. Florida Panthers
Aaron Ekblad, D
Widely regarded as the best defenseman, if not the best player, in the 2014 NHL Draft, Ekblad has the ability to control the game at both ends of the ice. A strong skater with soft hands for his size, he's just as capable of firing a rocket past the opposition goalie as he is clearing the front of his own net and thwarting an offensive attack.
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No 2. Buffalo Sabres
Sam Reinhart, C
Reinhart becomes the third Reinhart brother to be selected at the NHL draft in recent years. His brother Griffin Reinhart was selected in the top-five by the New York Islanders in 2012, and his other brother Max Reinhart was a mid-round pick of the Calgary Flames a few years before that.
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No. 3 Edmonton Oilers
C, Leon Draisaitl
Draisaitl is a heavy, two-way center who has produced points at an impressive rate while logging first-line minutes as a first time draft eligible skater in the WHL.
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No. 4 Calgary Flames
C, Sam Bennett
Despite all of Bennett's talent and potential, a pull-up (or lack thereof) at the scouting combine has colored perceptions on the top-ranked North American skater. His on-ice abilities are evident: Bennett plays hard in all three zones and uses his stellar awareness and deceptive speed to control possession and create chances.
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No. 5 New York Islanders
F, Michael Dal Colle
Dal Colle, from Woodbridge, Ontario, represented Canada at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament winning gold. He scored 95 points with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL this season through 67 games played.
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No. 6 Vancouver Canucks
F, Jake Virtanen
Virtanen is a big forward, with high-end wheels and a dangerous shot. With those tools, it's not much of a surprise that he managed a dominant season as a first-year draft eligible skater on a juggernaut Calgary Hitmen side. He's the first B.C.-born player to be selected in the first round by Vancouver since Cam Neely was taken ninth overall in 1983.
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No. 7 Carolina Hurricanes
D, Haydn Fleury
Fleury is a capable two-way defenseman with a whole host of above average tools. A strong skater with NHL size and a significant physical edge to his game, Fleury logged major minutes against top competition as an 18-year-old defender for a mediocre Rebels team.
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No. 8 Toronto Maple Leafs
C, William Nylander
Nylander, born in Calgary, Alberta, played for three different teams in Sweden including Modo Hockey Ornskoldsvik, Rogle BK and Sodertalje SK. Through a combined 57 games played, Nylander scored 34 points.
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No. 9 Winnipeg Jets
LW, Nikolaj Ehlers
After being drafted sixth overall in the QMJHL import draft, Ehlers exploded as a member of the Halifax Mooseheads to the tune of 49 goals and 55 assists in 63 games; he added 11 goals and 17 assists in 16 playoff games, and was named the CHL's rookie of the year for 2013-14.
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No. 10 Anaheim Ducks
LW, Nick Ritchie
Ritchie looked like a men among boys in his draft year. He already has the size of an NHL power forward as well as NHL-caliber speed and he proved he knows how to use both on numerous occasions over the course of the season.
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No. 11 Nashville Predators
C, Kevin Fiala
Fiala spent some of the 2013-14 campaign with HV71 of the SHL, where he was historically productive. Among under-18 players who played in the SHL, Fiala's points-per-game rate ranks second in history behind only Peter Forsberg.
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No. 12 Arizona Coyotes
F, Brendan Perlini
Perlini, from Shelby Township, Ontario represented Canada in the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament winning gold. He has plentiful experience with international ice growing up in Europe as his father, Fred Perlini, played professional hockey in Britain.
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No. 13 Washington Capitals
F Jakub Vrana
Vrana, from Prague, Czech Republic, split his last season between the SHL and SuperElit while scoring 25 points in 25 games. Although Vrana played well alomgst men in the SHL, his 5'11, 172 lb frame will need some added weight.
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No. 14 Dallas Stars
D, Julius Honka
Honka, from Jyväskylä, Finland, is an undersized 19-year-old defenseman who finished his first season with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL recording 56 points through 62 games played.
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No. 15 Detroit Red Wings
C, Dylan Larkin
Larkin is a product of US National Development Program and is committed to the University of Michigan for the 2014-15 season. He played center behind 2015 can't-miss prospect Jack Eichel, and possesses a mix of size and speed that is reminiscent of another American hockey product.
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No. 16 Columbus Blue Jackets
F, Sonny Milano
Milano might be the best stick-handler available. His lightning-quick moves with the puck seem to confound opponents and he possesses the acceleration necessary to separate from a defender after slipping past him.
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No. 17 Philadelphia Flyers
D, Travis Sanheim
Sanheim, from Elkhorn, Manitoba, scored 29 points in 67 games with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. He appeared in seven games for Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championships tallying six assists, helping Canada to a bronze medal.
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No. 18 Minnesota Wild
C, Alex Tuch
Committed to Boston College for 2014-15, Tuch is the kind of player that is called upon to be the muscle on a skilled line, and, as evidenced by his numbers with the USA U-18 team, he's fully capable of making some noise on the score sheet as well.
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No. 19 Tampa Bay Lightning
D, Anthony DeAngelo
DeAngelo led all OHL defenseman in scoring during the 2013-14 season, averaging 1.39 points per game. His point totals would have been higher had he not been suspended eight games for a violation of the league's harassment and abuse/diversity policy after making an inappropriate statement to a teammate in January.
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No. 20 Chicago Blackhawks (from Sharks)
C, Nick Schmaltz
Schmaltz spent the last two seasons tearing up the USHL, recording 52 points as a rookie and a team-leading 63 points in his draft year. He is a pass-first playmaker who uses his strong skating, great vision and pinpoint passing to create opportunities.
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No. 21 St. Louis Blues
C, Robby Fabbri
Fabbri finished third in scoring on a loaded, OHL-champion Guelph Storm team, and also scored 13 goals and added 18 assists in 16 playoff games, earning the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as the Playoffs MVP despite missing time with a head injury.
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No. 22 Pittsburgh Penguins
RW, Kasperi Kapanen
The top-rated European skater in the draft pool, Kapanen is an offensively gifted player who cut his teeth in the pro game playing alongside his father and former NHLer Sami with SM-Liiga's KalPa.
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No. 23 Colorado Avalanche
C, Conner Bleackley
Bleackley took over the rebuilding Rebels this season, being named captain and leading the team in scoring as a 17-year-old. He lacks the game-breaking offensive ability that would make him a top-tier center prospect, but he plays smart at both ends of the ice and never gives up on a play.
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No. 24 Vancouver Canucks
C, Jared McCann
Falling just outside the top tier of center prospects, McCann is an intriguing selection. McCann matured into a leader at both ends of the ice in his second season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and while his game is rarely flashy, he possesses the talent and vision to make defenders pay for giving him too much room.
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No. 25 Boston Bruins
LW, David Pastrnak
Pastrnak likes to use his breakaway speed and deft hands to catch defenders off-guard, often leading to a clear scoring chance for him or a teammate. He possesses a quick shot, but often elects to pass if the play is available.
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No. 26 Montreal Canadiens
LW, Nikita Scherbak
Scherbak, from Moscow, Russia, was given clearance by the WHL to join the Saskatoon Blades after coming to Canada from Russia. He scored 78 points in his rookie WHL season.
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No. 27 San Jose Sharks
RW, Nikolay Goldobin
For better or worse, comparisons are already being made between Goldobin and another talented Russian forward who cut his teeth in North American hockey via the Sarnia Sting, namely Nail Yakupov.
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No. 28 New York Islanders (from Lightning)
F, Josh Ho-Sang
Ho-Sang is an enormously skilled offensive player, with high-end skating ability. Among all first time draft eligible CHL skaters, Ho-Sang was second in even-strength assists (behind only Sam Reinhart).
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No. 29 Los Angeles Kings
RW, Adrian Kempe
The 17-year-old Kempe is the type of player who often gets branded with the "toolsy" moniker on draft day. Born on September 13th, 1996 - the 6,2 Swedish forward is the youngest player in the 2014 NHL Draft class, and is as raw as you might expect.
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No. 30 New Jersey Devils
C, John Quenneville
Quenneville, a two-way center for the Brandon Wheat Kings, recorded 58 points in 61 games. The Devils were locked into the final pick of the first round as penalty for cap circumvention in the Ilya Kovalchuk signing. They were also unable to trade up in the draft and will receive the 11th pick in the remaining rounds.