NHL Draft 2018: Instant reaction and analysis for every pick

Stay updated with the NHL Draft 2018 with our live updates

The NHL Draft 2018 will get underway on Friday, June 22. Friday evening will feature the first round. Meanwhile, Saturday will have the remaining six rounds. The NHL Draft can be a very fast-paced event. Here at Puck Prose, we have you covered with our live updates!

We’ll give you our instant reactions and analysis for every pick and trade made. Be sure to bookmark this post so you can stay up to date with everything that goes on. Each round will feature its own slide so it’s easy to find the picks. The last slide will be dedicated to listing draft picks by team.

Friday’s action begins at 7:30 p.m. ET while Saturday’s begins at 11:00 a.m. ET. Saturday’s action tends to be much more fast-paced than Friday’s. You can watch the first round of the NHL Draft 2018 on NBCSN in the United States. In Canada, SportsNet and TVA Sports will be the hosts.

On Saturday, NHL Network will televise the remaining rounds in the United States. Canada will have to tune into SportsNet and TVA Sports. Keep an eye on the New York Rangers, who have three first-round picks. They could move up or trade one of those picks for a young player. The New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers also have multiple first-round picks.

Without further ado, let’s get underway!

Trades

Avalanche Acquire Philipp Grubauer and Brooks Orpik

Analysis: This is a really good trade for both teams. The Avalanche are wise to use their salary cap space to acquire assets. Philipp Grubauer gives the Avs a much-needed goalie for the future and should split starts with Semyon Varlamov next season.

The Capitals wanted a first round pick for Grubauer. However, getting a second-round pick is perfectly fine, especially considering they’re getting rid of Brooks Orpik’s contract. He has one year left on his deal with a $5.5 million cap space. Orpik will be missed, but now the Capitals should have more than enough space to re-sign John Carlson and the rest of their free agents.

Next: Full Seven-Round 2018 NHL Mock Draft

Round 1

1. Buffalo Sabres select defenseman Rasmus Dahlin
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: Sabres get their franchise defenseman. Long overdue.
2. Carolina Hurricanes select forward Andrei Svechnikov
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: Hurricanes get a potential top-notch goal scorer. Should be an immediate impact player.
3.  Montreal Canadiens select center Jesperi Kotkaniemi
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: Kotkaniemi has the potential to be a first-line center. His defense is very good and he has a lot of offensive upside.
4. Ottawa Senators select forward Brady Tkachuk
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: Tkachuk is a nasty wing who lives up to his last name. Interesting the Senators didn’t go with Zadina here.
5. Arizona Coyotes select center Barrett Hayton
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: A bit of an off the board pick here for the Coyotes. Huge fan of Hayton, but he has some concerns.
6. Detroit Red Wings select forward Filip Zadina
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: The Red Wings add one of the draft’s most dynamic players. Should add a lot to their offense.
7. Vancouver Canucks select defenseman Quinn Hughes
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: Not surprising to see the Canucks grab a defenseman. Vancouver gets the most dynamic one on the board in Hughes.
8. Chicago Blackhawks select defenseman Adam Boqvist
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: The Blackhawks grab one of the best pure defensemen in this draft. Boqvist will take a bit to get to the NHL, but he should be quite the puck mover.
9. New York Rangers select forward Vitaly Kravtsov
   INSTANT ANALYSIS: Rangers go with a very skilled forward who set records in the KHL. Kravstov could be getting a heck of a producer, as he’s a great skater and has a nose for the net.
10. Edmonton Oilers select defenseman Evan Bouchard
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: He’s a right-handed shot who plays a ton of minutes. Bouchard is a monster on the power-play. Yup, great fit for the Oilers. Precisely the kind of defenseman they need.
11. New York Islanders select forward Oliver Wahlstrom
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Islanders grab an extremely skilled forward. One of the best goal scorers in the draft and a very dynamic wing.
12. New York Islanders select defenseman Noah Dobson
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Islanders get two huge upgrades in the first-round. Dobson is a great two-way defenseman. Not an overly impressive skater, but very skilled otherwise.
13. Dallas Stars select center Ty Dellandrea
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Very skilled center, but a bit of an off the board pick. Two-way play is impressive, but most had him in the late first-round pick.
14. Philadelphia Flyers select forward Joel Farabee
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Extremely smart player. Not the most impressive as far as skill, but he’s a 200 foot player. Did very good with Wahlstrom and Jack Hughes this year.
15. Florida Panthers select forward Grigori Denisenko
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Very high upside. Outstanding with the puck, but needs to improve his hockey IQ. One of the draft’s better skaters.
16. Colorado Avalanche select forward Martin Kaut
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: He has a heart condition, but he’s a very solid player. Lacks the upside of a first-line forward, but should be a top-nine contributor.
17. New Jersey Devils select defenseman Ty Smith
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Smith is a bit of a project, but he has a ton of upside. Like this pick for the Devils. Needs to develop his offense, though.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets select forward Liam Foudy
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: He’s extremely fast. But this is a huge reach. Didn’t impress in the OHL last season.
19. Philadelphia Flyers select forward Jay O’Brien
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: A very hard worker. Questionable skill, but still very young and fast. Extremely smart player.
20. Los Angeles Kings select center Rasmus Kupari
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: An excellent skater who has a well-rounded game. Probably won’t stick at center in the NHL, but should stick at wing.
21. San Jose Sharks select defenseman Ryan Merkley
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Huge risk, but huge upside. Love this pick for the Sharks. His skill is unbelievable, but he needs to mature. Sharks could be getting one of the best defensemen in the draft.
22. New York Rangers select defenseman K’Andre Miller
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Very talented puck mover and can get the puck up the ice very quickly. Above-average skater. Needs to improve defensively, though.
23. Anaheim Ducks select forward Isac Lundestrom
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: A versatile jack-of-all-trades forward. Impressive two-way game. Has a limited upside on offense, however.
24. Minnesota Wild select defenseman Filip Johansson
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: This is an off the board pick. He’s very raw skillwise and competitive. But man, can Johansson skate. He’s mobile, which is a good thing. But Johansson has a limited upside.
25. St. Louis Blues select Dominik Bokk
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Blues traded up to get this high upside forward. Slipped quite a bit, as many expected him to be in the top 20. His speed isn’t that impressive, but he can sure score.
26. Ottawa Senators select defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Very solid two-way defenseman. But limited upside on offense.
27. Chicago Blackhawks select defenseman Nicolas Beaudin
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Another defenseman for Chicago. Beaudin’s a very skilled defenseman. Limited in his own zone, but dangerous with the puck.
28. New York Rangers select defenseman Nils Lundkvist
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Lacks size. However, a very mobile defenseman who held his own against adults in the SHL.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs select defenseman Rasmus Sandin
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Not surprising to see the former Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas go there for his first first-round pick. Rasmus Sandin looks to be a solid all-around defenseman. Not very physical, though.
30. Detroit Red Wings select center Joe Veleno
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Red Wings get an extremely talented two-way center. A bit limited as far as his potential on offense. But he’s extremely well-developed defensively for his age.
31. Washington Capitals select defenseman Alexander Alexeyev
    INSTANT ANALYSIS: Very talented puck mover. Nearly got a point per game in the WHL. Talented skater.