4 biggest takeaways from the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft

The first round of the 2024 draft took place in Las Vegas on Friday night, with 32 players having their dreams come true by being selected.

2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft - First Round
2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft - First Round | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
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Five trades were made but not the one we expected coming in

After a trade-less first round last year in Nashville, any trade would be an improvement. We got five on Friday night, though none of them involved players.

Coming into the first round, there was a lot of speculation that the Carolina Hurricanes were going to trade Martin Necas with the possibility of moving into the top half of the draft.

There were a few potential landing spots, including something as high as Columbus' pick fourth overall.

By the time the Blues' pick at #15 passed, it was clear that a Necas deal wasn't going to happen. Clearly, their potential trade partners weren't thrilled with any of the offers the Canes threw at them.

It felt like a missed opportunity for the Hurricanes, though it doesn't mean a potential Necas move can't yield a solid return. The Hurricanes did take part in a trade on Friday night, moving out of the first round by trading with Chicago.

Overall, it was a good night. While it didn't provide too much of the chaos we were hoping it would, it was still cool to see all 32 players get their chance to live out a dream.

The league did provide us with some fun cameos from former players, as well as a few celebrity picks. It's just the beginning of the fun, with rounds two through seven set to commence on Saturday before free agency kicks off on Monday.