With one of the better Stanley Cup Finals of recent memory now in the rear view mirror, the attention of the hockey world now turns to the Draft, which is less than a week away. This year's crop is considered the deepest in a decade, and there is sure to be plenty of excitement when the picks are made June 30th in New Jersey. As hockey executives and enthusiasts prepare for the big day, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions for the first round. So assuming no picks are traded here is what I think will go down on Draft Day. Enjoy!
1. Colorado Avalanche: Seth Jones
2. Florida Panthers: Nathan MacKinnon
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: Jonathan Drouin
4. Nashville Predators: Aleksander Barkov
5. Carolina Hurricanes: Valeri Nichushkin
6. Calgary Flames: Elias Lindholm
7. Edmonton Oilers: Sean Monahan
8. Buffalo Sabres: Darnell Nurse
9. New Jersey Devils: Hunter Shinkaruk
10. Dallas Stars: Rasmus Ristolainen
11. Philadelphia Flyers: Nikita Zadorov
12. Pheonix Coyotes: Bo Horvat
13. Winnipeg Jets: Alexander Wennberg
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Pulock
15. New York Islanders: Max Domi
16. Buffalo Sabres (from MIN): Anthony Mantha
17. Ottawa Senators: Mirco Mueller
18. Detroit Red Wings: Valentin Zykov
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (from NYR): Andre Burakovsky
20. San Jose Sharks: Frederik Gauthier
21. Toronto Maple Leafs: Adam Erne
22. Calgary Flames (from STL): Kerby Rychel
23. Washington Capitals: Samuel Morin
24. Vancouver Canucks: Curtis Lazar
25. Montreal Canadiens: Ryan Hartman
26. Anaheim Ducks: J.T. Compher
27. Columbus Blue Jackets (from LAK): Robert Hagg
28. Calgary Flames (from PIT): Zach Fucale
29. Dallas Stars (from BOS): Jacob de la Rose
30. Chicago Blackhawks: Ian McCoshen
Any questions or feedback about any of my picks are welcome, and I'll do my best to address them in the comments.
Thanks for reading!