The first round of the 2014 NHL draft didn't feature many big surprises, which underscores just how well every team scouted, evaluated and ultimately selected.
There wasn't much debate until after the top five, but even most of the picks thereafter went largely by the book. It will take several years before the true impact of this draft class is known, but it should yield plenty of impact players and leave a larger mark on the game than most anticipated.
Nearly all of the teams selecting in the first round did an excellent job, but some were better than others. In the aftermath of the opening round, here are early grades that reflect how every first-round team fared.
NHL Draft Round 1 Grades
Breaking Down Best Round 1 Picks
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
The Florida Panthers may have gotten the most polished player in the draft when they selected defenseman Aaron Ekblad first overall, but it can be argued that the Sabres got the best player in the form of center Sam Reinhart.
No player in junior hockey has been as consistent ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mike Chiari
2014 NHL Draft Grades: Complete Results and Scores for Each Team from Day 1
June 28th, 2014 by Mike Chiari Leave a reply »
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