There were no major surprises in the opening round of the 2014 NHL draft. The consensus top-five prospects were off the board within the first five picks and most of the round followed suit with only a few minor risers and fallers.
Most of the players drafted, especially those taken outside the top 10, are looking at a few more years of development before they are NHL-ready. It means final judgment of this year's draft can't be passed for at least a handful of seasons.
That said, it's hard to miss badly on opening night given the talented level of the prospects. It would take a major mistake to get a failing mark, and that didn't happen this time around. So let's check out grades for the first round, followed by a look at the day's trades and top picks.
Round 1 Grades
Day 1 Trades
Outlook for Top Picks
Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers)
While there was a debate about which forward was the best available, Ekblad was a clear step above the rest among defensemen. A highly skilled two-way ...
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Article written by Tim Daniels
2014 NHL Draft Results: List of Picks, Trades and Letter Grades from Day 1
June 28th, 2014 by Tim Daniels Leave a reply »
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