NHL: Final Drafts At A Glance - Top 6 NHL Draft Picks and Their Teams
The NHL drafting finally took place after a long wait, and it came as no surprise that Edmonton Oilers chose Taylor Hall as his first pick despite all the presumptions that were made. While Tyler Seguin was the second pick overall and was drafted by the league’s second-worst team Boston Bruins.
Hall seemed pretty content with the decision stating that “They're such a great franchise with so much history behind them." Edmonton Oilers stated that they couldn’t be any better-off, after obtaining a player who was so highly demand. Taylor aided his team at winning two Memorial Cup Championships and was named the Most Valued Player (MVP) twice.
Tyler Seguin who was the second pick, was being considered as a huge rival for Taylor. Many NHL scouts were mystified by both of the players surprising qualities. Seguin was drafted by the Boston Ruins, although Seguin did not seem satisfied with being the second pick. Never the less he was quoted as saying “It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true to go first round, and then to go to a team like Boston, it’s fantastic.” Tyler was the League MVP last year and obtained the Red Tilson Trophy as well. He comes off as a dominant center with a sharp mind. Apparently it was said, Bruins turned down an offer made to them by the Oilers, of trading Tyler with their second pick.
The third pick of the event was Erik Gudbranson who played for Kingston Frontenacs as a junior player. Gubdranson was chosen by the Florida Panthers who were ecstatic after picking such a strong defense player. Dall Tallon who is the general manager for the Panthers said “we’re tired of people coming to Florida and having a vacation, and with Erik we are going to be a lot tougher to play against”. Weighting at 88kgs and standing at 6 feet 4 inches the humongous kid is a ferocious athlete. The Panthers have a lot of hope from the kid and he is likely to make a huge impact on the coming years for the team.
As the fourth overall pick Ryan Johansen was drafted by Columbus Blue Jacket. Scott Howson was satisfied with the pick as he said “He is a center with size and hockey sense.” Ryan Johansen was a swift center for Portland Winter-hawks before being drafted by the Blue Jackets, he is known for his fast puck handling and sleekness.
Although Ryan said in one of his interviews that he thought he’d be opted as a higher pick but sadly wasn’t. He was content as he gave his best throughout the previous year and he was thankful that he got noticed.
The New York Islanders ranked number 5 from the bottom picked Nino Niederreiter. Nino is a Swiss player who played for the Portland Winter-hawks last year for the Western Hockey League (WHL) who was drafted as the 5th pick of the season. Nino has made history as he was the youngest member of the All-Star team and the first Swiss ever to be ranked so high. Nino seemed to have been very happy going to the Portland Winter Hawks. The young boy said "I couldn't believe it actually. My mom almost cried and I gave my dad a hug. It's just unbelievable." The General Manager for the Portland Winter Hawks Garth Show was extremely pleased with the pick. He said that Nino Neiderreiter is an excellent investment for the team’s future, his great size and smoothness on the skates despite his size is impeccable.
Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman selected Brett Connolly who was the overall 6th draft of the year. Brett Connolly played for WHL with the Prince George Cougars as their key right wing. Brett is compared to legends such as Rick Nash because of his show stopping play, he was also named CHL and WHL rookie of the year. Experts say that due to Connolly’s injuries, the ruthless player had to land at number 6 spot or he would have been in the top 3. Connolly is really happy with the selection. He said “I can't wait. I'm so excited to get to Tampa and show what I've got. I feel like I've got a lot to prove."
Although this year’s drafts were quite tough as certain franchises couldn’t get a hold of the players they wanted. The drafts were also disappointing for certain players as they did not end up in the teams they had wanted to go for. Overall though, the drafts were fair and most players and franchises were at ease after the conclusions.
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