The Capitals and Ovechkin finally have their title and the NHL world is now back to natural order, but not for long, the draft is just a few days away and for front office suits the new season has already officially begun.
On June 22nd through the 23rd, the American Airlines Centre in Dallas will belong to the men of steel and their rookie hopefuls as they attend the traditional NHL Entry Draft. Last year the draft was on the other side of the Mississippi, in Chicago.
This year’s draft class will come into a league that is arguably dominated by versatile and prolific defensemen. The Buffalo Sabres will go first, followed by the Hurricanes, Canadiens, and the Ottawa Senators who could quite frankly do with an overhaul. 2017/18 champions, the Capitals enter the draft as the last in the first round, a position that surely is soothed by old Stanley being in their company.
One name stands out of the pack in this year’s draft, 18-year-old Swedish Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
What hasn’t been said about the kid already? You could reproach his tendency to be a tad bit selfish with the puck or his competitive streak, but then if you’ve ever watched or follow the NBA, what comes to mind as what Dahlin is, will be along the lines of a Kawhi Leonard heading towards LeBron James-ness. The description “generational talent” is easily thrown about when it comes to this 6’2 185-pounder, with an impeccable four-way skating ability, mesmerizing puck skills, unbelievable vision and intelligence, for a young man of his age. He is simply the kind of player you build a team around, period.
An undisputable number one is followed by undisputed number two, Andrei Svechnikov.
The Russian has been an uncontested number two since scouting and word about the draft started and it has stayed that way in the mind of everyone who has watched this 18-year-old. A terrific shot, puck skills and the ability to play both wings are just a few of the measurable attributes that make this “big man” stand out. The Hurricanes definitely can shoot two birds with one rookie here.
Now the third pick starts to get a little tight and will come down ultimately to the Canadiens and who they feel will best fit the bill for them, but if they are to follow popular opinion, Winger, Filip Zadina from the Czech Republic, who shoots left, with a devastating perimeter shot, knows how to score the puck and has the agility most can only dream of. However, names like Quinton Hughes from Michigan and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, have also made the rounds around that third pick.
Another standout name has been Brady Tkachuk.
The Winger from Boston University. A gritty player and natural leader. Possessing great balance and agility, Tkachuk is also a very creative player, which makes him a truly unique talent and the kind of player you’d definitely want to have in the grind out games and when push comes to shove.
Noah Dobson, out of Acadie-Bathurst is another defenseman with a great two-way game and has seen his draft stock climb as consistently as his game. He has quite a shot, is a clinical scorer and possesses loads of stamina. The mentions will not be complete without throwing in Evan Bouchard, the two-way defenseman out of London who has a mean right shot and is already built for the physical demands of the NHL.
So, what we know as sure as Dallas hosting the draft is that Dahlin will be the first pick and all eyes will be on this young man for the rest of the season, Svechnikov, yes, but he’ll have less pressure because it’ll be a Dahlin season. We wait to see what decisions the other teams make and which hidden gems will be unearthed because this class of 2018 seems to hold a lot of this particular thing – promise.
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