Gavin McKenna ahead of Ivar Stenberg and Caleb Malhotra – no surprise among the top three, and not immediately thereafter either. Four defenders followed, including Alberts Smits, known from the World Championship, going to the New York Rangers at number 5.
Perhaps the first small surprise came from New Jersey at number 12 with Alexander Command. However, the Swedish center had a strong second half of the season and U18 World Championship, and with his physical style, he is considered extremely suitable for overseas play.
Overall, the top of the draft was a good opportunity to acquire centers and defenders – two positions that are not always easy to fill externally.
Goaltenders Called Later
As expected, no goalie was selected in the first round. Of the 32 goaltenders drafted (one per team on average), Tobias Trejbal was the first at number 42 (Calgary Flames).
He was also one of six Czech netminders drafted this year – which was not surprising, as only Russia had a higher number with seven.
Canada's problems at this position are likely to continue – the first of only five goalies was not selected until the fourth round.
Vancouver Canucks Got Bigger
Caleb Malhotra going to the Canucks at number 3 – that was expected. Any potential issues with him and his father coaching on the same team are already delayed for another year or two, as Caleb will first attend college.
Scouting Director Todd Harvey implemented the draft philosophy set by his GM Ryan Johnson ("We want to get bigger and faster, nobody should push us around anymore"): Not a single one of the nine Canucks' picks is listed under six feet, including center Brooks Rogowski (number 33), a two-meter tall player.
It will be interesting to see how Marco Rossi fits into this philosophy. "Size over skills" at any cost?
Speaking of Size
Just a stunt draft or more? Defenseman Alexander Karmanov is not only a Moldovan native (with a Russian passport), which already makes him unique. Even more striking: His basketball height (2.16 meters / 7'1") makes him the tallest player ever drafted.
The San Jose Sharks selected him in the seventh round after just 20 games in the OHL. With such a pick, there's not much to lose; at worst, it remains an amusing footnote for a player who, of course, cannot buy his equipment off the rack.
Weak Year for DACH Countries
For the German-speaking countries, it was, as expected, an unproductive year: Swiss player Lars Steiner was not selected until the sixth round (St. Louis) – did his announced return to Davos play a role here?
Also a weak draft year for Germany – Tobias Krestan (LA Kings, final round) was the only one to carry the flag. At the U18 World Championship, he didn't appear nimble, but at least showed some force around the net. Since he played for HV71 in Sweden, German leagues went empty-handed this year, unless one counts Smits to Red Bull Munich.
Austria, like last year, had no picks: Leon Kolarik failed to impress the talent scouts, but can prove himself again in Peterborough next season.
It was also not a good year for Norway and Denmark, with one player each – power forward Niklas Aaram Olsen was selected in the second round (Vancouver), while Danish goalie Anton Wilde, who bravely held his own under a barrage of shots at the U18 and U20 World Championships, was taken in the sixth round (Dallas Stars).
One Pair of Twins United, Another Not
As they had hoped: The Ruck twins should play side-by-side in the coming years. The Pittsburgh Penguins selected goal-scorer Liam at 22nd overall, and his brother Markus 17 picks later.
This did not (yet) happen for another pair: Finnish center Anttoni Uronen was drafted 182nd overall by Columbus, but his brother Eelis (captain of the U18 national team as a defenseman) was not drafted at all.
Selected in Their Third or Fourth Year
Tomas Galvas has indeed gotten two years older in the last two years – but his game has remained the same.
The agile Czech defenseman was finally drafted, 54th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. They and other teams could have acquired him in previous years at the discounted price of a late-round pick.
Another year later, in his fourth and final year of eligibility, Slovak Tomas Kralovic found his draft fortune. The defenseman from Slovan Bratislava showed previously unknown offensive dimensions this year, prompting Tampa Bay to pick him at 90th overall. Kralovic was the only player born in 2005 in this year's draft.
So, one or more drafts where your name isn't called don't necessarily mean the end of all hopes…
