DAHLEN GOES NO. 1 IN DRAFT
SWEDISH DEFENCEMAN SELECTED BY BUFFALO SABRES
Dahlen considered far and away the class of the 2018 talent pool—
The draft has become one of the most highly-anticipated days on the NHL calendar in the league’s salary cap era.
Unlike the trade deadline and the start of free agency, teams have often made big splashes with deals involving star players or high picks.
That didn’t happen Friday night.
The Buffalo Sabres did the expected by selecting Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin with the No. 1 pick, but none of the trade chatter on the floor of American Airlines Center ever metastasized into a blockbuster deal.
“It was a very quiet day on the phone,” said Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion, who has been rumoured to be taking calls about captain Erik Karlsson.
“Very quiet,” Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin added. “I don’t know why.”
Considered far and away the class of the 2018 talent pool, Dahlin had seven goals and 13 assists in 41 games for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League in 2017-18.
“It’s amazing to finally put on the Buffalo Sabres’ jersey,” said the slick 18-year-old. “I’ve been there twice. I love that city.”
The second Swedish-born player selected first overall after Mats Sundin was the top choice of the Quebec Nordiques in 1989, Dahlin also was named his country’s top junior hockey player last season.
The six-foot-three, 185pound Dahlin was honoured as the top blue liner at the 2018 world junior championship in Buffalo, registering six assists in seven games.
He also played twice for his country as a 17year-old at the 2018 PyeongchangWinter Olympics.
“I’mso excited at the moment,” he said.
The Carolina Hurricanes, selecting second, took Russianborn Barrie Colts winger Andrei Svechnikov.
Montreal, the first Canadian team to step to the microphone, took Finnish centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the No. 3 selection.
“He’s getting more mature, he’s getting more confident,” Bergevin said. “He’ll get stronger.”
The Ottawa Senators then selected Boston University winger Brady Tkachuk, the son of exNHLer Keith Tkachuk and the brother of Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk, at No. 4.
“The father had an illustrious NHL career. We’ve seen the brother play,” Dorion said. “Adding a third Tkachuk to the NHL family, it’s good for the NHL and it’s even better for the Ottawa Senators.”
The Arizona Coyotes scooped up the first Canadian-born player in the draft, grabbing Barrett Hayton of Peterborough, Ont., with the fifth pick. The centre plays for the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
When asked about being the top Canadian picked, Hayton said, “I haven’t really thought of it that much yet, but it’s a tremendous honour.”
At No. 6, the Detroit RedWings landed HalifaxMooseheads winger Filip Zadina, who had a message for teams that passed on him.
“I’mtelling my agent if they will pass on me, I will fill their net with the puck,” the Czech-born Zadina said. “Yeah, it’s just I want to prove (to) them that they have done, like, (a) bad decision.”
NewTorontoMaple Leafs GMKyle Dubas, in his first draft in the top job, traded down, sending the No. 25 pick to the St. Louis Blues for the No. 29 selection as well as the No. 76 pick in the third round. With the No. 29 pick, the Leafs took Swedish defenceman Rasmus Sandin from the Greyhounds, the junior team Dubasmanaged before coming to Toronto.
“We took the player that our scouts had as the best on our board,” Dubas said. “They’re the ones that do the work all year in the rink every single day from September through the end ofMay.”
After trading the 22nd selection to the New York Rangers for the No. 26 and 58 picks, the Senators used their second first-round spot to secure defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker from Okotoks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
The only trade of the day with current NHL players came before the draft. The Colorado Avalanche acquired goalie Philipp Grubauer and defenceman Brooks Orpik from the Washington Capitals for the 47th pick.