Pick No. - Team - Player

1. New Jersey Devils — Jack Hughes, C, U.S. U18 (NTDP) Dynamic playmaking center with speed who is worth the price of admission. He will be the centerpiece of the franchise for the next 10 years and beyond. That’s two Hughes brothers in the top 10 of the draft in consecutive years, with younger brother Luke expected to be there in 2021. Any talk that Hughes is not ready for the NHL is nonsense — this kid is a tireless worker who always looks to improve his game. Grade: A

2. New York Rangers — Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS Turku (SM-Liiga) Has Rick Nash’s strength, Peter Forsberg’s balance and agility, and Vladimir Tarasenko’s goal-scoring abilities. Toyed with NHL defensemen at the world championships and broke Aleksander Barkov’s under-18 goal-scoring mark in Finland’s elite SM-Liiga. The Rangers have never drafted an elite forward of Kakko’s ilk, and he will wear down the opposition like no other in his year group. Grade: A

3. Chicago Blackhawks — Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL) Great size, length and outstanding vision. He controls the puck as well as any draft-eligible peer. Can run a power play and be a threat to score on the penalty kill. Speed is deceptive in open ice but displays agility and escapability in tight quarters. A little bit of Joe Thornton mixed in with Ryan Getzlaf. Grade: A-

4. Colorado Avalanche (from Ottawa) — Bowen Byram, LHD, Vancouver (WHL) Skilled, confident and mean are the three things that come to mind when watching him play. He’s been a real leader on the ice for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants and seemed to log over 30 minutes a game in the playoffs. First defender in WHL history to lead the playoffs in scoring. Big shot, smooth skater and agile, and aggressive in the offensive zone. Grade: A

5. Los Angeles Kings — Alex Turcotte, C, U.S. U18 (NTDP) A powerful, fearless and fast 200-foot center who can be a dual threat in the offensive zone. Already executes odd-man rushes at an NHL level in terms of decision-making and precision. His father Alfie was a first-round pick of the Habs back in 1984. Will play for Tony Granato at Wisconsin this coming season. Grade: A

6. Detroit Red Wings — Moritz Seider, RHD, Adler Mannheim (DEL) If you watched the IIHF men’s world championships, then you saw what the hype was about. This kid can skate, deliver the puck accurately and also play a physical, smothering brand of defense. His team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga won the postseason crown, and Seider was a key contributor during their playoff run. He’s ready for the NHL as we speak. Grade: C+

7. Buffalo Sabres — Dylan Cozens, C/W, Lethbridge (WHL) Led all WHL first-year eligibles in scoring with 84 points. Excellent speed and first-step quickness. More of a north-south skater but very difficult to slow down or double-team. He can be a shark in the neutral zone and picks off a lot of passes that lead to odd-man breaks. Will do anything coach asks of him and uses physicality to his advantage. Grade: A

8. Edmonton Oilers — Philip Broberg, LHD, AIK (Allsvenskan) Fast, fearless, and physical are three things that stand out about his game. He loves to initiate the rush and spends most of his time creating or looking for openings for a chance at the net. Can deliver big hits in open ice. More of a shoot-first defender than a playmaker but has top-pairing upside with star potential. Grade: B+

9. Anaheim Ducks — Trevor Zegras, C, U.S. U18 (NTDP) Ridiculous vision and hockey sense. Has top-line and all-star potential. Executes plays on his backhand that most players outside of Hughes and a few others can’t do on their forehand. Shifty and strong on the puck. I compared him to Mathew Barzal but Zegras may end being better. He’s a Boston University recruit. Grade: A

10. Vancouver Canucks — Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA Neva (VHL) No draft prospect competes as hard as this Russian wolverine, whose relentless pursuit of the puck can only be matched by his ability to control the pace of a game. He’s not only smart, but also capable of highlight-reel plays. His physical style and ability to get under an opponent's skin will make him one of the most hated players in the league, but that’s a good thing for the Canucks. Grade: A

11. Arizona Coyotes (from Philadelphia) — Victor Soderstrom, RHD, Brynäs IF Clean, graceful and can play physical. More advanced on his side of the redline with Brynas than Adam Boqvist was with the same program a year ago.Dealt with some injuries but he was in my opinion the best Swedish defenseman within a very strong group. Grade: A-

12. Minnesota Wild — Matthew Boldy, LW, U.S. U18 (NTDP) Ridiculous smarts and patience with the puck, but also delivers jaw-dropping moves and set-ups near the net. Can serve a variety of roles. Powerful skater, nimble for his size, soft hands and can unleash a hard shot. It’s between he and Vasily Podkolzin for best two-way winger in the draft. Boldy is a Bay Stater heading to Boston College. Grade: A

13. Florida Panthers — Spencer Knight, G, U.S. 18 (NTDP) After a year full of speculation and prognosticating, Knight becomes the highest goalie taken in the first round since Jack Campbell went 11th overall in 2010. Knight is as technically superior a goalie you’ll find in a teenager. Has Carey Price’s positioning, Jonathan Quick’s reflexes and Ron Hextall’s wrists. Forget recent goalie trends — every team should have coveted him and he would have been top five in any draft prior to 2010 or 2011. Grade: A

14. Philadelphia Flyers (from Arizona) — Cam York, LHD, U.S. 18 (NTDP) A phenomenal puck rusher, NTDP defenseman Cam York is off to Philadelphia to play for the Flyers. He is an excellent in-game manager who knows how to maximize the strengths of his forwards and deliver the puck to the right options. He can also play defense and will deliver a big hit on occasion. Has potential to be a big point producer in the NHL. Grade: A

15. Montreal Canadiens — Cole Caufield, RW, U.S. U18 (NTDP) Off the board to Montreal is goal-scorer extraordinaire Caufield. Broke Phil Kessel’s and Auston Matthews’ goal-scoring records at the NTDP by a mile. His 72 tallies with the NTDP were scored in a manner of ways. Excellent speed and elusiveness but doesn’t back down from a challenge and plays inside. Ridiculous shot-release combination and timing is impeccable. Will join Turcotte at Wisconsin in the fall. Grade: A

16. Colorado Avalanche — Alex Newhook, C, Victoria (BCHL) He dominated the BCHL as top scorer and league MVP. Could easily have crushed Canadian major junior but wanted to keep his NCAA eligibility to play for Boston College. Deadly in open ice and can finish in a variety of ways. His execution below the hash marks is near-perfect, but he can also wire it home from either circle. A real offensive force. Grade: A

17. Vegas Golden Knights — Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay (WHL) A real warrior with excellent vision and playmaking abilities. His game is modeled after Jonathan Toews — very good on draws, kills penalties, and runs the power play from the half wall. His gear-changing and agility in open ice consistently catches defenders flat footed. Also has an abrasive side and will deliver big hits with authority. Recently suffered a torn Achilles but should be good to go for next season. Grade: A

18. Dallas Stars — Thomas Harley, LHD, Mississauga (OHL) Another quality defender is off the market as Mississauga’s Thomas Harley goes to the Stars at No. 18. Harley’s first pass has a high success rate, but he also has keen vision to make backdoor feeds via the pump fake or slap pass. He has size, poise and graceful mobility, but playing more physical and cleaning up his defensive-zone play are a must. Grade: A-

19. Ottawa Senators (from Columbus) — Lassi Thomson, RHD, Kelowna (WHL) Ottawa takes Finnish puck mover Lassi Thomson. Big kid with a dandy of a shot. Can run a power play as well. A little off the board for my taste but a solid addition nonetheless since the Sens are deep everywhere. Grade: B+

20. Winnipeg Jets — Ville Heinola, LHD, Lukko (SM-Liiga) Smart pick by the Jets to grab dynamic offensive defenseman Ville Heinola out of Finland. Excellent skater and decision maker and will beat goalies with his wrister from the high slot. He’s very difficult to contain because he always stays in motion, including when he’s running the power play. Held his own as a 17-year-old defenseman in Finland’s SM-Liiga. Grade: A

21. Pittsburgh Penguins — Samuel Poulin, LW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL) Penguins select rugged three-zone winger Samuel Poulin, whose father Patrick in 1991 went ninth overall to the Hartford Whalers. Poulin plays a meaner, more aggressive style than his dad, but he can also impact his shifts with expert puck control, smart passing and a nice finishing touch around the net. He throws his weight around with regularity, and his effort can never be questioned. Grade: B+

22. Los Angeles Kings (from Toronto) — Tobias Bjornfot, LHD, Djurgårdens IF (SHL) Excellent pick by the Kings to grab one of my favorite defensemen in the draft. Sweden’s Tobias Bjornfot is one of the cleanest puck distributors you’’l find, but he also is decisive with his counterattacks and he can transition from defense to offense as well as any blueliner available at the draft. He has top-pairing upside and star potential. Grade: B

23. New York Islanders — Simon Holmstrom, RW, HV 71 Jr. (SHL) Islanders go way off the board and take inconsistent Swedish sniper Simon Holmstrom. He dealt with injuries and finished strong, but he was a disappointment considering his pre-draft hype. Looks like a good showing at last April’s U18’s boosted his stock, but the Isles left better prospects on the table. Grade: D

24. Nashville Predators — Phil Tomasino, C, Niagara (OHL) Speedy center Phil Tomasino is a very good pick for the Predators at No. 24. Not only does he use his wheels to exploit defensemen of all sizes and mobility, but he knows how to execute precision plays off the rush. It isn’t a banner year for OHL draft prospects, but Tomasino distinguished himself as one of the best. Grade: A

25. Washington Capitals — Connor McMichael, C, London (OHL) Slick playmaking center Connor McMichael heads to Washington at 25th overall. He didn’t get a lot of attention in draft circles because his London Knights were overflowing with elite NHL prospects. But he still was the team’s top scorer and proved to be as lethal shooting the puck as he was setting it up. Knights coach Dale Hunter knows how to develop these kids into stars, and McMichael has the puck skills to make it happen. Grade: A

26. Calgary Flames — Jakob Pelletier, LW, Moncton (QMJHL) Flames take hard-nosed winger Jakob Pelletier from the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. Much like Podkolzin, Pelletier is a nightmare to play against and it as opportunistic as they come. He hounds the puck relentlessly but also knows how to settle things down to execute set plays off the turnover. A student of the game, Pelletier can fill a variety of roles and still reveal elite puck skills. Grade: A

27. Tampa Bay Lightning — Nolan Foote, LW, Kelowna (WHL) It’s hard to fault the Bolts at anything draft related, but taking a power winger with average speed made me do a slight double take. Yes, Nolan Foote’s older brother Callan was their first pick in 2017, so they got the family thing going on. Tampa could have made a bigger splash but opted for a forward whose upside is limited to the second or third line. Grade: B

28. Carolina Hurricanes — Ryan Suzuki, C, Barrie (OHL) The Hurricanes select center Ryan Suzuki from the OHL’s Barrie Colts. The younger brother of Habs’ prospect Nick Suzuki, Ryan did not have the luxury of playing on a deep team but still carried the offense after Barrie gutted its roster. He’s quick, has an deadly wrister but also contributes in other areas beyond the offensive zone. Grade: A

29. Anaheim Ducks (from San Jose) — Brayden Tracey, LW, Moose Jaw (WHL) Tracey is a hard working winger who was the WHL’s Rookie of the Year, and he was one of Canada’s top players at the under-18 worlds. His effort is excellent and he can impact shifts when he isn’t sniping wristers under the bar. Very good pick by the Ducks since he fits their mold of high-compete forwards. Grade: B+

30. Boston Bruins — John Beecher, C, U.S. 18 (NTDP) Watch out NHL, because the Bruins just drafted NTDP center John Beecher — one of the meanest and fastest 6-foot-3, 200-pound pivots they’ll ever see. Beecher bit the bullet by assuming the fourth-line role on a team with the greatest collection of centers in NHL draft prospect history, but he still found a way to distinguish himself at both even strength and on the penalty kill. He’ll be playing for Michigan in the fall, and his skill set is perfect for the hard-hitting college game. Grade: A