Draft Grades: Metropolitan Division
The NHL draft is complete, so it's time to hand out some grades.
We're going team by team in alphabetical order below, listing each club's picks and acquisitions, and evaluating its weekend.
Here's our assessment of the Metropolitan Division:
Carolina Hurricanes
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | D Jake Bean |
| 1 | 21 | F Julien Gauthier |
| 2 | 43 | F Janne Kuokkanen |
| 3 | 67 | F Matt Filipe |
| 3 | 74 | F Hudson Elynuik |
| 3 | 75 | G Jack LaFontaine |
| 4 | 104 | F Max Zimmer |
| 5 | 134 | G Jeremy Helvig |
| 5 | 164 | D Noah Carroll |
Bean is another young defenseman injected into the Hurricanes' system, and he's got tremendous offensive upside. The rest of the club's draft was focused on forwards, highlighted by snipers Gauthier and Kuokkanen. Carolina had six picks in the first three rounds - that's a great draft no matter how you look at it. And you can never have too many goalies in the system.
Grade: A
Columbus Blue Jackets
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | F Pierre-Luc Dubois |
| 2 | 34 | D Andrew Peeke |
| 3 | 65 | F Vitaly Abramov |
| 6 | 155 | G Peter Thome |
| 7 | 185 | F Calvin Thurkauf |
Everyone had Jesse Puljujarvi going third in the first round - except the Blue Jackets. Watching how the careers of Pierre-Luc Dubois and Puljujarvi evolve will be fascinating, but the bottom line is that Columbus got a highly touted offensive player it desperately needs. Peeke was projected to go later in the draft, but Columbus was able to snag Abramov late, and he's an offensive dynamo - he put up similar numbers to Dubois in the QMJHL last season. The club also traded Kerby Rychel, but the return - Scott Harrington and a conditional fifth-round pick - will only serve as minor-league depth. A few more selections over the weekend would have been ideal.
Grade: C+
New Jersey Devils
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | F Michael McLeod |
| 2 | 41 | F Nathan Bastian |
| 3 | 73 | F Joey Anderson |
| 3 | 80 | F Brandon Gignac |
| 4 | 102 | F Mikhail Maltsev |
| 4 | 105 | G Evan Cormier |
| 5 | 132 | D Yegor Rykov |
| 6 | 162 | F Jesper Bratt |
| 7 | 192 | D Jeremy Davies |
The Devils traded down one selection to select Michael McLeod, picking up the 80th pick from the Ottawa Senators in the process. McLeod has the talent to become a No. 1 center, and Bastian is another big body who played with McLeod in Mississauga. New Jersey loaded up on young offensive talent, because that's what it needs. The club also added Beau Bennett for a third-round pick, and he's got ties to general manager Ray Shero.
Grade: B
New York Islanders
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | F Kieffer Bellows |
| 4 | 95 | F Anatoli Golyshev |
| 4 | 120 | F Otto Koivula |
| 6 | 170 | F Collin Adams |
| 7 | 193 | F Nick Pastujov |
| 8 | 200 | D David Quenneville |
In a perfect world - and a few years down the line - Kieffer Bellows will be the Islanders' next Kyle Okposo. The kid can flat out score, and to get him at No. 19 is a win. New York traded up to grab Golyshev, who scored 25 goals in the KHL last year. He's a small, skilled forward who's older than most draftees at 21 and signed to play in Russia through 2019. Garth Snow also traded up to draft Koivula, who's a massive 17-year-old with offensive talent. The club made moves to secure help up front, and did it with only one pick through the first three rounds. We applaud their faith.
Grade: A-
New York Rangers
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 81 | D Sean Day |
| 4 | 98 | D Tarmo Reunanen |
| 5 | 141 | F Tim Gettinger |
| 6 | 171 | F Gabriel Fontaine |
| 6 | 174 | G Tyler Wall |
| 7 | 201 | F Ty Ronning |
Nobody remembers the last time the Rangers drafted in the first round. Day had exceptional status to play in the OHL at 15, and he fell to New York in the third round. The Rangers will have to work with him, but there's definitely talent there as well as in offensively minded Reunanen. Gettinger is a huge body and has upside as well. The club made a late trade in acquiring defenseman Nick Holden from the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth-rounder, but eventually New York has to learn that it needs more picks, not less.
Grade: C-
Philadelphia Flyers
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | F German Rubtsov |
| 2 | 36 | F Pascal Laberge |
| 2 | 48 | G Carter Hart |
| 2 | 52 | F Wade Allison |
| 3 | 82 | F Carsen Twarynski |
| 4 | 109 | F Connor Bunnaman |
| 5 | 139 | D Linus Hogberg |
| 6 | 169 | F Tanner Laczynski |
| 6 | 172 | F Anthony Salintri |
| 7 | 199 | D David Bernhardt |
Five picks in the first three rounds - and 10 overall - is a definitive win. The Flyers loaded up on offensive talent, trading down four spots to grab a very smart player in Rubtsov while moving up 43 spots later in the draft. Also, Laberge has the talent to become a top-six forward. Ron Hextall also drafted a goalie in Hart who he believes can be a No. 1. A great weekend.
Grade: A+
Pittsburgh Penguins
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 55 | G Filip Gustavsson |
| 2 | 61 | F Kasper Bjorkvist |
| 3 | 77 | D Connor Hall |
| 4 | 121 | D Ryan Jones |
| 5 | 151 | D Niclas Almari |
| 6 | 181 | D Joseph Masonius |
The Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016, so their 2016 draft isn't necessarily the most important to them. Still, the club targeted defensemen - trading Beau Bennett for the 77th pick in Hall, who can fit into Mike Sullivan's system that emphasizes speed and skill. The blueprint's in place for years to come, and Gustavsson could develop into an NHL starter in the crease. Bjorkvist has been compared to Leo Komarov, and the Pens love the edge in his age. All in all, not a bad weekend for the champs.
Grade: B-
Washington Capitals
Draft picks
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | D Lucas Johansen |
| 3 | 87 | F Garrett Pilon |
| 4 | 117 | F Damien Riat |
| 5 | 145 | F Beck Malenstyn |
| 5 | 147 | F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby |
| 6 | 177 | D Chase Priskie |
| 7 | 207 | D Dmitriy Zaitsev |
The Capitals are hopeful Johansen can be a middle-pairing defenseman. They targeted responsible offensive players on Day 2, and there's nothing wrong with that. Priskie could be a steal out of the NCAA.
Grade: B-