2021 NHL Draft Tracker: Grading every pick in the first round
Which player did your favorite NHL team pick?
The 2021 NHL Entry Draft is upon us! Just 48 hours after learning the initial roster for the NHL’s 32nd team — the Seattle Kraken — the hockey calendar continues to push on through July with two days of draft madness.
Friday already saw a handful of major trades made between NHL teams jockeying for position for the evening’s draft, from the Philadelphia Flyers acquiring defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen from Buffalo to the Arizona Coyotes trading away Oliver Ekman-Larsson to Vancouver. Oh, and Seth Jones is heading to Chicago with an eight-year, $9.5 million AAV extension!
Even after all of that, there are sure to be more hockey trades to come over the course of the evening. Will Jack Eichel also be heading out of Buffalo? What about Vladimir Tarasenko and his situation with the St. Louis Blues?
The backdrop for all that chaos is the NHL draft, with night one featuring 30-plus picks across the league for up-and-coming hockey hopefuls. It’s a night of celebration, of intrigue, and of hope for hockey players and fans alike.
Keep an eye on this page as we update this tracker with analysis and grades throughout the evening as you enjoy the NHL draft!