Notes From First Round of 2018 NHL Draft

SABRES SELECT DAHLIN WITH FIRST OVERALL PICK
The Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (Trollhattan, Sweden) No. 1 overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, making him the second Swedish-born player taken with the first pick. The other: center Mats Sundin (Bromma, Sweden) in 1989 by the Quebec Nordiques.

Dahlin surpassed 2017-18 Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman (No. 2 overall by TBL in 2009; Ornskoldsvik, Sweden) as the highest-drafted Swedish-born defenseman in League history.

Dahlin also became the eighth player born outside North America chosen with the No. 1 overall selection in the NHL Draft – and second in as many years:

Year Player Team Pos. Birthplace
2018 Rasmus Dahlin BUF D Trollhattan, SWE
2017 Nico Hischier NJD C Naters, SUI
2012 Nail Yakupov EDM RW Nizhnekamsk, RUS
2004 Alex Ovechkin WSH LW Moscow, RUS
2001 Ilya Kovalchuk ATL RW Tver, RUS
1999 Patrik Stefan ATL C Pribram, CZE
1992 Roman Hamrlik TBL D Zlin, CZE
1989 Mats Sundin QUE C Bromma, SWE

Dahlin became the 15th defenseman selected with the top overall choice in the NHL Draft and first since 2014 (Aaron Ekblad, FLA):

Year Player Team Amateur Team Amateur League
2018 Rasmus Dahlin BUF Frolunda SWEDEN
2014 Aaron Ekblad FLA Barrie OHL
2006 Erik Johnson STL USA U-18 USA
1996 Chris Phillips OTT Prince Albert WHL
1995 Bryan Berard OTT Detroit Jr. OHL
1994 Ed Jovanovski FLA Windsor OHL
1992 Roman Hamrlik TBL Zlin CZECH
1985 Wendel Clark TOR Saskatoon WHL
1982 Gord Kluzak BOS Billings WHL
1979 Rob Ramage CLR Birmingham WHA
1976 Rick Green WSH London OHA
1974 Greg Joly WSH Regina WCHL
1973 Denis Potvin NYI Ottawa OHA
1967 Rick Pagnutti LAK Garson-Falconbridge NOHA
1966 Barry Gibbs BOS Estevan SJHL

The Sabres picked first overall for the third time in franchise history, with Dahlin joining centers Gilbert Perrault (1970) and Pierre Turgeon (1987).

HURRICANES ADD SVECHNIKOV WITH SECOND PICK, CANADIENS TAKE KOTKANIEMI AT NO. 3
The Carolina Hurricanes selected right wing Andrei Svechnikov (Barnaul, Russia) with the second overall pick, marking the fourth time they have drafted that high. The franchise also picked at No. 2 overall in 1983 (Sylvain Turgeon), 1993 (Chris Pronger) and 2003 (Eric Staal).

Dahlin, Svechnikov and center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Pori, Finland) – who the Montreal Canadiens took at No. 3 overall – became the second non-North American trio selected with the top three picks in an NHL Draft. The only other time that has happened: 1999, when the top four selections came from outside North America (Patrik Stefan, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Pavel Brendl).

RECORD OPENING ROUND FOR DEFENSEMEN, SWEDES

  • Fourteen defensemen were selected Friday, a record for the opening round of the NHL Draft. The prior mark of 13 last happened in 2012.
  • Six Swedish-born players were taken, matching a record for the first round also achieved in 1993, 2009 and 2011.

BREAKDOWN OF PICKS BY BIRTHPLACE, LEAGUE

  • For the first time ever, the top six picks in the NHL Draft came from six different countries (Sweden, Russia, Finland, USA, Canada, Czech Republic). A breakdown of the first 31 picks by birthplace: Canada (10); Sweden and USA (6); Russia (4); Czech Republic and Finland (2); and Germany (1).
  • Total first-round picks by amateur league: OHL (7); QMJHL (4); NTDP, SWEDEN and SWEDEN-JR. (3); FINLAND, NCAA and WHL (2); AJHL, CZREP, HIGH-MA, RUSSIA and RUSSIA-JR. (1).

FIRST-ROUND BLOODLINES
Andrei Svechnikov (No. 2 overall, CAR): His brother, Evgeny, was drafted 19th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2015 and appeared in 14 NHL games in 2017-18.

Brady Tkachuk (No. 4 overall, OTT): His father, Keith, recorded 538-527—1,065 in 1,201 career NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers and St. Louis Blues. His brother, Matthew, was drafted sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in 2016 and has registered 37-60—97 in 144 games across his first two NHL campaigns.

Quintin Hughes (No. 7 overall, VAN): His father, Jim, was a member of the U.S. Selects team that won the 1988 Spengler Cup and has held a number of coaching and player development positions in the NCAA, IHL, AHL and NHL. His mother, Ellen, played soccer, lacrosse and hockey at the University of New Hampshire and is a former member of the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team. His brother, Jack, is a member of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and is projected to be among the top prospects for the 2019 NHL Draft.

Adam Boqvist (No. 8 overall, CHI): His brother, Jesper, was drafted 36th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2017.

Nils Lundkvist (No. 28 overall, NYR): His uncle, Jan Sandstrom, was drafted 173rd overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 1999 and skated for Lulea of the Swedish Hockey League in 2017-18.

DAY 1 TRADES

  • Ottawa traded Pittsburgh’s 1st-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft (previously acquired, 22nd overall) to NY Rangers for Boston’s 1st-round pick in 2018 (previously acquired, 26th overall) and New Jersey’s 2nd-round round pick in 2018 (previously acquired, 48th overall).
  • Toronto traded its 1st-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft (25th overall) to St. Louis for Winnipeg’s 1st-round pick in 2018 (previously acquired, 29th overall) and St. Louis’ 3rd-round pick in 2018 (76th overall).
  • Washington traded G Philipp Grubauer and D Brooks Orpik to Colorado for Colorado’s 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft (47th overall).

HUMBOLDT BRONCOS RECEIVE E.J. MCGUIRE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Prior to the start of the 2018 NHL Draft, the 2017-18 Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League received the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence. Created in 2015, the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is given annually to the candidate who exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.

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