The first round of the all-virtual 2020 NHL draft had a little bit of everything. It started as expected, with Alexis Lafreniere being selected No. 1 overall by the New York Rangers. Then the Los Angeles Kings made Quinton Byfield the highest-drafted Black player in NHL draft history. The rest of the top 10 picks went largely to plan. Then things got fun.
The Nashville Predators drafted a highly regarded goaltender prospect at No. 11. The Flames traded back twice. The New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets went off the board with reaches. It was a wild opening night of the two-day draft.
Which teams aced Day 1? Which picks were surprising? Let's look at the biggest winners and losers of Round 1 and answer some of the biggest questions coming out of the first 31 picks. Then we will peek at Round 2 and beyond, with the best remaining talent still on the board.
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Winners | Head-scratchers | Big questions
Best remaining | Pick-by-pick analysis
WINNERS
The New York Rangers land a star
Picks: Alexis Lafreniere (No. 1) and Braden Schneider (No. 19)
It's easy to walk away a winner when you have the first pick, but the Rangers have to feel especially excited because it is very rare to get a player this NHL-ready. Lafreniere is physically and mentally mature. He plays a physical brand of hockey that only adds to his immense skill set.
Although future New York teammate Kaapo Kakko found the NHL transition difficult last year, the 2019 No. 2 overall pick has time to develop, and patience will be required. Conversely, I don't think much patience is required for Lafreniere, who will enter the league fully formed and be an immediate impact player for a team that has legitimate playoff aspirations. Lafreniere is probably the final key piece the team needs to cap off its rebuild and start looking to contend.
The Los Angeles Kings make the right call
Pick: Quinton Byfield (No. 2)
While Alexis Lafreniere is the headliner, and rightfully so, I think the Kings hit a home run with the second overall pick in Byfield. There were so many rumors floating around that L.A. was going to take Tim Stutzle, but it decided to go with the big center, and that was the right call. Byfield has star potential and could be in the Kings' lineup as early as next season.
Although I still think Lafreniere will be the best player in this draft class, Byfield's statistical résumé, relative youth and physical profile all suggest that he could have one of the highest ceilings of the group. The Kings had a decision to make, and I think they made the right one, one that will have long-term positive effects on their organization.
The Ottawa Senators get a haul
Picks: Tim Stutzle (No. 3), Jake Sanderson (No. 5) and Ridly Greig (No. 28)
The Sens couldn't really go wrong with two picks in the top five. At No. 3, they were taking whomever Los Angeles didn't, and they got a game-breaking winger who is going to be a cornerstone for their rebuild in Stutzle. At No. 5, they nabbed the best pure defender in the draft and a player who is just beginning to tap into his offensive game with Sanderson. Both are among the best skaters at their respective positions in this class, too, making the Sens' system faster. Then Ottawa added an edgy, gritty forward in Greig, who also brings some skill to the table.
The Winnipeg Jets find great value in the top 10
Pick: Cole Perfetti (No. 10)
The Jets usually don't miss in the first round, and this time, they had a gift fall into their laps. Perfetti was the No. 4 prospect on my final draft list. Regardless of whether it was his size or his skating that caused him to slip down the board to No. 10, the Jets got incredible value and an elite playmaker who has the potential to play either on the wing or at center. He's one of the most skilled players in the class, and his decision-making with the puck is unrivaled.
An excellent goalie prospect to the Nashville Predators
Pick: Yaroslav Askarov (No. 11)
We all thought the best goalie prospect could go in the top 10, but luckily for the Predators, he didn't. Askarov has long-term No. 1 potential and will be able to fill the void that is eventually left by Pekka Rinne as his career winds down. Askarov has 6-foot-3 size and explosiveness, and he's one of the best goaltenders I've seen enter the draft since I've been evaluating prospects. Goalies are scary to project, but Askarov is so far ahead in his development compared to players his age that I think some of those concerns are mitigated. He was a great value add at No. 11.
Two trade-backs and a steal for the Calgary Flames
Pick: Connor Zary (No. 24)
The Flames traded back twice, earning draft picks in the second and third rounds, and they still landed a talented prospect whom I consider a strong stylistic fit in Calgary. Zary is not the most skilled player, but he makes a lot of plays and showed a lot of creativity while playing in the WHL. To be able to get the player you want and get extra picks is a very savvy piece of business from Brad Treliving.
The San Jose Sharks' great moment
Pick: Ozzy Wiesblatt (No. 31)
Wiesblatt was taken with the last pick of the first round. He's a very intriguing player with a good amount of skill, and I had him projected in the first round before a few players pushed him back later in the process. He has plenty of time to develop, too. I'm highlighting the pick here because of how it was done. Doug Wilson Jr., the Sharks' director of scouting, signed the pick as he made it, signaling to Wiesblatt's mother -- who is hearing impaired -- that her son just became an NHL draft pick. It was a touching moment to cap off the first round.
Bow ties were out!
Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle brought out the bow ties for the draft, making the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, respectively, the night's best-dressed players. Stutzle's bow tie inspiration came from last year's top German pick, Detroit's Moritz Seider, and did the speedy winger ever pull it off. I'm not a big bow tie guy, but those two youngsters made me think about whether I should become one.
HEAD-SCRATCHERS
The New Jersey Devils taking Shakir Mukhamadullin
The Devils' getting Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer with their first two picks was just fine. They're both going to be players who help at the NHL level. However, New Jersey's draft got confusing when the Rangers leapfrogged the Devils to take Braden Schneider, a prospect the Devils likely wanted with their pick at No. 20.
There was a very, very good chance that the Devils would have taken a defenseman no matter what, but they left a ton of value on the board by selecting Mukhamadullin, who needs a lot of work and smoothing out of his game. He was the No. 86 player on my draft board, moving up from No. 97 only recently because of his improved play in the KHL. I think the Devils could have traded down and still gotten great value while going after guys they like. Mukhamadullin is big and has some upside, but the risk factor is enormous.
The Russian factor is gone?
It has dwindled for years, but I think this draft is going to allow us to officially declare "the Russian factor" -- often attributed to prospects from Russia sliding in the draft for reasons otherwise unexplained -- dead. There was a narrative that Russian players are harder to sign because they are tied to the KHL. Although it is true that their KHL clubs have the ability to sign them to long-term deals and often do, NHL teams are getting more information from players about their NHL intentions. Most of the top prospects still want to come to North America; the big question is often when.
The first goalie off the board and the highest pick at goaltender in a decade was Russian Yaroslav Askarov, whom the Predators took at No. 11. Then at No. 15, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked the highly skilled Rodion Amirov. After that, there were a couple of big shockers, as Shakir Mukhamadullin went to the Devils at No. 20 and Yegor Chinakhov went 21st to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Neither player was widely projected to go anywhere close to the first round. When you see teams reaching for Russians, you have to guess the fears are gone for most teams.
The KHL season has been underway for a few weeks now, allowing these players some last-minute views for scouts, and all of them have performed at a high level. It's a benefit that other prospects have not had yet, and though it probably wasn't a huge factor, it was an important data point in the evaluation.
We came here for trades ...
Aside from Calgary trading down twice, there was next to nothing on the trade market. Part of that could have been the fact that GMs were not a few steps away from one another on the draft floor, as they would be in a normal year. Even so, there are phones at the draft tables, and those get worked regularly on top of the face-to-face negotiations.
The expectation, given the flat cap, is that teams are going to get a lot more aggressive in the coming days as we build toward free agency. Maybe there will be more movement on Day 2, and maybe some of that will include NHL talent.
WHAT WE LEARNED
What is the biggest takeaway from the opening 31 picks?
Consensus did not exist from the No. 12 pick on. We all expected the first 12 players picked to be in that range, but after that, it was anyone's guess. There were two way-off-the-board picks at Nos. 20 and 21, and that throws the whole thing upside down. There were a lot of wild cards in the first round, too, including Hendrix Lapierre and Justin Barron, each of whom was selected in the latter third of the draft. Each dealt with health issues that caused his draft stock to suffer a bit.
Looks like it was a tough year for the American prospects?
Was it ever. Only two Americans were selected in the first round after last year's record-setting first round saw 11 taken, including eight from one team (U.S. National Team Development Program's U18 squad). This year, only one NTDP player was selected, as Jake Sanderson went No. 5 to Ottawa. Then California native Brendan Brisson was taken 29th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights. That's it.
These things tend to run in cycles, but this first round had the fewest Americans selected since 1994. There should be a run on U.S. players on Day 2, but it was pretty weird to see Germany with as many first-rounders as the U.S. this year.
What was the biggest shock of the first round?
Although my jaw dropped when the Devils picked Mukhamadullin, I knew he was a player who could go way earlier than I expected. I did not, however, anticipate Jarmo Kekalainen stepping to the mic and picking Yegor Chinakhov for the Blue Jackets. He is a second-year draft-eligible prospect currently playing in the KHL, and he played almost all of last season in Russia's U20 league. But he is also a year older than most of the players taken in the first round. This is one pick I did not see coming in the least, even as Chinakhov got off to a hot start in the KHL to start this season.
What was the first real departure from the "best player available" strategy?
I don't think the Buffalo Sabres got the best player available when they took Jack Quinn at No. 8. That's my opinion. Quinn very well could have been the best player available on Buffalo's board, and he scored 52 goals last season. But I have more faith in Cole Perfetti and Marco Rossi as prospects, even though Quinn is a legitimate goal-scoring threat, which obviously carries a lot of value.
This was our first glimpse of the Sabres' new regime led by Kevyn Adams. They're taking a bit of a risk -- no doubt. It isn't a dramatic one, but fans were already skeptical about where things are heading, and I don't know that this will calm those concerns.
LOOKING AHEAD TO DAY 2
What are you watching in Rounds 2-7?
I'm curious to see how big of a run on defensemen we have early in the second round. There are a number of quality defensemen whom I'd prioritize if I'm a team that could use some blue-line help in the pipeline. Among the most intriguing options are Canadians Ryan O'Rourke and Jeremie Poirier and Swedes William Wallinder and Helge Grans. It could be a big run Wednesday morning.
I also wonder how long it will be before another goalie is taken. Yaroslav Askarov cast a huge shadow over this class, but that was in part because it was a weak goalie year. I think American Drew Commesso makes a lot of sense as the next goalie off the board, but some teams might be eyeing Finnish netminder Joel Blomqvist. We might not see either of those players go before the third round, though.
Which prospect are you keeping an eye on?
When will Noel Gunler go? He was one of the most polarizing prospects of the season, but I thought he could sneak into the first round. I think teams will find him more palatable early on Day 2, but his stock has definitely dropped. It doesn't help that he hasn't been relied on much by his pro team in Sweden this season. If teams were looking for him to take a step, he hasn't yet, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see him drop.
Who are the 15 best remaining prospects on the board?
1. John-Jason Peterka, RW, Munchen (Germany)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 192 | Shot: L
Stats: 42 GP, 7 G, 4 A
2. Vasily Ponomarev, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 180 | Shot: L
Stats: 57 GP, 18 G, 31 A
3. Noel Gunler, RW, Lulea (Sweden)
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 176 | Shot: R
Stats: 45 GP, 4 G, 9 A
4. Thomas Bordeleau, C, USA U18 (NTDP)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 175 | Shot: L
Stats: 47 GP, 16 G, 30 A
5. Ryan O'Rourke, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 178 | Shot: L
Stats: 54 GP, 7 G, 30 A
6. Helge Grans, D, Malmo Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 206 | Shot: R
Stats: 27 GP, 4 G, 23 A
7. Jeremie Poirier, D, Saint John (QMJHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 196 | Shot: L
Stats: 64 GP, 20 G, 33 A
8. Marat Khusnutdinov, C, SKA St. Petersburg 2 (Russia Jr.)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 176 | Shot: L
Stats: 44 GP, 13 G, 25 A
9. Jan Mysak, C, Hamilton (OHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 175 | Shot: L
Stats: 22 GP, 15 G, 10 A
10. William Wallinder, D, Modo Jr. (Sweden Jr.)
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 191 | Shot: L
Stats: 37 GP, 5 G, 19 A
11. Roni Hirvonen, C, Assat (Finland)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 164 | Shot: L
Stats: 52 GP, 5 G, 11 A
12. Topi Niemela, D, Karpat (Finland)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 156 | Shot: R
Stats: 43 GP, 1 G, 6 A
13. Daniil Gushchin, LW, Muskegon (USHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-8 | Wt: 165 | Shot: L
Stats: 42 GP, 22 G, 25 A
14. Jean-Luc Foudy, C, Windsor (OHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 177 | Shot: R
Stats: 59 GP, 15 G, 28 A
15. Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL)
Age: 18 | Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 188 | Shot: R
Stats: 60 GP, 25 G, 32 A