A number of teams were able to significantly change their franchise’s fortunes in the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. And many more managed to add key players of real significance to the fold.
Here’s a look at the teams that have new No. 1 prospects in their system, the best value picks from each round of the draft and four project selections whom I find particularly intriguing even though they will need some extra time to find their way. I also spoke with some scouts after the 217 names were called for some team insight into how the draft played out.
Jump to each section below, and for full breakdowns on each team’s picks, check out our draft grades.
New No. 1 prospects | What the scouts are saying
Best value picks | Development picks
Draft grades
| Every pick
TEAMS WITH A NEW NO. 1 PROSPECT
Hughes obviously vaults to the top of the Devils’ system, which wasn’t terribly deep to begin with. He likely won’t stay a prospect for long, though, as he’s expected to be on the Devils’ opening night roster and play the entirety of the season in the NHL. New Jersey also has high-end offensive defenseman Ty Smith and the speedy Jesper Boqvist in the system, and both could push for roster spots next season.
In general, the Devils added some real value to their system in the draft due to their sheer volume of picks. Graeme Clarke, Arseny Gritsyuk and Patrick Moynihan have the best chance to outperform their draft slots, but don’t be fooled. The 2019 draft was all about landing Hughes. The Devils get faster and more skilled — and became a bigger offensive threat — just by adding him.
