Editor’s Note: The author’s opinions in this article do not reflect those of previous draft pieces. They are merely an alternative to Ben Kerr’s “LWOS 2014 NHL Draft Grades.”
To view those:
Click Here For Part 1.
Click Here For Part 2.
Click Here For Part 3.
The 2014 NHL Draft was an extremely fun experience to attend. I highly recommend to attend at least one NHL Draft if you’re a hockey fan. While some teams had a great draft, others didn’t. Who were the winners of the 2014 NHL Draft?
2014 NHL Draft Winners
1. Buffalo Sabres.
When you have the #2 overall pick, it’s very important to have a good draft. Fortunately, the Sabres were able to do that. They got the best forward in the draft in Sam Reinhart in the first round, and they got Brendan Lemieux and Eric Cornel, who were both projected to go in the first round as well, in the second round. Defenseman Bryce Martin, who has first round talent, was drafted in the third round. Overall, Sabres fans have to be pleased with this draft.
2. St. Louis Blues.
The Blues had one heck of a draft. They got arguably a top-10 talent in Robby Fabbri with their #22 overall pick. They also got my favorite player in the draft, Ivan Barbashev, early in the second round. Many, including me, had him as a top-20 player. They even managed to trade sub-par defenseman Roman Polak and a draft pick for a significant upgrade in Carl Gunnarson. Additionally, I really like their sixth-round pick Samuel Blais. He’s very raw, but he has so much potential. Considering where they picked, it’s hard to imagine that things could have gone any better for the Blues. In my opinion, they did the best job during the 2014 NHL Draft.
3. New York Islanders.
The Islanders had a terrific draft, especially in the first round when they picked Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang. Both of them are terrific picks with a ton of upside. Imagine a forward line featuring Dal Colle, John Tavares, and Ho-Sang. That’s one heck of a line. They also addressed their goalie depth. They might not have impressed during day two, but man, did they nail it during day one.
4. Nashville Predators.
The Preds drafted Kevin Fiala, an extremely skilled forward, in the first round. They drafted Vladislav Kameneev, another very skilled forward who had a first-round grade, in the second round. Since they are well-known for their defensive prowess, they drafted a good defenseman in Jack Dougherty in the late second round. Did I mention they managed to get a 30-goal scorer in James Neal as well without giving up a draft pick?
Later this week, I will look at the losers.
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