The first day of the NHL Draft 2021 felt like watching a movie.
Three trades felt like blockbusters which included Rasmus Ristolainen (Philadelphia Flyers), Seth Jones (Chicago Blackhawks), and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Vancouver Canucks).
The Wolverines saw 5 athletes being selected in round one which was spearheaded by Matty Beniers (2) and Owen Power(1).
The ending was quite twisted as it shocked the fans that turned on their televisions.
Some Takeaways From NHL Draft 2021:
1: Michigan University
The NHL Draft 2021 will be remembered as one for the Michigans as Owen Power and Matty Beniers were both picked up in the initial stages of the Draft. This was seen after 1969 when 2 players were picked from the same team.
Luke Hughes (4) and Kent Johnson (5) were also picked with Mackie Samoskevich being picked at Number 24 for the Florida-based team.
2: The Proud Hughes Family
Jack Hughes was ecstatic when his brother was drafted by his team. Luke Hughes was the 4th pick overall. They will both represent the Devils in the upcoming seasons. Jack was No. 1 in 2019 while Quinn had gone for No. 7 back in 2018. The Hughes are proud to be the only family to have three siblings get chosen in the initial rounds of the NHL drafts.
3: Goalies were dropped
Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa were projected to be in the top six choices but were seen to drop to the middle rounds. Ottawa, Buffalo, and Calgary needed a proper goalie but did not opt for them. Cossa was picked up at 15 while Wallstedt was picked at 20 by Minnesota.
4: Prospect to keep an eye on:
Aatu Raty had six points in 35 matches when he played in Finland. His value crashed down in no time but with the correct team and proper boost in his confidence Raty can get back his game. He has the skills required to be a proper offensive unit but lacks the work. The fans will be interested to see what unravels on the Day 2 of the NHL Draft 2021 as the first day was full of unexpected twists and turns.
