NHL Draft Grades 2013: Team-by-Team Report Cards

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NHL Draft Grades 2013: Team-by-Team Report Cards
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The 2013 NHL draft will change the face of the league.

As with any draft, there were plenty of talented players who found new homes on Sunday. A couple at the drop of the first round have the potential to take their careers to incredible heights.

None were more high-profile than Seth Jones. He ended up being selected with the fourth overall pick by the Nashville Predators. Jones was far from the only player who will go on to star in the league, though.

It was also intriguing see what the reigning champion Chicago Blackhawks would do to improve their team. They were very active on draft day and made some polarizing moves.

Here are full draft grades for each team, followed by a breakdown of three teams who had some of the more notable drafts.


Full 2013 Draft Grades    
Team First-Round Pick Grade
Anaheim Ducks No. 26 Shea Theodore, D  B
Boston Bruins None  B
Buffalo Sabres

No. 8 Rasmus Ristolainen, D;

No. 16 Nikita Zadorov, D

Calgary Flames

No. 6 Sean Monahan, C;

No. 22 Emile Poirier, LW;

No. 28 Morgan Klimchuk, LW

Carolina Hurricanes No. 5 Elias Windholm, C  A-
Chicago Blackhawks No. 30 Ryan Hartman, RW  B+
Colorado Avalanche No. 1 Nathan MacKinnon, C  A-
Columbus Blue Jackets

No. 14 Alexander Wennberg, C;

No. 19 Kerby Rychel, LW;

No. 27 Marko Dano, C

Dallas Stars

No. 10 Valeri Nichushkin, RW;

No. 29 Jason Dickinson, C

Detroit Red Wings No. 20 Anthony Mantha, RW  B+
Edmonton Oilers No. 7 Darnell Nurse, D  B
Florida Panthers No. 2 Aleksander Barkov, C  C-
Los Angeles Kings None  C+
Minnesota Wild None  B-
Montreal Canadiens No. 25 Michael McCarron, RW  B
Nashville Predators No. 4 Seth Jones, D  A
New Jersey Devils None  B
New York Islanders No. 15 Ryan Pulock, D  B+
New York Rangers None  C
Ottawa Senators No. 17 Curtis Lazar, C/RW  B
Philadelphia Flyers No. 11 Samuel Morin, D  C
Phoenix Coyotes No. 12 Max Domi, C/LW  B
Pittsburgh Penguins None  C
San Jose Sharks No. 18 Mirco Mueller, D  B
St. Louis Blues None  B+
Tampa Bay Lightning No. 3 Jonathan Drouin, LW  A
Toronto Maple Leafs No. 21 Frederik Gauthier, C  B
Vancouver Canucks

No. 9 Bo Horvat, C;

No. 24 Hunter Shinkaruk, C/LW

Washington Capitals No. 23 Andre Burakovsky, LW  B+
Winnipeg Jets No. 13 Joshua Morrissey, D  B-


Chicago Blackhawks: B+

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Stanley Cup champions aren't resting on their laurels. The Chicago Blackhawks had a strong draft, and moved some veterans in the process.

If you were to judge the team's draft on just prospects alone, it was very good.

Ryan Hartman is a hometown guy and about as good of a player as you could expect to get that late in the first round. He's got a lot of skills on the offensive end of the ice, but he's not afraid to get physical either.

Anthony Louis was also a great value pick in the sixth round. You can't expect to get a ton of quality that late in the draft. However, the Blackhawks managed to find a player who has a lot of skills and will play a role for the franchise down the line.

Perhaps the biggest news from Chicago came in the form of the two trades the team made, per its official Twitter account.

It's hard seeing a player like Dave Bolland traded away. After all, he scored the winning goal in Game 6. Trading him was a good move, though, and it's good to see Chicago leaving sentiment at the door.

Getting rid of Michael Frolik was a bit of a questionable move. It was done with the cap in mind, but Frolik had a huge role on the penalty kill for the Blackhawks.

That trade is the reason the team gets knocked slightly for what was a generally strong draft.


Colorado Avalanche: A-

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Some might have been surprised to see the Colorado Avalanche pass on Seth Jones and select Nathan MacKinnon instead.

While Jones would have given the team a much-needed defenseman, MacKinnon will work out just fine.

He's a beast on the offensive end. MacKinnon has both the skill and athleticism to produce in the league next season. The Avalanche are getting a player who can contribute immediately and turn into one of the biggest stars in the league. MacKinnon is exactly the kind of player you would hope for in a top pick.

Chris Bigras was also a good selection in the second round, and he gives Colorado the defenseman it had to get in the draft. He's a very smart player on the ice and his positional intelligence is through the roof. Bigras doesn't have the kind of potential that could have made him a top pick. Instead, he's a safe selection who should become a consistent contributor down the road.


Nashville Predators: A

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Nashville Predators managed to nab the what could be best player in the draft in Seth Jones. Not only that, the Predators were able to find a long-term replacement for Ryan Suter, whom they haven't replaced since he signed with the Minnesota Wild.

ESPN's Craig Custance nailed exactly what the Jones pick meant for Nashville.

You can't underestimate what kind of impact Jones can have on the franchise. There's what he brings on the ice in terms of talent, which is significant considering his potential. Then there's the off-ice impact that can come with drafting a black, American player so highly. Jones can become the face of the franchise and open up Nashville to a new segment of fans.

After Jones, the Predators could have not had any picks, and they would still have hit this draft out of the park.

Jonathan Diaby was also a good pick in the third round. He's a physical, athletic defenseman.

It's clear Nashville came in with a plan for the draft. It wanted to improve defensively, and it did exactly that. Jones and Diaby should be contributors for years to come.

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