The 2018 draft is shaping up to be one of the most impressive in recent memory. Though Andrei Svechnikov, a potential first-overall pick will be out for some time broken hand, there are many other top names that will intrigue come draft day. While last year’s class was deeper than some believed, and already has more impact players than expected, 2018 looks even better. There are three or four franchise-altering players, and several others that could turn into superstars in the league.
Knowing that, teams have been awfully stingy when it comes to trading away 2018 picks. For the clearest example, just take a look at the Vegas Golden Knights, who stockpiled picks in their first few months. While they came away with three 2017 first-rounders, and will pick seven times in the first three rounds of 2019, they currently hold just two picks in the first 93, with their third likely not coming until late in the fourth round (it originally belonged to Pittsburgh, who are a good bet to make the playoffs once again).
Still, there has been some movement. Below we’ll list all the team’s 2018 picks and where they’ve come from. Remember, that all non-playoff teams are entered into a lottery for the first three picks of the draft, but subsequent rounds revert to the final standings. Playoff teams are ordered slightly differently, but the Stanley Cup winner and finalists will have the last two picks.
Anaheim Ducks – Six picks
1st (ANA), 2nd (ANA), 3rd (ANA), 4th (ANA), 5th (ANA), 6th (ANA)
Arizona Coyotes – Seven picks
1st (ARI), 2nd (MIN), 3rd (ARI), 4th (ARI), 5th (CGY), 6th (ARI), 7th (ARI)
Boston Bruins – Six picks
1st (BOS), 2nd (BOS), 3rd (BOS), 4th (BOS), 6th (BOS), 7th (BOS)
Buffalo Sabres – Seven picks
1st (BUF), 2nd (BUF), 4th (BUF), 4th (MIN), 5th (BUF), 6th (BUF), 7th (BUF)
Calgary Flames – Five picks*
3rd (CGY), 4th (CGY), 4th (FLA), 6th (CGY), 7th (CGY), 7th (DET)*
*Calgary obtains pick if G Tom McCollum plays in 15 games (currently at zero games).
Carolina Hurricanes – Seven picks
1st (CAR), 2nd (CAR), 3rd (CAR), 4th (CAR), 6th (CAR), 7th (CAR), 7th (VGK)
Chicago Blackhawks – Six picks
1st (CHI), 3rd (CHI), 5th (CHI), 5th (CBJ), 6th (CHI), 7th (CHI)
Colorado Avalanche – Seven picks
1st (COL), 2nd (COL), 3rd (COL), 4th (COL), 5th (COL), 6th (COL), 7th (COL)
Columbus Blue Jackets – Six picks
1st (CBJ), 2nd (CBJ), 3rd (CBJ), 4th (CBJ), 6th (CBJ), 7th (CBJ)
Dallas Stars – Eight picks
1st (DAL), 2nd (DAL), 3rd (DAL), 4th (DAL), 4th (CHI), 5th (DAL), 6th (DAL), 7th (DAL)
Detroit Red Wings – Nine picks*
1st (DET), 2nd (DET), 2nd (OTT), 3rd (DET), 3rd (PIT), 4th (DET), 6th (DAL), 6th (MTL), 7th (DET)*
*Calgary obtains pick if G Tom McCollum plays in 15 games (currently at zero games).
Edmonton Oilers – Seven picks
1st (EDM), 2nd (EDM), 3rd (EDM), 4th (EDM), 5th (EDM), 6th (EDM), 7th (EDM)
Florida Panthers – Seven picks
1st (FLA), 2nd (ARZ), 3rd (FLA), 4th (VGK), 5th (FLA), 6th (FLA), 7th (FLA)
Los Angeles Kings – Eight picks
1st (LAK), 2nd (LAK), 3rd (LAK), 4th (LAK), 4th (LAK), 5th (LAK), 6th (LAK), 6th (NYI)
Minnesota Wild – Eight picks
1st (MIN), 3rd (MIN), 3rd (VGK), 3rd (BUF), 5th (MIN), 5th (WSH), 6th (MIN), 7th (MIN)
Montreal Canadiens – Six picks
1st (MTL), 2nd (MTL), 2nd (WSH)*, 2nd (CHI), 3rd (MTL), 5th (MTL), 6th (TBL)*
*If Mikhail Sergachev does not play in 40 games, Montreal and Tampa Bay will swap a second round pick for a sixth round pick (currently at nine games).
Nashville Predators – Seven picks
1st (NSH), 2nd (NSH), 3rd (NSH), 4th (NSH), 5th (NSH), 6th (NSH), 7th (NSH)
New Jersey Devils – Seven picks
1st (NJD), 2nd (NJD), 3rd (NJD), 4th (NJD), 5th (NJD), 6th (NJD), 7th (NJD)
New York Islanders – Eight picks
1st (NYI), 1st (CGY), 2nd (NYI), 2nd (CGY), 3rd (NYI), 4th (NYI), 5th (NYI), 7th (NYI)
New York Rangers – Six picks
1st (NYR), 2nd (NYR), 3rd (NYR), 4th (NYR), 5th (NYR), 6th (NYR)
Ottawa Senators – Seven picks
1st (OTT), 3rd (OTT), 4th (OTT), 5th (OTT), 6th (OTT), 7th (OTT), 7th (NYR)
Philadelphia Flyers – Ten picks*
1st (PHI), 1st (STL)*, 2nd (PHI), 3rd (PHI), 4th (PHI), 5th (PHI), 5th (ARZ), 6th (PHI), 7th (PHI), 7th (MTL)
*If it is a top-10 pick, St. Louis has the ability to push it to 2019. If they do, they’ll forfeit a third-round pick in 2020.
Pittsburgh Penguins – Seven picks
1st (PIT), 2nd (PIT), 4th (VAN), 5th (PIT), 5th (DET), 6th (PIT), 7th (PIT)
San Jose Sharks – Five picks
1st (SJS), 4th (SJS), 5th (SJS), 6th (SJS), 7th (SJS)
St. Louis Blues – Six picks*
1st (STL)*, 2nd (STL), 3rd (STL), 4th (STL), 5th (STL), 6th (STL), 7th (STL)
*Owed to Philadelphia. If it is a top-10 pick, St. Louis has the ability to push it to 2019. If they do, they’ll forfeit a third-round pick in 2020.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Eight picks*
1st (TBL), 2nd (TBL), 2nd (WSH)*, 3rd (TBL), 4th (TBL), 5th (TBL), 6th (TBL)*, 7th (TBL), 7th (LAK)
*If Mikhail Sergachev does not play in 40 games, Montreal and Tampa Bay will swap a second round pick for a sixth round pick (currently at nine games).
Toronto Maple Leafs – Eight picks
1st (TOR), 2nd (TOR), 2nd (SJS), 3rd (SJS), 4th (TOR), 5th (TOR), 7th (TOR), 7th (ANA)
Vancouver Canucks – Six picks
1st (VAN), 2nd (VAN), 3rd (VAN), 5th (VAN), 6th (VAN), 7th (VAN)
Vegas Golden Knights – Seven picks
1st (VGK), 2nd (VGK), 4th (PIT), 5th (VGK), 5th (CAR), 6th (VGK), 6th (TOR)
Washington Capitals – Seven picks
1st (WSH), 2nd (FLA), 3rd (WSH), 3rd (TOR), 4th (WSH), 6th (WSH), 7th (WSH)
Winnipeg Jets – Eight picks
1st (WPG), 2nd (WPG), 3rd (WPG), 4th (WPG), 5th (WPG), 6th (BOS), 7th (WPG)
I’m not sure why but I’m surprised there isn’t more draft pick movement in the NHL. Feels like some teams might be a bit over protective of draft picks imo, or perhaps teams aren’t aggressive enough for draft picks in trade negotiations.
Part of it has to do with the salary cap. As the cap has stagnated and salaries continue rising, teams desperately need those 3 cost controlled years from young players so they can be competitive and stay under the cap.