2015 NHL Draft: Final Results and Grades Review for Each Franchise

The 2015 NHL draft is guaranteed to have a lasting legacy thanks to the presence of Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. Based on the incredible amount of depth in the class, several more players will likely join them on the path to stardom as well.

McDavid heads to the Edmonton Oilers to join the franchise's stable of young forwards. Eichel becomes a key member of the Buffalo Sabres, a team that made several high-profile additions during draft weekend. Dylan Strome, Mitch Marner and Noah Hanifin rounded out the draft's top five.

Few draft classes sport the combination of top-end talent and depth this one did. So let's check out how each team fared before examining some of the best selections from outside the top 10.

2015 NHL Draft Grades

Team	Notable Picks	Grade
Anaheim Ducks	Jacob Larsson, Julius Nattinen	C
Arizona Coyotes	Dylan Strome, Nick Merkley, Christian Fischer	B+
Boston Bruins	Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, Zachary Senyshyn	A-
Buffalo Sabres	Jack Eichel, Brendan Guhle	B+
Calgary Flames	Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington	B-
Carolina Hurricanes	Noah Hanifin, Sebastian Aho	B
Chicago Blackhawks	Graham Knott, Dennis Gilbert	C+
Colorado Avalanche	Mikko Rantanen, A.J. Greer, Nicolas Meloche	B
Columbus Blue Jackets	Zach Werenski, Gabriel Carlsson, Paul Bittner	B-
Dallas Stars	Denis Guryanov, Roope Hintz	C
Detroit Red Wings	Evgeni Svechnikov, Vili Saarijarvi	C+
Edmonton Oilers	Connor McDavid, Caleb Jones	A
Florida Panthers	Lawson Crouse, Samuel Montembeault	B-
Los Angeles Kings	Erik Cernak, Alexander Dergachev	C+
Minnesota Wild	Joel Eriksson Ek, Jordan Greenway	B
Montreal Canadiens	Noah Juulsen, Lukas Vejdemo	C
Nashville Predators	Iakov Trenin, Thomas Novak	B-
New Jersey Devils	Pavel Zacha, Mackenzie Blackwood	B
New York Islanders	Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier	B+
New York Rangers	Ryan Gropp, Robin Kovacs	C
Ottawa Senators	Thomas Chabot, Colin White, Gabriel Gagne	A
Philadelphia Flyers	Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny	A
Pittsburgh Penguins	Daniel Sprong, Dominik Simon	B
San Jose Sharks	Timo Meier, Jeremy Roy	B+
St Louis Blues	Vince Dunn, Adam Musil	B-
Tampa Bay Lightning	Mitchell Stephens, Matthew Spencer	C
Toronto Maple Leafs	Mitch Marner, Travis Dermott, Jeremy Bracco	A-
Vancouver Canucks	Brock Boeser, Guillaume Brisebois	C+
Washington Capitals	Ilya Samsonov, Jonas Siegenthaler	B
Winnipeg Jets	Kyle Connor, Jack Roslovic, Jansen Harkins	B+

For complete results, check out ESPN's Draft Tracker.

Top Round 1 Value Picks

Lawson Crouse (No. 11 — Florida Panthers)

Crouse cracked the top five in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. That always seemed too high due to his limited offensive upside compared to his fellow first-round draftees, but sliding all the way to No. 11 represented great value for Florida.

While he's not going to become a dynamic goal-scoring winger, his all-around game and physical presence are still great assets. Panthers general manager Dale Tallon was pleasantly surprised he was still on the board, according to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel.

"I couldn't believe he was there,'' Tallon said. "It fits in perfectly with what we need, power forward who can score, tough and size. Couldn't be happier.''

Crouse increased his goal total from 15 to 29 in his second season with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. He showed his value around the net, especially on the power play, as somebody who's tough for defensemen to deal with.

He needs more seasoning to further develop his offensive game and become more aware of when to play steady defense rather than go for the big hit. Once he does reach the NHL, he may start on the third line, but his upside is a top-six power forward.

Ilya Samsonov (No. 22 — Washington Capitals)

Samsonov was the top goalie on the board, and the Capitals were able to snag him in the latter stages of the round. Even though they don't typically carry the same value as forwards or defenseman, finding a starting netminder in the draft can be a major coup since it's such a tricky task.

The 18-year-old Russian features an impressive physical stature (6'4'') but has retained his quickness in the crease. Ryan Kennedy of the Hockey News wasn't able to find a glaring weakness in his game leading up to the draft:

He was terrific for Russia in this year's World U18 Championships, posting a .934 save percentage in three appearances. Not only did that solidify his draft stock, but it also illustrated his immense upside when at the top of his game.

Now it comes down to gaining experience against tougher competition. Samsonov has only one KHL game under his belt after spending most of last season in Russia's minor leagues. Still, while there's plenty of developing left to do, the early signs are encouraging.

Travis Konecny (No. 24 — Philadelphia Flyers)

If Konecny was a few inches taller, he probably comes off the board 15 picks earlier. At 5'10'', questions were always going to arise about his ability to control the center of the ice. Apparently teams were concerned enough to steer clear deep into the opening round.

That said, his numbers through two years in the OHL with the Ottawa 67's illustrate his upside. He's tallied 138 points in 123 regular-season contests. Collin Mehalick of Broad Street Hockey likes the selection for Philadelphia:

What he lacks in height, he makes up for in skating ability and hockey sense. He shows an advanced understanding of reading a play, which helps his distribution. And, at 18, perhaps there's one more little growth spurt to bring him up to prototypical size for the position.

Is he going to become a No. 1 center capable of leading a team in every situation? Probably not, but there's no reason he can't develop into a No. 2 center with a lot of scoring potential. That made him well worth the pick at that point in the round for the Flyers.