NHL Draft 2015: Complete Results, Grades and Top Rookies to Watch

The 2015 NHL draft served as a beacon of hope for front offices and fanbases around the league. A strong group of incoming prospects gave teams a golden opportunity to bolster their system, especially if they drafted early in Round 1.

Of course, the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres came away with the biggest prizes: Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. While there are no guarantees in the world of drafting, those two likely franchise centers are as close as it gets.

Let's check out some of the main additions each team made during the draft and assign grades for each front office's performance. It's followed by a look at the top rookies to watch.

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	Evgeny 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 team-by-team results, check out ESPN's Draft Tracker.

Rookie of the Year Battle

The race for Rookie of the Year next season will likely come down to McDavid against Eichel.

That's not just because they were the best players in the draft, but they may also be the only ones who make a full-season impact. And other rookies—those from previous draft classes ready to make the jump—can't match the high-end talent of this year's top two. They are both truly special talents.

While McDavid is destined for Edmonton, Sabres fans are still awaiting confirmation on Eichel's plans. He hasn't announced whether he's going pro or returning to Boston University, but going back to school would certainly qualify as a surprise.

At the outset, it sounds like both players are happy with their landing spots.

"Now I'm an Edmonton Oiler. I couldn't be more proud," McDavid said during his post-draft interview session, as noted by Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.

Eichel was similarly excited about the future that lies ahead.

"It's a great feeling to be selected, especially in an organization like this. There's so much passion and tradition. You look at the Buffalo community and everyone is really into their hockey and knowledgeable," Eichel said, per John Vogl of the Buffalo News. "Even though I hadn't been selected until today, it seemed like I had been part of the Buffalo Sabres for a while now. To finally put this jersey on, it's a tremendous feeling."

They are both entering situations capable of helping them succeed quickly, too.

McDavid skates into a budding forward group that already features Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov and Leon Draisaitl. It's an incredibly promising top six, and No. 97 has arrived to lead the charge out of the NHL basement.

The league's next superstar has long been compared to its current offensive king, Sidney Crosby. ESPN Stats & Info passed along some numbers to show those links aren't out of line:

Crosby scored 102 points in 81 games but actually didn't win Rookie of the Year. Rival Alexander Ovechkin took home the Calder Memorial Trophy after tallying 106 points, including 52 goals. It should be noted that the NHL has changed since those two stalwarts shone as rookies, though.

The league, which cracked down on interference coming out of the lockout to create a more offensive-friendly environment, has reverted toward a more defensive brand of play. Jamie Benn led the NHL with "just" 87 points last season.

That said, given the Oilers' attacking talent and defensive question marks, McDavid could find himself in a lot of high-scoring games to bolster that point toward.

In Buffalo, a franchise that decided to undertake a true rebuild—some may refer to it as "tanking"—is finally set to reap the rewards. Along with Eichel, the Sabres also traded for Ryan O'Reilly on draft night, giving the roster two outstanding centers around whom to build.

Brian Blessing of Sportsbook Radio highlighted four additions from the past 12 months who are going to help turn the team's fortunes around:

Eichel will probably find himself centering the second line, perhaps with Tyler Ennis and Matt Moulson on the wings. His minutes may be lower than McDavid's, but that's a line with a lot of potential, especially if the rookie's transition is as smooth as expected.

As for head-to-head matchups between the pair, John Buccigross of ESPN passed along the key dates:

All told, McDavid holds the inside track on the Calder race, though it will be easier to handicap once it's clear what the rookie class looks like in the fall. Eichel is certainly capable of playing the role of Ovechkin to steal the spotlight, however.

The league's newest attractions are going to remain linked forever. Given the amount of young talent their new franchises have accumulated, it wouldn't be a surprise if the duo eventually faces off for a Stanley Cup or two either.

That would make all the suffering those fanbases endured in recent years worth it.