2016 NHL Draft Results: Team-by-Team Grades for Notable Picks

The 2016 NHL draft went off as expected on Friday when the Toronto Maple Leafs picked Auston Matthews No. 1 overall.  

In addition to the 211 players taken over two days, the draft was a chance for teams to make themselves better through trades. A series of moves went down over the past two days that will alter the NHL landscape for the next 10-15 years. 

After a final review of each selection, here are grades for all 30 teams coming out of the draft and a look at the winners and losers from the last 24 hours. 

Team	Grade
Anaheim Ducks	B+
Arizona Coyotes	B
Boston Bruins	C
Buffalo Sabres	B
Calgary Flames	A
Carolina Hurricanes	B+
Chicago Blackhawks	B
Colorado Avalanche	B
Columbus Blue Jackets	B-
Dallas Stars	C+
Detroit Red Wings	A-
Edmonton Oilers	A-
Florida Panthers	B-
Los Angeles Kings	C+
Minnesota Wild	B-
Montreal Canadiens	C
Nashville Predators	B-
New Jersey Devils	B
New York Islanders	B+
New York Rangers	B-
Ottawa Senators	B
Philadelphia Flyers	B
Pittsburgh Penguins	C
San Jose Sharks	C-
St. Louis Blues	C
Tampa Bay Lightning	C+
Toronto Maple Leafs	B+
Vancouver Canucks	B
Washington Capitals	B
Winnipeg Jets	C+

Best Pick: Matthew Tkachuk to Calgary

Roni Rekomaa/Associated Press

While Matthew Tkachuk wasn't in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick, he had the talent to be a top-five selection in an otherwise average draft class.

NHL.com ranked him as the second-best player behind Matthews, and Dan Marr provided this glowing scouting report:

"

Tkachuk is unique in that he brings both skill and a physical package to game situations. He possesses elite hockey sense and vision, has a very good scoring touch and makes players around him better. One of the best puck protection players eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft, he is difficult to check and willing to go to the hard areas to score goals. 

"

There's no denying Tkachuk's scoring prowess, as he racked up 107 points (30 goals, 77 assists) in 57 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He also has great bloodlines as the son of 18-year NHL veteran Keith Tkachuk. 

In addition to Tkachuk's natural talent, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail noted how he will fit with the Calgary Flames:

The Flames weren't lacking for scoring options after finishing 11th in goals scored last year, but you don't pass up elite talent when it falls into your lap at No. 6. 

Making Calgary's class exponentially better was the team addressed its biggest need by acquiring Brian Elliott from the St. Louis Blues for a second-round pick and a conditional pick in 2018. 

No team allowed more goals (260) than the Flames last season. They stole Elliott, who tied for second in the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average in 2015-16, because the Blues didn't want to make him their No. 1 goaltender. 

Calgary general manager Brad Treliving took full advantage of every opportunity during the draft.

Most Improved Team: Detroit Red Wings

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

As good as the Flames look coming out of the draft, the Detroit Red Wings take home the award for most improved team. They didn't make a great first-round selection with Dennis Cholowski at No. 20, but their big-picture thinking explains why this franchise hasn't missed the playoffs since 1990. 

Specifically, the Red Wings were able to unload the $7.5 million cap hit on Pavel Datsyuk's contract in a deal with the Arizona Coyotes. That trade also got them Joe Vitale and the 53rd pick in the draft, but the key was moving Datsyuk's salary.

James Mirtle of TSN 1050 was impressed at how well the Red Wings were able to navigate this particular trade:

After Datsyuk announced he was going to play in his native Russia next season, Detroit has focused on creating cap space. It accomplished its mission with just over $19 million available to spend this summer, per Spotrac.

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun discussed the obvious move for Detroit to make:

Calling Detroit the NHL's most improved team coming out of the draft does come with the caveat that it has to get Steven Stamkos. 

If that doesn't happen, all of the Red Wings' maneuvering will look pedestrian in hindsight. Stamkos is their focus when free agency begins on July 1. There are no guarantees in negotiations, but the Red Wings have set themselves up to land the biggest prize on the market. 

Worst Draft: St. Louis Blues

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

The Blues got Tage Thompson with the 26th pick. He was a solid value selection after ranking as NHL.com's No. 20 player from North America. 

"(Thompson's) a pro player," Marr wrote in the NHL.com scouting report. "He upgraded his skating and is able to get in, protect the puck and get it to the net. He's hard to check.”

Getting goal-scoring help was essential for St. Louis in this draft. Thompson has shown the ability to find the net with 14 goals and 32 points in 36 games at the University of Connecticut last season. 

Yet it's hard to look objectively at what the Blues did in the draft after they essentially sold Elliott. General manager Doug Armstrong did explain the 31-year-old requested the trade:

The Blues, who finished second in the Central Division last season with 107 points, are not going to fall off a cliff because of this one deal. Jake Allen is a good goalie who has a 91.5 career save percentage and 2.34 goals-against average.

Yet having two top-tier goaltenders was a big part of St. Louis' success last season. Elliott may have been ready to go, but the Blues should have found a way to make things work with the veteran in the final year of his contract in order to make another run at the Stanley Cup.