2018 NHL Draft Results: Full Grades Review for Each Franchise

There is no standing still in the National Hockey League.

The Washington Capitals won their first Stanley Cup just over two weeks ago, but that event is now in the NHL's history books.

Since their win, the Caps have parted company with head coach Barry Trotz, and he has been hired by the New York Islanders.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed 35-year-old free agent Ilya Kovalchuk as he returns to the league from Russia.

Thirty-one teams have made their draft picks in the league's annual draft, and that signifies that the 2018-19 season is at hand.

The start of free agency, which will be known as the John Tavares Derby, will begin in a matter of days.

The Islanders, often a team that appears to get lost in the crowd, appears to have done an excellent job with their draft, as have the Detroit Red Wings and the Vancouver Canucks.

The Buffalo Sabres had the No. 1 pick in the draft, and they selected Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who has been compared to two of the best defensemen from that country in Nicklas Lidstrom and Erik Karlsson.

Whether Dahlin can reach those heights is another question, but he is clearly a brilliant talent. We offer our draft grades for the 2018 NHL draft, as well as a closer look at the Islanders, Red Wings and Canucks.

2018 NHL Draft Grades and Top Players Selected

Anaheim Ducks: B, Isac Lundestrom, C, Lulea 

Arizona Coyotes: B-, Barrett Hayton, C, Sault Ste. Marie

Boston Bruins: C+, Axel Andersson, D, Swedish Junior

Buffalo Sabres: A, Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda

Calgary Flames: C-, Martin Pospisil, C, Sioux City

Carolina Hurricanes: A-, Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Barrie

Chicago Blackhawks: B+, Adam Boqvist, D, Brynas Jr.

Colorado Avalanche: B, Martin Kaut, RW, Pardubice

Columbus Blue Jackets: B-, Liam Foudy, C, London

Dallas Stars: C+, Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint

Detroit Red Wings: A+, Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax

Edmonton Oilers: B+, Evan Bouchard, D, London

Florida Panthers: A-, Grigori Denisenko, LW, Yaroslavl 2

Los Angeles Kings: B, Rasmus Kupari, C, Karpat

Minnesota Wild: C, Filip Johansson, D, Leksand Jr.

Montreal Canadiens: B-, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Assat

Nashville Predators: D, Jachym Kondelik, C, Muskegon

New Jersey Devils: B-, Ty Smith, D, Spokane

New York Islanders: A, Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, USA U-18

New York Rangers: B, K'Andre Miller, D, USA U-18

Ottawa Senators: B-, Brady Tkachuk, LW, Boston University

Philadelphia Flyers: B, Joel Farabee, LW, USA U-18

Pittsburgh Penguins: B+, Calen Addison, D, Lethbridge

St. Louis Blues: B-, Dominik Bokk, RW, Vaxjo Jr.

San Jose Sharks: B-, Ryan Merkley, D, Guelph

Tampa Bay Lighting: C+, Gabriel Fortier, LW, Baie-Comeau

Toronto Maple Leafs: B+, Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie

Vancouver Canucks: A, Quintin Hughes, D, University of Michigan

Vegas Golden Knights: C+, Ivan Morozov, C, Russian Juniors

Washington Capitals: B, Alexander Alexeyev, D, Red Deer

Winnipeg Jets: C+, David Gustafsson, C, HV 71 (Sweden)

Detroit Red Wings

1 (6) Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)
1 (30) Joe Veleno, C, Saint John (QMJHL)
2 (33) Jonatan Berggren, RW, Skelleftea Jr. (Sweden-Jr.)
2 (36) Jared McIsaac, D, Halifax (QMJHL)
3 (67) Alec Regula, D, London (OHL)
3 (81) Seth Barton, D, Trail (BCHL)
3 (84) Jesper Eliasson, G, Troja-Ljungby Jr. (Sweden-Jr. 2)
4 (98) Ryan O'Reilly, RW, Madison (USHL)
6 (160) Victor Brattstrom, G, Timra Jr. (Sweden-Jr.)
7 (191) Otto Kivenmaki, C, Assat Jr. (Finland-Jr.)

The Red Wings have missed the playoffs each of the past two years, but they have made a statement in the 2018 draft, and this could be the pivot point as they return to strong playoff status within the next three years.

Zadina is probably the best goal scorer selected in the draft, as he has an excellent shot and is also good around the net. There's a lot more to his game, as he is committed to playing strong defense.

Veleno is an intense playmaker who is a hard worker. He has the size, talent and desire to become an impactful player, but he does put a ton of pressure on himself.

Berggren is a highly skilled forward who does not have great size and needs to get stronger. Once that happens, he should be able to score at the NHL level.

O'Reilly is a prospect who needs quite a bit of work, and he will get it at Denver. If he can improve his skating, he has the scoring talent to become a key contributor.

New York Islanders

1 (11) Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
1 (12) Noah Dobson, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
2 (41) Bode Wilde, D, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
2 (43) Ruslan Iskhakov, C, CSKA 2 (Russia-Jr.)
3 (72) Jakub Skarek, G, Jihlava (CZREP-2)
4 (103) Jacob Pivonka, C, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
5 (134) Blade Jenkins, LW, Saginaw (OHL)
7 (196) Christian Krygier, D, Lincoln (USHL)

The Islanders were in a fortunate position with the No. 11 and 12 picks in the first round, and Lou Lamoriello did an excellent job by selecting Wahlstrom and Dobson.

Wahlstrom has the size and strength to make an impression quickly, and he will shoot the puck from anywhere in the offensive zone. If he comes with a consistent effort, he has the ability to dominate.

Dobson probably could have been selected in the No. 7 spot, but he slipped to No. 12 even though he is an ascending talent. Dobson is an excellent skater and a sharp offensive talent, and he will become a top player once he adds weight to his 6'3", 177-pound frame.

Wilde has the talent that could have landed him a spot in the top 15 of the draft, but his consistency is not where it should be.

Skarek has the size and talent to become the team's goaltender of the future, but the 18-year-old needs seasoning.

Vancouver Canucks

1 (7) Quintin Hughes, D, Michigan
2 (37) Jett Woo, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)
3 (68) Tyler Madden, C, Tri-City (USHL)
5 (130) Toni Utunen, D, Leki (Finland-2)
6 (186) Artyom Manukyan, RW, Omsk 2 (Russia-Jr.).
7 (192) Matthew Thiessen, G, Steinbach (MJHL)

Hughes is arguably the second-best defenseman in the draft behind Dahlin, and his explosive skating ability stands out. He is solid on defense, even though he is 5'9" and 173 pounds, but he is not going to win the physical battle often.

However, he understands the game like a veteran, makes a sharp first pass and can create brilliantly on offense. 

While Hughes is a speed-and-finesse type of defenseman, Woo is a big hitter who can play the physical game and stand out in the process. He needs a bit of skill development, but he could become an intimidating force.

Madden is a skilled passer and has an excellent shot that he can get away quickly. If he can improve his skating, he has a solid future.

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All player heights and weights provided by NHL.com.