Seven standout selections from the 2019 NHL Draft

After a whirlwind two days, the 2019 NHL Draft is over. Hockey fans learned a lot about the future stars in the NHL in a short amount of time, so let’s take a moment to process what we just witnessed.

Overall, 217 players were drafted over two days. Canada had the most players drafted with 63 selected, while the United States was a close second at 59 players. The first day of the draft was surprisingly quiet on the trade front -- there was only one trade made by the Arizona Coyotes to acquire pick No. 11 from the Philadelphia Flyers for picks No. 14 and No. 45 in the draft.

But teams certainly made up for the lack of trades on day two. P.K. Subban, Patrick Marleau, Phil Kessel and J.T. Miller are a few of the big names that were dealt during the 2019 draft.

Going into the draft, it was expected that Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko would be picked first and second overall. That said, there were a few players that were drafted below where they were predicted to be taken, making them steals or great value picks for different teams. With that in mind, here are our standout selections of players to watch from the 2019 NHL Draft:

Connor McMichael

1st Round, 25th overall

Washington Capitals

(London Knights)

The London Knights are known for their ability to nourish players into top-drafted prospects, and Connor McMichael is no exception. In fact, the Knights have produced more first overall selections in the draft than any other team in the world. McMichael was also London’s 32nd player to be selected in the first-round of the draft. With so much talent in a single hockey club, there’s a chance that McMichael was overlooked in draft rankings because of his teammates.

But this playmaking center’s talent should not go unnoticed. After all, he was the team’s leading scorer last season, scoring 36 goals and 72 points in 67 games. His impressive hockey sense will likely get him a spot on the Capitals’ roster in no time.

Matthew Robertson

2nd round, 49th overall

New York Rangers

(Edmonton Oil Kings)

With seven goals and 33 goals in 52 games last season with the Edmonton Oil Kings, defenceman Matthew Robertson was projected as a borderline first-round prospect. His 2018-19 season began with Robertson sporting an ‘A’ on his jersey – he’s now one of the youngest alternate captains in the Oil Kings’ history.

On the ice, Robertson’s ability to protect the puck is top-notch. He did a full circle on his plus/minus rating, going from -18 to +18 in only one season. Robertson also was one of the Oil Kings’ leaders in ice time for the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. Although the New York Rangers have a lot of depth in their defence already—especially with the addition of P.K. Subban in a trade during the draft—Robertson has top-pairing potential and is an excellent pick-up in the second-round.

Pavel Dorofeyev

3rd round, 79th overall

Vegas Golden Knights

(StaInye Lisy Magnitogorsk)

It’s safe to say that Russian forward Pavel Dorofeyev was a steal for the Vegas Golden Knights. After all, NHL Central Scouting had him 12thon their European Skaters rankingand several mock drafts had the left wing taken in the first- or second-round.

Dorofeyev got his first shot in the KHL last season, where he recorded one goal and two points in 23 games. Back in the Russia’s junior league, the 18-year-old posted 17 goals and 31 points in 19 games with the MHL’s Magnitogorsk for the 2018-19 season. He has been praised for his slich hands and his ability to read the game. He’s certainly a player to watch out for in the future.

Ethan Keppen

4th round, 122nd overall

Vancouver Canucks

(Flint Firebirds)

Forward Ethan Keppen had an outstanding year with the Flint Firebirds last season. He recorded 30 goals and 59 points in 68 games, tripling his goal production and more than tripling his assists and points totals. The Whitby, Ont., native also took home multiple awards at the Firebirds’ year-end award banquet, including most improved player.

Keppen’s work on the Firebirds’ squad is even more impressive if you factor in where the team was in the OHL standings last season. Although Flint finished last in the Western Conference, the left wing was still able to produce against top lines and matchups. He has the potential to be a great value pick for Vancouver.

Kirill Slepts

5th round, 152nd overall

Carolina Hurricanes

(Lokomotiv Yaroslavl)

Russia’s Kirill Slepts is another forward that was drafted well below where he was projected to go. Despite being picked in the fifth-round, Slepts is likely one of the most NHL-ready prospects from the 2019 draft.

The right winger has an extensive amount of experience in different leagues, including playing in the KHL, VHL and MHL in the 2018-19 season alone. He was most productive in the MHL, where he recorded 12 goals and 18 points in 17 regular-season games with Loko Yaroslavl. Slepts helped lead his team to an MHL Championship last season, posting four goals and 10 points in 17 playoff games. At 20-years-old, the overager should have the experience and talent to succeed in the NHL in the near future.

Ben Brinkman

6th round, 173rd overall

Dallas Stars

(University of Minnesota)

Defenceman Ben Brinkman is a somewhat unique prospect because he already has a year of college under his belt. Brinkman graduated high school a year early to begin playing hockey at the college level with the University of Minnesota. The 18-year-old was the youngest player in NCAA men’s college hockey last season and he seemed to be able to hold his own.

The Edina, MN., native posted one goal and seven points in 38 games during his first NCAA season. But with an outstanding 2017-18 season in high school, scoring 10 goals and 40 points in 25 games, Brinkman has the talent to flourish and grow in higher levels of hockey.

Dustin Wolf

7th round, 214th overall

Calgary Flames

(Everett Silvertips)

Patience during a long draft day turned into a really heart-warming moment for goaltender Dustin Wolf and his family at the draft. The screams of joy could be heard all over Rogers Arena when the Everett Silvertips goalie was selected in the seventh-round.

But this last selection by the Calgary Flames could be a potential steal. Wolf finished last season with the WHL’s best goals-against average (1.69) and best save percentage (.936). Standing at only six feet tall, Wolf makes up for his height deficit with his technical knowledge in the game and being quick on his skates.