30. New Jersey Devils : Kasperi Kapanen 29. Los Angeles Kings : Brendan Lemieux 28. Tampa Bay Lightning : Julius Honka 27. Chicago Blackhawks : Conner Bleackley 26. Montreal Canadiens : Nick Schmaltz 25. Boston Bruins : Alex Tuch 24. Anaheim Ducks : Jack Dougherty 23. Colorado Avalanche : Travis Sanheim 22. Pittsburgh Penguins : Nikolay Goldobin 21. St. Louis Blues : Joshua Ho-Sang 20. San Jose Sharks : Brendan Perlini 19. Tampa Bay Lightning : Ivan Barbashev 18. Minnesota Wild : Roland McKeown 17. Philadelphia Flyers : Sonny Milano 16. Columbus Blue Jackets : Jakub Vrà¡na 15. Detroit Red Wings : Adrian Kempe 14. Dallas Stars : Robby Fabbri 13. Washington Capitals : Dylan Larkin 12. Arizona Coyotes : Jake Virtanen 11. The Nashville Predators : William Nylander 10. Anaheim Ducks : Jared McCann 9. Winnipeg Jets : Nikolaj Ehlers 8. Toronto Maple Leafs : Nick Ritchie 7. Carolina Hurricanes : Haydn Fleury 6. Vancouver Canucks : Leon Draisaitl 5. New York Islanders : Kevin Fiala 4. Calgary Flames : Michael Dal Colle 3. Edmonton Oilers : Sam Bennett 2. Buffalo Sabres : Sam Reinhart
1. The Florida Panthers select Defenseman Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts in the OHL
6’4, 214lbs, 1996-02-07 : 18 years old
58 – 23g – 30a – 53p
Maybe I just love consensus, maybe I just want to see a defenseman get drafted first overall again and have everybody groan in unison while flashes of Erik Johnson, Chris Phillips, Bryan Berard and sugar plums dance in their heads. Maybe I just think it would be a cool little tidbit that becoming a player given exceptional status in the CHL means that you’re destined to be the first overall pick. Tavares broke the ground, McDavid looks poised for it, Sean Day in 2016 is gathering hype himself, Ekblad is the one who there is still doubt about whether he goes here…though in 2009 the nit picking on Tavares was bordering on lunacy.
While the Panthers can’t really score at the NHL level right now consistently, they also have a rough time defending. With so many top prospects and hope, you really have to go with the BPA this time around. In my opinion that’s Ekblad. Ekblad seems like a sure thing at this point, is he going to be a franchise defenseman? It’s very hard to say, though most expect him to be able to be on a top-pairing within 2-3 years. This is the problem with drafting defensemen early, you want them to be monsters immediately, you don't want to have to wait, and then in three years you’ll complain bitterly about why you didn’t select that particular defenseman yourself. I do have to wonder with the current strikeout on Gudbranson if the Panthers will roll this dice.
It’s important to note he isn’t Pronger, I don’t know why the quick go to for any defenseman over 6’3 is Pronger, but Hedman isn’t Pronger, Bogosian isn’t Pronger and Jones isn’t Pronger…neither will Ekblad be. Pronger had the rarest mix of immense talent and sheer physical aggression that nobody has come close to since. What you can expect is a highly competent two-way defenseman who is strong in his own end and can be a major piece on a power play. He plays all situations and ridiculously heavy minutes in junior. He also won the OHL Most Outstanding Defenseman award.
The Captain of the Colts became one of a few draft eligible defenders to find their way onto Team Canada and while there were some spotty moments where he looked awkward turning with the puck he did surprisingly well. In my mind he kind of shamed some of the veterans who were supposed to lead that mess of a squad.
Strength, size, solid speed, some surprising PP skills, Ekblad brings it all and teases with that word “Complete.… In the end, I wouldn’t be shocked if he fell to three, this is a volatile draft and unlike 2014 where the shock was palpable after basically a year of “Jones R Us,… Ekblad has always been seen to be in a dog fight for first. If the Panthers really want to build a team that contend they’ll need to start being able to successfully transition their prospects into the NHL. Ekblad is NHL ready, he has nothing left to prove in junior, so its sink or swim for him next season. From the interviews, you kind of get the vibe that this kid knows he’s great and loves it.
Comparison : It’s very difficult to say, some think he lacks the dynamism that some of the top defenders have, I know one OHL writer who is convinced his top out is Brent Seabrook, others say Pietrangelo is a great comparison. I really can’t decide, like most guys at first overall they bring their own unique blend that sort of transcends a comparison.
Thanks for reading and following along. I'll have something on potential steals a little later.