1. Connor McDavid to the Edmonton Oilers - No surprise here. McDavid has been heralded as the top prospect since Sidney Crosby and he was as close to a sure thing at number one as there was; he comes from the Erie Otters of the OHL. The Oilers have had four number one overall picks in the last six years, Taylor Hall in 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011 and Nail Yakupov in 2012 before McDavid this year. The Oilers made significant changes this offseason, bringing in former San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan and former Boston GM Peter Charelli. Getting a franchise player to put with a lot of young talent they’ve collected over the years is not a bad way to start. Even though McDavid might not physically be up to NHL standards just yet, there is no doubt he will be starting for the Oilers on opening night next season.

2. Jack Eichel to the Buffalo Sabres - Also not a surprise. Eichel won the Hobey Baker trophy as the top player in NCAA hockey this past year and he will be a great player in the NHL. Under new Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma, Eichel could have an immediate impact, maybe even more than McDavid according to some scouts. But, he has the option of returning to Boston University if he wants to. If he decides to come to the NHL immediately, he could play with Tyler Ennis, Evander Kane or Matt Moulson or perhaps two of those guys flanking him on the wing. With Eichel and Ryan O’Reilly now in the fold, the Sabres have had one of the best draft nights in the league.  

3. Dylan Strome to the Arizona Coyotes - There were options at the third pick, but this writer thinks the Coyotes made the best possible selection with Strome at the third pick. He’s not on the same level as McDavid or Eichel, but still a very good player. He played with McDavid with the Otters, and he scored 45 goals and racked up 129 points in 68 games this season. He joins a promising prospect pool that includes Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, meaning the future is bright, wherever that future may be for the Coyotes. He has been compared to John Tavares in skill, and it was said of both that their skating was their weak point, but Tavares has been pretty effective in spite of that. 

4. Mitch Marner to the Toronto Maple Leafs - The young Canadian prospect gets to stay in his home country and be a part of the rebuilding process for the Maple Leafs, now with new Leafs head coach Mike Babcock at the helm. Babcock loves guys that have great offensive skill, and Marner will provide exactly that. It is still uncertain if he will be a winger or a center at the NHL level, and with his passing ability, it would have been fun to see him play with Phil Kessel, but Kessel might be on his way out of Toronto. Marner might not play in the NHL immediately, and this writer believes it would be wise not to rush him into it. It’s going to be a multi-year process of rebuilding under Babcock, might as well not push Marner to something he isn’t ready for.

5. Noah Hannifin to the Carolina Hurricanes - Best value here. Hannifin was the captain of the Under-17 USA team that won the Gold at the 2014 World Hockey Challenge. He comes from Boston College, where he built a very strong hockey IQ and work ethic. He has good size for a blue liner at 6-2, 203 pounds and plays defense first, which is in no way an indictment of his offensive skills, he certainly could be in the NHL this coming season if he decides to go pro. But similar to Eichel, he has the option to return to Boston College if he chooses to.