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Rachel Doerrie, ESPNJun 29, 2024, 12:05 AM ET
CloseRachel Doerrie is a professional data consultant specializing in data communication and modelling. She’s worked in the NHL and consulted for professional teams across North American and Europe. She hosts the Staff & Graph Podcast and discusses sports from a data-driven perspective.
That was one interesting first round of the NHL draft — fitting for a Las Vegas show.
Everything from Beckett Sennecke going No. 3 overall and swearing on TV, to Celine Dion and Michael Buffer’s surprise appearances, to Zeev Buium falling into Minnesota’s laps at 12. Plenty of pick-swap trades, as expected, but nearly every lottery pick stayed put.
The use of technology inside Sphere with player mosaics was different and cool, allowing for innovative graphics, introduction videos and in general an immersive experience.
Centralizing the draft in Vegas at Sphere was a fun and unique approach given how different it is from an NHL arena. Using celebrities with ties to respective teams to draft players was well done. The trade horn brought some spunk and was especially funny when it was played while commissioner Gary Bettman was attempting to … announce a trade. The NHL deserves high marks for stepping outside the box and executing an event in a fun, unique fashion.
Here’s a rundown of the smart and questionable selections from the first round, and a look at the best remaining prospects on the board for Rounds 2-7 on Saturday .
Best value picks
There are a handful of clear winners of Round 1.
The San Jose Sharks bolstered their franchise with two blue-chip prospects in Macklin Celebrini and Sam Dickinson. Those two will be key cornerstones for the Sharks as they look to climb the standings. The ability to add an elite forward and likely top-four defender is a big win for the organization.
After passing on Matvei Michkov last year, the Montreal Canadiens made no mistake in taking Ivan Demidov. Having your name announced by Celine Dion as a highly…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/40455699/nhl-draft-2024-round-1-reaction-best-worst-picks-remaining-prospects
Author : Rachel Doerrie
Publish date : 2024-06-29 05:03:32
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