Grading the Draft - Part 2

Just like yesterday, you'll find information on every first round pick taken by each team (or top selection if they didn't pick in the first round) as well as analysis on the trades, but this time we will focus on the Atlantic and Central divisions.

Don't forget to check out Part One for the Metropolitan and Pacific Division draft grades.

BOSTON BRUINS

Grade: D

First Round Selection(s): Jakub Zboril (13th), Jake DeBrusk (14th) and Zach Senyshyn (15th)

The Boston Bruins made plenty of headlines going into the NHL Draft when they shipped Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic out of town. Hamilton, who is a restricted free agent, was sent to Calgary for the 15th overall pick as well as the 45th and 52nd selections in the 2015 draft. The Bruins dealt Lucic to Los Angeles for Martin Jones, Colin Miller and the 13th overall choice. The moves save Boston some cap room, but losing a cornerstone player like Hamilton is sure to haunt them and they retained nearly half of Lucic's salary. To make matters even more confusing, the Bruins signed injury-prone defender Adam McQuaid to a four-year, $11 million contract. Meanwhile, the draft selections were a bit on the questionable side as well. Zbroil projects as a physical blueliner, who can contribute at both ends of the ice, but Boston may have reached a little when it comes to DeBrusk and Senyshyn. The selection of Brandon Carlo in Round 2 has the potential to be a good one, as he possesses great size and mobility.

BUFFALO SABRES

Grade: A+

First Round Selection(s): Jack Eichel (2nd)

Buffalo was treated with more than a consolation prize after losing the draft lottery. Not being able to select Connor McDavid may have stung a little, but the Sabres have a phenomenal prospect in Eichel, who some are already projecting could start the 2015-16 campaign as the team's second-line center. Buffalo also made a splash during the draft weekend with a couple of trades. The club acquired Ryan O'Reilly, who is slated to be their top pivot, and Jamie McGinn from Colorado in exchange for Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher and the 31st pick. Buffalo also landed Robin Lehner and David Legwand from Ottawa for the 21st selection. The deals help build some much-needed depth at forward, especially down the middle and Lehner will get every opportunity to develop as a starter.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Grade: C

First Round Selection(s): None (Top pick was Graham Knott at 54th overall)

Chicago didn't make their first selection in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft until the 24th pick of the second round. The Blackhawks used that choice on Knott, who played with Niagara of the OHL. He generated 25 goals and 43 points in 59 games this past season. The 6'3" forward was one of five players the Hawks took at 6-feet or over. Their first-round pick belonged to Arizona following the deal that brought Antoine Vermette to Chicago.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

Grade: B

First Round Selection(s): Mikko Rantanen (10th)

Rantanen was the No. 1 rated international skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings. His style of play, size and skill should make for an easy transition when he comes to North America. Rantanen has all the makings of a successful power forward. The Avalanche couldn't meet the contract demands of Ryan O'Reilly so he was sent to Buffalo, along with Jamie McGinn, for defenseman Nikita Zadorov, forward Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher and a second-round pick. Zadorov is exactly what Colorado was looking for, as they were seeking a left-handed defenseman to play in the top-four group.

DALLAS STARS

Grade: C+

First Round Selection(s): Denis Gurianov (12th)

The Stars went back to Russia for their first-round pick and took Gurianov at No. 12 overall. He plays a very similar style to countryman Valeri Nichushkin, who Dallas selected 10th overall in 2013. He is confident rushing the puck with speed and utilizes his size to great effect. Gurianov has definite sleeper potential in fantasy hockey if Dallas can convince him to play in North America. The Stars also jumped into the Draft Day trading frenzy by acquiring Antti Niemi from San Jose for a seventh-round pick. Dallas agreed to terms with the pending unrestricted free agent on Monday on a three-year contract worth $13.5 million. The Stars have more than $10 million in cap costs for their two netminders, but believe the investment will pay off. Dallas had the necessary cap room and backup goaltending has been a sore spot for them. With Niemi and Kari Lehtonen in the crease, the Stars feel they have made a significant improvement and the battle for playing time will bring out the best in both of them.

DETROIT RED WINGS

Grade: B-

First Round Selection(s): Evgeni Svechnikov (19th)

The Red Wings made Svechnikov their top selection in the 2015 draft after he enjoyed a great campaign with Cape Breton in the QMJHL, where finished second among rookies in scoring. The Wings are often very patient with their prospects, so we probably won't see him in the NHL for at least a few years. Interestingly, the 2015 draft was the first time in 22 years that Detroit didn't obtain a prospect from Sweden. Detroit sought to better balance their primarily left-handed defense corps by drafting a pair right-handers in Vili Saarijarvi and Patrick Holway, who both have offensive upside. It's always difficult to score the Wings because on the surface their selections may not seem like much, but they always seem to uncover a gem or two.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

Grade: B-

First Round Selection(s): Lawson Crouse (11th)

Crouse projects as a physical force that can play a strong two-way game, but the jury is still out on what kind of offensive contributions he will make. The Panthers are convinced they scored a "home-run pick" though and he has potential as a future fantasy contributor. Florida didn't make another pick until the third round when goaltender Samuel Montembeault was chosen 77th overall. The 18-year-old has been a stud in the crease for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL and he was superb during the 2015 CHL Top Prospects Game showcase.

MINNESOTA WILD

Grade: B-

First Round Selection(s): Joel Eriksson Ek (20th)

Minnesota used their first two picks in the draft on a couple of talented power forwards. Erikkson Ek is a hard-charging skater with excellent offensive skills. He was rated fourth among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting and finished as the second-best forward after he was ranked 22nd overall in the midterm rankings. The Wild took Jordan Greenway, who is committed to Boston University, in the second round at pick No. 50. The 6'4", 222-pound winger is an intriguing player to keep an eye on. Minnesota didn't have a third-round pick because of the trade that landed them goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who was signed Saturday to a six-year, $26 million contract to prevent him from hitting free agency.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Grade: C

First Round Selection(s): Noah Juulsen (26th)

Montreal wanted to emphasize defense and take some centers at the 2015 draft, which explains four of their five selections, as the Canadiens took two players at each position. Juulsen is believed to have top-four potential and Montreal thought it was time to address their prospect pool on the back end after taking Alex Galchenyuk, Michael McCarron and Nikita Scherbak with their last top picks. Still, some scouts think his upside is limited and the two-way defender may not be much of fantasy hockey factor.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Grade: C

First Round Selection(s): None (Top pick was Yakov Trenin at 55th overall)

Nashville sent their first-round pick to Toronto, along with Olli Jokinen and Brendan Leipsic, for Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli. The Predators made their first selection of the 2015 draft in the second round with the 55th overall choice. Trenin spent the 2014-15 campaign in the QMJHL, where he generated 18 goals and 67 points in 58 contests. His playmaking skills became evident after he was switched to center and he finished fifth among rookies in scoring. USHL product Thomas Novak, who was chosen in the third round, could be someone to watch. He has a high hockey IQ and is described as an "elusive" skater, but he may be a bit of a project.

OTTAWA SENATORS

Grade: B+

First Round Selection(s): Thomas Chabot (18th) and Colin White (21st)

Ottawa had two selections in the opening round of the 2015 draft and they got good value by picking up Chabot and White. Chabot is a two-way defender with good size, mobility and offensive skills, while White is a highly-regarded two-way forward who is committed to play for Boston College next campaign. The Senators also used the draft weekend to do some roster housekeeping. The club traded one of their three goaltenders when Robin Lehner was sent to Buffalo, along with David Legwand, for the pick that turned into White. The team also moved Eric Gryba to Edmonton for the 107th selection and prospect Travis Ewanyk. Now, the Sens are down to seven defenders and it opens a spot for Jared Cowen to regain some of the trust he lost last season.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

Grade: C

First Round Selection(s): None (Top pick was Vince Dunn at 56th overall)

St. Louis would've had the 25th overall pick, but it was moved to Buffalo in the Ryan Miller trade. The Sabres flipped that selection to the Winnipeg Jets in the Evander Kane deal. The Blues didn't make their first choice until the second round when defenseman Vince Dunn was taken with the 26th pick that round. He was projected to go earlier than he did, but still has plenty to work on before he can compete at the NHL level. Dunn is a superb skater and he has potential to be an offensive threat from the blueline. Adam Musil, who was chosen in the third round, has deep bloodlines in the NHL. His father, Frank, skated in 797 career NHL games and his brother, David, was drafted in 2011 by the Edmonton Oilers. His uncle is Bobby Holik.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Grade: B-

First Round Selection(s): None (Top pick was Mitchell Stephens at 33rd overall)

The Lightning sent their first-round selection to Philadelphia in the Braydon Coburn trade. The Flyers used the selection and the 61st pick to move up in a deal with Toronto to take Travis Konecny (24th overall). The Leafs flipped the 29th pick to Columbus for choices No. 34 and 68 and the Blue Jackets used it on defenseman Gabriel Carlsson. The pick that would've been Tampa Bay's had quite the adventure. The Lightning took two players in the second with Stephens and Matthew Spencer (44th overall). Stephens has speed to burn and he posted 48 points in 62 games with Saginaw in 2014-15, but he projects as more of an energy-type player. Tampa Bay made intriguing picks in the third round when they got skilled forward Dennis Yan and Anthony Cirelli is a character player who improved as the season moved along. Tampa Bay's system has produced plenty of depth for the organization, but their 2015 draft class has a distinct hit or miss quality.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Grade: A

First Round Selection(s): Mitchell Marner (4th)

The Leafs ignored size and drafted a high volume of skilled forwards in 2015. Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas served as the club's de facto General Managers at the draft. Hunter's long history with the London Knights made him very familiar with Marner, who was a star in the OHL in 2014-15 with 126 points in 63 games and he has incredible offensive upside. Toronto also landed Jeremy Bracco with the last pick in the second round (61st overall). The diminutive American, who will attend Boston College in the fall, concluded his NTDP career behind just two players in scoring with 168 points. Only Phil Kessel (180) and Patrick Kane (172) had more. Toronto added value late in the draft as well by selecting QMJHL rookie scoring leader Dmytro Timashov (125th overall), who amassed 71 assists and 90 points in 66 games with Quebec. The Leafs weren't able to trade Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, or Tyler Bozak at the draft, but the organization did a great job of adding talented prospects to grow in the system. The only trade the team managed to complete was the one that sent Brad Ross and the 107th pick to Edmonton for Martin Marincin. He could be in the mix for a defense spot next season.

WINNIPEG JETS

Grade: A

First Round Selection(s): Kyle Connor (17th) and Jack Roslovic (25th)

The Jets have been excellent at the draft table since the resurrection of their organization. Winnipeg has stocked their cupboard with an impressive assortment of prospects and they added more depth in 2015. Connor, who amassed 80 points in the USHL and is en route to the University of Michigan, and Roslovic, who had 38 points in 25 games and is committed to Miami University of Ohio, are both described as highly competitive and talented two-way players. Second-round pick Jansen Harkins (47th overall) is known for the same qualities and Erik Foley (78th overall) has a reputation as an agitator who can score.