LAS VEGAS — You don’t have to spend very long in Las Vegas to realize two things are indisputably true about this place: You will either be sweating buckets or freezing to death with no in-between for your entire stay, and this town knows how to sell the sizzle.
Everything here promises to be the best, coolest, most unique thing you’ve ever experienced. Any wall with even a few square feet of space will be plastered with ads for shows and events, all of which are somehow ranked No. 1. (By who? Nobody knows.) Every slot machine is bigger and brighter and louder than the last, every bar promises to be the top party destination in the city, and anything you decide to do will be the most fun you can possibly have. They promise.
Of course, promising is one thing. To send the customer home happy, you have to actually deliver. Still, there’s something to be said for being able to sell that sizzle. It’s something the NHL hasn’t been very good at in, well, forever. Maybe a weekend in Vegas will inspire a few of the marketing minds.
In the meantime, Round 1 of the NHL Draft arrived with plenty of potential, with several possible storylines and unanswered questions hanging over the event. That was the sizzle. But as expected, not everything could live up to the hype. So let’s wrap up Night 1 by running through 10 stories that came into the night feeling worthy of the Vegas hype and seeing how they actually turned out.
The story: Blockbuster trades. With all sorts of big names rumored to be on the block, something had to give. And as fans are told all year long, the best time to make a big move — heck, maybe the only time — is at the draft, where everyone has cap space and roster holes to fill.
How exciting it was: You know how I feel about trades. Very exciting.
How likely it felt: You know how I feel about GMs. Not never likely.
But then: Yeah, not a thing. Friday night didn’t see a single trade that involved an NHL player.
That doesn’t mean we won’t see some on Day 2. I mean, we almost have to, right? We’ve had drafts in the past, like 2019 in Vancouver, where teams waited for the second day to make the big moves. There are too many dominos out there for none of them to fall this weekend.
But if you were waiting for big news or Trevor Zegras, Nikolaj Ehlers, Martin Necas or whoever else … didn’t happen.
The story: At least a bit of genuine intrigue starting at pick No. 2. We all knew Macklin Celebrini would go first, and he did. But after that, there seemed to be some mystery over whether the Chicago Blackhawks would take defenseman Artyom Levshunov or winger Ivan Demidov, or throw us a curve ball.
How exciting it was: Drafts are always more interesting when there’s some mystery at the top. We rarely get that with the first pick these days, with 2022 being a rare exception. But while a wise man once said that nobody remembers number two, that’s not the case if it comes with some suspense.
How likely it felt: Less and less so as the week went on, and the consensus seemed to settle firmly on Levshunov. Full credit to our pal Mark Lazerus for making the case for Demidov, but by the time the draft started it felt like the cat was out of the bag.
But then: They took Levshunov. Ah well, full credit for trying, Laz.
Blackhawks defy @MarkLazerus’ advice and take Artyom Levshunov
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) June 28, 2024
The good news: Having that pick go as expected led to another storyline popping up …
The story: If the Hawks didn’t take him, how far would Demidov fall?
How exciting it was: Not quite as fun as last year’s Matvei Michkov watch, but a similar sort of vibe, as a talented Russian winger could drop based in part on concerns about when he’d be available. Hey, sequels don’t have to be original to be entertaining.
How likely it felt: More so as the week went on, with our most recent mock draft having Demidov drop to nine.
But then: Demidov went to the Montreal Canadiens at No. 5, which was an almost impossibly cute plot twist after they famously passed on Michkov with last year’s fifth pick. The choice got a big reaction in the building and seemed to be a hit with Canadiens fans. And if you like your draft-day symmetry, it was just about the perfect outcome.
The story: Would Gary Bettman get booed? On the one hand, booing Bettman is pretty much a rite of passage for fans in every market. In recent years, he’s tried to avoid the onslaught in hostile territory like Montreal and Vancouver by bringing popular local figures on stage with him, so maybe he’d show up with Penn & Teller or the Blue Man Group. But more importantly, if any fan base should want to show Bettman some love, it’s the unlikely expansion team that already has a Stanley Cup, right?
How exciting it was: This is your test, Vegas fans, don’t blow it.
How likely it felt: They won’t blow it.
But then: They didn’t blow it … kind of. Bettman was booed loudly when he first appeared, but it ended quickly and certainly didn’t drown him out, and the fans went for all of his applause lines. He didn’t even have to break out his well-worn “you can do better than that” joke. I guess Vegas fans are saving their loudest boos for when the league fixes the LTIR loophole.
The story: Teams moving up and down, potentially even within the top five.
How exciting it was: While maybe not quite as sexy as a trade involving a big-name star, a pick swap can shake up a draft and even redefine a franchise. These days, it’s also exceedingly rare; a top-five pick hadn’t been traded at the draft since the Toronto Maple Leafs moved up for Luke Schenn back in 2008. But leading up to Friday night, there was a decent amount of talk about picks being in play.
How likely it felt: Not very, just based on history, which tells us there’s almost always pre-draft smoke about the high picks and virtually never any fire. But this year did feel at least a little bit different, given we’d already seen multiple trades involving teams moving in the first round in the days leading up to the draft. That suggested there were some clearcut tiers in play for certain teams, so we expected more movement once the draft started, even if it wouldn’t necessarily be the top picks.
But then: None of the top picks were traded, despite reports of teams trying right up until the last moment. The first pick to be moved was the Philadelphia Flyers’ 12th pick, and they just swapped with the Minnesota Wild at 13 while picking up a future third. Not exactly an earth-shattering move, but the only one we got involving top-20 picks.
Will that stop people like me from getting caught up in the hype next year when we hear the same rumors? It will not, thanks for asking.
Tij Iginla was selected by the Utah Hockey Club with the sixth pick. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
The story: The Tij Iginla drama. Jarome’s son was one of the draft’s top prospects, and most of the rankings had him going right around where the Calgary Flames would be picking at number nine.
How exciting it was: You know where I’m at on Jarome Iginla, so seeing his son drafted was always going to be a bittersweet combination of excitement and also feeling extremely old. But the real story here was the Calgary drama — if Iginla was available when the Flames’ pick came up, would they make the obvious pick, or could they possibly have the guts to pass on the fan favorite and take somebody else?
How likely it felt: Just about every mock had the Flames being in exactly that position.
But then: The Utah team without a name shocked us by taking Iginla with the sixth pick, sniping him before the Flames even got a chance to face a dilemma. That was a legitimate “whoa” moment and dropped a few jaws on press row. The Battle of Alberta will never die, but Flames fans looking for a secondary rival may have just found one in the league’s new kids.
Ouch.. https://t.co/DHX4RJwrhi
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) June 29, 2024
The story: The Sphere just generally being cool. As you have no doubt heard, probably several times, the NHL became both the first sports league to hold an event in the building, and also the first event to be broadcast on live television. With this being the last time the NHL would hold this sort of everyone-on-the-floor draft, surely they’d go out with something memorable.
How exciting it was: Pretty neat if you were here. Probably less so if you were just watching on TV, but there had to be some curiosity over just how big the league would go.
How likely it felt: Barring a city-wide power failure, pretty much guaranteed. The question was less of an “if” and more of a “how much.”
But then: Yeah, it was pretty awesome.
None of the photos you’re seeing of The Sphere on here come anywhere close to doing it justice.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) June 28, 2024
I wondered if the league would default to its usual conservative approach to marketing, or just go all out on playing with the opportunity. They went with the latter, both inside and out. The whole experience was pretty breathtaking.
Also, Gentille almost took a drone to the face, so that was cool.
The draft at the Sphere: Very cool. (Joe Camporeale / USA Today)
The story: Who would take Trevor Connelly, the controversial American forward who had top-15 talent but a concerning past that had some comparing his draft scenarios to that of Logan Mailloux or Mitchell Miller.
How exciting it was: Excitement certainly isn’t the word here, with plenty of fans hoping that their team wouldn’t be the one to spend a first-round pick on the draft’s most controversial prospect.
How likely it felt: Like it or not, we knew that somebody would take him, almost certainly on Friday night.
But then: Connelly went 19th to the Golden Knights, which meant he got a big cheer from the crowd, which was … something. The fit made enough sense that a few of us in media row predicted it before it happened, as the pick won’t be under the same microscope it would face in other markets and the Knights aren’t exactly known as a franchise that worries too much about public perception.
The story: How far would Cole Eiserman fall?
Heading into the year, Eiserman was viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft, and maybe even a guy who could push Celebrini for the top spot. Instead, he’s been dropping down rankings, and the last round of mock drafts had him barely in the top 20, with Pronman saying there’s an “overtly negative tone about him.”
How exciting it was: Seeing a kid drop in the draft isn’t fun, but it can be intriguing. Would Eiserman have an Aaron Rodgers-like drop, or would a team jump at the chance to take a guy who was viewed as a top-five talent not all that long ago?
How likely it felt: More and more as the draft approached, which in theory could have been setting the stage for a surprise.
But then: Eiserman dropped down to 20th, where the New York Islanders grabbed him. That ended up being right around the range of the most recent mocks, but still has to feel like a disappointment given how high expectations were coming into the season. Now the Islanders will have a player looking to prove he’s not the next Angelo Esposito … and maybe a chip on his shoulder to help him do it.
The story: Shortly before the draft, a rumor circulated that teams had been told not to do the usual “thank the hosts and congratulate the champs” schtick that every GM who isn’t Tim Murray always feels obligated to do. Just make the pick, they were apparently told. And don’t bring the entire front office on stage with you to do it.
How exciting it was: For me, personally, just about the best thing ever.
How likely it felt: Impossible. I’ve spent years complaining about this, and I know I’m not alone. Surely the league hadn’t finally figured out how much everyone hates all the stalling.
respect to st louis. two guys on stage, only one talks, he says 10 words. boom, pick done. incredible efficiency.
— Mike Halford (@MikeHalford604) June 29, 2024
But then: They actually did it! Mostly. With a couple of exceptions we can chalk up to force-of-habit, nobody thanked Las Vegas or congratulated Florida, so it appears the rumor was true. But teams were still doing the annoying shoutout to their local draft party, and some of the time saved went to some teams introducing a guest picker, including some celebrities. (Celine Dion and Michael Buffer both got big reactions.) That part was a fun touch. But all in all, two out of three ain’t bad, so congratulations to the league on a huge improvement.
And hey, since you NHL GMs have shown you can move fast when you need to … how about you hurry up and make some trades to spice up Day 2?
(Top photo: Jeff Speer / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
