As you’ve all likely heard by now, the Dallas Stars took the draft by surprise yesterday when they selected center Ty Dellandrea from the OHL’s Flint Firebirds. Here is Dallas legend Mike Modano and current captain Jamie Benn making the selection:
“I’ll trade that Art Ross Trophy that me and my teammates won for that Stanley Cup banner any day.” @jamiebenn14 and @9modano shared some laughs at tonight’s #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/9TOfiteyg8
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018
(And in case you were wondering: yes, there was a script.)
Mike Modano said he and @Razor5Hole wrote the dialogue with Jamie Benn on stage. “We just needed to get the script done early so he could have two hours to look at it. It was only two lines. But the name of the draft pick sent him for a loop,” said Modano of Benn. #NHLDraft
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 23, 2018
Here’s what Stars General Manager Jim Nill had to say about the selection:
Stars GM Jim Nill provides some insight on the decision to draft Ty Dellandrea with the 13th overall pick tonight. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/rfcLfaPZfo
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018
And here’s what the newest Star had to say about himself after being drafted:
Ty Dellandrea describes himself as an all-around centerman who can play in all situations and is reliable in his own end. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/fZXtGgbjoE
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 23, 2018
More Dellandrea News
I’m sure you want to read all about the Stars’ latest draft pick, so don’t worry: I have you covered.
First, here are five things to know about Ty Dellandrea: [SportsDay DFW]
Next, read about why the Stars fell in love with the OHL center in the first place:
‘He’s going to blossom pretty quick’: What impressed the Stars about their #NHLDraft pick Ty Dellandrea @gfraley | #GoStars https://t.co/Mh2XutTYzX
— SportsDay Stars (@dmn_stars) June 23, 2018
Many people are worried that this pick was a reach, but the Stars are confident in their selection:
With added intel, Stars confident they made right choice in Ty Dellandrea https://t.co/5x5aTaJvLE
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) June 23, 2018
Josh Lile also argues why the Stars might have made a good choice by taking the underrated center. [SportsDay DFW]
And here’s one final read on the Stars’ newest prospect:
For more on new Stars draft pick Ty Dellandrea, you can read Max Bultman’s fantastic story here. https://t.co/qmK9V5Zz8U
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticDFW) June 23, 2018
Pre-Draft News
Before we get to the actual draft, let’s talk about some news that hit before the draft. First up, the Washington Capitals traded Philipp Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche:
TRADE | The Washington Capitals have acquired a second round pick, 47th-overall from the Colorado Avalanche in the 2018 NHL Draft in exchange for defenseman Brooks Orpik and Philipp Grubauer. #ALLCAPS https://t.co/xUUHHVPQfu
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 22, 2018
By offloading Brooks Orpik and his contract in the deal, the Capitals have put them in a good position for re-signing John Carlson. [The Hockey News]
But let’s be honest, that wasn’t the biggest news before the draft. No, the real headliners came courtesy of the Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes:
Coyotes go retro, Hurricanes get new look with third jerseys https://t.co/MpHR28TExM
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) June 23, 2018
First Round Roundup
Now it’s time for more draft talk! First, check out our list of every first round pick if you haven’t already: [Defending Big D]
Corey Pronman breaks down the first round, delving into each player and giving feedback on the pick: [The Athletic]
There were a couple of trades yesterday, but not until later in the draft:
Ottawa trades the 22nd overall pick to the Rangers for picks 26 and 48 in this year’s draft
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 23, 2018
Leafs and Blues make a trade. Leafs send 25 to St Louis for picks 29 and 76.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 23, 2018
If the draft day trades feel underwhelming, there’s some potential reasons for that:
A few GM’s on the Draft floor believe many of the trade possibilities have been stalled in waiting on Tavares and Kovalchuk decisions.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 23, 2018
Filip Zadina fell to the Detroit Red Wings at No. 6, and he has some choice words for the teams that passed him up. [Sportsnet]
Finally, here is Pronman’s take on the top players left on the board:
My thoughts on top talents remaining for day 2 https://t.co/RxuTJwfHsE
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) June 23, 2018