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ESPN staff
The 2021 NHL draft is here, and we’re tracking all 224 picks over two days and seven rounds, starting with the Buffalo Sabres‘ selection at No. 1 overall. Follow along live Friday and Saturday for each selection. Plus, Greg Wyshynski will take a closer look at how each first-rounder fits with his new team.
This year’s class of prospects comes with little consensus when it comes to rankings and evaluations, thanks to uneven — or nonexistent — seasons for many junior, collegiate and/or international leagues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But the group is extremely talented, with numerous future impact players at the NHL level.
Following the Sabres in Round 1 are the Seattle Kraken, who just completed their full expansion draft and are now primed to make their first ever draft pick at No. 2 overall. A handful of teams are also set to make multiple first-round picks on Friday.
Here are the 2021 NHL draft picks as they happen, along with instant analysis on every Round 1 selection. Watch the first-round picks roll in live on Friday night on ESPN2, starting at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2-7 will continue on Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m. ET (NHL Network).
See more:
Rankings | Mock draft
Draft buzz | Big questions
Meet Owen Power | Michigan’s class
ROUND 1
2020-21 record: 15-34-7
2020-21 record: N/A
2020-21 record: 17-30-9
2020-21 record: 19-30-7
2020-21 record: 18-26-12
2020-21 record: 19-27-10
2020-21 record: 21-28-7
2020-21 record: 21-28-7
2020-21 record: 24-26-6
2020-21 record: 23-28-5
2020-21 record: 24-26-6
2020-21 record: 24-25-7
2020-21 record: 26-27-3
2020-21 record: 15-34-7
2020-21 record: 23-19-14
2020-21 record: 27-23-6
2020-21 record: 27-20-9
2020-21 record: 30-23-3
2020-21 record: 31-23-2
2020-21 record: 35-19-2
2020-21 record: 33-16-7
2020-21 record: 35-16-5
2020-21 record: 19-27-10
2020-21 record: 37-14-5
2020-21 record: 18-26-12
2020-21 record: 35-16-5
2020-21 record: 36-12-8
2020-21 record: 39-13-4
2020-21 record: 19-30-7
2020-21 record: 40-14-2
2020-21 record: 24-21-11
2020-21 record: 18-26-12
*The Coyotes were forced to surrender their 2021 first-round pick at No. 11 overall after violating the NHL’s rules on pre-combine testing.
Follow here again live on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. ET, for every selection of Rounds 2-7.