It’s interesting how long six years can feel in sports. There are times that these Top 10 Draft Pick articles feel rather dull, as the players are just starting their careers with the team that drafted them, so there isn’t much to say other than things are looking good and the future is still bright. For better or for worse, the 2018 NHL Draft is not one of those classes. So much has happened during these players’ first five seasons post-draft that you could write a novel about each. So, let’s take a look at the top ten picks of the 2018 NHL Draft to see how they are developing so far.
Note: The 2018 NHL Draft took place June 22nd-23rd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
#1. Rasmus Dahlin – Buffalo Sabres
After experiencing another miserable season that kept the Buffalo Sabres at the bottom of the standings, the much-maligned franchise finally caught a break when they won the 2018 Draft Lottery, which gave them the first-overall pick for the first time in over 30 years (despite many valiant attempts). With this selection, the Sabres took defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who was seen as the best player in this class, despite his game likely needing a lot of polish.
In his first six seasons in Buffalo, Dahlin has been about everything you can expect from a developing top-end defenseman. In his rookie outing, he posted nine goals and 44 points en route to a nomination for the 2019 Calder Trophy, then he saw his development disrupted by the worldwide hockey closures before getting back on track again in 2021-22.
However, in the 2022-23 season, Dahlin went from a tantalizing prospect to a legitimate top-pairing defenseman who played 25-plus minutes each night, posted 70-plus points, and even finished top-ten in Norris voting. By all accounts, if he can keep this level of play up in the coming years he will not only live up to the hype of his first-overall selection, but he could work his way into the Norris Trophy discussion. So, this was a big win for the Sabres as they look to break their playoff drought.
#2. Andrei Svechnikov – Carolina Hurricanes
While the Sabres may have won the 2018 NHL draft by taking home the first-overall pick, you can make the argument that the Carolina Hurricanes were the winner of the lottery when they jumped from the 11th-overall pick to second. At that time, the Hurricanes were merely an average team, that often hung around the middle of the pack but…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…