Grading the Top-10 Picks from the 2013 NHL Draft

Dec 4, 2014; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center

(23) tangles with Colorado Avalanche center

(29) during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

On June 30, 2013, the NHL world joined together for the 2013 NHL Draft in Newark, New Jersey.

Some players were reaches, some players were steals, and some players were just right for where they were selected.

Every player selected in the top-10 in that draft has played at least 2 games in the National Hockey League, so many of the grades will be projections of their future.

For other players that have played significant time in the NHL, the grade will based both off performance so far in the NHL and their future.

Here are the grades for the 2013 NHL Draft’s top-10 selections.

Nov 4, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) before the game against the Vancouver Canucks at Pepsi Center. The Canucks won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche selected the draft’s best forward prospect with the first overall pick in 2013, Nathan MacKinnon.

The young phenom broke into the league and starred in his rookie season, tallying 24 goals and 39 assists in 82 games played and winning the NHL’s Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year.

He was a key part of the Avalanche’s surprise playoff run and 7-game series with the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

MacKinnon’s 2nd year has been a struggle both for him and his team. 40 games in, the 19-year-old has 24 points, which means he is well off pace to match last year’s totals.

This can not be all placed on him though. The Colorado Avalanche has struggled big time as a team, posting just a 16-16-8 record.

Despite some sophomore troubles, MacKinnon still looks to be the next big star of the NHL. He has showed the league that he deserved to be the top pick in 2013, and I expect him to keep doing that for many years to come.

His durability has also been very impressive. He has not missed any games in his 122 game NHL career.

Next: 2nd Overall: Florida Panthers

Jan 14, 2014; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers center

(16) skates with the puck against the New York Islanders in the first period at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers

With a pick that shocked a majority of the NHL, the Florida Panther selected Finish forward Aleksander Barkov with the 2nd overall draft pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.

A player that was expected to go in the 4-7 range, Barkov was expected to bring a lot of offensive talent to the struggling Florida Panthers organization, but things have not panned out yet.

After being rushed to the NHL in the 2013-2014 season, Barkov tallied just 24 points in 54 games played.

The numbers were nowhere near MacKinnon, and he was not a candidate for the Calder. That being said, the Panthers were hoping for a bounce-back year for their young forward.

So far this season, Barkov has performed worse than last season, while continuing to fight injury problems. In 28 games, Aleksander Barkov has just 7 points and is a -5.

It was a risk drafting Barkov with the #2. Florida has not benefitted from that risk yet, but could still in the future.

The question has to be asked if he was rushed to the NHL. At the age of 18, he was thrown in, but was it to early? We don’t know for sure, but hopefully he can get his career more in line as he enters his 20’s. Remember, he is still just 19 years old.

Next: 3rd Overall: Tampa Bay Lightning

Feb 6, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman

(3) against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Predators 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Seth Jones, Nashville Predators

Once expected to be the 1st overall pick, defenseman Seth Jones surprisingly fell big time in the 2013 NHL Draft, and the Predators were the lucky team to draft him.

How he dropped to #4, I still do not know. Jones has the ability to turn into a top-pairing guy sooner rather than later in the NHL, and with superstar blue-liner Shea Weber and young defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis already on the team, Smashville is going to be strong on the backend for a very long time.

Like Nathan MacKinnon and Aleksander Barkov, Seth Jones was not sent back down to Juniors, instead, he has played a full 2 season in Nashville, tallying 35 points in 116 games played.

After a slow rookie year, Jones has started to break through in his sophomore campaign, proving that he was a steal with the 4th overall selection.

Jones has the family roots (his father is a retired NBA player), talent, and good team around him to make him a star defenseman in the NHL.

He was undoubtedly the best defenseman in the 2013 draft, and he has lived up to that so far, for the most part. For where he was selected and the potential he possesses, it was a high value pick for the Preds at #4.

Next: 5th Overall: Carolina Hurricanes

Nov 7, 2014; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward

(16) looks on before the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Elias Lindholm, Carolina Hurricanes

With the 5th overall pick, the Carolina Hurricanes selected the first Swedish player in the 2013 NHL Draft, Elias Lindholm.

With several options available other than Lindholm, specifically Horvat, Monahan, and Nurse, the Hurricanes had a tough selection to make.

Instead of returning to Sweden for another season, Elias Lindholm was kept in North America with the Hurricanes.

Despite having low stats in his rookie year, Lindholm did show signs of star potential with players like Jeff Skinner and Riley Nash by his side.

98 games into his NHL career, Lindholm has tallied 38 points. While his playmaking ability was what most raved about, nearly half of his 38 points are goals (17).

Lindholm has been plagued by a bad team in his first 2 seasons. When the team played well back in November, he did as well. He picked up 11 points in 15 November games. Since then, just 5 points in 17 games.

Elias Lindholm has top-six forward potential, without a doubt. He has already turned into a top-nine lock at the age of just 20. That leads me to believe that he will turn into a top-six or even top-three forward very soon with the right pieces around him.

Next: 6th Overall: Calgary Flames

Nov 18, 2014; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames center Sean Monahan (23) skates against the Anaheim Ducks during the overtime period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames knew what they were getting when they drafted Sean Monahan with the 6th overall pick. They got a hard-nosed, two-way center that could be a big top-six option in the future. What they didn’t know was that the future would come so quickly.

A year and a half into his NHL career, Monahan has turned into a top-six center for Calgary that can play in nearly every scenario. With 59 points in his first 115 NHL games, Monahan has produced at a high level while providing grit to the Flames’ lineup.

On top of Monahan’s 25 points in 40 games played in his sophomore year so far, he is also a +7 and has won an impressive 49.8% of his faceoffs.

The Monahan pick for the Flames continues to look like a very nice selection both for now and for the future of the organization.

Next: 7th Overall: Edmonton Oilers

Oct 14, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Edmonton Oilers defenseman

(25) handles the puck against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Darnell Nurse, Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers, a team that had drafted forwards very high in the draft for years, changed their ways and drafted consensus 2nd overall defenseman Darnell Nurse with the 7th overall selection.

A veteran of just 2 NHL games in his career, Nurse has played the fewest games out of any of the top-10 picks so far.

He did make it onto Canada’s U-20 World Juniors team that won Gold this past week, and he was a big part of that team.

Through his 4 years in the OHL with Saut Ste. Marie, Nurse has improved each year and is now a point per game players with 19 points in 19 games from the blueline.

Darnell Nurse has the ability to be a shutdown defenseman, but now he has started to really break through offensively. He also brings a lot of toughness and grit to his team, which is something that the Edmonton Oilers should be very happy about.

I think Nurse can be a very reliable defenseman at the next level., but he needs to break into the NHL before that happens. His debut season will likely be next season as his junior eligibility runs out after this season.

If he is not yet ready next season, he can also spend time in the AHL. That said, it may be the right move to give a guy with that much talent the chance to blossom in the NHL. For the Edmonton Oilers, that will be a good problem to have.

Next: 8th Overall: Buffalo Sabres

Dec 4, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman

(55) shoots against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres

Some would argue that the Sabres reached just slightly when they drafted Ristolainen with 8th overall pick in 2013.

The Finish defenseman was praised for his strong two-way game coming out of Turku TPS.

In my opinion, Ristolainen may have been rushed to the NHL. At the age of 18, he played 34 NHL games and struggled at time, tallying just 4 points in those games and posting a -15 plus/minus rating late season.

This year, he has put up 7 points in 37 games, but his plus/minus is slightly worse  at -19. The plus/minus rating that the young defenseman has put up in his first 2 years is pretty bad, but the bad team around him is part of the reason for this.

Still just 20 years old, Ristolainen still has a lot of time to grow. The Sabres are a team that is just trying to grow together. They know that they aren’t a contender right now, but they have a plan in place for their future, which is encouraging.

Ristolainen, like Darnell Nurse, can be a good top-4 guy in the future for the Sabres, a team that needs the defensive help.

Next: 9th Overall: Vancouver Canucks

Sep 29, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward

(53) controls the puck against the Arizona Coyotes during the third period at Rogers Arena. Arizona won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks

Bo Horvat, a guy that could have been taken up in the top-6, could end up being a steal at #9 for the Vancouver Canucks.

I am a big fan of what Horvat brings to a team. He plays the game right. The Ontario native works hard every night and has proven to be an amazing competitor.

Hovat brings a lot of valuable pieces with him. He is a very good penalty killer at such a young age, he has great offensive instincts, and he was said to be the best faceoff guy in the 2013 Draft by Central Scouting.

That all is high praise, but he has earned it. He is an exciting player with the ability to be a very impactful player in the NHL with a team that is set up pretty well for the future in Vancouver, at least at the forward positions.

Next: 10th Overall: Dallas Stars

Jan 27, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars right wing

(43) skates against the Colorado Avalanche during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Avalanche defeated the Stars 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars

The “Russian Factor” amongst other things made Valeri Nichushkin one of the biggest risks in the 2013 Draft.

No one knew where he would go. Some thought he could go as early as the top-4, and some thought he’d fall to the middle or even late 1st round. The big winger ended up splitting the difference and going at 10th to Dallas.

A guy that has drawn comparisons to Alexander Ovechkin, Nichushkin was impressive in his rookie year. He tallied 14 goals and 20 assists in 79 games played in year one in Dallas. He also got 2 points in 6 playoff games.

A category that I was very impressed by was his plus/minus, which ranked tied for 5th amongst rookies in 2013-2014 at +20.

For a guy with so much offensive skill to do that well in all other areas of the ice as well is very promising.

Nichushkin’s sophomore season has been ruined by a hip injury that he suffered just 4 games into his season. His surgery in November will keep him out until at least mid to late April.

With great players around him like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, Valeri Nichushkin has set himself up to be a star in the NHL, but will he follow through and get past his injury issues?

For where he was picked, Nichushkin was a very high value pick for the Dallas Stars.

Next: The Hurricanes and Bruins are Perfect Trade Partners