Takeaways from first round of 2024 NHL Draft: Fired-up Sharks fan, Vegas makes controversial pick

Now that is some excitement.  

Canadiens did not repeat their mistake from a year ago

During the 2023 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to select forward Matvei Michkov, one of the most talented players in the draft out of Russia. They passed on him, let him fall to the Philadelphia Flyers, and now Michkov is set to make his NHL debut far sooner than anybody could have anticipated. 

The Canadiens did not repeat that mistake this season when Russia's Ivan Demidov, arguably the second-best talent in the draft, fell to them with the No. 5 overall pick. 

They immediately pounced and selected him, giving them a potential star to build around. Even as high as No. 5 he still might prove to be a steal of a pick. 

Blockbuster trades do not happen at the draft anymore

The first night of the NHL Draft used to be one of the busiest days of the year for some of the offseason's biggest trades. With all of the general managers and front offices in one place, and draft picks being major trade capital, teams used to take advantage of that and swing huge trades.

That no longer seems to be the case.

After zero trades were made in the first round a year ago, there were only a handful of trades made this year, and none of them involved NHL players or prospects. They were all simply pick swaps, creating a rather dull night for roster movement.

The stage is however still set for some big trade action between Saturday and Monday when the free agent signing period begins. 

The stars were out in Vegas

When the NHL Draft is in Las Vegas you need to bring out some stars to help with the show. The NHL brought out a couple of big ones and Las Vegas legends on Friday.

First, we had Celine Dion announcing the Montreal Canadiens' No. 5 overall pick.

Later in the first round, long-time boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer was brought out to introduce the Philadelphia Flyers' No. 13 overall pick.

Vegas makes a very controversial pick

The most controversial pick of the first round came when the Vegas Golden Knights selected Trevor Connelly with the No. 19 overall pick.

The controversy is not with his ability to play.

He is a legit first-round talent and has a chance to stick in the NHL.

The controversy comes from the fact he has an extensive list of off-ice issues that have ranged from him posing for a Snapchat picture with a swastika, to being accused of using a racial slur in a game, to have constant chemistry concerns with pretty much every team he has played on. 

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said during the ESPN broadcast that he had spoken with Connelly twice during the pre-draft process but refused to go into any detail on those conversations.