2019 NHL Draft: Who could be picked on day one?

The action on the ice continues to heat up as teams continue to fight during the playoffs. Off of the ice, the front offices around the NHL are also starting to heat up as executives begin to put together a draft plan together. This includes teams that failed to make the playoffs or faced an early first round exit. This year, the 2019 NHL draft will take place on June 21^st and 22^nd at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.

As we get set to take a look at a few of the top draft options, here is a list of who holds the top five picks during the 2019 NHL Draft: 1^st pick New Jersey Devils, 2^nd pick New York Rangers, 3^rd pic Chicago Blackhawks, 4^th pick Colorado Avalanche (acquired from Ottawa Senators) and 5^th pick the Los Angeles Kings. Rounding out the top ten include the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and the Vancouver Canucks.

While those teams wait to see who will be available during the 2019 NHL draft, here are a few of the top options who should go on day one of the draft.

The players

Jack Hughes – Hughes should be the first overall pick during the 2019 NHL draft and if not should hear his name called no later than the number two pick. Hughes on Sunday passed Alexander Ovechkin for the all-time leading scorer of the U18 Worlds. Hughes ability to find the net should help him become a dominant scorer at the next level.

Kirby Dach – The 6ft 4inch center might be the most polished of the group and one that should go high in the first round of the 2019 NHL draft. While Dach can do it all on the ice, his ability to see the ice and his overall knowledge of the game will make him a difficult match to slow down at the NHL level. Along with his knowledge, Dach has the size to play at the professional level.

Cole Caufield – Caufield is a pure goal scoring phenom that any NHL team would love to secure in the draft. While the Wisconsin native has shown his ability to score throughout his young playing career, the big question that many teams around the NHL will ask ahead of the 2019 NHL draft is whether or not his size (5’6’’) will limit his ability play at the next level and if he can withstand the big hits for an entire season.