The New York Islanders have the top pick in the NHL draft: Who will they choose?
The two-day NHL draft will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this weekend, with the first round held on Friday night.
The New York Islanders have the No. 1 pick after winning the draft lottery in May. The San Jose Sharks, who finished last in the overall standings, pick second followed by Chicago and Utah. Six of the top prospects:
Matthew Schaefer, defenseman, OHL Erie
Hometown: Hamilton, Ontario.
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds. Turns 18 on Sept. 5.
Expected to be selected: No. 1 by the New York Islanders.
Accomplishments/background: Schaefer maintained the top spot in NHL Central Scouting rankings despite missing start of the season with mononucleosis and the final three months after breaking his collarbone. Scouts believe he did enough to show off his offensive flair with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games. That's a jump from the his rookie season (seven goals and 17 points in 56 games). Schaefer also had two goals and four assists in captaining Canada to win the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in August. Schaefer has shown poise and maturity in dealing with tragedy. His mother died of cancer in February 2024. Two months earlier, the mother of his billet family was struck and killed by a train and last December Otters owner and Schaefer's mentor, Jim Waters, died of a heart attack. Would become first OHL player to go No. 1 since Erie star Connor McDavid went first in 2015.
NHL Central Scouting report: 'He does it all on the ice -- defends well as an elite skater with good gap control and has the ability and smarts to consistently produce offensively. ... A special talent.'
Michael Misa, center, OHL Saginaw
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario.
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 184 pounds. Turned 18 in February.
Expected to be selected: No. 2 to San Jose, and shouldn't fall any lower than No. 4.
Accomplishments/background: Misa led the CHL in scoring last season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists), matching the most by an under-18 OHL player since 2009 No. 1 selection John Tavares in 2006-07. He was the eighth player granted CHL exceptional status, allowing him to play at 15. He was the OHL's rookie of the year in 2022 and helped Saginaw win the Memorial Cup championship the following year. After playing wing his first two seasons, he seamlessly made the switch to center this season.
NHL Central Scouting report: 'He's bigger, stronger and faster than previous seasons. ... A clever play-maker who makes plays at speed and knows how to put the puck in the net. ... His quickness, creativity and hockey sense are off the charts.'
Anton Frondell, center, Djurgarden, Sweden (Tier 2)
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden.
Measurables: 6-feet, 198 pounds. Turned 18 in May.
Expected to be selected: Could go No. 2 to San Jose. Shouldn't drop lower than No. 5 (Nashville).
Accomplishments/background: Frondell finished the season as central scouting's top-ranked international skater. He's a puck-possession forward, with an outgoing personality. He joked about how much his English improved during team interviews at the draft combine. After playing 10 games in Sweden's junior league, he made the jump to the second division, where he had 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games. In 2023-24, Frondell led his junior team and finished tied for sixth in the league with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 29 games.
NHL Central Scouting report: 'Has perfect balance in his skating and makes it difficult for opponents to catch him. Wins most of the one-on-one battles.'
James Hagens, center, Boston College
Hometown: Hauppauge, New York.
Measurables: 5-foot-11, 177 pounds. Turned 18 in November.
Expected to be selected: A top-10 selection, who could prompt teams to trade up should he fall to No. 9 (Buffalo).
Accomplishments/background: Hagens is the top-ranked American-born player at No. 3 on central scouting's list. A high-scoring playmaker who grew up an Islanders fan on Long Island. With 11 goals and 26 assists, he finished fourth in points among college freshmen. He scored five goals for America's gold medal-winning team at the world juniors. A year earlier, Hagens earned world junior tournament MVP honors with nine goals and 22 points. In two years on the U.S. national development team, he finished fifth on the career list with 187 points and 115 assists.
NHL Central Scouting report: 'Always a scoring threat off the rush and can set up his teammates from anywhere. ... He wants the puck on his stick and has game-changer ability. The complete offensive package.'
Caleb Desnoyers, center, QMJHL Moncton
Hometown: Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec.
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 178 pounds. Turned 18 in April.
Expected to be selected: Chance to go 4th (Utah).
Accomplishments/background: Though ranked seventh on the central scouting list of North American skaters, Desnoyers has risen up the charts after leading Moncton to a Memorial Cup berth. He finished fifth in the Q with 84 points (35 goals, 49 assists) in 56 games. He followed up in earning QMJHL playoff MVP honors with nine goals and 30 points in 19 games. He's a three-time gold medalist in winning at the Under-17, Under-18 championship and the 2024 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup.
NHL Central Scouting report: 'He's willing to do most of the dirty work to retrieve 50-50 pucks, and will play a physical style when needed. His skating is good and will continue to get more powerful as he matures physically. ... Prospect who has lots of transferable pro elements in his game.'
Joshua Ravensbergen, goalie, WHL Prince George
Hometown: North Vancouver, British Columbia.
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 190 pounds. Turned 18 in November.
Expected to be selected: Has opportunity to be the ninth goalie taken in the first round since 2011. Both Philadelphia (No. 6, 22, 31) and Nashville (5, 23, 26) are potential landing spots, with each having three first-round selections.
Accomplishments/background: Ravensbergen is central scouting's top-ranked North American goalie and went 33-13-4, finishing tied for the WHL's second-most wins. He went 26-4-1 last year, with a rookie league record-tying six shutouts. In two WHL seasons, he has a 2.78 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.
NHL Central Scouting report: 'Has a huge pro presence and plays big even when down in the butterfly with excellent low-net coverage. ... A combination of size and ability, he has a good chance to become an NHL starter.'
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
Former college football player Chandler Jones dies at age 33 after road accident
Former San José State University star Chandler Jones died Sunday at the age of 33 following a road accident in Los Angeles, according to a medical examiner report. The report states Jones suffered blunt traumatic injuries while on the freeway in Los Angeles. According to CNN affiliate KCAL, police say an investigation is underway after Jones was hit by a car at 2 a.m. on Sunday, before being pronounced dead at the scene. CNN Sports has reached out to the California Highway Patrol for comment. After starring at Bishop Montgomery High School, Jones enjoyed a record-breaking college career at San José State between 2010 and 2013. He finished with a program high of 248 receptions and 31 receiving touchdowns, before trying to forge a career in the NFL. He made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad in 2014, before moving to the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes. After his playing career, Jones worked as a coach, notably back at San José State and with the Alouettes. 'Our thoughts are with Chandler's family and loved ones as they navigate this incredibly difficult time. We extend our heartfelt condolences and offer them our full support,' said Danny Maciocia, general manager of the Alouettes, in a statement Monday. Meanwhile, the San José State Spartans released a statement on social media saying that Jones would be 'forever in our hearts.' University of Arizona head football coach Brent Brennan, who formerly was the head coach at San José State, also took to social media to pay tribute to Jones. 'My heart is broken at the news of losing this incredible person,' he said.
CBS News
37 minutes ago
- CBS News
Garrett Crochet tossed another gem, but Red Sox wasted it again
The Boston Red Sox got another masterful performance from ace Garrett Crochet Tuesday night against the Angels. And once again, the Boston Red Sox let it go to waste. Crochet effortlessly tossed seven shutout innings against the Angels in the middle game of a three-game set in Anahiem, only for the Boston bullpen to blow the game in the eighth inning and eventually lose it, 3-2, in extras. Crochet was locked in from the first pitch, and struck out leadoff man Zach Neto to begin his outing. He fanned a pair in the opening frame and needed just 12 pitches to get through the inning. He worked around a pair of second-inning walks by getting a double play ball and striking out Gustavo Campero looking to end the inning. The Boston lefty didn't surrender his first hit until there was two outs in the fourth inning, when Taylor Ward hit a double to left field. Logan O'Hoppe followed with a single, but Ward was thrown out at home to end the inning and keep Crochet's shutout bid alive. Jo Adell reached on an infield single in the bottom of the seventh, accounting for the third and final hit Crochet would give up. By the end of his outing, Crochet had racked up 10 strikeouts in just 103 pitches, 67 of which went for strikes. He struck out five of those batters over his final three innings of work. It marked the first start of Crochet's career where he pitched seven shutout innings and struck out at least 10 batters. He's getting better and better as he progresses through his first season with the Red Sox. Crochet has now allowed just two runs in his last three starts over 21.1 innings, baffling the Mariners, Yankees, and Angels with his full arsenal. Crochet's fastball was on Tuesday night, as was his cutter, sweeper, and sinker. Halfway through the season, Crochet leads the American League with 135 strikeouts and 109.1 innings pitched. He ranks third in the AL with a 2.06 ERA. On Tuesday, Crochet joined Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers to strike out at least 110 batters and allow fewer than 30 runs over their first 17 starts with the Red Sox. But despite another dominant performance from their ace on Tuesday night, the Red Sox dropped their fourth straight game. Red Sox waste Crochet's gem The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning after Marcelo Mayer smacked his first career triple and scored on a sac fly. That looked like it would be all the run support Crochet would need for the evening. The cushion wasn't enough for the Boston bullpen though. Greg Weissert came on in the bottom of the eighth, and surrendered a game-tying home run to Angels rookie Christian Moore. It was Weissert's fourth blown save of the season. Aroldis Chapman put up more zeros in the bottom of the ninth, and the Red Sox took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th when Mayer recorded his first three-hit game with an RBI single to plate Ceddanne Rafaela. Again, the one-run cushion was not enough. In the bottom of the 10th, Moore bit the Red Sox again with a two-run homer off Justin Wilson for the walk-off victory. Wilson has now blown four saves on the season as well. Crochet sits at just 7-4 on the season, but he could be at 10 wins already if the Boston offense would wake up in his starts and the bullpen would stop coughing up leads. Tuesday night's loss dropped the Red Sox to 40-41 on the season. Crochet has been everything the Red Sox have needed out of an ace this season. If the rest of the team would hit and pitch a little better for him, the Red Sox would be a playoff team and not one desperate to stay above .500 halfway through the season.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
PWHL Draft 2025: Best picks, biggest surprises and why New York stole the show
OTTAWA – Pascal Daoust started Tuesday night's PWHL Draft under a microscope. The New York franchise Daoust has constructed since the league's inaugural draft in 2023 finished last in the league standings two years in a row. He left American star forward Alex Carpenter unprotected in expansion and left many fans confused by his choice to stockpile defenders at the expense of the team's forward talent. Advertisement Understandably, a lot of pre-draft chatter was about what exactly Daoust might be doing. But three picks into the first-round – and certainly by the end of the night, with two trades and nine selections, including two of the top three players available – Daoust was at the winner's table. He started by selecting Kristýna Kaltounková with the No. 1 pick, adding a physical forward with international experience and a heavy shot to bring more offense to the Sirens lineup. It was hardly a surprising pick given Kaltounková's experience with New York head coach Greg Fargo from Colgate University. But then came the first big move of the night: New York sent defender Ella Shelton to Toronto in exchange for the No. 3 pick and a fourth-round pick. With the No. 3 pick, Daoust selected Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O'Brien, adding a gifted playmaker and highly productive college forward to the early haul. He leveraged a position of strength to draft the two best forwards coming out of the NCAA. 'Coming here, I didn't have one specific plan. I was open-minded,' Daoust told The Athletic. 'But the closer we got to the draft, the more I knew where I could do some shopping, and I knew that I started my own boutique 'Rent-A-D (dot) com' so I was kind of popular on the phone. 'I was patient, and there was a way for me to flip some strength from the D to put it on the forward side and that was the intent tonight.' Later in the evening, Daoust traded forward Abby Roque, who was inconsistent in New York, to Montreal in exchange for defensive forward Kristin O'Neill and a fourth-round pick. When the deal was announced, there were audible gasps throughout the crowd. The Sirens looked good on paper the last two years but couldn't quite figure things out on the ice. And there are many months until the 2025-26 season to figure out if Daoust truly pulled off the turnaround it looks like New York should have. Regardless, the Sirens and their GM stole the show for most of the 2025 PWHL Draft. But that doesn't mean there weren't other surprises or picks to unpack around the league. Let's get into it. New York had a big day with several meaningful additions to the roster. Kaltounková and O'Brien highlight the list, but Anne Cherkowski and Makenna Webster — who is also an elite field hockey player — are also strong two-way forwards who could scale the top-nine and add the kind of consistent secondary scoring that had been missing over the last two seasons. Dayle Ross should be a good shutdown defender for a blue line with a lot of offensive talent. Taking Anna Bargman — a solid two-way potential bottom-six forward from Yale — in the sixth round was a savvy way to round out a new look forward corps. Advertisement Best pick: Casey O'Brien (Round 1, No. 3) Getting O'Brien at No. 3 feels like a steal. She was the most dominant forward in college hockey last season and put together a historic offensive season. She's an elite playmaker and has shown she has easy chemistry with elite scoring wingers (like Kirsten Simms at Wisconsin), which could make O'Brien a perfect fit at center beside Sarah Fillier. Biggest surprise: Drafting two goalies Projecting goaltenders – how many get drafted and where they might land – is always a tricky exercise. I figured at least three goalies would go, given most teams needed back-ups after the expansion draft movement. But I'll admit I didn't see New York drafting both Callie Shanahan and Kaley Doyle coming, With former No. 1 Corinne Schroeder now in Seattle and backup Abbey Levy signing in Boston, maybe it shouldn't have been a big surprise that New York wanted to solidify its goalie depth chart. If nothing else, the selections set up what could be an interesting crease behind Kayle Osborne next season. Boston put together a solid draft, filling some of the big holes left in the wake of expansion. On Tuesday night, Marmer said every person they drafted is 'somebody who fits into our lineup.' That starts more obviously with No. 2 pick Haley Winn, a dynamic offensive defender who led Clarkson in scoring this season, even from the blue line. Riley Brengman is more of a third-pair option, but should shore up Boston's depth on the blue line at five-on-five and the penalty kill. At forward, Ella Huber, Olivia Mobley and Abby Newhook could add some offense back into the lineup after losing Hilary Knight and Hannah Bilka. Mobley was among the top goalscorers available out of college and only O'Brien and Kaltounková had more points than Huber (48) among draft eligibles. Best pick: Ella Huber (Round 2, No. 10) The most impactful pick next year is surely going to be Winn, but we can't just pick all the first-rounders here. And Huber at 10th overall is a nice pickup by Marmer. Huber is a versatile forward who adds some necessary speed to Boston's lineup. She'll also be able to play multiple different roles for the Fleet, either as a third-line checking forward or the 1C beside a star winger, like she's done for years beside Abbey Murphy at Minnesota. Advertisement Biggest surprise: Abby Newhook (Round 5, No. 34) The Boston College forward was listed as one of the league's top prospects, but fell to Round 5, where Marmer said she was 'wildly surprised' to see her still available. Newhook is a high-skill player who coaches call a total work horse. Her production last season doesn't jump off the page, but she can elevate her game when playing with elite players and could find success in Boston as a result. 'I think people are going to be surprised by the success that she can have in this league,' Marmer said. Toronto certainly got bigger through the draft with four out of five players measuring at least 5-foot-9 and one (Emma Gentry) as tall as 5-foot-11. GM Gina Kingsbury said it wasn't a priority to simply add size, but it was the size mixed with the skill and upside of each player that drew them to Toronto. Gentry, for example, has pro size, is a physical competitor and has a nose for the net. Clara Van Wieren is another physically imposing center, but is also coming off a 40-point NCAA season. The Sceptres also made a trade splash sending Kristen Campbell and the 19th overall pick to Vancouver in exchange for the 16th and 23rd picks. The move looks like a win-win for a team that wanted more stability in the crease, and a player who probably needed a fresh start. Best pick: Sara Hjalmarsson (Round 5, No. 35) Hjalmarsson went undrafted last season, and might have flown under the radar compared to some college forwards after playing the last two seasons in the SDHL. She's a good offensive player and brings size (5-foot-9) to the lineup. Hjalmarsson is good at the net front and projects to be a solid bottom-six power forward for Toronto, which would fill the hole left by Julia Gosling in expansion. Biggest surprise: The Shelton trade Heading into the draft, Toronto's biggest need was arguably at forward after losing Sarah Nurse, Hannah Miller, Izzy Daniel and Gosling in expansion and free agency. But instead of drafting a top forward at No. 3, the Sceptres swerved and traded for a defender. According to Kingsbury, the Shelton deal and the one to move Campbell were connected. She also said moving Campbell and acquiring another second-round pick gave the team 'more courage' to give up their first-round pick and go after a defender. That Shelton was available at all is a bit of a surprise, too, but was likely the only defender who would elicit such a strong return for New York. Shelton was a finalist for Defender of the Year just last season and led all defenders in goals this season (8). Her addition solidifies the Toronto blue line and will allow No. 1 defender Renata Fast to not play quite as much as she has over the last two seasons. Montreal did a nice job adding a mix of skill and depth through the draft. Selecting Nicole Gosling was a great start at No. 4. She's a cerebral defender and broke Erin Ambrose's all-time scoring record at Clarkson with 148 career points. Natalie Mlýnková should add some goal scoring to the top-six while Skylar Irving and Maya Labad could be excellent bottom-six additions. On the blueline, Tamara Giaquinto, the Big East Defender of the Year, was a solid final round pick. Advertisement Best pick: Natálie Mlýnková (Round 2, No. 12) With four defenders going in the first round, some top forwards dropped out of the first round, including Mlýnková, a gifted goal scorer from the University of Minnesota. She's a smaller forward but is slippery with the puck, can escape small areas and is good at finding soft spots in the offensive zone to get her shot off. In Montreal, Mlýnková could be a scoring winger beside Marie-Philip Poulin, or add much-needed secondary scoring from Line 2. Biggest surprise: The Roque trade For all the talk about New York, Montreal acquiring Abby Roque might be the most interesting thing that happened on draft night. She's an American forward who opponents hate to play against, and she's had her fair share of physical run-ins with Poulin. LMAO who remembers this😅 welcome to mtl abby roque — 💭 (@habsxmtl) June 25, 2025 GM Danièle Sauvageau said when the offer first came to her, she thought, Why would we be doing this? But as she thought more she realized that Roque could be a strong 2C for Montreal, which made the deal work. And while it was surely hard to trade O'Neill, Roque could also be a more consistent offensive center than O'Neill had been, with a similar grit and sandpaper to her game. Ottawa's draft class was interesting. First, they added Rory Guilday, the 5-foot-11 shutdown defender from Cornell University, at No. 5 to beef up the blue line. Then GM Mike Hirshfeld took a swing at Russian forward Anna Shokhina with their second-round pick, and later added her compatriot 27-year-old forward Fanuza Kadirova. Sarah Wozniewicz, one of the best checking forwards in college, was a perfect Ottawa Charge selection, especially given her connection to coach Carla MacLeod, who coached Wozniewicz in high school. Peyton Hemp, a consistent top-six forward at Minnesota was also a nice pick up. Goalie Sanni Ahola also adds depth behind No. 1 goalie Gwyneth Philips. Best pick: Sanni Ahola (Round 5, No. 37) It was surprising to see Ahola drop to the fifth round behind two other goalies. She's been Finland's No. 1 goalie at women's worlds the last few years and was unbelievable in 2024, making the third-most saves (169) in the tournament to get Finland back on the podium. She was also named WCHA Goalie of the Year in 2023-24 after posting five shutouts and a .935 save percentage. Advertisement Ahola had a down year at St. Cloud this season, which is probably why she dropped, but Ottawa did well to pick her up. 'To see her still available at that point, we were a little bit surprised, to be honest with you,' said Hirshfeld. 'But absolutely thrilled to get her and think she'll be a really terrific backup for (Philips).' Biggest surprise: Anna Shokhina (Round 2, No. 13) A star in Russia, Shokhina was a wild card heading into Tuesday night's draft. She has led the top league in Russia in scoring six times and has been named MVP once. She's a highly skilled winger who looked to be a worthwhile late-round bet. But Hirshfeld — who called Shokhina the fourth most talented player in the draft — jumped at the chance to draft her in the second round. It's still a question about how her game might translate, given the varied quality of the ZhHL and PWHL, but Hirshfeld was steadfast that Shokhina is 'going to be a superstar in this league.' Minnesota's top priority on Tuesday was rebuilding the blue line after losing four lineup regulars — Sophie Jaques, Claire Thompson, Mellissa Chanell-Watkins and Maggie Flaherty — from the 2025 championship team. In the first-round, the Frost drafted for need, selecting an offensive-minded defender in Kendall Cooper. Then drafted a pair of right-shot defenders in Ava Rinker, a quick transitional player, and Brooke Becker, a more physical defender, in the later rounds. Best pick: Abby Hustler (Round 2, No. 14) General manager Melissa Caruso said she was 'shocked' Hustler was available to Minnesota at 14th overall. She has good size (5-foot-9) and is a great power forward, which could fill the void left by Brooke McQuigge being taken by Vancouver. Hustler has a pro shot and good feel for the puck around the net. Only Kaltounková and O'Brien had more goals last season than Hustler's 19 among college draft eligibles. She should be a seamless fit in Minnesota's middle-six. Biggest surprise: Anna Segedi (Round 3, No. 22) Segedi is a very smart center who is strong on faceoffs. She was captain at St. Lawrence as a fifth-year senior this season and has international experience playing for China at women's worlds and at the 2022 Olympics. Maybe the hope is that Segedi will replace Denisa Křížová as a bottom-six center, but the third-round felt like a bit of a reach for a depth center. After so much buzz around the expansion draft and free agency, Vancouver had a relatively quiet draft night — save for trading for Campbell and drafting one of the very best European forwards of all-time in Michelle Karvinen. Cara Gardner Morey rounded out those moves with depth on defense, drafting well-rounded defender Nina Jobst-Smith from Minnesota-Duluth, and at forward with Brianna Brooks, a 5-foot-9 right-shot forward from Penn State. Advertisement Best pick: Michelle Karvinen (Round 1, No. 7) The Karvinen pick was the kind of savvy win-now move we've already come to expect from Gardner Morey as general manager. The 35-year old forward is still skilled and was productive in the SDHL last season. She's a good skater, smart with the puck and has good hands in tight, particularly around the net. She might not play as long as some of the younger forwards taken in Round 2, but rather than estimating a players development path, Gardner Morey – and Vancouver head coach Brian Idalski who coached Karvinen at North Dakota – will know exactly what they're getting out of the veteran next season. Biggest Surprise: Chanreet Bassi (Round 6, No. 48) With the final pick in the draft, Vancouver selected a B.C. born forward and University of British Columbia standout Chanreet Bassi. She was the only USports player drafted this year and becomes just the sixth all-time to be taken in a PWHL Draft. Bassi is also the first South Asian player to be drafted in the PWHL. She finished top three in conference scoring each of her last four years playing in Canada West and can play a gritty physical style of hockey in Vancouver's bottom-six. It was a nice pick for a local player who will get a good shot at a depth role in training camp. With so much elite talent joining Seattle out of the expansion signing period and draft, such as Hilary Knight and Carpenter, GM Meghan Turner mostly focused on adding depth and complementary pieces to all three positions. Ohio State's Jenna Buglioni is a hard-working center who can play up and down the lineup. Hannah Murphy can be a solid No. 2 behind Corinne Schroeder. Lyndie Lobdell, a right-shot from Penn State can add depth to the blueline that already includes Cayla Barnes and Aneta Tejralová. While forward Jada Habisch and Olivia Wallin could be useful bottom-six players. 'We have a strong group of elite players,' said Turner. 'And I think this group is going to complement that group we already have very well.' Best Pick: Hannah Murphy (Round 2, No. 15) At this point in the draft, there were still some solid forwards available like Kiara Zanon and Makenna Webster. But with Buglioni taken in the first-round, I actually really like the Murphy selection in Round 2. She was The Athletic's top goalie available after posting an outstanding .939 save percentage in her final year at Colgate. Murphy is a good sized, athletic, and technically sound goalie. With Seattle being on the west coast and so much projected travel, it's going to be key to have two good goaltenders. Murphy should be able to take some of the workload off Schroeder, if not become a reliable 1B in a tandem. Biggest Surprise: Olivia Wallin (Round 6, No. 47) Wallin was perhaps the biggest faller of the night, being selected by Seattle with their sixth and final pick in the draft. She scored 40 points for the University of Minnesota-Duluth last season, which was tied for the team lead with Clara Van Wieren, who was taken in the third-round by Toronto. Turner didn't seem surprised that Wallin was still available at that point in the draft, which speaks to the question marks some evaluators raised about Wallin's ability to progress as a pro forward. Still, at her best, Wallin has a knack for scoring and Turner said she was happy with the selection. (Top photo of Kristýna Kaltounková : AP Photo / Petr David Josek)
