This year's NHL draft featured its usual share of noteworthy selections, but the major storylines from the weekend had little or nothing to do with the picks themselves.

With the two-day event in the books, here's a handful of observations:

Opening night was a dud

The first round transpired without much drama.

In the days leading up to the draft, there was trade chatter involving the likes of Ryan O'Reilly, Jeff Skinner, and Craig Anderson, so it was surprising to see no players dealt during the opening round, and only the swap involving Philipp Grubauer and Brooks Orpik in the hours before.

Couple that with the fact the first two picks Friday night (Rasmus Dahlin by the Sabres and Andrei Svechnikov by the Hurricanes, respectively) were virtual locks for weeks - nearly two months, in the case of the former - and the first round didn't quite deliver in terms of intrigue.

Sure, there were a few surprises when it came to the rest of the picks on opening night, as several teams made off-the-board choices and passed on top prospects, but the excitement simply wasn't there.

Day 2 was way more fun

While Day 1 lacked fireworks, the action picked up Saturday, beginning with the Los Angeles Kings landing Ilya Kovalchuk on a three-year deal and culminating with the blockbuster trade between the Calgary Flames and Hurricanes involving Dougie Hamilton, Elias Lindholm, and Noah Hanifin.

There were also some excellent names selected, and some history made, as Liam Kirk became the first player born and trained in England to be drafted by an NHL club.

What Friday night lacked in subplots and major developments, Saturday had in spades.

Kovalchuk's deal may have opened the floodgates

After reportedly meeting with four teams - the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Kings - Kovalchuk's camp quickly settled on L.A. on Saturday morning.

While the Kovalchuk signing was followed by the aforementioned major move, there may be more coming now that the veteran sniper's market value has been established.

John Tavares still has a decision to make, of course (more on that later), but the first big domino fell Saturday before the second round of the draft got underway, and it would only make sense for more to fall in short order.

Should've seen another Flames trade coming

Flames general manager Brad Treliving has made big trades at or shortly before the draft in each of the last four years, acquiring Travis Hamonic from the New York Islanders in 2017, Brian Elliott from the St. Louis Blues in 2016, and Hamilton from the Bruins in 2015, before sending him to the Hurricanes on Day 2 in 2018.

Whether or not the Flames emerge as the winners of the deal, Calgary's GM showed once again that he's not afraid to pull the trigger on sizable transactions at draft time.

Islanders keep moving in the right direction

Tavares' future is still priority No. 1 for Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders' brass, and, as expected, the superstar forward is going to talk to a handful of other clubs during the upcoming free-agency interview period.

That's largely out of the Islanders' hands (even though they're reportedly planning to meet with him out west), but New York's GM and his staff did well with what they could control this weekend, particularly on Friday night.

They were undoubtedly a winner of Day 1 after landing promising forward Oliver Wahlstrom and highly touted defenseman Noah Dobson with picks No. 11 and 12, respectively. Both players fell right to them, but they still deserve credit for not passing on either, as multiple teams above them inexplicably did.

Day 2 also went well for New York, as it picked Bode Wilde and Blade Jenkins - the 17th- and 26th-ranked North American skaters, by NHL Central Scouting's standards - with the 41st and 134th selections, respectively.

The successful weekend continued an encouraging offseason for the club, following the hiring of Lamoriello and Stanley Cup-winning head coach Barry Trotz. Whether the overhaul and astute drafting convince Tavares to stay remains to be seen, but the 2018 draft was yet another step forward for the Islanders.

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The Washington Capitals wanted Philipp Grubauer out of the Metropolitan Division and turned down a better trade offer from the Carolina Hurricanes to ensure that happened, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

The Hurricanes offered up their second-round pick - 42nd overall - and were also willing to take on veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik's $5.5-million salary to obtain Grubauer, but the Capitals preferred to send the netminder to an opponent outside of their division.

They ultimately shipped Grubauer, alongside Orpik, to the Colorado Avalanche for the 47th selection. Given Colorado is in the opposite conference, Washington will only face the goaltender twice next season if he suits up for both games.

The Avalanche signed Grubauer to a three-year extension Saturday reportedly worth $3.33 million per season.

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New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello doesn't seem too worried about his franchise player exploring the open market.

Following a report that the Islanders captain will speak with five clubs once the pre-free agency talking period opens Monday - reportedly including the Dallas Stars, San Jose Sharks, and Toronto Maple Leafs - New York's approach to negotiations hasn't changed.

"I have no disappointment, no discouragement," Lamoriello said on Saturday. "I think that he's earned every right to make whatever choice he has. The most important thing is that we hope the decision is to be an Islander."

Should Tavares reach free agency, he'll be the biggest name to hit the open market since Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2012.

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Just when it appeared the second day of the NHL draft was going to end without any fireworks, the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes pulled off a blockbuster five-player swap in Dallas on Saturday.

Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm were shipped west, while Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and unsigned prospect Adam Fox are headed to Raleigh.

At first glance, the deal works for each side, as both the Flames and 'Canes are getting a potential top-pairing defenseman who can anchor their blue line. Below, we'll take a closer look at what each team received and assign trade grades to determine who won the draft-day deal.

Flames

Acquisitions: C Elias Lindholm, D Noah Hanifin

Despite having arguably the best-looking D corps on paper entering last season, the Flames flopped hard in 2017-18, failing to qualify for the postseason for the seventh time in nine years.

So, in an attempt to inject some fresh blood into his lineup, general manager Brad Treliving brought in a player in Hanifin who's just scratching the surface of the potential that convinced the Hurricanes to select the young American fifth overall in 2015. From the Flames' perspective, Hanifin is the crown jewel of the exchange, and how his career pans out will decide who won the trade.

However, Lindholm's value as a capable second-line center with 40-50-point potential clearly sweetens the pot for Calgary. He's also a former fifth overall pick in his early 20s who's yet to hit his ceiling.

Interestingly enough, both Hanifin and Lindholm are set to become restricted free agents July 1, so Treliving has some work to do to ensure his newly added pieces remain in Cow Town for the foreseeable future. With former Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters now behind Calgary's bench, don't be surprised if both re-up with the Flames very soon.

There's no denying Hamilton's potential as a top-pairing rearguard, but Hanifin's upside and Lindholm's consistency are enough to give the Flames a solid grade. - Livingstone

Grade: B-

Hurricanes

Acquisitions: D Dougie Hamilton, F Micheal Ferland, D Adam Fox

In most cases, the team that receives the best player in a trade comes out victorious. That means we won't know the winner of this one for at least a few seasons. Don Waddell could either regret the deal for years or end up looking like a genius.

Hamilton is a legitimate No. 1 defenseman and is only 25 years old. That's a rarity. He had 17 goals last year and has recorded at least 40 points in four straight seasons. He's 6-foot-6 and can skate like the wind. To say he's plateaued in his development wouldn't be fair at all.

The concern is that Hanifin, 21, could be better than Hamilton within a couple of years. When you factor in Lindholm's potential, this has the makings to be catastrophic for the 'Canes. At the same time, there's also no guarantee either player reaches their ceiling.

Additionally, Ferland is a decent top-nine forward, while Fox is a wild card.

The problem is the Hurricanes aren't exactly in win-now mode. They haven't made the playoffs since 2008-09 and weren't very close last season. As good as Hamilton is, he's not going to make them a Cup contender within the next couple of years. Ultimately, it would be a good trade if the Hurricanes were ready to contend, but they're not.

If they can quickly become a playoff team again, this deal will be worth it. If not, it'll be a waste of Hamilton's prime years. - Wegman

Grade: C+

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There were plenty of outstanding names called during the 2018 NHL Draft, but these 10 stood out above the rest:

10. Michael Kesselring, Oilers

This name should be a bitter reminder to all of Phil Kessel's haters that the Penguins forward has not one Stanley Cup ring, but two.

9. Shamil Shmakov, Avalanche

Shamil Shmakov sounds like a regular name at first, then someone added the "sh" at the beginning to make it sound made up. But it's not, and it's awesome.

8. Trey Fix-Wolansky, Blue Jackets

Fix-Wolansky could provide a quick fix for the Blue Jackets' defensive corps. Imagine a Werenski and Fix-Wolansky pairing on the back end? We can only dream.

7. Eetu Pakkila, Devils

If the Devils don't play this song when Pakkila scores, but replace the word "tequila" with his last name, they need a new in-arena entertainment person. The fans would go crazy.

6. Wyatte Wylie, Flyers

The Arizona Coyotes should've done the entire hockey community a favor by drafting this man. The Wylie Coyote? Even if he never made the NHL, Wylie would've been a fan favorite with Arizona's AHL club, the Tucson Roadrunners. Talk about an opportunity squandered.

5. Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, Sabres

This is perhaps the most Swedish name of all time, and oh my is it ever glorious. It will be a headache for broadcasters and writers, but a joy for fans.

4. Blade Jenkins, Islanders

Blade has a truly a great hockey name, and he could slide right in as a member of White Goodman's dodgeball team. Too bad it's not a more common name. Stick blade? Skate blade? This guy was born to play hockey.

3. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Maple Leafs

Hyphenating "Der" as a part of any last name makes it incredibly cool, but ahead of Arguchintsev? That's a dynamic der-oh.

2. Angus Crookshank, Senators

Wouldn't Angus Crookshank be a great name for the villain in a horror movie?

1. Bulat Shafigullin, Kings

Most of the players on this list were only blessed with either an amazing first name or last name. But Bulat Shafigullin has it all. We can only hope he has a Bulat of a shot.

Honorable mentions: Lenni Killinen, Jonathan Gruden, Jasper Weatherby, Demetrios Koumontzis, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Yegor Sharangovich, Bode Wilde, Jett Woo

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The Colorado Avalanche signed newly acquired netminder Philipp Grubauer to a three-year contract on Saturday, the team announced.

The deal reportedly carries a $3.33-million cap hit, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Avalanche obtained Grubauer from the Washington Capitals in a draft-day deal that saw the club part with its second-round pick. Colorado also acquired veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik as part of the trade, who was placed on waivers Sunday.

In 35 appearances last season, Grubauer posted a 15-10-3 record with a .923 save percentage.

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The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens pulled off a solid Hawkey trade Saturday.

The Oilers acquired netminder Hayden Hawkey from the Canadiens in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next year's draft, the teams announced.

The 23-year-old has spent the last three seasons at Providence College, going 24-12-3 with a .919 save rate across 40 games this past season.

The Canadiens originally selected Hawkey in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.

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Despite some brief rumblings on the draft floor Saturday, it appears Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty is staying put for now.

Reports during the final rounds of the draft suggested Pacioretty could be on his way to the San Jose Sharks. Ultimately, those reports turned out to be just smoke. When the day ended, the Canadiens had "nothing going" on the Pacioretty trade front, reported TSN's Bob McKenzie, and for the time being, Montreal apparently plans to keep him in the lineup.

McKenzie notes that things could always change.

Earlier Saturday, Pacioretty officially changed agents, leaving Pat Brisson of CAA Sports and joining Allan Walsh at Octagon.

Pacioretty is coming off his 10th season with the Canadiens, in which he posted a mediocre 17 goals and 37 points in 64 games. Still, with five 30-plus goal seasons to his resume, he remains a valuable commodity.

The 29-year-old is under contract for one more season at a cap hit of $4.5 million.

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The Arizona Coyotes and Liam Kirk made some history at the NHL draft Saturday when the team selected the forward with the 189th overall pick.

Kirk is the first England-born player who also trained there to be selected by an NHL team.

The 18-year-old from Rotherham spent the last two seasons with the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL.

The Coyotes have another England-born player, Brendan Perlini, on their NHL roster.

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