The NHL draft kicked off Friday night with a touching tribute to the Humboldt Broncos. Team president Kevin Garinger accepted the 2018 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, given annually to the prospect "who best exemplifies the commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism as selected by NHL Central Scouting," on behalf of the Broncos team.

After tears were wiped away, things got weird.

Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka went off the board and took Barrett Hayton of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds fifth overall. The league’s other 30 GMs seemingly took that as permission to do whatever they pleased, and the resulting chaos left quite a bit of confusion in its wake.

Joe Veleno, the first player to obtain exceptional status and play in the QMJHL at age 15, fell to the Detroit Red Wings at 30th overall (he’d been ranked consistently in the top 10 by many for most of the season). Bode Wilde and Serron Noel fell out of the first round entirely. Suffice to say no one could’ve predicted exactly how the 2018 first round played out.

Here are our winners and losers after Day 1.

Winners

Washington Capitals: Before the draft began, the Capitals traded Brooks Orpik and Philipp Grubauer to the Avalanche for Colorado's second-rounder at 47th overall. The trade dumps Orpik’s cap hit and leaves Washington room to sign pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman John Carlson, which is expected to happen over the weekend. That's great news for a team that wants to try to win a second straight Stanley Cup.

Colorado Avalanche (conditionally): According to Joe Sakic, the Avalanche intend to either trade or buy out Orpik. If that happens, they got Grubauer for a second-round pick and that trade, one for one, looks good for them, too.

Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Dahlin is a literal game-changer for the franchise. Yow.

Detroit Red Wings: Boy, things are looking up for Red Wings general manager Ken Holland after last year’s forgettable draft. Taking Michael Rasmussen when several better players were still on the board was widely criticized. He didn’t make that mistake this year. Filip Zadina fell to sixth overall, and Holland practically swan-dove onto the stage to select him. Later, Veleno fell to 30th, and you can bet Holland didn’t miss there, either. A great first day for him and Detroit.

New York Islanders: With back-to-back picks at 11 and 12, the Islanders selected Oliver Wahlstrom (who should not have fallen to 11th) and Noah Dobson (who probably shouldn't have dropped to 12th). Take a minute and imagine Wahlstrom playing with Mat Barzal.

Ryan Merkley: Lots of pre-draft chatter had Merkley’s boom-or-bust style and reports of attitude problems knocking him out of the first round. The San Jose Sharks took a chance on him at 21st overall, and if he turns into the player his ceiling suggests he could be, the Sharks will reap major benefits.

Losers

Arizona Coyotes: John Chayka knows what he’s doing in a lot of situations, but taking center Barrett Hayton at fifth overall was a head-scratcher. While Hayton is a solid player, he’s not a game-breaking, top-10 talent. Who knows, though, a few years down the road, we could be proven wrong.

Ottawa Senators: Let’s make one thing clear: the Senators aren’t on this list because they drafted Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk, while not the best player available at fourth overall, is a very good player. But it feels like by choosing to keep this year’s pick, with the uncertainty surrounding Erik Karlsson and with chances being good the Senators are worse next year, Ottawa's sealed its fate. Next year’s first-round pick goes to the Avalanche, and the Senators are really going to regret it if that pick somehow turns into Jack Hughes. Colorado sure hopes it does.

Philadelphia Flyers: This one is a maybe, because their first pick at 14th overall, Joel Farabee, is a fantastic player. But their second pick is suspect. Jay O’Brien would be a good mid-second-round pick, but the Flyers grabbed him at 19. While no one outside the draft floor knows the chatter that took place, surely O’Brien wasn’t such a hot commodity that the Flyers couldn’t trade down and still get him.

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One of the biggest potential NHL free-agent prizes might be off the market before the frenzy begins.

Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan says a new deal with defenseman John Carlson could be imminent.

"We're close," MacLellan told reporters after the first round of the NHL draft in Dallas on Friday night, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "Hopefully we get something done in the next couple of days."

The Capitals cleared some cap space earlier Friday by trading goaltender Philipp Grubauer and blue-liner Brooks Orpik to the Colorado Avalanche.

Carlson will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 if he's unable to come to terms with Washington.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Rasmus Sandin with the 29th overall pick in the NHL draft on Friday night.

Position: Defense
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
Nationality: Sweden

(Five-on-five stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)

Sandin is a new-age defenseman. He's smart, elusive, has great vision, and makes an excellent first pass. He also has a sneakily good shot with a quick release and can get off a decent one-timer.

The knock on Sandin is that despite being a smooth skater, he lacks an explosive first step. This could limit his upside at the next level considering he's undersized.

"Transition defender who offers strong vision and crisp passes," said Cam Robinson of DobberProspects.com. "A smart player who knows when to pinch and can read the play happening at both ends of the rink. Lacks elite quickness but has a knack for changing gears to create separation while on the attack."

To view highlights of Sandin, click here.

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The Ottawa Senators chose defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Jacob Bernard-Docker

Position: D
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 187 lbs
Age: 17
Club: Okotoks Oilers (AJHL)
Nationality: Canadian

Bernard-Docker earned Most Outstanding Defenseman honors in the AJHL this spring, and he has committed to the University of North Dakota for next season.

He was ranked 33rd in NHL Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters, rising from a No. 62 midterm position.

The blue-liner models his game after Toronto Maple Leafs rearguard Morgan Rielly, according to NHL.com.

Ottawa acquired the pick, as well as the 48th overall selection, from the New York Rangers for the 22nd.

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The St. Louis Blues traded up to pick No. 25 - sending the 29th and 76th overall selections to the Toronto Maple Leafs - which they used to select forward Dominik Bokk.

Dominik Bokk

Position: Right Wing
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 179 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Vaxjo J20 (SuperElit)
Nationality: Germany

Bokk is offensively gifted, with smooth hands and a strong shot to go with high-end skating ability. In 35 contests with Vaxjo's under-20 team, Bokk led the club with 41 points. He also appeared in 15 SHL games in 2017-18, registering one goal and one assist.

He'll need to work on his commitment to a team system at both ends of the ice in order to make an impact in the NHL, but based on his raw ability, Bokk is a worthwhile project for the Blues late in the first round.

"Bokk is a big kid with room still to grow. He is so deceptive that he plays like he's smaller than he is. He's extremely poised with the puck and one of the better skaters in the class, which made him an offensive force in SuperElit," writes Scott Wheeler of The Athletic.

Click here for highlights.

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The New York Rangers selected K'Andre Miller with the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday in Dallas. New York acquired the selection from Ottawa for the 26th and 48th overall picks.

K'Andre Miller

Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 206 lbs
Age: 18
Club: USA U-18 (NTDP)
Nationality: American

(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)

Bursting with raw potential, Miller is among the most intriguing defensemen in this year's draft class. He's a natural athlete and an exceptionally smooth skater for a defender of his stature, even though the 18-year-old has only played the position for a handful of seasons.

Originally a forward, Miller patrols the blue line with the offensive instincts of a front-line skater. That much is evident from his stat line, as this season Miller outpaced all defenders on the U.S. National Development Program's Under-18 team. When the season wrapped, Miller had the opportunity to showcase his offensive acumen as part of the American squad at the Under-18 World Championship, where he picked up a goal and two assists across seven games.

While there's little doubting Miller's ability with the puck, he must continue to develop the defensive details of his game. He'll have the opportunity to do that next season at the University of Wisconsin.

"(His) upside is too much to ignore when you consider the size, skating ability, and athleticism," said Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet. "(He) has cleaned up his game from the start of the season."

Click here to watch highlights of Miller.

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Don't believe the Wayne Simmonds trade rumors just yet, as the Philadelphia Flyers are aiming to re-sign the forward.

"We're going to try and sign him," general manager Ron Hextall said from the NHL Draft, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The 29-year-old has one season remaining on his contract that carries a $3.975-million cap hit. Simmonds also has a 12-team no-trade list.

In 75 appearances last season, Simmonds notched 24 goals and 22 assists.

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Prior to picking 11th and 12th in the first round of Friday's draft, New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello was working the phones.

Related: Islanders select Oliver Wahlstrom 11th overall

Ahead of picking forward Oliver Wahlstrom and defenseman Noah Dobson, Lamoriello attempted to trade one of his two first-round picks for a roster player who could contribute right away, he told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Related: Islanders draft Noah Dobson 12th overall

Lamoriello would not confirm if the player in question was goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who earlier in the night was traded from the Washington Capitals to the Colorado Avalanche. It was recently reported that the Islanders were among the teams interested in acquiring Grubauer.

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The Edmonton Oilers landed the top-ranked North American defenseman in the 2018 draft, selecting Evan Bouchard 10th overall Friday night in Dallas.

Evan Bouchard

Position: Defense
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 192 lbs
Age: 18
Club: London (OHL)
Nationality: Canadian

(Stats courtesy: Prospect-stats.com)

Bouchard established himself as one of the most gifted offensive blue-liners available in his second season with the Knights, leading the club with 87 points (eighth in the OHL).

He isn't as flashy as Rasmus Dahlin, but he has great hockey sense and passing ability. His vision and penchant for hanging on to the puck until the right moment creates countless opportunities for his linemates.

"An incredibly smart player, Bouchard reads the ice at a high level, anticipating plays developing around him when he doesn't have the puck and making difficult plays look simple when he does. His passing skills, in particular, are excellent and have improved considerably over the past season. He has an impressive (and accurate) array of shots, with slap shots and wrist shots already approaching NHL caliber, and a quick release."
- Hannah Stuart, theScore

Click here to see highlights.

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The Vancouver Canucks selected defenseman Quinn Hughes with the 7th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on Friday in Dallas.

Quinn Hughes

Position: Defense
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 174 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Michigan (NCAA)
Nationality: American

(Stats courtesy: EliteProspects.com)

Hughes is not only one of the most complete skaters in the draft, but he's also one of the most exciting, as his offensive talent and ability to take over games cemented him among the top-ranked North American skaters for most of the year.

"Last season in his Draft-2 year, Hughes was a point-per-game player in 26 USHL games. Those numbers are almost unheard of for a defenseman his age. To give you an idea of just how good they are, no other defenseman in USHL history has put up a better points-per-game ratio in his Draft-1 year (i.e. the season leading up to his draft). That includes fellow Americans Seth Jones and Charlie McAvoy, who are widely considered some of the top defensemen among USA Hockey’s younger set," theScore's draft expert Hannah Stuart wrote.

High hockey IQ and quickness make Hughes the prototypical offensive rearguard, as evidenced by his 29 assists in 37 games for the Wolverines this season. He also chipped in with one goal and four apples in seven games for Team USA at this year's World Junior Championship while earning a bronze medal.

Quinn's limited 5-foot-10 frame could spook some teams from selecting him in the top five, but an offensively elite puck-moving D-man with wheels like his won't be around long past that.

Click here to watch highlights of Hughes.

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