A long, long ride is over.
The 2021 NHL draft had a bit everything. Consider the blockbuster trades, as stars Seth Jones, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jakub Voracek, Cam Atkinson and Sam Reinhart all changed teams. Consider the history, as one NCAA school had a record-breaking weekend. Consider the mystery, as the COVID-19 pandemic made prospect evaluation more challenging than it has ever been. And consider the controversy, as a divisive prospect who asked not to be drafted was instead taken in the first round, to considerable outrage.
Here are some of the winners and losers of what (hopefully) is the last virtual NHL draft we witness.