LIVE: 2015 NHL Entry Draft Blog

Pick-by-pick coverage of the draft in Sunrise, Fla.

  This blog will be updated live during the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Every selection, trade, or transaction of any kind will be brought up to date instantly as it is announced and posted to this page.
 Player selections will go directly underneath the team name of a given pick. Any transactions that take place during the draft will be written in italics and highlighted in yellow.
 Every draft pick will be accompanied by a brief description of each prospect for a better understanding of what a team has added to its system. Depending on what browser you are using, you may have to refresh the page to get new information. Sorry for the extra trouble.

 This year, two generational talents are expected to go No. 1 and No. 2 overall, respectively. After those first two consensus picks, though, things get much more convulted and interesting. Beyond the top 15 or so picks, everything becomes chaos, as reflected by the final cumulative draft rankings for this class.

 This is shaping up to be a very wild and unpredictable draft, so be sure to check back every time your favorite team makes a selection or follow along with every pick!

All-Star Solution to the All-Star Problem

photo credit:  Justin Sabau/Getty Images

 The NHL had gone so long without an All-Star Game that people apparently forgot how terrible they are. Yes, this most recent edition in Columbus was particularly bad, setting the record for the most goals scored, but the minimal effort exerted is nothing new. Still, people clamored in the press box and all over social media to voice their displeasure.

 Nowadays, the NHL All-Star Game is more about a weekend of thoroughly entertaining festivities than one meaningless game. It's a great concept. It works, for the most part. The only (and biggest) problem with this model is that the weekend is climaxed with its undoubtedly least entertaining event.

 To reiterate: THE ALL-STAR GAME SUCKS, but it's not completely beyond repair.
 If the All-Star Weekend is all about entertainment, the NHL can turn to the simplest form of entertainment North American television has ever seen: the game show.
 If you take away the different bells and whistles that set one game show apart from another, their general concept is to take an ordinary person and give him/her an opportunity to win a ton of money. The NHL can easily adopt this and implement it as a way to get more eyeballs on the game.
 This solution scenario would require a lot of moving parts to work together in order to be successful, but I don't think there's any doubt that it will at least make the game more interesting.