BUFFALO — There is no debate about who will be selected first overall in the NHL entry draft on Friday night at the First Niagara Center.
Though American centre Auston Matthews, who played in the Swiss Elite League last season, is certainly deserving of his status many believe Finnish winger Patrik Laine, who is headed to the Winnipeg Jets with the No. 2 selection, is a close second ... like a really close second.
“You can argue about it but I don’t think (anyone can unseat Matthews),” said a league executive. “I don’t think it’s a slam dunk because what Laine did in the last three months is unheard of — draft-eligible players are never the top players of men’s world championship teams.