What to know about the top 10 players picked on Day 1 of the NHL entry draft

Here’s a look at the top 10 picks from Friday’s first round of the NHL entry draft:

No. 1: Owen Power, Buffalo Sabres

Birth date: Nov. 22, 2002 

Birthplace: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 6-5, 214

Last team: University of Michigan

Notable: Played in 26 games with Michigan. … Scored three goals and assisted on 13 for 16 points in his lone college season. … Recorded just six penalty minutes despite playing defense. … Spent 2019-20 season with Chicago Steel in USHL, where he won Defenseman of the Year, amassing 40 points in 45 games with 12 goals and 28 assists. … Won gold medal with Canada at the 2021 World Championships. … Named to Big Ten All-Freshman team, and All-Big-Ten second team. … Has indicated he will consider returning to Michigan for one more season.

Quotable: “Once the draft is over, no one really cares when you went in the draft. You have to put in the work to get a spot on the NHL team, then earn the right to be a top player in the NHL.” — Power, to ESPN

No. 2: Matthew Beniers, Seattle Kraken

Birth date: Nov. 5, 2002 

Birthplace: Hingham, Massachusetts

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 6-1, 174

Last team: University of Michigan

Notable: Played 24 games with Michigan. … Scored 10 goals and assisted on 14 for 24 points in his lone college season. … Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and was an All-Big Ten honorable-mention selection. … Originally committed to Harvard but transferred after the Ivy League announced it would not play the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. … Played in 44 games for the U.S. national U-18 team “A” in the U.S. Development Program, where he registered 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points. … Won bronze medal with the U.S. at the 2021 World Championships. … Has indicated he might return to Michigan. 

Quotable: “I would say either my hockey IQ or my ability to play in all situations. Just my ability to play defense, produce offensively, but also and play penalty kill, power play, kind of whatever they need, I can fill that role or whatever role they want me to fill.” — Beniers, to Sound of Hockey

No. 3: Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks

Birth date: Jan. 30, 2003

Birthplace: Zurich, Switzerland

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 6-2, 207

Last team: EHC Olten/National League

Notable: Spent 2020-21 with EHC Olten in the Swiss National League on loan from Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League. … Played in 13 games for EHC Olten, registering nine goals and two assists for 11 points. … Represents Canada at the International level. … Played 57 games for Peterborough in 2019-20, scoring 29 and assisting 13 for 42 points. … Son of former Canadian player Dale McTavish, brother of CCHL 2 player Darian McTavish 

Quotable: “A lot of the guys were older and stronger than I’m used to, and I knew I had to be on my ‘A’ game. It’s their job at the end of the day. It’s not like junior, where you just go to practice, lace them up and go home. If you have a bad practice, they’re not hesitant to just throw you in the stands the next game. It’s tough, but it brings the best out of everybody, and I really enjoyed it. I love Switzerland. It’s a great place to play and live. Once you adjust you learn to appreciate it. It was special going over there.” McTavish, to The Athletic

No. 4: Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Birth date: Sep. 9, 2003

Birthplace: Canton, Michigan 

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 6 -2, 176

Last team: U.S. national U-18 team

Notable: Played in 38 games with the U.S. national U-18 team in 2020-21. … Registered six goals and 28 assists for 34 points. … Committed to Michigan for the 2021-22 season. … Finished the season plus-11. … Earned a silver medal at the 2020 USA World U17 Hockey Challenge but missed the 2021 World Championships due to injury. … Brother of Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes and New Jersey Devils’ Jack Hughes, both first-round picks.

Quotable: “I think (Quinn and Jack) kind of taught me going into the year that you’ve got to be ready for everything, and you’ve got to stay level-minded. You can’t get too high or low going through the year. I think that really applies to me this year because with all the COVID implications and getting shut down and quarantined at numerous times throughout the year, I think you’ve got to stay levelheaded. That was one big piece of advice they gave me throughout the draft year.” — Luke Hughes, to The Athletic

No. 5: Kent Johnson, Columbus Blue Jackets

Birth date: Oct. 18, 2002

Birthplace: Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 6-1, 165

Last team: University of Michigan

Notable: Played 26 games with Michigan in 2020-21. … Scored nine goals and assisted on 18 for 27 points to finish plus-16. … Named to Big Ten All-Freshman team and was an All-Big-Ten honorable-mention selection. … Ranked second in rookie scoring in the Big Ten, third nationally in rookie points per game. … Finished as Michigan’s second-highest scorer in 2020-21 season. … Brother Kyle Johnson plays for Yale. 

Quotable: “There was definitely a time I didn’t believe I could be a first-round pick. When I was younger even, you know, other people dream of going first overall, and I guess I was just a little bit different. I guess a bit more realistic. I dreamed more about being the last pick of the seventh round. I believed I could make it to the NHL, I still do, but I didn’t know I’d have a chance to make it happen this quickly.” — Johnson, to The Athletic

No. 6: Simon Edvinsson, Detroit Red Wings

Birth date: Feb. 5, 2003

Birthplace: Onsala, Sweden

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 6-5, 207

Last team: Frolunda HC/Swedish Hockey League

Notable: Played 10 games for Frolunda HC in 2020-21, making his senior debut this season. … Notched one assist in 10 games for one point. … Played 14 games for the Frolunda HC U-20 team in the J20 Nationell, registering one goal and five assists for six points. … Spent part of the 2020-21 season on loan from Frolunda HC to Vasteras IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second division, where he played 14 games and had five assists. 

Quotable: “I haven’t always had my hands. Whenever I’ve gone through my game to see what I can do to get more ice time since a young age, I’ve known that I’ve needed to be a good puckhandler, and then I’ve literally worked on it every day to get comfortable with the puck and be strong at it.” — Edvinsson, to The Athletic

No. 7: William Eklund, San Jose Sharks

Birth date: Oct. 12, 2002 

Birthplace: Haninge, Sweden

Position: Center/left wing

Shoots: Left

Height, weight: 5-10, 172

Last team: Djurgardens IF/Swedish Hockey League

Notable: Played in 40 games for Djurgardens IF in 2020-21. … Registered 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points. … Made senior debut in 2019-20 season, playing in 20 games and adding two assists. … Played in three playoff games for Djurgardens IF in 2020-21, contributing a goal and an assist. … Registered just two penalty minutes despite playing in 40 games. … Son of former player Christian Eklund and older brother of future prospect Victor Eklund. 

Quotable: “There’s going to be times when you have injuries and have to work really hard, mentally and be mentally tough. You have to focus on the next thing to get back playing again.” — Eklund, to The Athletic

No. 8: Brandt Clarke, Los Angeles Kings

Birth date: Feb. 9, 2003

Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Right

Height, weight: 6-2, 190

Last team: HC Nove Zamky/Slovak Extraliga

Notable: Played 26 games with HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia’s Slovak Extraliga in 2020-21 on loan from Ontario Hockey League team Barrie Colts. … Scored five goals and added 10 assists for HC Nove Zamky. … Played 57 games for the Barrie Colts in the OHL during the 2019-20 season, registering six goals and 32 assists for 38 points. … Also collected 38 penalty minutes during his season with the Colts. … Brother of New Jersey Devils prospect Graeme Clarke and women’s prospect Mackenzie Clarke.

Quotable: “Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been able to move pretty good. In Slovakia, I was playing against men, and I was able to get around them, I don’t want to say with ease, but I was able to keep up with them. I could burn some defensemen wide. People say my stride is unorthodox, and maybe it is orthodox, but I’m in the right spot all the time. I think the game ahead of the play. People say I’m on my inside edges a lot, but I feel like that just saves me an extra half-second. I just lift one foot, and I’m already ready to push one way and push the other way.” — Clarke, to The Athletic

No. 9: Dylan Guenther, Arizona Coyotes

Birth date: April 10, 2003

Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Position: Left wing/right wing

Shoots: Right

Height, weight: 6-1, 181

Last team: Edmonton Oil Kings/Western Hockey League

Notable: Played 12 games for the Oil Kings in 2020-21. … Scored 12 goals and registered 12 assists for 24 points and finished the season at plus-19. … Spent part of the year on loan with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, scoring three and assisting two in four games. 

Quotable: “Being a guy who creates offense, that’s really my strength and my game, I think it’s important to be able to do both. I think if I’m getting a shot off, or I’m shooting, I think being able to find open ice is really a huge part of that. I think when I have the puck on my stick, I’m obviously a threat to shoot and score still, but you can also make plays from that, which is also a big part of my game.” — Guenther, to Sports Illustrated

No. 10: Tyler Boucher, Ottawa Senators

Birth date: Jan. 16, 2003

Birthplace: Haddonfield, New Jersey 

Position: Left wing/right wing

Shoots: Right

Height, weight: 6-1, 201

Last team: U.S. national U-18 team

Notable: Appeared 12 times for the U.S. national U-18 Team in 2020-21. … Registered six goals and five assists for 11 points. … Committed to Boston University for the 2021-22 season. … Also spent time with the U.S. national U-17 Team and USNTDP Juniors. … Son of former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher.

Quotable: “I see myself as a guy who can play anywhere in the lineup. That’s what is kind of special about my game. I can play anywhere. I see myself as a top-six guy. I can be a first-line guy, or I can be anywhere in the lineup and still be effective in all spots.” — Boucher, to EP Rinkside