DALLAS -- The Penguins did not trade Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin, Conor Sheary or anyone else, for that matter. They did not move up into the first round of the NHL Draft nor swap picks in later rounds.
No, Jim Rutherford and the Penguins were conspicuously quiet during the first day here at American Airlines Center on Friday. But that figures to change Saturday, though, when Rounds 2-7 will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern.
The Penguins hold six picks, beginning with the 53rd overall pick in the second round and followed by No. 64 in the third, Nos. 129 and 146 in the fifth, No. 177 in the sixth and No. 208 in the seventh.
Neither Rutherford nor anyone else from the front office spoke on Friday, but he is expected to speak to reporters on Saturday. He should have a little more to talk about by then. Late in Friday's first round, Rutherford was seen in what appeared to be a fairly intense conversation with San Jose counterpart Doug Wilson. We shall see about that one.
• Actually, the Penguins' inactivity was typical of a very quiet first round in Dallas.
The biggest deal of the night was consummated shortly before the Buffalo Sabres selected Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick. That's when the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals dealt backup goalie Philipp Grubauer and veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik to the Avalanche for this year's second-round pick (47th overall).
Like the Penguins, the Capitals are in similar straits regarding the salary cap and apparently were willing to give away Orpik, who is scheduled to make $5.5 million in the final year of a five-year, $27.5 million contract. The money saved should go a long way toward re-signing pending UFA John Carlson. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan did say that he is willing to bring back Orpik should the Avalanche buy out the 37-year-old.
• A small but boisterous contingent of Buffalo fans made the trek to Dallas to witness the Sabres' selection of Dahlin, who became the third player the team has selected first overall. He joins a club that includes Gilbert Perreault in 1970 and Pierre Turgeon in 1987.
The Swedish defenseman is viewed as a generational talent, but Dahlin played it pretty cool after he was picked:
"I didn’t think about it that way," he said. "Only thing I can do, it’s to bring all I can to that team to win hockey games, and I’m super excited to do that."
Bills rookie QB Josh Allen, the seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft earlier this spring, even welcomed Dahlin to Buffalo:
Welcome to Buffalo @rasmusdahlin00! Can’t wait to watch you play, wings on me later this summer. #LetsGoBuffalo
Is #SabresMafia a thing? It is now.
— Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) June 22, 2018
• Here is how the first round played out.
• Dahlin was one of six Swedes taken in the first round, the first time that has happened since 2011. Friday marked the first time that the top six picks hailed from different countries (Sweden, Russia, Finland, U.S., Canada and Czech Republic). Canada led the way with 10 picks in the first round. The U.S. tied Sweden with six followed by Russia (4); Czech Republic and Finland (2); and Germany (1).
• The trio of Dahlin, Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov and Montreal's Jesperi Kotkaniemi were the first Europeans to go 1-2-3 in the draft since 1999 when the top four picks were Europeans. That year Patrick Stefan went No. 1 to Atlanta, Vancouver took Daniel and Henrik Sedin at Nos. 2 and 3 and the Rangers took Pavel Brendl at No. 4.
• Including Dahlin, 14 defensemen were selected Friday. That's the most ever taken in the first round, eclipsing the old mark of 13, which last happened in 2012 at Pittsburgh.
• The OHL was the clear winner on Friday with seven players selected in the first round. The O was followed by the QMJHL with four, followed by the U.S. NTDP, Sweden and Sweden Junior with three. Finland, the NCAA and WHL had two players selected. The Alberta Junior League, Czech Republic, Massachusetts high school, Russia and Russia Junior had one each.
• The 22nd overall pick, which the Penguins dealt to Ottawa as part of the Derick Brassard trade, was subsequently dealt by the Senators to the Rangers, who then selected K'Andre Miller, a multi-sport star from the U.S. NTDP. New York sent the 26th and 48th overall picks to Ottawa.
• Flyers GM Ron Hextall told Sportsnet that he intends to offer a contract extension to Wayne Simmonds. The 29-year-old power forward will be a free agent at the end of next season.
• Lou Lamoriello is having himself a week. After hiring Barry Trotz as the new coach of the New York Islanders, he then landed right wing Oliver Wahlstrom of the U.S. NTDP at No. 11 and Acadie-Bathurst defenseman Noah Dobson at No. 12. Both players had been projected in several top 10s. That should be even more reason for John Tavares to re-sign with the team that drafted him first overall in 2009.
• Much to the delight of the home crowd, former Stars great Mike Modano and current captain Jamie Benn made the call for Dallas' first-round pick, center Ty Dellandrea at No. 13.
• The Humboldt Broncos were presented with the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence. Team president Kevin Garinger accepted the award on the team’s behalf.