Decoding the Entry Draft

Nazem Kadri was drafted 7th overall. Jimmy Hayes was drafted in the second round. Chris DiDomenico was drafted in the sixth round. What does this all mean and what's the difference?

The first importance difference is between the terms "overall" and "round". Overall refers to the position compared to everyone else in the draft. If Kadri was drafted seventh overall, then it means six players were drafted before him. If DiDomenico was drafted in the sixth round, then five ROUNDS of players were drafted before him. A round of players consists of 30 picks (one for every team), so DiDomenico is a 164th overall pick. (30X5=150, and the Leafs had the 14th pick of the round to make 164.)

Originally, every team has a pick in every round. As the year goes on, teams trade picks for players or picks for other picks, and it is rare for a team to have a pick in every round when all is said and done. Obviously, first round picks have the most value, and value decreases as you get lower, as the best players should be in theory drafted first. This is not always true, as many great players have been drafted late. (Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=4616) The majority of good players come from the first and second rounds, and first overall picks are almost always stars, but there are always exceptions. (See Stefan, Patrik http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=30952 or Daigle, Alexander http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=1230)