from Gare Joyce of Sportsnet,

The television lights will be shining on Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and others Friday night. The stands will be filled with hopefuls and their families, friends and agents. The first phase of the draft, that first round that rolls through prime time, is an exercise in hockey management, the end product of a season’s worth of legwork. The video highlight packages with each selection are cued up and go to air, like the trailers for coming attractions. And so it goes through pick No. 30, the end of the first round.

Friday night is what people think about when it comes to the draft. Those who come in advertised as franchise-changers are what’s top of mind. People don’t think so much about Day Two—the roll call of picks from No. 31 overall through to the end of the seventh round. Stretching from morning into late afternoon, it’s essentially glamour-free and sort of heartbreaking, really—most players chosen on the second day won’t play in an NHL game or even wind up with a contract from the club that selects them.

While nothing is guaranteed on Friday, that’s true in spades on Saturday. By Day Two everything sort of rates as a longshot. In fact, the only thing on Saturday that’s guaranteed—and the thing that fuels the dreams of all in attendance—is that someone among those down the list is going to have a great NHL career. His name will make no impression at all when it’s called and mounted on the draft board, but he’ll wind up a star, maybe even an All-Star.

Submitted for your examination is the curious case of Jamie Benn.

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