Final Thoughts from the NHL Draft Combine: Insights and Expectations

As I sit here amidst my 15-hour travel day home from the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, I feel obliged to share my final takeaways, bite-sized but loaded, from a fascinating Combine week.

Brady Martin: The Combine Darling

It feels like the floor for Brady Martin to be drafted is Boston at No. 7. 

If he slips past there, I’ll be stunned. He owned the week. Teams and media couldn’t get enough of him. From his powerful, straight-line game to his quick wit in interviews, he was magnetic. 

But behind the charm is a smash-mouth competitor with a ferocious work ethic. His testing was solid, but it was the intangibles that popped: his comfort in the interview room and in front of the camera, his clarity about how he plays, and his self-awareness. He screams future playoff performer.