The 2024 NHL draft was a spectacle in every sense of the word. Count me among those who wouldn’t mind seeing the event held at Sphere going forward. I understand wanting to spread league events around, but when you hit a grand slam like the NHL did here, don’t mess with what works.

In terms of the selection process itself, some teams had fantastic drafts, extracting value with each selection, while other teams left value on the table with the talent available.

When considering a grade for each team, the totality of their work was considered: quality of players drafted, selection value and value derived from trades. Here’s our grade for every front office, with insights on particular high-value picks and trades (as well as questionable ones).

Jump to a team:
ANA | BOS | BUF | CGY
CAR | CHI | COL | CBJ
DAL | DET | EDM | FLA
LA | MIN | MTL | NSH
NJ | NYI | NYR | OTT
PHI | PIT | SJ | SEA
STL | TB | TOR | UTA
VAN | VGK | WSH | WPG

ATLANTIC DIVISION

When you have only four draft selections and three are in the 100s, it is difficult to come away with much.

Dean Letourneau was a quintessential Boston pick, even if it was a bit of a reach. The potential for Tage Thompson 2.0 has to be enticing for a franchise that needs help down the middle. He’s going to take a few years, but there is a real chance Letourneau is a unicorn, and Boston took that swing.

Elliott Groenewold, Jonathan Morello and Loke Johansson don’t have NHL projections, but you don’t expect that from midround picks. It’s a long shot for those three to make it, but they are fine bets.

ATLANTA — Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates took advantage of Bailey Falter‘s strong start to beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Bryan Reynolds’ 25-game hitting streak ended with two strikeouts and two groundouts in his four at-bats. It was the longest streak in the majors this season and the Pirates’ longest since Kenny Lofton’s 26-game streak in 2003.

The Pirates’ four-run fifth began with a successful challenge resulting in Jack Suwinski being hit by a pitch from Spencer Schwellenbach (1-4). With two outs, Cruz lined a homer that traveled 452 feet to the right-field seats and had an exit velocity of 117.3 mph. It was his 12th homer of the season.

Schwellenbach walked Edward Olivares before Tellez hit his fourth homer off the right-field foul pole.

The Pirates (40-43) capped a 14-12 June.

“I think we had a solid month,” Tellez said. “It was a good way to end it.”

Tellez ended an 0-for-8 drought with his homer.

Falter (4-6) issued four walks in five innings, but the left-hander was charged with just one run and two hits. Falter struck out the side in the second and had five strikeouts overall before being affected by temperatures in the low 90s.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody that red on the mound,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Falter.

Falter acknowledged the Georgia heat was overbearing.

“After the fourth I literally felt like I was standing under a magnifying glass,” Falter said.

Falter ended a streak of four consecutive losses since his last win, also against the Braves, on May 24 in Pittsburgh.

Marcell Ozuna walked to open the fourth and scored the Braves’ only run off Falter on Austin Riley‘s double-play grounder.

Aroldis Chapman earned his third save despite giving up a run in the ninth. Following Adam Duvall‘s single and a double by Sean Murphy, Michael A. Taylor made a diving catch of Orlando Arcia‘s sinking liner for a sacrifice fly. Chapman ended the game on Zack Short‘s groundout.

On Saturday, Chapman passed Billy Wagner’s record for most career strikeouts by a left-handed reliever.

The Atlanta Hawks‘ No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher of France, wore a No. 10 Braves jersey when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Risacher, who will wear No. 10 as a swing player with the Hawks, was close to the plate with his toss.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: DH Andrew McCutchen left the game after three at-bats due to what Shelton described as “just a little illness. … He’s fine.”

Braves: RHP Ian Anderson threw three scoreless innings, giving up one hit with one walk, for Class A Augusta on Sunday as he continued his comeback from Tommy John surgery. … OF Ramon Laureano (lower back) missed his fourth straight game.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (9-4, 3.20 ERA) will start Tuesday night when the Pirates open a home series against RHP Kyle Gibson (5-3, 3.70 ERA) and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Braves: RHP Reynaldo Lopez (6-2, 1.70 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Hayden Birdsong (0-0, 5.79 ERA) on Tuesday night in the opener of a home series against San Francisco.

TORONTO — New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was a late addition to the lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays after sitting out a loss a day earlier because of a bruised right hand.

The three-time All-Star and 2020 NL batting champion singled against Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman in his first at-bat and scored on Aaron Judge‘s 31st home run of the season.

He also walked with the bases loaded in the second inning to collect an RBI in the Yankees’ 8-1 victory.

Soto was injured Friday night after he slid into home plate in the fourth inning of a 16-5 win. He rolled over after touching home plate with his left hand and his right hand slammed into the dirt.

Judge had been expected to play right field, with Trent Grisham in center, but New York added Soto to the lineup minutes before first pitch. Soto started in right field and Judge was the designated hitter.

Before making his decision, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Soto was feeling better.

“Pretty significant improvement from where he was yesterday with the treatment he was able to get,” Boone said.

Soto is batting .302 with 20 home runs and 61 RBIs. He said he felt pain during batting practice Saturday, forcing him to alter his swing.

“I don’t want him compromising anything or changing his swing,” Boone said. “If there’s any of that, we’ll wait.”

Soto had X-rays on Saturday, which did not show a fracture.

The Yankees are off Monday before hosting Cincinnati on Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.