It all started with Little Walt. Matthew Tkachuk was the fifth overall selection in the Eric Weddle Jersey 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the first player selected whose father played in the league.

Bloodlines are easy to find in the annual selection of amateur talent that ended Saturday. Including Tkachuk, the first round yielded seven sons plus other players with drafted relatives or NHL connections.

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Matthew Tkachuk (Getty Images)

Two picks behind Tkachuk at No. 6 came Alexander Nylander. At No. 11, Logan Brown. At No. 16, Jakob Chychrun. The rest: Kieffer Bellows, 19; Max Jones, 24; and Tage Thompson, 26.

They are the sons of Keith "Big Walt" Tkachuk, Michael Nylander, Jeff Brown, Jeff Chychrun, Brian Bellows, Bradley Jones and Brent Thompson. They went from locker-room rug rats swatting tape balls Derek Carrier Jersey with sawed-off sticks to their chances at being the dads who correct the next generation.

The ones who get the opportunity to tell their squirts what Big Walt said when Little Walt was wailing in the room one night: "Tkachuks don't cry."

The biggest stories of draft weekend in Buffalo?

Trades.

When the , people took notice. The trend continued Saturday. Players Nickell Robey-Coleman Jersey and picks, in this draft or the future, flew like spitballs atthe school cafeteria.

Sabres fans got into the excitement when their team acquired defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from the Panthers.

The Stars send goalie Jack Campbell to the Kings.

Former first-round pick Beau Bennett joined the Devils in a trade with the Penguins.

The Coyotes did the Red Wings a huge favor by acquiring the contract of Pavel Datsyuk. That standout player likely will never play in Phoenix; . But the Wings let the Coyotes scavenge Datsyuk's contract and got $7.5 million in cap relief. Plus picks in return. Wile E. Coyote approved the deal.

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The draft's biggest oddity? Five players from St. Louis were chosen in the first round. Three Canadian players were selected in the first 10 picks, a record low equal to the number of Finns taken in the first five. Round 1 saw 12 American players selected, along with a dozen Canadian lads. Sammy Watkins Jersey

The biggest non-surprise? Auston Matthews, from Arizona via a season in the Swi s league, went No. 1 overall to the Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens did not trade P.K. Subban, their stellar defenseman who was the trade-rumor poster boy entering the draft. They did swap Lars Eller to the Capitals and got Andrew Shaw from the Blackhawks, deals involving forwards for picks.

By the time the 211th and final player was selected, teams and their futures were set in Malcolm Brown Jersey motion. Matthews, Tkachuk and other first-round picks likely will begin filtering into the NHL next fall. Whether Filip Helt, a left winger from the Czech Republic and this year's counterpart to the NFL's Mr. Irrelevant, ever suits up for the Blues or any other team is doubtful.

But one of the final selections, No. 201 overall, was Ty Ronning son of former NHL forward Cliff Ronning, who played more than 1,100 games. Bloodlines ran deep.

Other examples:

Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW, Blue Jackets; dad Eric Dubois drafted by Nordiques

Jake Bean, D, Hurricanes; dad John Bean, Flames executive

Logan Stanley, D, Jets, cousin of Capitals forward Michael Latta

Julien Gauthier, RW, Hurricanes; uncle Denis Gauthier played 554 career games

Brett Howden, C, Lightning; brother of Panthers forward Quinton Howden

Lucas Johansen, C, Capitals; brother of Predators forward Ryan Johansen

Garrett Pilon, C, Capitals; dad Rich Pilon played 15 seasons