The NHL has announced that they have moved up this year’s entry draft to Oct. 6 and 7, a few days earlier than the original dates of Oct. 9 and 10.

The draft, which was supposed to be held in Montreal, Que., will now be held virtually for the fans to watch due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be no in-person attendance at the draft as it will all be done online. Despite this, the draft remains an exciting time for teams, players and fans as the spotlight is shone on some of the best hockey prospects in the world.

A virtual draft isn’t unprecedented this year, with the National Football League having held their own entry draft virtually earlier this year.

The New York Rangers will have the first selection in the draft and are projected to select Canadian Alexis Lafrenière.

Lafrenière scored a total of 112 points in 52 games last season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the Rimouski Océanic.

Other notable potential first-round picks are Canadian Quinton Byfield and Winnipeg-born Seth Jarvis.

Both players are projected to be top 10 picks and can be expected to make an impact for their respective teams immediately.

The Winnipeg Jets will be drafting at number 10 this year and will have plenty of options to choose from when its name is called.