Avalanche use NHL's top pick on MacKin..

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Newark, N.J. • Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby now share more than a hometown. They've both been No. 1 picks in the NHL draft.

The Colorado Avalanche made the 17-year-old MacKinnon the first pick of the draft on Sunday at the Prudential Center.

The Avalanche won the draft lottery for the first time in team history, and Joe Sakic, the man put in charge of Colorado's rebuilding project, had made it clear that MacKinnon was going to be the top pick. He was the first player drafted No. 1 overall out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League since the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Crosby in 2005.

MacKinnon and Crosby are both from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

The Florida Panthers made center Aleksander Barkov, the top-ranked European skater, the second overall pick. Tampa Bay took forward Jonathan Drouin with the third overall pick.

The Nashville Predators pounced on defenseman Seth Jones with the fourth overall pick. Jones, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound defenseman, was widely considered the top prospect in the draft. He is the son of former NBA forward Popeye Jones.

Also Sunday, Chicago traded away Dave Bolland, making his Game 6 winner is the last goal he'll score for the Stanley Cup-champion Blackhawks. Chicago traded Bolland to Toronto for three draft picks. The Blackhawks received the 51st and 117th picks in this year's draft and a fourth-rounder next season.

Avalanche use NHL's top pick on MacKinnon