DALLAS

Yarmouth native Oliver Wahlstrom was taken by the New York Islanders with the 11th overall pick in the NHL draft Friday night, becoming the first Maine native selected in the first round.

The only Americans selected ahead of Wahlstrom were two college players — forward Brady Tkachuk of Boston University, taken fourth by Ottawa, and Michigan defenseman Quintin Hughes, who went seventh to Vancouver.

Wahlstrom grew up in Yarmouth and played for North Yarmouth Academy before going to prep school in Minnesota and then joining the U.S. National Development Team Program. He plans to attend Boston College this fall, and the Islanders would retain Wahlstrom’s rights until he leaves college and turns pro.

Previously, three Maine players were drafted in the second round — Eric Weinrich of Gardiner in 1985 (32nd overall), Brian Dumoulin of Biddeford in 2009 (51st) and Brian Hart of Cumberland in 2012 (53rd).

Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin went first overall to the Buffalo Sabres and Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov second to the Carolina Hurricanes in the two most predictable developments of an NHL draft that also featured some curveballs.

The Sabres taking Dahlin was automatic since they won the draft lottery in April, and the 18-year-old wore a Buffalo Bills hat Friday prior to the selection. Svechnikov got to try on the Hurricanes’ draft hat before he was the No. 2 pick just as general manager Don Waddell acknowledged recently.

Dahlin is the second Swedish player to be taken No. 1 and the first since Mats Sundin in 1989. Sundin went on to a Hall of Fame career.

About an hour before the Sabres were on the clock, the Stanley Cup champion Washington

Capitals made the first trade of draft weekend by sending veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik and backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer to the Colorado Avalanche for a second-round pick. The trade netted Washington the 47th pick but most importantly cleared significant salary-cap space to attempt to re-sign pending free agent defensemen John Carlson and Michal Kempny.