The NHL Scouting Combine is a huge chance for teams to get to know the top draft prospects better and test their fitness. Carol Schram looks at some of the results and explains why they shouldn't be overvalued.

The NHL's annual scouting combine wrapped up on Saturday in Buffalo with the most dramatic part of the week — fitness testing.

Heights and weights are scrutinized down to the last quarter of an inch.

And the already glaring spotlight that follows Connor Bedard around has been turned up even brighter, as he's one of the only top prospects who participated in the tests. Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson both took a pass as they're less than two weeks removed from the men's World Championship, which would have put a drain on their bodies, and Matvei Michkov is not in attendance at the combine.

So, fear not: Bedard will not go down in history as a player who was humbled by the pull-up bar. His 14 reps tied him for second place this year with Guelph Storm defenseman Cameron Allen, one behind leader Nick Lardis from the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Out of about 100 participants in the physical tests, the third-ranked skaters on both sides also finished in the top 25 in the pull-up rankings. Will Smith (North America) completed 11 reps, and Dalibor Dvorsky (Europe) did 10.

But let's not forget — a fail on pull-ups or any other test for that matter, is not a sign that a player won't be able to cut it in the NHL. 

Think back on Sam Bennett, who couldn't manage one rep in the first year the pull-up test was introduced, 2014. Ranked first among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting that year, Bennett ended up slipping to No. 4 in the draft behind fellow North American skaters Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl (who played junior hockey with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders in his draft year). 

Now, of course, Bennett is teammates with Ekblad and Reinhart on the Florida Panthers, where his physical game is his calling card. He has the third-most penalty minutes of any player from his draft class, and you may be surprised to hear that he also ranks 15th in points — just ahead of yet another teammate, Brandon Montour.

The 2014 pull-up champs are a study in contrasts as to how paths can diverge after draft day.

The leaders each finished with 12 reps and were drafted just seven positions apart:

• undefined
• undefined

The Class of '22 crushed the pull-up station. Every player in the top 10 beat out Bedard with 15 reps or more, led by 'the other' Jack Hughes (the son of Montreal GM Kent Hughes) at 19. Hughes was ranked 26th among North American skaters in his draft class and ended up being selected 51st by the Los Angeles Kings.

By the way, Connor McDavid managed just six pull-ups in 2015. The leader in his draft year was Dennis Yan, who spent last season in the KHL. He did 14 reps, followed by Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers at 13.

Bedard also placed in the top 25 in a few other tests:

• undefined
• undefined
• undefined
• undefined
• undefined

Of course, these physical tests don't measure traits like hockey IQ or personality; that's what the players' interviews with the teams are for. Conducted earlier in the week in 20-minute sit-downs compared to speed-dating, the interviews are an opportunity for player personnel staff to get a better sense of what a prospect's all about.

Bedard said he interviewed with several teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks. They're a virtual lock to select him with the No. 1 pick, although Bedard has said repeatedly that nothing is done until it's done. No one is expecting him to slip like Shane Wright did last year, but with that recent memory still vivid in everyone's mind, it's understandable that he'd prefer to focus on staying in the moment.

And while Bedard's test results almost certainly won't impact his draft status, good numbers can help less-heralded players improve their positions.

As one example: Nico Myatovic was just five days removed from playing in the Memorial Cup final with the Seattle Thunderbirds last Sunday when he delivered the top result in the dreaded VO2max bike test on Friday. His score of 66.0 also beat all competitors from the 2022 draft.

Myatovic has already been a rising star through the second half of the season. He climbed from No. 47 at mid-term all the way to No. 26 in Central Scouting's final draft ranking before a strong two-way performance during Seattle's post-season. This test score could bump up his draft stock even more.

The Wingate bike test measures anaerobic fitness, which is important for hockey players who go all-out for short shifts on the ice, then need to recover quickly on the bench. 

This year's top performer in the Mean Power Output category was Noah Dower Nilsson, a Swedish left-winger who is ranked 17th among European skaters by Central Scouting. Danny Nelson from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, ranked 22nd among North Americans, placed second, and buzzy Swedish defenseman Tom Willander came third.

Now, with the test results in the books, it's time for scouting staff to get down to the business of finalizing their draft lists. And while they may think they know where they're picking, things can change by the time they step up to the stage in Nashville on June 28 and 29.

So far, 10 first-round picks have already changed hands, most recently the No. 22 selection that was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a haul for Ivan Provorov earlier this week. That's a high number, but so far, no top-10 picks have moved — and the feeling has been that with the high quality of this year's draft crop, those picks are even more valuable than usual.

In less than three weeks, we'll know if more picks get moved as we find out where these players land as they begin their journeys in professional hockey.