The Stanley Cup has been awarded, beards have been shaved, mullets shorn and tee times booked.

You guessed it. The off-season has arrived.

Just as the last couple months of hockey were time for the 16 playoff teams to shine, the focus now shifts to the 14 that failed to qualify for the postseason.

On June 25, the future becomes the present at the NHL Entry Draft and Hockey Primetime will be taking you along for the ride.

Today, we project picks one through 10.

1. Edmonton Oilers – Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL) – There should be little doubt about this pick. Hall is proven both on the wing and at the pivot position, and the Oilers have plenty of depth up the middle with Jordan Eberle and Riley Nash. Hall is the total package – speed, hands and size – and is the perfect centerpiece around which the Oilers can rebuild their franchise.

Scouting Report(s): "Taylor is a dynamic skater who is fearless when he goes to the net. He is very difficult to knock off the puck once he gets it and his hunger for the puck is special. He reminds me of Pavel Bure. Taylor's desire to be the best is also very unique and has also contributed to his success, and made him the great player that he is."

– Bob Boughner, Windsor Spitfires Head Coach

2. Boston Bruins (from Toronto) – Tyler Seguin, C, Plymoth Whalers (OHL) – With Hall going first, Seguin is the natural choice for the Bruins to take with the second pick. He is ranked first by NHL Central Scouting and is thought by many to have a bigger upside than Hall, which could end up being a lot like comparing Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. Seguin is the type of player that makes his teammates better and he will give the Bruins the young center they so dearly need.

Scouting Report(s): "Tyler Seguin makes things happen every time he is on the ice and he makes his teammates better. He's a skilled forward. He's a guy that's obviously a top-line forward with all kinds of puck skills and playmaking abilities. ... He's an elusive guy in traffic, avoiding checks with the puck."
 
– Chris Edwards, NHL Central Scouting

3. Florida Panthers – Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) – The Panthers have plenty of young defensemen in their system, but Gudbranson is the type of defensive-minded defenseman that can anchor a blueline for years. He has a mean streak, is willing to drop the gloves when need be and he is the type of player that a team can depend on to lead the right way.

Scouting Report(s): "Gudbranson to me is a guaranteed long-term NHLer. In my opinion, Gudbranson is another Chris Pronger-type, what he brings that (Pronger) really didn't do much of, though, is he'll fight. He is some kind of tough. Chris Pronger is mean and will hit you; Gudbranson will hit you and fight you. Pronger is three inches taller than Gudbranson, so maybe Dion Phaneuf would be an even better comparison"
 
– E.J. McGuire, Director of NHL Central Scouting

4. Columbus Blue Jackets – Cam Fowler, D, Windsor Spitfires (OHL) – Each season at the trade deadline, you hear people talking about how the Blue Jackets need to acquire a puck-moving defenseman and every year, the Blue Jackets have come away empty-handed. With the fourth pick in this draft, the Jackets will finally get that defenseman in Fowler. Fowler's skating and puck-moving ability have drawn comparisons to Brian Leetch or Phil Housley, something that will be welcomed in Columbus.

Scouting Report(s): "Cam's vision, skating and passing are his greatest assets. He gets himself out of trouble with his feet and his mobility makes it very difficult for opposing players to get by him. Cam has good size and once he fills out, he will anchor an NHL club's back end for many years."
 
– Bob Boughner, Windsor Spitfires Head Coach

5. New York Islanders – Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) – The Islanders have a wealth of young talent at their disposal up front, and Gormley will give the team a young, blue-chip defenseman beside Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic. Gormley is a great decision maker and has a great shot from the point, something that will complement the Isles' power play perfectly.

Scouting Report(s): "He's got a laid-back personality. He's got the maturity of a 30-year-old. Take away hockey – he's just a rock-solid young man. He's got a number of great qualities. He's got really good size, he's 6-2, headed to 6-3, and starting to fill out. He's got outstanding hockey sense. He's got that poise, that innate ability to recognize when he has time and when he doesn't have time. ... He plays a Nick Lidstrom style of game, he's smart and skilled and poised with the puck. The type of game he plays is similar to his. As you watch him and see how efficient he is you grow to like his game."

– Danny Flynn, Moncton Wildcats Head Coach

6. Tampa Bay Lightning – Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) – If there's one thing that the Lightning lack in their system, it's a top-flight defenseman. Last season, they started addressing this with Victor Hedman and should continue by drafting Pysyk, who has all the tools of being a solid defenseman in the NHL. Pysyk has professed that he models his game after Shea Weber, which should be good enough for the Bolts.

Scouting Report(s): "He finished the season with a broken foot and a lot of scouts weren't able to get a good grip on how good this player's going to be in the NHL. Smooth-skating, he has a neat knack for following up the play at the right time, leading the rush at the right time and throwing a crisp pass to one of his forwards to break out of his zone."
 
– E.J. McGuire, Director of NHL Central Scouting

7. Carolina Hurricanes – Alexander Burmistrov, C, Barrie Colts (OHL) – The ‘Canes have the unique luxury of having depth in their system at most every position, so they will likely take the best player available with their pick – which is Burmistrov, by our count. The young Russian is lightning fast and has tremendous vision on the ice. What's more, despite his size, he is willing to go to the hard areas of the ice to get the job done.

Scouting Report(s): "He's like a water spider out there on the ice. Light on his feet, but he's got a venomous strike like a snake when he goes on the offense. Speed and agility, great fakes and he'll bring players, fans, alike out of their seats. I'd compare him with a (Alexei) Kovalev, (Sergei) Samsonov or (Maxim) Afinogenov."
 
– E.J. McGuire, Director of NHL Central Scouting

8. Atlanta Thrashers – Derek Forbort, D, USA U-18 (USHL) – The Thrashers have a lot of needs to fill in their system, defense definitely among them. Besides Zach Bogosian, the Thrashers don't have a lot of young depth on defense and Forbort would solve that problem. He has size and talent, and would be a welcome addition to an organization that needs big bodies to protect Ondrej Pavelec.

Scouting Report(s): "Derek Forbort has good top-end ability at both ends (of the ice). He's smart and skates so well, he's almost 6-5 and he's got everything there in front of him. It's just a matter of filling out and getting more experience. He's probably a top-two defenseman in the NHL if he reaches his potential."
 
– Jack Brazee, NHL Central Scouting

9. Minnesota Wild – Nino Niederreiter, RW, Portland Winterhawks (WHL) – Niederreiter's stock shot up after a marvelous performance at the World Juniors, and it continued to rise during his season with the Winterhawks. Niderreiter has good size and already knows how to use it. He is a high-energy impact player and is a perfect fit for a team in desperate need of a scoring winger.

Scouting Report(s): "Nino is a combination of a power forward and scorer. He's a guy who can play a very physical, very involved game. He has touch around the net, he has great instincts on where to be around the net and when he gets the puck on his stick he usually creates scoring chances or a goal. He's a player who, personality-wise, is a great teammate, a real key focal point for the group. And he's becoming a better two-way player."
 
– Mike Johnston, Portland Winterhawks Head Coach

10. New York Rangers – Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Novosibirsk (KHL) – The Rangers need some offense to support Marian Gaborik, and Tarasenko could be one of the most offensively gifted players in the draft. Many teams may shy away from him because of the KHL's allure for Russian players, but the Rangers should snap up this young sniper here. He has unbelievable hands and can skate with the best of them.

Scouting Report(s): "Vladimir is very effective around the net with his excellent overall skill level and vision. He is a strong, mobile skater with a quick shot. He is not only a sniper, but also a good passer and playmaker. There are no real weaknesses in his overall game and he will be one of the most interesting prospects at the draft."
 
– Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting

Next: Picks 11-20

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email this

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/hide comments

Write comment

Name

Email

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment