12 | Minnesota | Zach Budish, Edina Minnesota (USHS) | After missing last season for the Hornets with a torn ACL from his football playing days, Budish has added size and strength during his rehab. Now at 6'3" and 229 pounds, Budish is the type of power forward the Wild have always lacked. | Hockey Wilderness |
13 | Buffalo | Zack Kassian, Peterborough (OHL) | At 6'3" and 215 pounds, Kassian is the most NHL-ready prospect in the draft. His offensive upside may not be as great as some of the other prospects but he makes up for that with size, speed and strength. He is everything the Sabres are not. Big, strong and tough. | Die By The Blade |
14 | Florida | Louis Leblanc, Omaha (USHL) | It's no secret Florida is in dire need of offensive-minded centers, and LeBlanc - the USHL Rookie of the Year - has impressed by leading his club in scoring and having a way-cool hockey name. | The Litter Box |
15 | Anaheim | Dmitri Kulikov, Drum'ville (QMJHL) | I haven't seen a draft projection that has him picked later than 16th, and I'll have to assume he has some value. The Ducks don't have a great history of picking Russian defensemen with their top picks so I may be off-base. | Battle of California |
16 | Columbus | David Rundblad, Skelleftea (Swe) | The Blue Jackets look to add some serious skill on the back-end. Rundblad will quickly become a vital piece to the young core in Columbus | The Cannon |
17 | St. Louis | Chris Kreider, Philips-Andover Academy (USHS) | A center with exceptional size and skating ability, Kreider is also blessed with a goal-scorer's touch. A character guy on and off the ice, Kreider is everything the Blues' scouts typically look for in a player. | St. Louis Game Time |
18 | Montreal | Scott Glennie, Brandon (WHL) | Glennie is the closest thing to a sure bet the Habs could get at the 18th slot. A competitive, responsible, focused player who displays good maturity and poise, Glennie is a projected top six forward, who should make his place on the Habs within three seasons. | Eyes On The Prize |
19 | N.Y. Rangers | Carter Ashton, Lethbridge (WHL) | Ashton has all the tools necessary to become a solid power forward in the NHL. Big strong kid who skates well and puts up good numbers | Blueshirt Banter |
20 | Calgary | Landon Ferraro, Red Deer (WHL) | Flames could use a strong scoring winger as the organization is extremely light in that regard beyond Greg Nemisz. In addition, Ferraro could develop as a Red Deer Rebel under the watchful eye of new Flames bench boss Brent Sutter. | Matchsticks & Gasoline |
21 | Philadelphia | Simon Despres, Saint John (QMJHL) | His size, mobility, and hockey sense epitomize the meaning of a solid, puck-moving defenseman. It's hard to pass up a player with a skill set like Despres has. | Broadstreet Hockey |
22 | Vancouver | | | |
23 | New Jersey | | | |
24 | Washington | | | |
25 | Boston | | | |
26 | N.Y. Islanders | | | |
27 | Carolina | | | |
28 | Chicago | | | |
29 | Detroit | | | |
30 | Pittsburgh | | | |