Prospect Bonanza - MN at UND

(I know there's a related thread on the NCAA board, but not everyone visits that board, and the number of top-end prospects involved here deserves a wider audience.)

When Minnesota visits North Dakota this weekend for two games, there will be something like 9 first-round draft choices playing, plus 6 second-rounders, 2 third-rounders, 2 fourth-rounders and 7 other drafted players. Outside of the WJC, you'd be hard-pressed to ever see this many prospects on the ice in a competitive situation (non-All Star game). The highlight, of course, will be 2006 eligible stars Toews and Kessel competing against each other.

For North Dakota, the list is:

1 9 Lee (Ott)
1 13 Stafford (Buf)
1 20 Zajac (NJ)
1 24 Oshie (Stl)
1 27 Finley (Wsh)
1 Toews (proj.)
2 36 Chorney (Edm)
2 41 Smaby (TB)
2 53 Kozek (Atl)
5 160 Watkins (Dal)
9 269 Kaip (Atl)
9 282 Porter (Chi)

Someone else can fill in the details for MN (please), but I know they have at least:

Wheeler, Chucko and Kessel in the first round
Stoa, Frazee and Hagemo in the second round
Potulny and Irmen in the third round
Anderson, Vanelli, Guyer, Sertich, Peltier and Atherton in later rounds.

The games should be televised on Fox Sports Net, so it would be a good opportunity to see a ton of prospects play, in addition to getting a sneak peek at six members of the US WJC team.

The teams should be pretty evenly matched, with MN being a little older and a little flashier, and UND being grittier, with a very green defense (four freshmen playing regularly). Zach Parise's older brother Jordan has been stellar in goal for UND as its young defense adjusts to the higher level of play, and he'll again need to stand on his head.

 

I guess we will have to see if the Goofs come to play after the thrashing they took at the hands of the Badgers last week.