1. St. Louis Blues- Phil Kessel
Holes everywhere in the pipline, but Kessel is a star and an American-born one at that. A key to the team's rebuild.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins- Erik Johnson
Only thing missing is a stud blueliner, and this team gets it at 2nd overall.
3. Chicago Blackhawks- Jonathan Toews
Grit and physicality are calling cards of the Blackhawks, and their prospects are no different. Ruutu and Toews give the team a solid 1-2 punch at centre for years to come.
4. Washington Capitals- Nicklas Backstrom
It's just not fair. First AO, and now a dynamic playmaking centre who has the potential to be the best centre selected in the draft.
5. Boston Bruins- Jordan Staal
He might not be there now, but the latest product of the revered hockey family has all the tools to make the Beantown faithful forget Jumbo Joe. Great all-around ability to go along with a never-say-die attitude.
6. Columbus Blue Jackets- Peter Mueller
Brule, Fritsche, Platt. Which one of those three doesn't belong? Mueller isn't just a depth pick; he has the talent to compete for the #1 pivot job down the line.
7. New York Islanders- Nigel Williams
Despite Milbury, the team has managed to stock up on skilled players at every position. Now is the time to take gambles. Williams is a true risk pick in every sense of the word, but if he pays off, Johnson may have company down the road as the best defender from this draft.
8. Phoenix Coyotes- Jiri Tlusty
Gretzky isn't afraid to swing for the fences, but he won't be hanging onto just a wing and a prayer with Tlusty. Datsyuk-esque puck skill and pure playmaking ability could be the perfect match for finishers Nagy and Doan.
9. Minnesota Wild- Kyle Okposo
Really a no-brainer. Minnesota native, good two-way game, great effort. Okposo may be a relative steal at 9th overall.
10. Florida Panthers- Derick Brassard
With no real organizational holes, the Panthers can go and should go BPA. Brassard fits in extremely well with a young forward core of Stewart, Olesz, Jokinen, Weiss and McArdle.
11. Los Angeles Kings- Michael Frolik
Another year, another highly-touted European forward falling to the LA Kings. Maybe the Jagr comparisons were a bit much, but nobody can deny Frolik's combination of skill and strength. Look out for him next season.
12. Atlanta Thrashers- Bryan Little
Twenty bajillion defensemen and Kari Lehtonen. Hard not to look to available forward prospects at 12th overall, and Little is one of the most criminally underrated. Able to finish or make plays, he adds a bit more grit and a whole lot of playmaking ability in a top-six dominated by offense-first snipers.
13. Toronto Maple Leafs- Chris Stewart
Power wingers have always been a love of the Toronto braintrust, and it's an easy decision when the best one left hails from Ontario. Add in that he's also perhaps the closest forward outside the top 5 to make it to the NHL in the next two years, and case closed.
14. Vancouver Canucks- James Sheppard
The Ron Jeremy of the hockey world, the Canucks are extremely blessed down south, but beyond the blueline, they're just, well, ugly. Alex Burrows, try as he might, isn't the long-term answer. Sheppard goes a long way towards improving a lackluster group of forward prospects that are mostly projects.
15-20: Bob Sanguinetti, Ty Wishart, Jonathan Bernier, Alexander vasyunov, Mike Forney, Yuri Alexandrov
Rising: Riku Helenius, Oskar Osala, Jamie McGinn
Falling: Jesse Joensuu, David Ruzicka, Tyson Dowzak