I remember starting a thread about this a few months ago and from the few posts it received, it seemed like the obvious answer was Esposito. Amazing how things changed that quickly; by that, I mean that it seemed from their attitudes that Esposito was surely head and shoulders ahead and looked NHL-ready that early. Just thought I'd share that bit of irony. If I had to pick a player, I'd guess Ellerby or Alzner, though D-men typically marinate a bit longer than forwards.