Taylor Hall has world-class skating ability and the scoring touch to be a top-line player in the NHL. That’s obvious. What is not obvious is how quickly Hall will adapt his overall game to a more physical and defensively skilled NHL. Some reasons for optimism are that Hall has shown greater moxie and willingness to pay a physical price in all areas. The other positive reason is Hall’s improved vision and playmaking ability that creates time and space on the ice. He has the potential to become dangerous scoring winger in the mold of Phil Kessel, with perhaps a greater upside.

The savvy and poised playmaker can process information at an NHL level with the puck skills to match. Not to be overlooked is Seguin's goal scoring -- he posted 21 clutch goals in the regular season. He does not have the speed of Hall, but Seguin has the acceleration to create separation. His commitment to learning to play a 200-foot game will allow Seguin to become a consistent contributor quickly in the NHL. It hard to find faults in his play, but he will need time to develop physically. He may have the skill to handle the NHL game, but playing against men is vastly more challenging. His attention to detail on the ice and maturity off the ice is impressive considering his age.

Perhaps the most well-rounded defenceman in this draft class with his skill set, physical stature and intangibles. His hockey sense is excellent and Gudbranson can process information under pressure with poise. He displays good puck skills and makes a crisp accurate first pass out of the defensive zone. For his size, Gudbranson has the agility and two-step quickness to match up against the quickest of forwards. A defensive stalwart, he has consistent habits in maintaining body position and active stick and gap control that make him tough to beat one-on one. His work ethic and nasty streak make Gudbranson unpleasant to play against. He has the potential to be a No. 1 defenceman.

No player has risen faster up the draft list than Johansen and deservedly so, considering how dominating he was as a rookie in the WHL. He is still a lanky kid that will need to fill out, but once he does a skilled 6-foot 3 centreman like him is hard to find. He can control the speed and tempo of the game with his poise and stickhandling ability. Johansen is a deceptive skater who can change his speed and separate with his long stride. He is also improving his play without the puck and should be able to match up against opponents' top centres in the future. His hockey sense and passing are at an elite level and he should project into a top line centre.

This past season Niederreiter proved he is a clutch goal scorer who can carry a team. His ability to find or create seams in the defence and shoot the puck quickly are Niederreiter’s greatest assets. He is a good skater, but once he improves his two-step quickness he will be a menace below the circles. Niederreiter thinks the game quickly, presents his stick well and puts himself in good body position. His puck protection is very good for a young player and he hustles and battles for loose pucks. A perfect complement to a playmaking centre and should develop into a top two-line goal scorer.

If not for a hip injury that forced him to miss the majority of the season, Connolly would have been a top-five pick. He has the puck skills and hockey sense to develop into a No. 1 centre. His ability to make pinpoint passes in traffic is impressive and he rarely gets rattled under pressure. Connolly is equally dangerous when he shoots the puck because of his accuracy and quick release. It is unclear whether his recent hip injury will affect his skating stride, but when healthy he is a quick elusive skater.

Simply put, Skinner is a goal-scoring machine and is the best clutch goal scorer in this draft class. When a player scores 50 goals and 25 of them are first goals, insurance goals or game winners, that is the definition of clutch. It is unfortunate he is not 6 feet tall and 200 pounds because he would be drafted in the top three. To his credit Skinner does not play down to his size and shows allot of moxie in his game. His skating is above average, but his agility and two-step quickness is good enough to create separation. Overall he is a strong two-way player with hockey sense who finds a way to be productive.

No one can deny this playmaker's skill, as this Russian has the potential to be top two-line NHL forward. His vision and hockey sense are at an elite level and he has the ability to process information quickly. A darting skater who uses his agility and quickness to create time and space for himself. He has a tendency to pass first and shoot second, but when Burmistrov does shoot it is quick and accurate. It is hard not like his competiveness and willingness to play responsible defence. Once this skinny kid matures physically he could be a dynamic offensive player. The lure of money in the KHL remains for the NHL team that drafts him.

An impressive skill set with a mature game from playing in the Finnish elite league makes Granlund an intriguing prospect. A water-bug type player who can stickhandle the puck through traffic and create scoring opportunities out of nothing. An excellent skater who can dance on the ice with the agility and quickness to make defenders look silly. For an 18-year-old he plays a responsible defensive game and that should help him progress quickly. He is small by NHL standards, but Granlund can compete against men in a gritty Finnish league so that says something.

This defenceman is one tough hombre who can scare opponents with his crushing bodychecks and unpredictable nature. If you do not keep your head with this player you better make sure you have disability or life insurance. Considering his size, McIlrath skates well enough to handle most quick forwards, but he will need to continue to improve. He is solid defensively and has improved his angles, especially against speedy forwards. His gap control and locking on to players and not giving them time and space are among his better traits. He is expected to develop into a shutdown, tough defenceman and a great partner for an offensive-minded player.

This goaltender does one thing and that is win championships, rare for someone of his age. A lanky athletic netminder who possesses the ability to make tough saves look easy even when the play breaks down in front of him. He is tough to beat down low as he covers post to post exceptionally well. Campbell shows consistency in his angles and does not loose the net while remaining aggressive. His rebound control and recovery after making the first save is very good for a young netminder. Perhaps Campbell's strongest traits are his ability to track the puck in traffic and his poise. He has the potential to become an elite NHL goalie.

The American-born defenceman is a smooth-skating puck mover with the hockey sense to project into a first-pairing defenceman in the NHL. He is skilled at making a first pass under duress and finding the correct choice. His puck skills for a defenceman are at an elite level and he displays the poise and skill to create time and space. The defensive part of his game has evolved to the point where he can shut down top offensive players. He has improved when it comes to gap control, angling forwards and maintaining body position. His ability to produce offence will make him a fan favourite, but his ability control the play will make Fowler a potential NHL all-star.

A thinking man’s defenceman who can adjust to whatever style is needed, whether on offence or defence. His mobility is a big asset as he can create time for himself defensively and set up opportunities offensively. He can make pinpoint passes even with defenders pressing down on him and has an accurate shot from the point. He’s a true puck-possession defender who uses his puck skills, angles and stick to keep defenders from the prime scoring areas. Do not be fooled and think he doesn’t have toughness because he will battle hard for loose pucks. A potential top pairing two-way defenceman that can play a high-tempo game in the NHL.

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The strapping defenceman is an intriguing package with the tools to be a premier blue-liner in the NHL. Forbort has impressive size and he will be a monster to play against once he fills out. He has good mobility and should be able to shut down quick NHL forwards once his two-step quickness and agility improves. He displays good hockey sense under pressure, with or without the puck. His puck skills are solid and he makes a good first pass and does not fumble the puck. I would not project him as a big point producer in the NHL, but he will add offence. Defensively Forbort can be a two-way defenceman as he shows consistent body position, gap control and has a wide wingspan.

A skilled goal-scoring winger who is perhaps in the same league as Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. His ability to process information and make the right decision under duress is already at a pro level. He has the puck skills to create offence and the time and space to make magic happen. But his calling is scoring goals and Tarasenko can produce clutch goals regularly, which is a major selling point. He is a good skater with the quickness and lateral movement to avoid defenders. His low centre of gravity allows him to take the hits if needed. Depending on whether Tarasenko would stay in the NHL or return to the KHL will determine if he drops in the first round.

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It is hard not to like Watson's work ethic and willingness to play a 200-foot game while paying the price to win. Those words sometimes make one think he is not highly skilled, but that is not the case with Watson. He has shown that, given the opportunity, has good hockey sense, vision and overall puck skills. He is a good skater and has the quickness to get separation from defenders down low and his skating will improve once he gains power and strength. Because of his combination of size, skill and skating ability Watson could project into a top six forward in the NHL.

A potential power centre that utterly dominated the high school ranks in Minnesota and is in need of a greater challenge. The frightening thought for opponents is once he physically matures and plays at 220 pounds, coupled with his skill set, he could be hard to stop. He skates well for a big rangy player, but he must improve his two-step quickness and agility. He displays good puck skills and makes smart decisions with the puck despite the lack of talent at the high-school level. The tools are evident, but how quickly Bjugstad develops at the University of Minnesota is a big question.

The one name which has received little publicity coming into the draft because of playing in the BCHL. Even playing at the junior A level against lesser skilled -- but older and tougher -- players he managed to dominate every time he touched the ice. His passing ability is uncanny and his vision on the ice rivals many of the top forwards on this list. A dangerous shooter who has a quick release and rarely misses the net. He is a quick agile skater, but needs to add significant power to his stride as he matures. Patience will be needed, however, as Bennett needs to add 25 pounds to his frame and three or four seasons to fully mature.

Some nagging injuries lessened Sheahan's effectiveness this season, but it was clear all the tools were there for him to develop into an NHL player. The injury, coupled with the fact Notre Dame does not exactly incorporate a run-and-gun style, reduced his offensive output. He has very good hockey sense and sees the developing play quickly, and has fine playmaking skills. Not the quickest of skaters, but he hustles and keeps his feet moving which makes up for it. Considering his age, Sheahan plays a responsible defensive game and has a high level of competitiveness and a strong work ethic. Has the potential to develop into a two-way centre and the kind of player teams want in the postseason.

It's not difficult to figure out what type of defenseman Tinordi is, and if you don't then you will painfully know quickly enough. Big and hard-nosed, he has the potential to be a shutdown defenceman in the NHL. For his size he skates quite well and as he improves Tinordi should not have any issues at the pro level. He does have the hockey sense to handle a high-tempo game, but his puck skills do not match his smarts. He competes every shift and shows the work ethic to improve and could make the jump to the NHL faster than most of his peers.

A smooth-skating, puck-moving defenceman who shows the means to slow the play down and control the developing play. He has a puck possession style and the hockey sense to process information at the NHL level. His puck skills and passing ability are excellent and he can make a pinpoint first pass and hit a forward in traffic at full speed. Not the biggest defender and is not overtly physical, but he competes hard in the defensive zone. He has the potential to be a first pairing defenceman and be a quarterback on the power play.

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Like his Russian-born counterparts on this list, the doubt whether Kuznetsov will sign and stay in the NHL drops him down. If there was a transfer agreement in place, Kuznetsov would be a top 10 pick without question. What is not in question is his hockey sense and ability to create scoring opportunities out of thin air. He has a knack for finding seams in the defence and scoring goals in the blink of an eye. His three-step quickness allows him to dart in and out of areas and jump on loose pucks. Once he gets stronger his skating will go to another level. You have to appreciate his competitiveness, especially against men, and he might be a better on the wing if he comes to the NHL.

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The first thing you notice when Etem hits the ice is his quickness, which leads to scoring opportunities. He shows enough hockey sense to handle a high-tempo game and has the scoring ability to be dangerous in all situations. Etem does not show the vision or the passing skills to be an NHL centre, so he might be more effective on the wing. He hustles and is strong on the puck and once Etem improves his overall game he should project into a scoring winger at the NHL level. A gifted athlete who already is an impressive physical package, he should be a holy terror once he physically matures. His willingness to learn and sacrifice to make his game better is a characteristic NHL organizations value.

It is hard not to be impressed by Brock Nelson's statistics, but as all scouts know numbers can be deceiving. Not to take anything away from his skills and hockey sense, but his competition was weak compared with his peers. To his credit he uses his linemates well and works hard in all situations to play a 200-foot game. Finding a skilled centre with that type of size is rare, so the league Nelson plays in should not affect his future. Overall he is an intriguing package and how quickly he adjusts to the University of North Dakota will answer a lot of long-term questions.