With the CHL playoffs kicking off on Thursday, today’s Daily Gallery identifies some of the top prospects in junior hockey. First up, Portland Winterhawks’ Seth Jones is the top defenceman in the CHL and there is a good change that he might be selected first overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Halifax Mooseheads star Nathan MacKinnon. (CP/Jacques Boissinot)

The other star turning heads in Halifax is Jonathan Drouin. The crafty forward finished second in the QMJHL in scoring with 105 points in just 49 games.

Another gifted forward that should be a lottery pick is Sean Monahan. The Ottawa 67′s centre tallied 31 goals and had 47 assists during the regular season.

Ryan Pulock.

Zachary Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads.

Another prospect that should generate a lot of interest is London Knights’ Nikita Zadorov. The hulking 6’5″ Russian is a stay-at-home blueliner who could potentially be a shutdown defenceman in the NHL.

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds’ blueliner Darnell Nurse will make one NHL franchise very happy. Moreover, Nurse is blessed with freakish psychical gifts and is a natural leader.

Last but not least, Hunter Shinkaruk of the Medcine Hat Tigers is a young centre that is a fast, quick, and is hungry to score.