The 2013 NHL Draft will take place in New Jersey's Prudential Center less than a month away on June 30th. The Colorado Avalanche hold this year's top pick, winning the draft lottery over the league-worst Florida Panthers, who will pick second.
There are a lot of good storylines to follow in this draft, especially with several trade rumors swirling around the earlier picks in the draft.
As always, there will be many surprises involving trades as well as the picks themselves, but for now, the only details we have are about some of the players who should go early. Here's a look at the top ten prospects in this year's NHL Entry Draft.
1. Seth Jones - Defenseman (Portland)
Jones has been agreed on as the consensus top prospect in this year's draft. The son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, Seth could make history being the first-ever African American to go first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. Jones grew up in Denver since his father played with the Nuggets, so it has been widely speculated that his hometown Avalanche will select him with the first overall pick.
Jones has the potential to be a terrific blueliner, and he could really help a Colorado Avalanche squad that is in the middle of rebuilding.
2. Nathan MacKinnon - Center (Halifax)
At one point, it was speculated that MacKinnon would be picked ahead of Jones. His offensive ability is second to none in this draft, and could make an immediate impact on whatever team selects him. If Jones does indeed get taken first by Colorado, MacKinnon would be a wise choice for the Florida Panthers. He could be paired with 2011 third overall pick Jonathan Huberdeau to form a very scary offense for years to come.
3. Jonathan Drouin - Left Wing (Halifax)
Not far behind MacKinnon is his teammate Jonathan Drouin. Either of the two would make for a good pick if both are available, and are expected to both be off the board after the third pick of the draft. Drouin's numbers in the QMJHL were simply stunning this season, scoring 105 points in 49 games and finishing with a plus-48 rating.
4. Aleksander Barkov - Center (Tappara)
Barkov is only seventeen years old and has already proven to be one of the more dynamic players in the Finnish pro league. He is a strong two-way forward whose skills have nowhere to go but up especially being one of the youngest players in the draft. Barkov's experience will be a key factor to all teams interested in him, and he may become a NHLer right off the bat due to his stellar performance against older players.
5. Valeri Nichushkin - Right Wing (Chelyabinsk)
Nichushkin is a big player at 6'4" and can be an intimidating physical presence as well as a clutch-scoring power forward on the ice. He has earned a promotion to the KHL already and has been drawing comparisons to Evgeni Malkin due to his size, scoring ability, and Russian lineage.
6. Darnell Nurse - Defenseman (Sault Ste. Marie)
Nurse is the best defenseman in this draft other than Jones and would definitely be a huge addition to any team seeking blueline help. He also has athletic bloodlines, being the son of a former CFL player and the nephew of former NFL great Donovan McNabb.
7. Elias Lindholm - Center (Brynas)
Lindholm has been a fabulous playmaker in the Swedish Elite League and has a great set of skills. He is a fast skater, has great hockey smarts for his age, and has already won a silver medal with Sweden in the 2013 World Junior Championships.
8. Sean Monahan - Center (Ottawa)
Monahan is a high-scoring power forward that would be a great player for any team to build around. He is physical, but can also make huge offensive contributions as he showed by 78 points in 58 games this season in the OHL. He will score goals for whoever picks him, but he also plays a terrific defensive game that will improve even more over time.
9. Hunter Shinkaruk - Left Wing/Center (Medicine Hat)
Shinkaruk is an extremely skilled player, easily one of the biggest offensive weapons in this year's draft. He collected 91 points in 66 games in 2012, and 86 points in 64 games in 2013, showing how much of an offensive asset he could be to any team. Many teams with early picks in the draft have gone through offensive struggles, and selecting Shinkaruk would be a great first step to upgrading.
10. Rasmus Ristolainen - Defenseman (TPS)
Ristolainen is not an extremely high-scoring defenseman, but he is big, intimidating, and he hits hard. This 6'3 Finnish blueliner is a superb defender that can frighten anyone opponent with his defensive-minded physical game.