(From left to right) John Tavares, Matt Duchene and Brayden Schenn are centers expected to be drafted in the top 10 of the NHL Draft Friday.
The Minnesota Wild has more depth at center than it does on the wings, but a center is more likely to be its first round pick.
It has four returning centers in Mikko Koivu, James Sheppard, Eric Belanger and Peter Olvecky. Olvecky is a restricted free agent that is expected to be back.
Koivu and Sheppard are first three line centers and Belanger and Olvecky are best suited for the checking line role.
In the system, the Wild has one of the leading scorers in the American Hockey League, Corey Locke, the best player from Denmark, Morten Madsen, and a former Cretind-Derham Hall star and current Wisconsin Badger, Chris Hickey.
Locke, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens last summer, is the most NHL ready center in the organization. Madsen is close and should get a call up during this season. Just two seasons ago, Madsen recorded 100 points in 62 games for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL. That was his final season in juniors before joining the Houston Aeros. Hickey did not get a lot of playing time in his freshman year for the Badgers last season. His arrival to the professional game will depend on the playing time he gets in the next couple years, but he will probably finish all four years in Madison.
The top five North American centers are;
1. John Tavares – London, OHL. The 6-foot, 195 pound Ontario native is the best forward prospect in the draft. He broke the OHL record for goals in a career in March. He is possibly the best offensive player in the draft. He is the No. 1 North American skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
2. Matt Duchene – Brampton, OHL. The 5-foot-11, 200 pound Ontario native is another very good offensive player. He was voted the Best Playmaker and Best Stickhandler in the OHL Eastern Conference Coaches Poll for the 2008-2009 season. He is the No. 2 North American skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
3. Evander Kane – Vancouver, WHL. The 6-foot-1, 176 pound British Columbia native finished second in the WHL in scoring in 2008-2009 with 96 points. He likes to go to the net and will get there. He is the No. 3 North American skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
4. Brayden Schenn – Brandon, WHL. The 6-foot, 198 pound Saskatchewan native is a playmaking power forward that can finish every time he is on the ice. He is the younger brother of Luke, who was a first round pick in the last year’s draft. He is the No. 4 North American skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
5. Jordan Schroeder – Minnesota, NCAA. The 5-foot-8, 175 pound Lakeville native finished fourth in the NCAA with 1.3 points per game and was the only freshman in the top 50 in the category. The concern is his size, but he was second in overall strength tests at the scouting combine. He is the No. 5 North American skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
The top five European centers are;
1. Jacob Josefson – Djurgarden, Sweden. The 6-foot, 187 pound Sweden native is a very good two-way player. He can make plays with the puck in traffic. He is a good passer with very good hands. He is the No. 3 European skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
2. Marcus Johansson – Farjestad, Sweden. The 5-foot-11, 189 pound Sweden native is a good offensive player that understands the defensive aspect of the game. He has a quick release on his shot with good offensive instincts. He is the No. 8 European skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
3. Joonas Nattinen – Blues Jr., Finland Jr. The 6-foot-2, 183 found Finland native is a good two-way player that creates more goals than scores. He recorded 29 assists in 30 games last year in the Finnish junior league. He is the No. 10 European skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
4. Tomas Tatar – Zvolen, Slovakia. The 5-foot-11, 176 pound Slovakia native was a highly productive offensive player in the Slovakian junior league before playing last season in the elite league. He was named Slovakia’s top forward at the 2009 World Junior Championships after scoring 11 points in the tournament. He is the No. 14 European skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
5. Anton Lander – Timra, Sweden. The 6-foot, 194 pound Sweden native was the captain of the Sweden team at the 2009 Under-18 World Championships. In the tournament, he had two goals and seven assists for nine points. He is the No. 19 European skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.
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