2010 NHL Draft Yields Few Safe Bets for NHL Rosters

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Bruins, Coyotes, Ducks, Hurricanes, Islanders, Lightning, Oilers, Panthers, Eastern, Western, NHL Draft, Junior Hockey

Last year was a banner one for NHL draft picks. A number of them made the NHL, most notably Colorado's tandem of centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly. Players like Dmitri Kulikov, Evander Kane and Victor Hedman also made an immediate impact in the NHL, along with top overall pick John Tavares.

This is somewhat atypical. Usually, the first pick or two will make their NHL teams, but seeing guys drafted a little deeper -- like Kulikov and O'Reilly -- is not normal. Most players will take part in their team's summer developmental camp, then head back to college or junior hockey for at least a season or two.

The strong performance by the 2009-2010 rookies leaves the 2010 class with something to live up to. So are there any shoo-ins to make the NHL among the draftees last month?

 

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