2010 NHL Draft

All the talk about the infusion of youth on the New York Islanders always starts with John Tavares. That does not mean that there aren't other well-deserving young players who are looking to change the future of the team and create their own legacy.

It hasn't been a great season so far for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there is hope both in the team and in the system.

Nazem Kadri and Keith Aulie have already been called up from the Marlies to provide a spark for the big club, Christian Hanson and Korbinian Holzer have also had their turns.  Now that J.S. Giguere is out with an injury, the Leafs have also called up James Reimer to back up Jonas Gustavsson.

Sometimes teams have bad seasons where nothing goes right: They lose players to injuries, their "star" players underperform and they just can't seem to get those 'W's on the board.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

No matter how bad your season is, at the end of it you get to pick up the best young talent not yet playing in the NHL.

After being drafted some players will spend time back at their junior clubs or go to their new NHL teams' AHL affiliate.

However, some will make the big jump straight into the NHL.

The Western Conference always provides plenty of entertainment as it is usually more competitive then the East. This year should be no different. The races will be as tight as always and no one knows who will eventually come out on top.

However, a handful of teams may not be able to compete with the rest of the pack as they just don't quite have the same talent just yet that the Red Wings, Sharks, Blackhawks have.

Some teams near the bottom are on the slide while others are slowly climbing their way back toward the top.

After 21 years as a member of the Rangers European Scouting team, Director of player personnel for Europe, Christopher Rockstrom has been let go by the organization. The man who scouted star goalie Henrik Lundqvist is gone. Could this be signaling a trend in the organization against picking European players?

In this year's draft in Los Angeles, the Rangers selected one European player. With their sixth round pick, the Rangers selected Jesper Fasth, of Sweden.

After watching a fun weekend of hockey during the Chicago Blackhawks ’ prospect camp, it’s easier to look at the talent the Hawks have in the pipeline and compare them against others in the organization.

Over the weekend, a number of things became clear.

Kyle Beach needs to grow up to play in the NHL.

He might need some time against better competition in Rockford before jumping to the Hawks.  Dominating juniors is different than playing against elite talent, much less professionals.

Every NHL draft year, numerous questions arise regarding the young talent and how they are ranked. Some wonder why Player A is expected to go so high when he only had 10 points while playing in Sweden, or why Player B is expected to go late considering he scored 40 goals in major junior.

Even more unpredictable, however, is the order goaltenders are drafted. The rankings at this position vary greatly among NHL teams because of trends, team needs, and what kind of talent is available.

The Carolina Hurricanes are a roller coaster ride of a team. One year they surprise the hockey world and make it deep into the playoffs, and have even won a Stanley Cup. Then the next year they can't even make the playoffs or find themselves going home early.

Certainly the Canes would like to stabilize this trend, and settle into a team that competes year round, ever year.

The Hurricanes have unloaded some players this past season, and would look to fill the gaps through the draft.

The Buffalo Sabres had a very good season finishing atop their division. However, their successes came largely off the back of Vezina winning goalie Ryan Miller. The offence was weak, and the defence was just okay.

They looked for a deep playoff run, but were upset in the first round.

The Buffalo Sabres still have plenty of room to improve and the draft is the perfect way to do this.

Without further ado, the new Sabres are as follows:

The Boston Bruins got an absolute gift this season when they traded disgruntled winger Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs for this year’s first and second round picks. These picks turned out to be the second and thirty second overall picks in the 2010 NHL Draft.

With such a deep draft the Bruins had a chance to rebuild the franchise without even going in a slump.