NHL Draft 2012: Rangers Draft Recap, Reaction

Entering the 2012 NHL draft, the New York Rangers possessed their fewest amount of picks -- four -- since 1968. But with the franchise's reversal over the past several years of cherishing homegrown players, New York has a bevy of blossoming youngsters, so the lack of picks wasn't that concerning. Thus, general manager Glen Sather's focus at the draft undoubtedly become trade talks in attempt to address the team's most glaring need: a high-scoring forward.

Even though the team's architect was unsuccessful in doing so at draft weekend, the Rangers continue to be in discussions for Columbus' Rick Nash, whom they have deemed too expensive, and the Ducks' Bobby Ryan, whose price seems high but they've yet to engage in the type of serious talks they've had for Nash. The blockbuster deal of the weekend centered on the Penguins' Jordan Staal heading to the Hurricanes for Brandon Sutter, their eighth-overall selection and a draft pick. The young center would've been a perfect fit in New York, and it became known that the Rangers were involved, but nothing ended up getting completed, a reason due the fact the Pens and Rangers also play in the same division.

With the trade chatter entering the forefront, the Rangers' draft took a backseat, especially with them drafting at the back of the pack at No. 28 in the first round. Of course, that doesn't mean this stockpiling of new talent was any less important. With Gordie Clark at the helm, his fifth year in charge of the team's draft, the Rangers have become a product of their minor-league system, with 10 players at the end of the year drafted by the organization; and that doesn't include Ryan McDonagh, who made his minor league and NHL debut with New York, or Michael Sauer, who has been out with a concussion.

New York's first pick, defenseman Brady Skjei, is already drawing comparisons to Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonagh for his skating ability as a big-bodied player (6-foot-3, 200 pounds). Prior to the draft, it appeared the Rangers would try to find gifted scorer or a goalie to groom. The crop was so defenseman-heavy (a record 18 were taken in the first round) and the top two goalies of the class were selected earlier, so the Rangers went with a guy in Skjei whom they had high on their list, is a good puck-mover and possesses a big shot. The 18-year-old will attend Minnesota in the fall.

On Day 2, the Rangers had three picks and took Cristoval "Boo" Nieves with the 59th overall pick. Clark noted in The Record that the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Nieves is another plus skater and a playmaker. Bob McKenzie of TSN said (according to SNYRangersblog): "There is a lot to like with the physical tools he has." Nieves' development as the Rangers' top-drafted forward should be fun to watch as he heads to Michigan in the fall. The Ranger have had success with college players, and they continued that draft style with their first two picks.

After all the draft-worthy goalies were taken by the time the Rangers would've picked in the third round, they decided to swap their third-rounder with Nashville for next season's third-round pick. Thus, New York had cut its available selections to just three, taking blueliner Calle Andersson at No. 119 in the fourth round. Anderson is 6-foot-2, 208 pounds and Clark in The Record described him as "an offensive defenseman, very good puck mover and he's got a chance to be a right-handed shot on the power play."

The day, which still included three more rounds, appeared to be over for the Rangers, but they decided to snag Nashville's fifth rounder for theirs next season to take what they deem as a hidden gem in Denmark native Thomas Spelling, who is a 6-foot-1, 176-pound forward. Taking the 19-year-old with the 142nd pick, Clark and his crew certainly had Spelling high on their board that they felt they had to jump back into the draft to get him. This may be the most interesting pick of the draft, and Spelling's growth over the next few years should be closely monitored with the Rangers' intentions clear here.

Even with a limited amount of selections, the Rangers went in with a purpose and stuck to their gameplan of going with "best available." They obviously never felt rushed to draft a goalie -- the class was thin and the top two were a step above the rest -- and continued to stockpile some long-term talent into their system. Andrew Gross of The Record also notes in his draft recap: Clark wanted size and the Rangers got bigger in the draft, with an average height of 6-foot-2. It also appears they coupled their interest in adding players with big bodies with their affinity of plus skating ability; a combination certainly valued in this day and age. Rangers fans have absolutely enjoyed first-hand what it's like to have players that can create and make up for their mistakes because of their skating ability.

2012 NHL Draft Results: First Round Pick Stefan Matteau Expected To Be Great Fit For Devils

With their first round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils selected center Stefan Matteau, son of NHL veteran Stephane Matteau. The same Stephane Matteau, in fact, who had the game-winning goal that knocked the Devils out of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. The irony wasn't lost on the son:

"I met with the Devils a few times, but obviously knowing the history of my name, I guess it's surprising," Matteau said. "But I couldn't be more thrilled."

2012 NHL Draft Results: Rangers Pick Brady Skjei 'Couldn't Have Asked For A Better Team'

The New York Rangers selected defenseman Brady Skjei in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft, 28th overall. BlueShirts United caught up with the young man in Pittsburgh and talked to him about what it meant to be drafted, and specifically to be drafted one of the original six teams in the NHL. Skjei said he was overwhelmed with excitement, and "couldn't have asked for a better team to be drafted by." As he put it:

"I've always been a big New York Rangers fan, the whole year my dad and me were saying the best team to play for would be the Rangers, just the way they play and the city to live in."

Skjei has drawn comparison to Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh, and he echoed those comparisons. Referring to himself as a "smooth skating two way defenseman," the 6-foot-3, 200-pound young man noted that skating was the best part of his game, but also that he had "a lot of room for improvement" and that he had to keep growing.

The Rangers official website noted Skjei's accomplishments in his young career:

Skjei, 18, skated in 60 games with the U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL) last season, registering four goals and 19 assists for 23 points, along with 36 penalty minutes. He established USHL career-highs in games played, assists, points, and penalty minutes. Skjei tied for seventh on the team overall in assists, and tied for third among team defensemen in points and ranked fourth in assists.

The Lakeville, Minnesota native helped Team USA capture the gold medal at the Under-18 World Championship, recording one assist, 10 shots on goal and a plus-10 rating in six tournament contests. His plus-10 rating led all tournament skaters.

Skjei is a player with a ton of potential, and time will tell whether Rangers fans have as much reason to be excited as Skjei does.

For more on the New York Rangers and the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with SB Nation New York. For dedicated Rangers news and analysis, check out Blue Shirt Banter.

2012 NHL Draft Results: Islanders Players React To First Round Moves

The New York Islanders had the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, but that wasn't the only move they made Friday night. Shorly before making their selection the team traded their second round 2013 NHL Draft selection to the Anaheim Ducks, getting defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky in return. They followed that up by drafting another defenseman, Griffin Reinhart, addressing needs on defense in both the immediate and long-term future. The official Islanders website spoke to some current Islanders players, who sound quite pleased with the decisions:

"I thought [Visnovsky] was a real good pickup for us," [Islanders forward Matt Moulson] said. "I had a chance to play with him a bit in LA and he’s an extremely skilled defenseman. "He’s been in this league for awhile. He knows what’s going on in the locker room, he knows how to play the game well and he knows how to teach younger guys."

The 6-foot-4, 207-pound Reinhart may be one of those younger guys Visnovsky has a chance to teach. Reinhart was a major contributor to the Edmonton Oil Kings' Western Hockey League playoff run, something not lost on Islanders GM Garth Snow:

"We were ecstatic to have the opportunity to select him," Snow said. "He’s obviously got size and hockey sense. He comes from a winning program and he’s going to fit in great with our young core."

It was a big draft for the Islanders defense. With two moves in the span of just a few minutes, the Islanders gave fans something to look forward to next season and well beyond.

For more on the New York Islanders, stick with SB Nation New York. For dedicated Islanders news and analysis, head over to Lighthouse Hockey.

2012 NHL Draft Results: Islanders Select Pelech, Leduc in Later Rounds

The New York Islanders had five selections in the final five rounds of the 2012 NHL Draft, and like their first two selections the Islanders chose to go on the defensive with them.

The Isles' late round picks are led by Adam Pelech, who was selected with pick No. 65 in the third round. Pelech is a 6-foot-2 left handed defenseman who played with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League last year. While he isn't the best on the offensive end, Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey knows that the Islanders are getting a stalwart in the back line:

Essentially, the Islanders are drafting a big shutdown defenseman with limited offensive potential. McKeen's says he "plays to his strengths, never overhandles the puck" and makes a crisp, accurate first pass to streaking forwards in the neutral zone. They also say Pelech's skating will need improvement..

Here is the entire Islanders draft order:

• 1st Round, Pick No. 4: Griffin Reinhart, 6'3", D, Edmonton/WHL
• 2nd Round, Pick No. 34: Ville Pokka, 5'11", D, Karpat/Finland
  
• 3rd Round, Pick No. 65: Adam Pelech, 6'2", D, Erie/OHL
  
• 4th Round, Pick No. 103: Loic Leduc, 6'5", D, Cape Breton/QMJHL
• 5th Round, Pick No. 125: Doyle Somerby, 6'4", D, Kimball Union HS
  
• 6th Round, Pick No. 155: Jesse Graham, 5'11", D, Niagara/OHL
• 7th Round, Pick No. 185: Jake Bischoff, 5'11", D, Grand Rapids HS

For more coverage of the Islanders, visit our blog Lighthouse Hockey. See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012 NHL Draft Results: New York Rangers Select 2 Players In Late Rounds

The New York Rangers had two selections in later rounds of the 2012 NHL Draft, selecting defenseman Calle Andersson in the fourth round with pick No. 119 and right wing Thomas Spelling in the fifth round at pick No. 142.

The 6-foot-2 Andersson seems like a solid selection for the Rangers, who played with Farjestad in the Swedish Junior League. Here is what the guys at Blueshirt Banter had to say of the selection:

Andersson is a big, puck handling D-Man who can run an offense from the blue line while not being the greatest in his own end Calle can handle his own when it comes to the defensive side of the puck.

The Rangers traded with the Nashville Predators to get back into the draft, with the Rangers trading their 5th round draft pick in 2013 for the Predators 5th round pick selection. They chose the 6-foot-1 Spelling, who scored 21 goals and 16 assists in 33 games for Herning in Denmark.

The full New York Rangers draft selection:

• 1st Round, Pick No. 28: Brady Skjei, 6'2", D, USHL
• 2nd Round, Pick No. 59: Cristoval Nieves, 6'2", C, Kent School
  
• 4th Round, Pick No. 119: Calle Andersson, 6'2", D, Farjestad/Sweden
  
• 5th Round, Pick No. 142: Thomas Spelling, 6'1", RW, Herning/Denmark

For more on the New York Rangers and the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with this StoryStream. For full time Rangers news and analysis, check out Blueshirt Banter.

2012 NHL Draft Results: Ben Johnson Highlights Devils Late Round Selections

The New Jersey Devils selected five players in Rounds 3-6 in the 2012 NHL Draft, highlighted by American left wing/center Ben Johnson with the 90th overall pick in the third round.

The 5-foot-11 Johnson had 18 goals and 20 assists in 68 games with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Johnson is one of the quicker players in the draft, and has shown flashes of quality in his offensive game. He is still pretty raw at 18 years old, but at this point in the draft he brings great value for New Jersey.

The full Devils' 2012 NHL Draft selections:

• 1st Round, Pick No. 29: Stefan Matteau, 6'1", C, USHL
• 2nd Round, Pick No. 60: Damon Severson, 6'1", D, Kelowna/CHL
• 3rd Round, Pick No. 90: Ben Johnson, 5'11", LW/C, Windsor/OHL
  
• 4th Round, Pick No. 96: Ben Thomson, 6'3", LW, Kitchener/OHL
• 5th Round, Pick No. 135: Graham Black, 5'11", C, Swift Current/WHL
• 5th Round, Pick No. 150: Alexander Kerfoot, 5'11", C, Coquitlam/BCHL
• 6th Round, Pick No. 180: Artur Gavrus, 5'9", LW/C, Owen Sound/OHL

For more on the New Jersey Devils and the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with this storystream. For full time Devils news and analysis, check out In Lou We Trust.

NHL Draft Results 2012: New Jersey Devils Select D Damon Severson In Round 2

The New Jersey Devils used their second-round pick (No. 60 overall) in Saturday's 2012 NHL Draft to select defenseman Damon Severson.

Severson, 17, played for Kelowna of the WHL during the past season. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder registered 37 points this past season, with seven goals and 30 assists in 56 games. He had four goals and 13 assists for 17 points over 64 games with Kelowna during the 2010-11 season.

The Devils used their first-round pick on Friday night to select center Stefan Matteau. The 18-year old center (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) had 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 46 games this season, his second with the U.S. National Team Development Program. His father, Stephane, played 13 NHL seasons and was a member of the 1994 Stanley Cup-winning New York Rangers.

For more on the New Jersey Devils and the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with this storystream. For full time Devils news and analysis, check out In Lou We Trust.

NHL Draft Results 2012: New York Rangers Select C Cristoval Nieves In Round 2

The New York Rangers used their second-round pick (No. 59 overall) in Saturday's 2012 NHL Draft to select center Cristoval Nieves of the Kent School in Connecticut.

Nieves, a 6-foot-2, 192-pound, 18-year old, is committed to the University of Michigan in the fall. He scored seven goals to go with 32 assists for 39 points last season at Kent, and also played 13 games for Indiana of the USHL, notching two goals and eight assists for 10 points.

Nieves was a valuable member of Team USA at the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Tournament, tallying three assists in four games.

The Rangers picked defenseman Brady Skjei of Lakeville, MN, in the first round. Skjei is slated to attend the University of Minnesota in the fall.

For more on the New York Rangers and the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with this StoryStream. For full time Rangers news and analysis, check out Blue Shirt Banter.

NHL Draft Results 2012: New York Islanders Select Ville Pokka In Round 2

The New York Islanders selected defenseman Ville Pokka of Finland with the fourth pick of the second round (34th overall) in Saturday's 2012 NHL Draft.

Pokka, a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, spent last season with Karpat in Finland. He scored three points, all of them coming from assists, in 35 games played. The 18-year old played primarily for Karpat's junior team the prior season, registering six goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 32 games.

The Islanders selected Griffin Reinhart with the fourth overall pick of the draft on Friday night. Reinhart, a 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman, played with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League last season. He isn't seen as a prospect with incredible upside, but scouts view him as one of the draft's sure things.

For more coverage of the Islanders, visit our blog Lighthouse Hockey. See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012 NHL Draft: TV Schedule, Rounds 2-7 Preview

The final six rounds of the 2012 NHL Draft take place on Saturday at Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center.

The event can be seen on television on the NHL Network beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

The first round was completed Friday night. The New York Rangers selected defenseman Brady Skjei from Lakeville, Minn. with their first round pick, No. 28 overall. The New Jersey Devils followed by choosing Stefan Matteau, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound center from Chicago. Earlier in the night, the NHL announced that the Devils would host the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center.

The New York Islanders made a splash early in the first round, using the fourth pick to select Griffin Reinhart, a 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman who played with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League last season. Though Reinhart isn't considered among the prospects with the most upside, he's a safe pick.

See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

NHL Draft Results: New Jersey Devils Select Center Stefan Matteau In Round 1

The New Jersey Devils had the 29th overall pick in Round 1 of the 2012 NHL Draft, and with that pick they selected Stefan Matteau, a 6-foot2, 210-pound center from Chicago. The Devils' first-round selection is in his second year with the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he picked up 32 points (15-17-32) in 46 games. He's the son of NHL veteran Stephane Matteau, who lasted 13 seasons in the league and played on the 1994 Rangers squad that won the Stanley Cup. Stephane had the game-winning goal in Game 7 against the Devils to send New York to the final.

The younger Matteau was part of the silver medal U.S. team at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he collected six points (2-4-6) in six games. Matteau is considered a bruising forward who likes to be physical and is a hard worker. More information on Matteau is available at NHL.com.

For more on the New Jersey Devils and the 2012 NHL Draft, stick with this storystream. For full time Devils news and analysis, check out In Lou We Trust.

NHL Draft Results: New York Rangers Select Defenseman Brady Skjei In Round 1

With the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, the New York Rangers selected Brady Skjei (pronounced SHAY), a 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensman from Lakeville, Minn. The first-round selection posted a plus-10 rating during Team USA's gold medal run at the Under-18 World Championship. He has spent two years as part of the U.S. National Team Development Program, whose coach had this to say:

“His game has improved greatly, both offensively and defensively. He's a tremendous skater and a good example of a guy who understands the little nuances of playing defense. He's thrived in the [USNTDP] program and is a physical specimen; he's big and strong and has made great strides in learning how to play the game. His angling is good and he has put himself in a really good position moving forward in his career.”

NHL Draft 2012: New York Islanders Draft Defenseman Griffin Reinhart With Fourth Pick

The New York Islanders on Friday night selected defenseman Griffin Reinhart with the fourth pick of the 2012 NHL Draft at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

Reinhart (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League. He's the son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, a defenseman for the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. Just before the Islanders drafted Reinhart, they made a trade with the Anaheim Ducks to land veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky for a second-round pick in the 2013 Draft.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Reinhart No. 10 among North American central skaters. In three seasons with the Oil Kings, Reinhart has 18 goals, 43 assists and 74 penalty minutes in 105 games. During the Oil Kings' run to the 2011-2012 WHL Championship, Reinhart had two goals, six assists and 20 penalty minutes in 20 games. A physical specimen, Reinhart doesn't have the most upside of other defensemen in the draft, but he is expected to develop into a steady two-way blueliner.

For more coverage of the Islanders, visit our blog Lighthouse Hockey. See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012 NHL Draft: New York Islanders Acquire Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky From Anaheim Ducks

The New York Islanders on Friday traded a second-round draft pick in the 2013 NHL Draft to acquire defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Anaheim Ducks, according to a report (Arthur Staple's Twitter). The Isles made the trade before their first pick at the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh at Consol Energy Center.

The veteran defenseman has played the last three seasons with the Ducks after beginning his career with the Kings. In 68 games last season, Visnovsky scored six goals and had 21 assists. Visnovsky could give the Islanders' power-play a much needed boost and the defensive core a veteran presence. In his career, Visnovsky has scored 47 goals and has racked up 174 assists on the power play.

For more coverage of the Islanders, visit our blog Lighthouse Hockey. See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

New Jersey Devils To Host 2013 NHL Draft

The New Jersey Devils will host the 2013 NHL Entry Draft at the Prudential Center.

NHL Draft 2012: Start Time, Live Stream, Draft Order And More

The first round of the 2012 NHL Draft takes place on Friday night beginning at 7 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center.

The first round will be televised live on the NBC Sports Network beginning at 7 p.m. A 2012 NHL Draft live stream can be found on TSN's website beginning at the same time. Rounds 2-7 will be aired on the NHL Network on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

The first round 2012 NHL Draft order follows.

Draft Order:

1. Edmonton Oilers

2. Columbus Blue Jackets

3. Montreal Canadiens

4. New York Islanders

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

6. Anaheim Ducks

7. Minnesota Wild

8. Carolina Hurricanes

9. Winnipeg Jets

10. Tampa Bay Lightning

11. Washington Capitals (from Colorado Avalanche)

12. Buffalo Sabres

13. Dallas Stars

14. Calgary Flames

15. Ottawa Senators

16. Washington Capitals

17. San Jose Sharks

18. Chicago Blackhawks

19. Tampa Bay Lightning (from Detroit Red Wings)

20. Philadelphia Flyers

21. Buffalo Sabres (from Nashville Predators)

22. Pittsburgh Penguins

23. Florida Panthers

24. Boston Bruins

25. St. Louis Blues

26. Vancouver Canucks

27. Phoenix Coyotes

28. New York Rangers

29. New Jersey Devils

30. Los Angeles Kings

See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012 NHL Draft: Rangers Could Go Trade Route On Day 1

If things break the right way for the New York Rangers on the first day of the NHL draft, more than likely they won't even make a selection. The Rangers' primary focus this offseason is adding a frontline forward and losing their first-round pick (No. 28) means they found a trade partner and the scoring jolt they sorely need, especially with Marian Gaborik expected to miss the season's first few months.

In reality, though, New York doesn't seem too keen on the asking prices of the Blue Jackets for Rick Nash and the Ducks for Bobby Ryan, instead calling a bevy of their young players off limits. Thus, a swap doesn't occur at all until one party relents on their demands.

If the Rangers don't find a trade partner by the time they pick Friday night, though, this will be the latest the organization has drafted since 2002. In the seven-round draft, New York possesses four picks, its fewest number since 1968. The Rangers have selections in the first four rounds. This year's crop is said to be very weak, so if there was ever a time to be thin on the draft ammunition, this is it. It's supposedly stronger on the blue line side as well. Rangers director of player personnel Gordie Clark says New York would only move up to the range of the 20th to 25th pick if they attempt to move up on Day 1, according to The Record's Andrew Gross.

The Rangers in recent years have really bolstered their prospect depth through astute drafting and some trades, which brought in Ryan McDonagh and Tim Erixon. This fact alone is the reason they can even discuss trades for big-name players, instead of relying wholly on the free-agent market to patch up holes. While the priority is to find a scorer, the Rangers won't be doing that in this year's draft.

Beyond that, the organization has good young forward depth in guys like Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin and even someone like Artem Anisimov who has been in the league for several years. Led by Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto, their blue line is a major strength -- with players like Erixon and Dylan McIlrath in AHL. Outside of their NHL talent at goaltender, though, the Rangers lack a big goalie prospect. Henrik Lundqvist is only 30 years old, but oftentimes young netminders take in the neighborhood of five years to develop.

Clark has reiterated -- beyond the McIlrath selection in 2010 -- the Rangers go with best available, so it doesn't matter what area on paper seems to be the weakest for the organization. The Rangers will go down their list and take the best player regardless of position.

That being said, some names that have been linked in mock drafts to the Rangers are forward Stefan Matteau, Stephane's son, who is a physical, hard-nosed player, center Mark Jankowski, a player with a good hockey IQ and is a playmaker that can fill the back of the net and winger Phillip di Giuseppe, a guy who appears to be a finisher from the University of Michigan. If goalies like the highly-regarded/top-ranked Andrei Vasilevski or Malcolm Subban are available, the Rangers also could look there and groom the eventual successor to their Vezina Trophy winner. And, of course, the organization won't shy away from taking another rearguard if one it covets falls.

While it's tough to say for certain what the Rangers will do (and if they'll have a pick on the first day), one thing is for certain: Clark and his staff have done a tremendous job pinpointing talent in recent years, so even in a draft that lacks depth, the Rangers are sure to make several savvy moves.

2012 NHL Mock Draft: Latest Picks For Islanders, Devils, Rangers

With the 2012 NHL Draft less than 24 hours away, the final mock drafts are starting to come out. In his final mock draft, Kevin Allen of USA Today gives his predictions on who the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils.

With the 4th overall selection, Allen has the Islanders taking defenseman Griffin Reinhart from the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL,

4. New York Islanders: D Griffin Reinhart (6-3, 202, Edmonton, WHL). He's big, strong, rangy and not out of place in a defensive stalemate or an offensive showdown. He's the son of former NHL defensemen Paul Reinhart.

Allen has the Rangers taking Michigan left winger Phillip di Giuseppe with the 28th pick,

28. New York Rangers: LW Phillip di Giuseppe, (5-11, 195, University of Michigan). He can skate and seems to be a finisher. As a freshman, di Giuseppe, back, had 11 goals and 26 points in 40 games.

For the Devils, Allen has New Jersey taking Swedish G Oscar Dansk with the 29th pick,

29. New Jersey Devils: G Oscar Dansk (6-3, 185, Brynas, Sweden). He's a big goalie with a very calm demeanor. Seems unflappable, always looks like he's in the right spot.

See SB Nation's NHL Hub for more coverage of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Devils Draft Preview: Building Depth At Right Wing

Heading into this year's NHL Draft, the New Jersey Devils are in desperate need of forward depth.

The NHL roster is loaded with talented skaters, and young players like Adam Henrique, Jacob Josefson and Mattias Tedenby help build that strength. Past that, however, the Devils are dangerously thin.

The Albany Devils didn't see much production from their right wing this season. Joe Whitney, a 5'-6" forward, led the team with 44 points (15g, 29a) in 72 games played. After that, the decline was steep. Matt Anderson collected with 31 points (10g, 21a). Mike Sislo scored just nine goals, and finished with 27 points in 59 games. Nathan Perkovich, entering his fourth season, recorded just 19 points (10g, 9a) in 53 games.

Throughout the organization, there isn't much offense to be excited about. New Jersey re-invested in the blueline in recent drafts, and the bubble of prospects in the pipeline should eliminate the possibility of drafting a defenseman with the 29th overall pick. They also spent three picks on goalies, and signed Keith Kinkaid, improving a shallow goalie pool.

While the team lacks depth at center, the position is a strength at the NHL level. Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias provide quality scoring at left wing, and it's also a position the team can concentrate on later in the draft.

Right wing, however, continues to be an issue. The top line didn't have a true right win this past season, and only David Clarkson provided consistent scoring from the position. Players like Dainius Zubrus can bring the body, but have reached their ceiling in terms of scoring.

New Jersey won't have a chance at Neil Yakupov, the consensus top pick in the draft. Most experts are picking Swedish right wing Sebastian Collberg, the third-ranked European skater, to make his way off the board in the middle of the opening round.

The most likely choice for New Jersey, barring any trades, will be Tom Wilson, a right wing from Plymouth of the Ontario Hockey League. A 6-foot-4, 203-pound right wing, Wilson is a physical player, earning the "Best Body Checker" award this season. He's not afraid of physical play, and will go to the front of the net. Some project him to become a second-line winger.

Wilson, though, comes with his fair share of negatives. The biggest may be his injury history. This season, he missed time with a sprained MCL and a broken knuckle, limiting him to just 49 games. Last season, he appeared in just 28 games after severing a tendon in his wrist.

New Jersey needs to start building depth in front, and Wilson may be the first piece in that process.

2012 NHL Draft: Rangers, Devils, Islanders Selection Order