Scouting reports on Top 5 NHL Draft prospects

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We're less than 24 hours away from the NHL Draft lottery, which will determine the order of the first 15 spots.

For the first time since 2007, the Blackhawks find themselves interested in the results. Stan Bowman will be in Toronto representing the organization in hopes of the balls bouncing favorably.

To get prepared for it all, let's break down the Top 5 prospects going into the draft, which will be held on June 22-23 in Dallas:

1. Rasmus Dahlin, D; Frolunda, SHL

Fallin' for Dahlin. This is the consensus No. 1 overall pick, and the guy teams are praying to land.

The 6-foot-2, 183-pound defenseman is an elite offensive playmaker with the ability to play in a shutdown role, a combination that allows him to potentially change the direction of a franchise on the back end. The main concern is that he's only 18 years old, and it takes longer for defenders to adjust to the league than forwards.

Still, Dahlin is capable of jumping into the NHL right away and making an immediate impact while doing so.

2. Andrei Svechnikov, RW; Barrie Colts, OHL 

In NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, Svechnikov came in as the top North American player because of his ability to do special things on offense, whether it's scoring, stickhandling, protecting the puck, etc. To go along with that, he's one of the smoothest and fastest skaters in this draft, making him incredibly difficult to defend.

His defensive game is a work in progress, but his ability to score in multiple ways and create space for teammates makes him perhaps the top forward in this draft.

3. Filip Zadina, RW; Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL 

The Mooseheads have produced a handful of NHL studs over the years, including Jonathan Drouin, Nikolaj Ehlers, Nico Hischier and Nathan MacKinnon, just to name a few.

Zadina could find himself in that category, too. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Czech winger is a pure goal scorer and considered to be a sniper. He's not the greatest skater, but he's tough to knock off the puck when he gets it. And he has it a lot.

4. Brady Tkachuk, LW; Boston University, NCAA

Hockey runs in the Tkachuk family, and Brady's got big shoes to fill after his dad Keith had a Hall of Fame career and older brother Matthew is making a name for himself in Calgary.

Brady is a versatile forward capable of playing any kind of style, whether it's sticking his nose into dirty areas or playing more of an open game. His speed is probably his biggest area for improvement, but he makes up for that in many different areas.

Every team is looking for this type of player.

5. Evan Bouchard, D; London (OHL)

This draft class is loaded with high-end defensemen, and we'd consider Bouchard the second-best blue liner in this crop simply because his offensive ability is right up there with Dahlin. And that's what the NHL is about these days, impact players that can skate and create.

Bouchard was the OHL's top-scoring defenseman, compiling 87 points (25 goals, 62 assists) in 67 games for the London Knights. He's a quarterback on the power play and has a rocket for a shot. Think Brent Burns.

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