It’s difficult enough to project players to be taken in the first round of an NHL Draft, so it gets really dicey when that’s extended to the second round and beyond. But the Bruins will have to wait until the 57th overall pick before taking a player next weekend at the NHL draft in Dallas after shipping their first-round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for Rick Nash at the trade deadline. 

So the B's will have to rely on their scouting legwork and research they’ve put into their group of targeted prospects once their pick comes up at the end of the second round. But the second round has been pretty good to the Bruins as of late: Brandon Carlo, Ryan Donato, and Ryan Spooner were all second round picks that have turned into NHL regulars after being selected by the B’s over the last 10 years.

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Still, the last regular NHL player to be developed after being the 57th overall pick in the draft was William Carrier, who was drafted by St. Louis in the second round of the 2013 draft before later developing into an energy player for the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights. Here are a few players to give you an idea of what the Bruins will be looking at as draft possibilities when they step to the podium to make their second-round pick next weekend in Dallas. . .

Oskar Back – center (Farjestads): The 6-foot-2, 192-pound center has the size and tools that you look for in a frontline center and posted 10 goals and 32 points in 38 games for his Swedish junior team this past season. The Bruins already have a wave of young center prospects in Trent Frederic, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, and Jack Studnicka, but you can never have too much depth or quality down the middle of your lineup. Back didn’t score in a 14-game audition in the Swedish Elite League last season, but just the fact that he was there for that many games says something about his game and the high ceiling for his hockey talent. His overall performance doesn’t scream out anything dynamic offensively, but the reports indicate he’s smart, strong along the boards and makes his teammates better when he’s out on the ice. He’d be a pretty safe pick at the 57th spot, but given his size/strength and the intangibles in his game, it certainly sounds like there’s some serious NHL potential there even if he doesn’t turn out to be a top-6 center. Why the Bruins would select Back: They certainly value prospects coming out of Sweden and he checks off many boxes at the point that the Bruins will be selecting at the very end of the second round. Why the Bruins wouldn’t select Back: He sounds like another potential third line center in an organization where they’ve already got a couple of those guys in Trent Frederic and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson.   

Aidan Dudas – center/right wing (Owen Sound): The 5-foot-7, 165-pound Dudas is the kind of player that seems to be finding a lot of success at the NHL level these days. He’s extremely undersized, but he’s also fast, creative and highly productive offensively. The Bruins have already passed on a couple of these type players in the draft having bypassed both Alex DeBrincat and Kailer Yamamoto in recent years, and perhaps they’ll make up for that by zeroing in on Dudas. The right-shooting center-wing finished his draft season with 31 goals and 65 points in 68 games for the Owen Sound Attack, and really elevated his draft stock this year after a quiet rookie season in the OHL. The fact he also busted out for a pair of goals and three points in the CHL Top Prospects Game against the best and brightest of his peers also showed that size and strength levels will play beyond junior hockey. His blistering shot and release are probably his most NHL-ready attributes and certainly could carry him a long way. Why the Bruins would select Dudas: You can never have enough speed and skill, and Dudas has both of those things in large amounts even if he doesn’t have the prototypical size to go along with it. Plus the kid is from Parry Sound, and things worked out pretty well for the Bruins the last time they took the best player from that area. Why the Bruins wouldn’t select Dudas: They’ve passed on smaller skill players like DeBrincat and Yamamoto before, so they certainly could do it again as they’re already size and strength-challenged a bit on the wing. 

Kevin Bahl – defenseman (Ottawa): The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Bahl is one of the biggest players in this year’s draft and has consistently been a winner and among the best shutdown D-men of his age group throughout his amateur hockey career. Bahl is intimidating at his size and strength level, using his stick very well for a younger player and also skates pretty smoothly despite his massive frame. He hasn’t shown much offense at all to this point in his career and may be a fairly one-dimensional shutdown defenseman at the NHL level. Still, there is room for those kinds of players at Bahl’s size. The one thing that seems to be an issue for Bahl at this point in his career is his willingness to throw his weight around and play a more physical game. That’s something he’s going to need to do if he’s going to consistently play at the NHL level without much offensive skill. For the Bruins, it’s certainly a good value pick if you can get an accomplished, mammoth shutdown D-man at the end of the second round. Why the Bruins would select Bahl: With Zdeno Chara turning 42 years old this upcoming season, the idea of drafting a huge, left-shot shutdown defenseman is pretty sound logic. Bahl has been a winner throughout his career as well, and the Bruins value those kinds of players. Why the Bruins wouldn’t select Bahl: They already have Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon and Urho Vaakanainen in the system, and may not want to use their top selection in this draft on another left shot D-man. We’ll see.   

Justin Almeida – center (Moose Jaw): The 5-foot-10, 163-pound Almeida didn’t look like he was going to be much of a high-end draft prospect headed into this season, and then he absolutely exploded for the Moose Jaw Warriors this year. Almeida used his speed and high-end scoring ability to rack up 43 goals and 98 points in 72 games this season before piling up another six goals and 13 points in 14 playoff games for Moose Jaw. He’s obviously a bit of a project given his current size and he’s only got the one dominant season on his resume after being a bit of an underachiever earlier in his junior career, but it’s hard to ignore the kind of production and dominance he showed as a center/left wing this season in the WHL. Why the Bruins would select Almeida: The skills are there and if he’d done a bit more consistently, he’d probably be talked about as a possible first-round selection even though he’s already 19 years old. Why the Bruins wouldn’t select Almeida: He was a bit of an underachiever prior to his one excellent season, so it’s difficult to gauge what exactly he’s going to be at the next level where he projected as a bottom-6 prospect prior to this season. 

Stanislav Demin – defenseman (Wenatchee): The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Demin was extremely productive in the BCHL with nine goals and 45 points in 57 games for the Wenatchee Wild. The California native is the highest-rated prospect coming out of the BCHL and had a strong playoff as well for the Wild. He’s committed to the University of Denver in the fall and could be a good, long-range defenseman prospect that the Bruins could let develop at the college ranks for a bit. The size and skill level is good as is the skating game for a solid D-man that’s only real question is going to be the competition level he faced in the BCHL. Why the Bruins would select Demin: He’s good value at the end of the second round as he looks and sounds like a prospect that could turn into a very useful and productive NHL player. Why the Bruins wouldn’t select Demin: They’ve taken a defenseman with their top pick in each of the last three drafts and might decide to go in a different direction this time around, though it shouldn’t really matter if he’s the best player available.  

Liam Foudy – center/left wing (London): The 6-foot, 161-pound Foudy was a player that really bumped up his profile in the second half of the OHL season after getting a bigger role with the London Knights. Foudy finished with 24 goals and 40 points in 65 games for the Knights and showed good skating ability to go along with a pretty good shot and solid offensive instincts. Clearly, Foudy is a player that needs to get stronger and a team will really have to project with the player they see in front of them right now. All that being said he could turn into a very good pick if he develops into a monster for the Knights next season as he gains strengths and matures while in a bigger role with the Knights. Why the Bruins would select Foudy: They could be getting in on the ground floor with an extremely talented player just as they did with the Jack Studnicka pick a year ago, and the second half of this past junior season could just be the tip of the iceberg. Why the Bruins won’t select Foudy: There will be more polished or finished prospects available to the Bruins when they select 57th overall, and they may not be looking to roll the dice with their top pick in the draft. Based on last year’s season in London, Foudy certainly seems to be on the right track.  

Jay O’Brien – center (Thayer Academy): You’ve got to have a local kid among the hopefuls for the Bruins, right? The Hingham native and Thayer Academy star dominated at the prep school level this season and has been developing right in the Bruins’ backyard under the watchful eye of Thayer head coach and former NHL standout Tony Amonte. The 6-foot, 174-pound O’Brien finished with 43 goals and a whopping 80 points in 30 games for Thayer, and has dipped his toes on other teams just to show he can play at those levels. O’Brien is committed to Providence College for next season and will be in a good spot playing for a Nate Leaman-led program that’s produced a number of Bruins players over the last few seasons. In a lot of ways, O’Brien is similar to Ryan Donato when he was drafted by the Bruins in the second round a few years back given his size and scoring abilities. So it wouldn’t be a shock if Boston calls his name should he still be available with the 57th overall pick. Why the Bruins would select O’Brien: He’s the best available local prospect, he’s going to a Hockey East school and he’s already got ties to the Bruins given a relationship he has with Ryan Donato. He makes a lot of sense. Why the Bruins wouldn’t select: There are always the questions about lack of competition from a prep player like O’Brien, but he’s clearly got the goods if he’s all lined up for Hockey East next season.  

The NHL scouting combine is well in the rear-view mirror, the 31 teams have held their scouting meetings and the draft boards have been drafted and re-drafted the past few weeks. So the teams have a pretty good idea of the player they’re targeting at their spot in the first round. But now is the time when trades and NHL roster moves begin to impact the draft as well.

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The Canadiens and Coyotes kicked things off on Friday night with a swap of Alex Galchenyuk and Max Domi. It might have been the first big deal to kick things off a week ahead of the draft, but it’s not going to be the last as first-round picks may get moved, teams may make an effort to get back into the first round if they’ve dealt their pick away and organizations are going to clear space for potential impact players at the top of the first round.

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It remains to be seen just how seismic the deals are over the next seven days, but hope springs eternal NHL teams looking to replenish their talent. Here’s the fourth and final edition of a mock draft for the players that will hear their names called beginning Friday night in Dallas: 

1. Buffalo Sabres – Rasmus Dahlin, defenseman (Frolunda, Sweden): The 6-foot-2, 183-pound Dahlin is the consensus first overall pick and something of a delayed reaction reward for the Sabres finally getting that top pick after spectacularly missing it when they tanked for Connor McDavid. Dahlin has size, skating, offense and the ability to play big-time minutes and should be a franchise D-man in Buffalo for the next 10-plus years. He should be able to step in and make an impact right away. Adding him to the mix they already have in Buffalo could start to make them a much better team rather quickly. Interestingly enough, Dahlin would be only the second Swedish player selected first overall after Mats Sundin went first to Quebec Nordiques back in 1989. Dahlin has the makings of being even more of an impact player than Sundin.  

2. Carolina Hurricanes – Andrei Svechnikov, right wing (Barrie Colts): The ultra-skilled Svechnikov has drawn comparisons to Ilya Kovalchuk in his time in the OHL, and has size, puck skills, scoring ability and pretty much everything you’d want from a blue-chip winger prospect. The 6-3, 187-pounder is projected to go as high as No. 2 to the Hurricanes given his pedigree and his production after popping in 40 goals in 44 games for Barrie last season. The Hurricanes could really use a franchise forward to go along with their stable of young defensemen. Carolina will have their choice of all the best wingers in the draft and it’s expected that Svechnikov will be the named called.

3. Montreal Canadiens – Brady Tkachuk, left wing (Boston University): The younger brother will beat older brother Matthew by getting selected three spots earlier in the draft and he could be in the Habs lineup rather quickly given his pro-style game of ruggedness and power along with excellent skating ability for a big body. Like his brother, he’s going to make an impact pretty quickly just based on how hard he plays. Tkachuk operates with the mean streak like Matthew and could really bring some attitude and swagger to the Habs, who nees both as they explore trading current left winger Max Pacioretty. Brady Tkachuk is the type that could step in quickly for Pacioretty and help provide the same kind of offense and physical presence along with a much bigger upside down the line. Clearly, the Habs could use a franchise center rather than a power forward winger like Tkachuk, but drafting based on need rather than talent is a sure way to make bad picks.

4.  Ottawa Senators – Noah Dobson, defenseman (Acadie-Bathurst): A 6-3, 187-pound prospect who is more of a complete, traditional, two-way D-man than some of the smaller and offensive-minded players Quinn Hughes, Adam Boqvist and Dahlin. Dobson is no slouch when it comes to puck-moving and creating offense either, even if he isn’t quite a playmaking catalyst-type player, but he’s also a physical, strong defender that will be able to play in every situation and should chew up minutes for the Senators. Dobson has also elevated his stock with the way he continued to play at a very high level through Acadie-Bathurst’s Memorial Cup run. There’s also the fact that the Senators are going to need a young, blue-chip defenseman if things don’t work out well with franchise guy Erik Karlsson and he ends up leaving Ottawa via trade or free agency. They may opt for one of the smaller, more explosive back-end players if it’s more of a Karlsson-type replacement, but Dobson is emerging as a potentially special player.   

5. Arizona Coyotes – Filip Zadina, left wing (Halifax Mooseheads): The 6-1, 190-pounder has the smarts, the big-game performances and the 200-foot game that teams are looking for to go along with the requisite offensive and production skills for players at the top of the draft. None of that is his best quality, however, as he has the hands and the shot of a natural goal-scorer with the “shoot the puck” mentality to go along with it. He could go to the Canadiens with the third pick as they decide between Zadina and high-ceiling college prospect Tkachuk, and whichever player is left will be there ready for the taking at the fifth slot. Like many other teams, the Coyotes could probably use a franchise center or two as well...but this simply isn’t going to be the draft where teams find their No. 1 center.

6.  Detroit Red Wings – Quinn Hughes, defenseman (University of Michigan): The 5-10, 174-pounder had an excellent freshman season at Michigan that included a key role on Team USA at the World Juniors, and would be a nice addition to a Detroit team that could use more youth and skill on their back end. The five goals and 29 points in 37 games for the Wolverines were certainly solid, especially for a freshman, but Hughes is not quite considered in the same category as either Boqvist or Dahlin when it comes to pure offensive skill. Still, Detroit could do a heck of a lot worse than picking a very good player from the Michigan with their lottery pick. It would feel good for the Red Wings to finally get one of the local collegiate players for their team after watching blue-chipper Zach Werenski get locked up by the Blue Jackets in the first round a couple of years ago.  

7.  Vancouver Canucks – Jesperi Kotkaniemi, center/wing (Liiga, Finland): The 6-2, 190-pound Kotkaniemi is a player that impressed in his first full season in the top pro league in Finland and also starred for Team Finland on their World Junior team as well. The big Finn has great vision and playmaking ability along with the versatility of playing center or wing and could check off a lot of boxes for an Oilers team that’s rumored to be thinking about moving Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The 10 goals and 29 points in 57 games for Liiga as a teenager were very impressive, and the sense with his game based on skill and strength is that it wouldn’t take him long to start making an impact in the NHL. Kotkaniemi   is a player whose stock is most definitely rising. 

8.  Chicago Blackhawks – Oliver Wahlstrom, right wing (US National Development Team): The 6-1, 205-pounder has been on the radar of many hockey fans since his days as a New England youth hockey player performing stunning one-on-one moves. Now, he’s set to be a top-10 pick and it looks like he’s also going to have a collegiate career at Boston College for as long as the Eagles program can keep the NHL scouts away. Wahlstrom has some breathtaking offensive ability with 48 goals and 94 points in 62 games for the US National Development Team, and has size, skating, shooting and considerable strength. He also brings a willingness to go the scoring areas that doesn’t always come quickly for young prospects. This is the kind of player who could quickly make an impact with the Blackhawks after a year of college seasoning at the Heights.

9. New York Rangers – Evan Bouchard, defenseman (London Knights): The 6-2, 192-pounder is exactly the kind of solid, bigger D-man that the Rangers should covet after unloading bigger, veteran D-men like Ryan McDonagh and Nick Holden at the trade deadline. The 25 goals and 87 points in 67 OHL games last season really speak to some high-end offensive potential that would be a welcomed addition to the Vancouver attack, and marked the first OHL D-man to crack the OHL’s overall top-10 in scoring since Ryan Ellis. Certainly Jeff Gorton and the Rangers could go for the best available center, but the bet here is that the Rangers opt to build things out from their back end. An added bonus in selecting Bouchard is that he appears to be one of the members of the 2018 draft class that’s pretty close to contributing at the NHL level.   

10. Edmonton Oilers – Adam Boqvist, defenseman (Brynas, Sweden): Boqvist is part of the new breed of smaller, faster and creative defensemen getting selected near the top of the first round who are expected to make a massive offensive impact quickly.The Oilers have some good young D-men in Darnell Nurse and Oskar Klefbom, but Boqvist is the kind of player who could really add a different element to a team that’s consciously looking to reshape its roster. He’s only 5-foot-11, 170 and may not be able to jump immediately to the NHL based simply on his size and strength, but NHL teams are clearly now paying close attention to back-end players who could wind up being the next Erik Karlsson-type impact D-man. Boqvist has a chance to be that kind of player. Who knows? It is interesting to note that the stock for Boqvist has fallen a little bit in the past few weeks.    

11.   New York Islanders – Barrett Hayton, center (Sault St. Marie Greyhounds): Barrett Hayton, center (Sault St. Marie Greyhounds): Hayton is the odds-on favorite to be the first center selected. It feels a little later than usual at the 11th overall spot. But the 6-1, 190-pound Hayton is a strong all-around performer who will make a strong candidate for all situations as a good two-way center with a playmaking instinct and great hockey sense. Clearly, the offense is there, too, with 23 goals and 60 points in 63 games, but it’s the overall package that makes him such an attractive candidate. Plus there’s definitely this: With the Isle perhaps looking at a huge void down the middle at center if John Tavares leaves in free agency, they are going to need some help. Center clearly might be a place where the Islanders want to shore up at this summer’s draft after Lou Lamoriello cleaned house earlier this month.  

12.   New York Islanders (from Calgary) – Ty Smith, defenseman (Spokane Chiefs): The 5-10, 175-pound Smith is another smaller, skilled defenseman who will be selected in the first round and showed some very good offensive instincts while posting three goals and 27 points on just the power play this season. Overall, Smith piled up 73 points in 69 games while displaying very strong offensive instincts on the first pass out of the zone, a really strong knack for creating offense on the power play and enough of everything else to be a catalyst NHL D-man. Even better for the Isles, Smith’s defense and overall game put him at a level where he might be closer to ready to contribute for New York.

13.   Dallas Stars – Joe Veleno, center (Drummondville Voltiguers): Joe Veleno, center (Drummondville Voltiguers): The 6-1, 193-pound center has flashed big-time speed and playmaking in his junior hockey career and would give the Stars another strong prospect down the middle with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn in the prime of their NHL careers. Veleno is a strong power-play guy and a 200-foot player who competes in all zones, so there isn’t a lot to dislike about his game particularly as a middle-of-the-first-round selection for a team already squarely on the bubble as a playoff team. Veleno really hit his stride after getting dealt from Saint John to Drummondville in the middle of the season. He certainly improved his draft standing with a strong finish to his season in the QMJHL as the 48 points in 33 games for Drummondville would attest.   

14. Philadelphia Flyers (from St. Louis) – Serron Noel, right wing (Oshawa Generals): The 6-5, 205-pound Noel is a prototypical power forward with size, strength and plenty of skill to finish plays around the net. The kind of player the Flyers will always gladly draft and develop. With Wayne Simmonds approaching 30 and possibly unrestricted free agency, they’re a team that’s always valued size and strength on the wing along with their skilled forwards. The 28 goals and 53 points certainly aren’t the kind of eye-popping arcade game numbers that some of the other lottery picks will have posted, but they are excellent when combined with his size and strength of all of those other wingers. If you miss out on Brady Tkachuk as a power forward, then Noel would make a pretty decent consolation prize. 

15.    Florida Panthers – Bode Wilde, defenseman (US National Development Team): Bode Wilde, defenseman (US National Development Team): Armed with one of the best hockey names in the draft, the 6-2, 196-pound Wilde has ideal size and skill set to match on the back end. Wilde is strong and durable with all of the key ingredients to be able to play big minutes in all situations, has an excellent first step to get into fast gear with his skating game and also boasts a big, booming shot to really check off all the boxes at defenseman. The Panthers made a nice step this season getting back into the playoffs, but they also showed that they still need help both up front and on the back end. Wilde would make a really nice acquisition in the middle of the first round for an organization that’s done a really good job of collecting talent the past handful of years.  

16.  Colorado Avalanche – Joel Farabee, left wing (US National Development Team): Farabee still has some filling out and strengthening to do at 6-foot, 168 pounds, but has the numbers and skills with 33 goals and 76 points in 62 games for the US Development team last season. Farabee’s game is built around speed and grittiness and the kind of leadership qualities that will make him an asset for any team down the line. Add in the quick release and the strong hockey IQ and he’s a player who brings a lot to the table for whichever team drafts him. Farabee sounds like the kind of player that could fit in with what the Islanders want to start building and brings something they don’t have on their NHL roster. Farabee is committed to play at BU next season, so this is the kind of pick that could be a bit of a slow play for Colorado while they allow him time to develop into a more finished NHL product.

17.   New Jersey Devils – Rasmus Kupari, center (Karpat, Finland): The 6-1, 183-pound Kupari has flashed elite shooting and passing skills for a center and clearly has something going while putting up a strong showing as a teenager in Finland’s top league. He could be a really sound pick for the Panthers given that it looks as if Kupari will need additional time in Finland to build strength and the defensive side of his game. New Jersey will be able to afford that period of development given the young talent they already possess up front, and that could pay off with a player who might have some of the best skills among the forwards in the draft. Certainly, the Devils should take some risks to add more skill to their organization after looking a little short on offense in their playoff series vs. Tampa Bay.

18.   Columbus Blue Jackets – Grigori Denisenko, left wing (Loko Yaroslavl, MHL): The 5-10, 165-pound Denisenko has some dazzling skills and high-end offensive ability and could really explode in the next couple of years as he gains more strength. The nine goals and 22 points in 30 games only hint at the overall offensive ability as a big-time winger and it may be a few years before he’s actually up to snuff in the NHL. So, there’s going to need to be a bit of patience from the Blue Jackets should they take him. Certainly, there need to be some significant gains in terms of size and strength. Still, there’s no doubting the talent is there for Columbus to roll the dice in the middle of the first round on a player that could be an impact forward offensively.     

19.   Philadelphia Flyers – Rasmus Sandin, defenseman (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds): The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Sandin certainly is another blue line player on the smaller side that’s going to get taken in the first round, but like many of those others he also has good skating wheels, a big and heavy shot and good instincts for the passing game. Sandin didn’t look like much of a defensive liability either while playing for the Soo either, so he could be a really nice pick-up in the second half of the first round for a Flyers team looking to stockpile D-man prospects behind young NHL-proven commodities in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov.

20.   Los Angeles Kings – Vitaly Kravstov, right wing (Chelyabinsk, KHL): Vitaly Kravstov, right wing (Chelyabinsk, KHL): The 6-2, 183-pound Kravstov really jumped up on scouts’ radars when he stepped up in the KHL playoffs with six goals and 11 points in 16 games after a mostly non-descript rookie season. The skating, hands and willingness to play around the net are all there for Kravstov, who might not be far off from an NHL look given the way he flashed in the KHL. Given the Russian forward’s all-around game, he would make a nice fit with a Kings outfit that’s always looking to get a little more explosive and offensively viable up front to go along with a pretty well-stocked roster.

21.   San Jose Sharks – Isac Lundestrom, center/left wing (Lulea, Sweden): The 6-foot, 185-pound Lundestrom is good value with the 21st pick for the Sharks given that some scouts think he’s the best center in the draft. Lundestrom, 18, held his own in the Swedish Elite League as and shows top-gear speed and offense-producing ability from the middle of the lineup that will only improve with time. On a team with an aging group up front that’s got plenty of size and strength, lightning-quick Lundestrom could be a very nice complement to a playoff-proven group. The challenge will come for Lundestrom on the defensive side and that’s what will likely keep him out of the NHL for a season or two.

22.   Ottawa Senators (from Pittsburgh) – Ryan Merkley, defenseman (Guelph Storm: The 5-11, 170-pound Ontario native has the offensive goods on the back end, and posted 13 goals and 67 points in 63 games for the Storm last season. The shot, the passing, skating and hockey tools are on point for a player who clearly has the skill to be selected higher than this based on talent alone. Still, he’s been a bit of a problem with suspensions, poor defense and on-ice frustration for in his brief junior career and doesn’t always exhibit the best body language on the ice when things aren’t going his way. Clearly he’s the kind of talent the Senators might just roll the dice on particularly in their situation they’re in where a roster blowup might be coming. And if it doesn’t work out, they’re just adding another potential problem child to an absolute dumpster fire. 

23.   Anaheim Ducks – K’Andre Miller, defenseman (US National Development Team): The converted forward is a big, hard-skating body that can finish off checks, move the puck and should provide the kind of young blood that the Ducks need on their back end after jettisoning a lot of their young prospects. Miller is headed to the University of Wisconsin next season, where he should continue developing his game, and definitely feels like the kind of big, physical D-man who could have a lot of success in the Pacific Division. For an Anaheim team that should be on the long road toward getting younger, faster and more explosive, Miller is a pretty good piece right in the middle of that mix.

24.   Minnesota Wild – Ryan McLeod, center/winger (Mississauga Steelheads): The 6-2, 192-pound McLeod is a fast and agile skater who also has good size and willingness to mix it up in all zones and showed plenty of playmaking ability with 26 goals and 70 points in 68 games for the Steelheads last season. The versatility of playing center or wing certainly can’t be overlooked in this day and age of the NHL as well. He’s got good hockey bloodlines as the younger brother of Devils first-round pick Michael McLeod and would give the Wild some good, young talent up front, where they are looking a little over-the-hill these days.    

25.   Toronto Maple Leafs – Mattias Samuelsson, defenseman (US National Development Team): The 6-4, 216-pound Samuelsson is the kind of big, two-way defenseman that the Leafs don’t have enough of right now. Samuelsson isn’t a greyhound D-man, obviously, but still posted 10 goals and 31 points in 58 games for the US Development team last season. Samuelsson is the son of Kjell Samuelsson, who was an outstanding defender in the NHL, and is much more mobile, creative and geared toward a possible top-pairing role than his old man. While it’s possible the Leafs could be shopping for an eventual power forward replacement for James van Riemsdyk as well, Samuelsson seems like much more of a sure bet in Toronto.  

26.   New York Rangers (from Boston) – Akil Thomas, center/wing (Niagara IceDogs): The 6-foot, 170-pound Thomas posted 22 goals and 81 points in 68 games for the IceDogs last season and has excellent skating and puck-handling skills to go along with a really dangerous shot from the face-off circle. The bottom line on this kid is that he’s a playmaker. For a Rangers team that needs a little bit of everything, Thomas could be an excellent pick based on his versatility, offensive upside and would make another excellent part of the haul that the Blueshirts received from the Bruins in exchange for trade deadline dud Rick Nash.

27.  Chicago Blackhawks (from Nashville) – Martin Kaut, right wing (Dynamo Pardubice, Czech): The 6-1, 174-pound winger has shown a good ability to finish plays and provide offense in his limited time in the Czech leagues, but was a point-per-game player (seven points in seven games) at the world junior tournament, where the radars are truly up for the NHL scouting staffs. Kaut is a player who really pushed up in the rankings later in the year and could rise even higher based on his standing along with other prospects. The good offensive abilities for Kaut should be a nice fit for a Blackhawks, who need to get younger, more skilled and more dangerous offensively as they support their established core group with an infusion of younger talent.

28.   New York Rangers (from Tampa Bay) – Benoit-Oliver Groulx, center/left wing (Halifax Mooseheads): The 6-1, 192-pound son of Syracuse Crunch coach Benoit Groulx, the younger Groulx posted 28 goals and 55 points for the Mooseheads in 68 games and was a strong in the playoffs. Groulx is an average skater who still needs improving in that area, but his ability to shoot the puck and score from the traditional areas is among the best in the draft. Groulx also pays attention to the defensive side, competes hard and consistently shows the kind of hockey IQ that one would associate with the son of a coach. As it is, he’s a good selection toward the end of the first round, but he could become a very good NHL player with more improvement in his skating.

29.   St. Louis Blues (from Winnipeg) – Dominik Bokk, right wing (Vaxjo, Sweden): The 6-1, 179-pound Bokk is German-born playing in Sweden and showed off his silky smooth hands and playmaking abilities with five points in five games for the Germans at the World Juniors. Bokk has been a very good player going through the Vaxjo system in Sweden and ended up playing 15 games at the elite level. Certainly, he’s got pretty good size and his overall offense is solid, but where he really excels is in the passing and playmaking game, where he could make a really nice impact with St. Louis down the line.

30. Detroit Red Wings (from Vegas) – Jacob Olofsson, center (Timra IK, Allsvenskan, Sweden): The 6-2, 192-pound Olofsson is a strong, two-way center out of the Swedish leagues who could provide the kind of excellent all-around center that the Red Wings could use to eventually replace Pavel Datsyuk. Olofsson has size, strength and speed to go along with the good offensive and solid defense. He's drawn favorable comparisons to Patrice Bergeron and Anze Kopitar. That’s some very solid company for a young prospect and would be a really fine get for the Wings at the very beginning of a long rebuilding process.

31.  Washington Capitals – Alexander Alexeyev, defenseman (Red Deer): The 6-3, 193-pound D-man had a strong season for the Rebels with seven goals and 37 points in 45 games and should fit right in with the Capitals culture as a top-flight Russian prospect. Certainly with John Carlson expected to potentially leave Washington for big dollars after winning the Cup this spring, the Capitals will be looking to reload and replenish their back-end prospects. Alexeyev projects to be a really strong two-way defenseman with an efficient style with the puck and one that doesn’t shy away from rolling up his sleeves and playing with some grit in the D-zone. That’s the right kind of player to take a flier on at the end of the first round. 

• MORE HAGGERTY - Hagg Bag: Offseason questions abound

The term (two years) and the money involved (a total of $2.8 million for a $1.4 million cap hit each of the next two seasons) from the Bruins are pretty much dead on for restricted free agent Matt Grzelcyk after a deal was announced late Friday afternoon. 

• MORE - B's reportedly in pursuit of high-scoring free agent

The timing, however, was a little interesting from the Bruins as Grzelcyk marks the first of a large group of free agents that B’s general manager Don Sweeney has to make decisions on ahead of the July 1 open of NHL free agency. One could surmise the Bruins wrapped up talks with the 24-year-old D-man to get some cost certainty for him ahead of next week’s NHL Draft weekend in Dallas, and that all might just factor into trade discussions next week. 

Clearly it’s good value for Grzelcyk after three goals and 15 points along with a solid plus-21 in 61 games for the Bruins last season while just scratching the surface of his efficient, smooth-skating puck-moving abilities. 

If the Bruins were to dangle Torey Krug, for instance, in trade discussions next week in Dallas amid greater efforts to bring a big, left shot D-man like Noah Hanifin or Oskar Klefbom back in return, they would already want to have Grzelcyk locked up ahead of any such hockey wheeling and dealing. The Bruins have a number of different avenues that could go down whether it’s attempting to dump big salaried contracts like David Krejci or David Backes, or flipping several blue-chip prospects/young players to get a young D-man like Hanifin. 

But the largest amount of trade interest they’re going to find for one of their higher-salaried players is for the 27-year-old Krug, who piled up 110 points over the last two NHL seasons in Boston. Krug is at the apex of his value around the league after amassing all those points over the last two seasons, and his QB skills on Boston’s top power-play unit have been a key part of the B’s special teams’ success story over the last few years. But the Bruins have a budding, young power play QB in Charlie McAvoy ready to take on more responsibility and pump up his own point production, and they have a younger, small left shot puck-moving D-man in Grzelcyk that brings some Krug-like qualities to the table minus some of the high-end offensive finish.

The big difference when it comes to Krug: He’s making in excess of $5 million per season while McAvoy and Grzelcyk are still low-cost young players. It’s pretty simple to do the math as to what makes the most logical sense for the Bruins from a salary cap perspective with a couple of young players set to get some salary raises after this coming hockey season.  

• MORE - Versatile Wingels could be vet B's stick with

There’s also the simple truth that the 5-foot-9, 186-pound D-man has wound up injured in each of the last two postseasons. A left side of Boston’s back end with a soon-to-be 42-year-old Zdeno Chara and smaller D-men in Krug and Grzelcyk isn’t sturdy enough or diversified enough to really be effective against the good teams deep in the playoffs, so it’s pretty clear that a change needs to be made for the Black and Gold. 

Could the two-year contract for Grzelcyk be the first domino to fall in a succession of moves in the next few weeks that leads to Krug getting moved to a team desperate for some power play punch like Carolina or Edmonton? It could be a coincidence that the Bruins took care of this deal ahead of next week’s NHL Draft, or more likely the Bruins are getting their ducks in a row in case they need to pull the trigger quickly on something they believe will end up making them a better, more well-rounded hockey club.