1. Eric Staal
Born: Oct. 29, 1984, Thunder Bay, Ontario
2002-03: Peterborough
Pos: C | Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 182 | Shoots: L
Central Scouting: No. 1 North American skater

Think of Ron Francis, but only a better skater.

"That covers him," said one GM.

Eric Staal was Mr. Everything for Peterborough this season. He has size, skill and speed, which is everything you want in a top-end talent. He's creative with the puck and fires crisp, sharp passes as well as anyone in junior.

"He is smart, he has loads of talent and is willing to compete, and he is real good around the net," said one NHL scout.

Added another: "He's not extremely quick off the mark, but he certainly has no trouble at all in the skating department."

It almost sounds too good, doesn't it?

But while size isn't an issue for some people, others point out Staal has been virtually the same size for three junior seasons. People wonder whether he'll stay at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds.

"I've been saying he has lacked strength for three years. That's my concern," said one scout.

There is the school of thought Staal will top out at 200 pounds or just above, which won't be a problem in the NHL.

YEAR      TEAM            LEA.   GP    G     A    Pts.   PIM
'99-00    Thunder Bay     Ban.   59    48    52   100    33
'00-01    Peterborough    OHL    63    19    30    49    23
'01-02    Peterborough    OHL    56    23    39    62    40
'02-03    Peterborough    OHL    66    39    59    98    36

2. Marc-Andre Fleury
Born: Nov. 28, 1984, Sorel, Quebec
2002-03: Cape Breton
Pos: G | Ht: 6-1½ | Wt: 172 | Catches: L
Central Scouting: No. 1 North American goalie

Goalies are a special breed, and there is absolutely no doubt Marc-Andre Fleury is a special goalie. He's the type of netminder who can elevate the emotions of his team with a prime-time save and can negate a defensive mistake in front of him.

"This guy is about as complete as a goalie can be," said one scout. "He does not have a weakness, and the only thing he does not have is the weight and who cares. He's almost 6-foot-2."

Some scouts think he's the best goalie to come out of the draft in a decade.

"I think he's the best player in the draft. He is so good, but the gap between Fleury and Staal is very slim," said one GM. "What is there not to like about him? And the thing that goes with him is his great character and his personality. He is so quick and fundamentally so good."

Fleury stole the spotlight at the WJC in Halifax. He made a difference for Canada because his loosy-goosy style serves him well in high-pressure situations. Unlike some goalies, Fleury doesn't insist on solitude before a game. He doesn't like to be too focused or serious.

YEAR      TEAM            LEA.     W-L-T      SV%    GAA
'00-01    Cape Breton    QMJHL    12-13-2    .886    4.05
'01-02    Cape Breton    QMJHL    26-14-8    .915    2.78
'02-03    Cape Breton    QMJHL    17-24-6    .910    3.36
          Canada         WJC       4-1-0     .957    1.28

3. Nathan Horton
Born: May 29, 1985, Dunnville, Ontario
2002-03: Oshawa
Pos: C | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 201 | Shoots: R
Central Scouting: No. 4 North American skater

There is a train of thought that says Nathan Horton could wind up being a better NHL player than Eric Staal if he shows more consistency to his game.

The book on Horton reads like this: smart player, above-average skater who competes very well, smart defensively and responsible in his own end. He has the makings of a budding power forward who can put up points and finish plays. But he could use his size better.

There were times this season when scouts wished they could see the Horton they saw in 2001-02. He played a hungrier game then.

"Consistency is a concern, but we heard the same thing about (Ilya) Kovalchuk and (Jason) Spezza," said one GM. "These guys sometimes get bored. But he turned it up in the playoffs when he had to."

Scouts still talk about the time Horton took a beating in a fight with Anthony Stewart of Kingston and how he wasn't the same player for about a month after.

"But he came back at the end of the season, and he had a couple of great playoff games."

YEAR      TEAM      LEA.   GP    G    A     Pts.  PIM
'00-01    Thorold   Jr. B  45    16    31    47    75
'01-02    Oshawa    OHL    64    31    36    67    84
'02-03    Oshawa    OHL    54    33    35    68    111

4. Nikolai Zherdev
Born: Nov. 5, 1984, Kiev, Ukraine
2002-03: Central Army
Pos: RW | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 186 | Shoots: R
Central Scouting: No. 1 European skater

He is often called the most explosive player in the draft.

Nikolai Zherdev has loads of offensive weapons, and when he is on his game, watch out. He reminds some scouts of Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk. He's the type of player people will come to watch and is a potential game-breaker.

Zherdev turned heads several times at the under-18 championship in Russia with his unbelievable skills.

"He scored a highlight goal. He went end to end against the Finns and just drilled a shot for a goal, after beating four guys," recalled one scout. "He has great speed, lateral moves and hands. He has a really good shot."

Like most offensive phenoms, Zherdev has a downside. He tends to hold on to the puck too long and struggles to utilize his linemates.

"He can be childish. He gets mad when he's hit and that worried guys," said another scout.

He was a non-factor at the WJC in Halifax, and scouts find that worrisome as well.

"Where was he then?" asked a scout.

YEAR      TEAM         LEA.     GP     G    A   Pts.    PIM
'00-01    Elemash      Rus.1    18     5    8     13     12
'01-02    Elemash      Rus.1    53    13   15     28     60
'02-03    Central Army Rus.     44    12   12     24     34
          Russia       WJC       6     0    1      1      2

5. Ryan Suter
Born: Jan. 21, 1985, Madison, Wis.
2002-03: U.S. national under-18 team
Pos: D | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 183 | Shoots: L
Central Scouting: No. 7 North American skater

If bloodlines mean anything, Ryan Suter has fantastic potential.

He is the nephew of former NHLer Gary Suter, who retired last fall after a distinguished 17-season career, and the son of former U.S. Olympian Bob Suter. Bob played on the "Miracle on Ice" squad that shocked the Russians on their way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics.

The younger Suter is fast and has plenty of skill. He plays with an edge and is a solid all-around package. He has good toughness and likes to compete. He can also play it mean.

"He is a winner," said a scout. "He is equally adept in the offensive or defensive zone, and his skating is great. He has a good transition game and shoots really well."

Suter had a good showing at the WJC in Halifax and followed that up with a solid showing at the world under-18 championship.

"He has good toughness, and it's just a matter of whether or not he will be able to follow it up. But he does have a mean streak in him, and I like that," said another scout.

YEAR    TEAM         LEA.    GP     G     A   Pts.   PIM
'00-01  Culver Acad. USHS    44    13    32    45    n/a
'01-02  USA          U17     27     4    10    14     28
'02-03  USA          U18     51     9    22    31    136
        USA          WJC      7     2     1     3      2

6. Milan Michalek
Born: Dec. 7, 1984, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Rep.
2002-03: Budejovice
Pos: LW | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 205 | Shoots: L
Central Scouting: No. 2 European skater

There was a brief spell this season when Milan Michalek was mentioned as a possible No. 1 overall pick. The offensive upside was good, and scouts were saying he could be another Martin Havlat.

While being slotted No. 6 might be interpreted as a decline in his worth, it really isn't. The gap between Michalek and the five prospects ahead of him is pretty slim.

Michalek is a good skater with excellent speed. His lateral movement and agility are strong, and he makes mature decisions.

His critics note he plays an outside game and his unwillingness to go to traffic areas on a regular basis is a sign he's not that competitive.

"Given his size, you'd think he'd be more physical," said one European scout.

Added a GM: "My Czech scouts wonder how smart he is. He is not very physical, and we just don't see desire and determination."

That's hogwash, according to those who would love to have a chance to draft him.

"He's a skilled playmaker and not a scorer. He's not a physical player, but I love the skill."

YEAR    TEAM          LEA.    GP    G     A   Pts.  PIM
'00-01  Budejovice    Jr.     30   10    13    23    30
'01-02  Budejovice    Cze.    47    6    11    17    12
'02-03  Budejovice    Cze.    46    3     5     8    14
        Czech Rep.    WJC      6    2     2     4     2

7. Braydon Coburn
Born: Feb. 27, 1985, Shaunavon, Sask.
2002-03: Portland
Pos: D | Ht: 6-5 | Wt: 210 | Shoots: L
Central Scouting: No. 5 North American skater

If you like size, a modicum of skill and someone who can provide 25 minutes of dependable hockey, then Braydon Coburn is your man.

He's the top-rated defenseman because he does a lot of things well and not many things poorly. He isn't the type of defenseman you notice because he doesn't do anything to catch your eye. But when you look at his minutes, or take note of who plays in key situations, guess who draws your attention?

"Very seldom does he make a boneheaded play," said one scout. "He has all the tools and the size and he can skate."

Coburn has the skills,­ speed, agility, lateral movement ­to be efficient at both ends. While he's not offensively gifted, he's not all thumbs.

One issue is whether he can play tough. And at his size, toughness would be a strong asset heading toward an NHL career.

"Will he be tough enough?" asked a scout. "Hey, there are a lot of upsides in this kid. He's just a kid, and he is a good solid player, a leader. He could be your main guy."

YEAR    TEAM        LEA.    GP    G    A    Pts.  PIM
'00-01  Notre Dame  Mid.    32    3   19    22     70
'01-02  Portland    WHL     68    4   33    37    100
'02-03  Portland    WHL     53    3   16    19    147
        Canada      WU18     7    0    0     0     12

8. Thomas Vanek
Born: Jan. 19, 1984, Graz, Austria
2002-03: University of Minnesota
Pos: LW | Ht: 6-2 | Wt: 208 | Shoots: R
Central Scouting: No. 3 North American skater

His detractors say Thomas Vanek is another Pavel Brendl (meaning he could flop as an NHLer despite his offensive attributes), while his supporters say he's another Jason Allison.

Vanek,­ who will end up being the highest Austrian ever drafted,­ scores big goals.

He netted the winner for Minnesota against New Hampshire in the Frozen Four championship. Two nights earlier, his overtime goal beat Michigan in the semifinal. A week earlier, he scored twice in the Western Regional final.

All in all, Vanek had a spectacular freshman season in which he ended with 62 points in 45 games.

"He has a reputation for not working hard, but he's fantastic around the net," one scout said. "If there's a big flurry around the net, the puck somehow lands on his stick."

A second scout recalled three games in which Vanek cranked it up in the last 10 minutes and created tangible offense. Vanek's downsides are his average skating and defensive shortcomings.

"He could drive a coach nuts," another coach said, "but he's worth it."

YEAR    TEAM         LEA.    GP     G    A   Pts.  PIM
'00-01  Sioux Falls  USHL    20    19   10    29    15
        Austria      WJC.2    5     5    6    11     2
'01-02  Sioux Falls  USHL    53    46   45    91    54
'02-03  Minnesota    WCHA    45    31   31    62    60

9. Ryan Getzlaf
Born: May 10, 1985, Regina, Sask.
2002-03: Calgary
Pos: C | Ht: 6-2½ | Wt: 195 | Shoots: R
Central Scouting: No. 5 North American skater

Hockey people like prospects who take the shortest,­ and that means most physical,­ route from A to B, and Ryan Getzlaf does it as well as any prospect.

Getzlaf goes to the net with reckless abandon, and if he has to topple someone over on the way, so be it. Now, if he just had the foot speed to augment his physical side.

"I give him good marks for being smart and for his competitiveness," said a scout. "But skating is an issue."

At almost 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Getzlaf will bulk up and likely play in the NHL at 210 pounds. Added strength bodes well for him and intimidates the opposition.

He has been compared to a poor man's Patrick Marleau. Others believe he's more in the Brad Isbister mold.

"He needs to get stronger," said a scout.

"I know one thing, I like him a lot," said an NHL GM. "You can work on his skating, but I like his drive and determination. He can play for me anytime."

Getzlaf is likely to be an NHL second liner.

YEAR    TEAM           LEA.   GP   G   A   Pts.  PIM
'00-01  Regina Rangers Ban.   41  33  41    74   189
'01-02  Calgary        WHL    63   9   9    18    34
'02-03  Calgary        WHL    70  29  39    68   121
        Canada         WU18    7   2   2     4    10

10. Zach Parise
Born: July 28, 1984, Faribault, Minn.
2002-03: University of North Dakota
Pos: C | Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 186 | Shoots: L
Central Scouting: No. 9 North American skater

The Parise name conjures up memories of a hard-nosed forward. Zach's dad, J.P. Parise, lasted 13 NHL seasons mainly because of his competitiveness.

Zach is more talented than the old man. He's creative with the puck and has a soft touch around the net. He enters the draft as the top offensive threat coming out of college. He put up a lot of points as a freshman, averaging almost 1.5 per game.

A superb playmaker who had 101 assists in his final high school season, the most obvious trait inherited from his father is determination.

Said one college scout: "He is a star. He can do it all. He can skate. He is strong, and I do not know what his knock is. He can do just about anything. He is a fantastic player. To me, he is magical. I think he is one of the best college players to come down the pipeline in years."

The knock is his size. Parise does not have a thick body yet, and time will tell whether he gets bigger and faster.

"I don't see size as an issue," said a scout. "His dad wasn't big. Zach's a competitor like his dad."

YEAR    TEAM         LEA.    GP    G    A   Pts.  PIM
'00-01  Shattuck     USHS    68   82   77   159    67
'01-02  Shattuck     USHS    63   73  101   174    64
'02-03  North Dakota WCHA    39   26   35    61    34
        USA          WJC      7    4    4     8     4

Material from The Hockey News.
To subscribe, visit The Hockey News web site at: http://www.thehockeynews.com