Rounds 2-7 will be shown live on the NHL Network on Saturday beginning at 10 AM.
The Edmonton Oilers won the draft lottery, moving up from the second spot, and now hold the first overall pick for the third consecutive year, something that has not happened since the Quebec Nordiques picked first in 1988 (Mats Sundin), 1989 (Owen Nolan) and 1990 (their memorable soap opera selection of Eric Lindros).
In 2010 the Oilers made left winger Taylor Hall the first selection and followed that up by making center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the opening choice in 2011.
Taylor Hall
For 2012, many experts anticipate Russian right winger Nail Yakupov, who played his junior hockey in Canada for the Sarnia Sting, to be the first overall choice. Some do raise concerns when it comes to taking Russian players so early in the draft these days, including the possibility they will be lured away by teams in the KHL, which does not appear to be the case with Yakupov owing to his playing in Canada already. In Edmonton's case, they have taken a number of forwards early in the draft, raising the possibility they will instead select Canadian defenseman Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips with the top pick.
This year's talent pool is said to lack the can't miss, elite level players along the lines of a John Tavares, Steven Stamkos or Sidney Crosby, who were considered the clear number one choices during their draft years, so once Edmonton makes their selection, it's anyone's guess as to how the rest of the opening round will progress.
John Tavares and friends
Holding the second pick is the Columbus Blue Jackets, followed in order by the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets, with the Tampa Bay Lightning rounding out the scheduled top ten picks, which could all change once any trading begins.
While all eyes will be focused on Yakupov to open the draft, it was last year's #2 selection, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche who emerged as the Calder Trophy winner at the 2012 NHL Awards show on Wednesday. Previous winners of Rookie of the Year honors have included Jeff Skinner (#7 in 2010), Tyler Myers (#12 in 2008), Steve Mason (#69 in 2006) and you have to go back to Patrick Kane to find the last #1 overall pick who won the Rookie of the Year.
Patrick Kane, #1 0verall in 2007
Highlights of last year's draft in St. Paul, Minnesota included the selection of Nugent-Hopkins first overall, the choice of Landeskog second and the appearance en masse of the fans from Winnipeg, who were thrilled to learn their franchise would once again be called the Jets as the team picked Mark Scheifele with the seventh overall pick.
The home fans in Minnesota where pleased with Jonas Brodin was taken 10th, and thrilled with the Minnesota Wild dealt defenseman Brent Burns to the San Jose Sharks, along with a 2012 second round pick, for forward Devin Setoguchi, the rights to 2010 first round pick Charlie Coyle and the #28 pick, which they used to select Zack Phillips of the Saint John Sea Dogs. Minnesota later made the locals happy with their second round pick of Mario Lucia, the first Minnesotan taken in the draft, who just happened to be the son of Don Lucia, the coach of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Jonas Brodin
Perhaps the fans in attendance in Pittsburgh will have a chance to enjoy the same excitement this year, as Pittsburgh natives John Gibson (39th) and Brandon Saad (43rd) were both taken in the second round last year, as well as Vincent Trocheck (64th) going in the third.
On the jersey front, the draft is also frequently the first public airing of several new jerseys, as was the case last season with Nugent-Hopkins kicking off last year's draft by wearing the Oilers new, white road jersey, #3 pick Jonathan Huberdeau donning the Florida Panthers new red home jersey, Christopher Gibson debuting the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings new, white road jersey, Magnus Heilberg wearing the Nashville Predators newly redesigned white jersey and Vladislav Namestnikov putting on the Tampa Bay Lightning's new blue road jersey. While the Winnipeg Jets name was announced, the arrival of their jerseys would have to wait, as Scheifele was given a generic, black NHL crested jersey at the 2011 draft.
Christopher Gibson in the Kings new road jersey
Today's featured jersey is a 2011-12 Colorado Avalanche Gabriel Landeskog jersey as worn by the second overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, who went on to be named the winner of the 2012 Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year.
The Avalanche first introduced this blue alternate in 2009, opting to make their secondary blue trim color the main color for this jersey, rather than the burgundy of their previous alternate used from 2001-2007.
Today's video section begins with Nugent-Hopkins being taken 1st overall last year.
Here is fan reaction to Columbus losing this year's "Fail for Nail" Draft Lottery.
Finally, a profile of expected #1 pick Yakupov.
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