NHL Draft 2012: The Top 50 Prospects Who Will Be Studs

The excitement for the 2012 NHL draft is slowly starting to build, and it's time we begin to look at the players who will be the future of our favorite teams.

There is a lot of talent in this draft, including some players who are certain to be fantastic NHL players for a long time.

Let's look at the top 50 prospects in the 2012 draft class.

Nail Yakupov

Nail Yakupov is the top prospect of the 2012 draft class and has superstar written all over him. He is an offensive stud who has superior shooting talents, both in terms of power and accuracy, and he has great speed.

The Russian-born star will soon be a point-per-game talent in the NHL.

Mikhail Grigorenko

Mikhail Grigorenko is a big Russian forward who blends his size and offensive skill very well. He is a tremendous goal scorer and has shown point-per-game ability in the QMJHL this season.

Grigorenko is a top prospect that many would consider taking No. 1 overall.

Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray is a very good defenseman who can play well in his own zone, but he also can come into the attacking zone and help on the power play.

He has battled injuries this season with the Everett Silvertips, but he remains one of the top defensemen eligible in the 2012 NHL draft.

Henrik Samuelsson

Henrik Samuelsson is a raw talent, but the young Swedish forward also has the offensive skills to be a very good player someday.

He also has good strength and uses it to his advantage when on the ice. His dad is former NHL player Ulf Samuelsson.

Jacob Trouba

Jacob Trouba is one of the better defensive-minded defensemen in the 2012 draft class, and he uses his toughness and positioning to be very effective in his own zone.

He doesn't have too much ability in the attacking zone, but at 17 years old, there's plenty of time to work on any of his weaknesses.

Griffin Reinhart

Griffin Reinhart is yet another defenseman with great talents in this year's draft class. He possesses a good shot and also has solid passing skills, which makes him a threat on the power play.

His overall game still needs polishing, but he has the ability to become a real star.

Zemgus Girgensons

Zemgus Girgensons has a ton of offensive potential and is a tremendous goal scorer who can put the puck in the back of the net on a consistent basis.

He will play at the University of Vermont in 2012, but he's certainly an offensive talent worth taking in the top 15 picks.

Morgan Rielly

Morgan Rielly is one of the best offensive defensemen in this year's draft class and really has great puck-moving skills both in the attacking zone and while bringing the puck up the ice.

His shot from the point is also quite good, and he will be a highly coveted prospect for teams needing an offensive boost on the blue line.

Tanner Pearson

Tanner Pearson is a very good forward prospect who has scored 67 points this season for the Barrie Colts through 32 games after scoring just 42 all of last season.

The Canadian is a smart player and also has a tremendous shot that is both accurate and powerful.

Brendan Gaunce

Brendan Gaunce is an all-around center who does a bit of everything for the Belleville Bulls of the OHL. Gaunce is a good two-way player who excels well in his own zone, and he has the potential to be a very good goal scorer.

His overall skill set is tremendous.

Jordan Schmaltz

Jordan Schmaltz will play for the University of North Dakota next season and is a solid defenseman who uses his toughness and poise to excel in his own zone.

He's a raw talent, but he's someone with great potential as an NHL defenseman.

Olli Maatta

Olli Maatta is a Finnish defenseman who plays very well defensively but also excels on the power play because of his playmaking ability.

He moves the puck very well and with some more development, he could become an excellent two-way defenseman.

Martin Frk

Martin Frk is a very good offensive player who can score goals and serve as a playmaker to set up teammates with quality scoring chances.

A bout with a concussion has taken some of the hype off of him, but despite the injury, he is a top prospect to watch as the draft approaches.

Sebastian Collberg

Sebastian Collberg is a Swedish forward who is dangerous in the attacking zone with his accurate and powerful wrist shot.

His greatest talent is his speed, which makes him very difficult to defend anywhere on the ice. His potential is amazing, and he could be a top offensive player in a few years.

However, his defensive skills need work.

Cody Ceci

Cody Ceci has played very well for the Ottawa 67's this season and has shown to be capable of giving them a point-per-game defenseman.

Ceci still needs to work on his defensive skills, but he has a lot of potential to be a solid two-way defenseman very soon.

Luca Ciampini

Luca Ciampini is a goal-scoring power forward who has unbelievable offensive talent. His upside is extremely high, and with some more polish to his game, especially defensively, he could become a top player.

His combination of size and skill makes him a prospect to watch as the draft approaches.

Slater Koekkoek

Slater Koekkoek is one of the better defensive defensemen in his draft class, and he shows the awareness and toughness needed to dominate in his own zone.

For teams looking for a potential shutdown NHL defenseman, Koekkoek is a prospect that must be scouted.

Malcolm Subban

Malcolm Subban is one of the top goaltending prospects in a draft class with few first-round talents between the pipes.

Subban has excelled with the Belleville Bulls this season and has shown the composure and skills to lead scouts to believe he can be a good NHL player at some point in his career.

His brother, P.K. Subban, is a star defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens.

Derrick Pouliot

Derrick Pouliot is a strong defenseman who excels in his own end and shows tremendous composure and poise for such a young player.

He also skates very well, and his offensive skills could really improve with more experience.

Nick Ebert

Nick Ebert is one of the best two-way defensemen in this draft class, and he really excels in his own zone with his toughness and checking ability.

He still needs to work a bit on his offensive skills, but he is one of the better defensemen available in this class.

Andy Iles

Andy Iles has done well for Cornell this season and is certainly going to be a goalie that NHL clubs look to scout in the coming months, although he likely won't be a first-round pick.

He has a lot of potential and has played well in the limited time he's performed for Team USA.

Austin Czarnik

Austin Czarnik has become a rising star at forward on team USA, and he has the shooting and skating ability to be a strong NHL player someday.

He's still young and needs to work on his defensive skills more, but there's no doubt he has the potential to be a complete forward.

Erik Thorell

Erik Thorell is a well-known defenseman in Sweden and shows the poise and maturity rare of someone his age.

His skills in the defensive zone are very good, and he also shows signs of becoming a quality offensive player. This kid has a ton of potential and is a prospect to watch as the NHL draft nears.

Radek Faksa

Radek Faksa is a quality center prospect who not only brings a physical presence to the ice, but he is a very good playmaker that sets up teammates with fabulous scoring opportunities as well.

He is a rising prospect and at his current pace, he should move into the middle half of the first round.

Ludvig Bystrom

Ludvig Bystrom is an exceptional defensive prospect from Sweden who combines good, all-around skills with a high level of hockey intelligence.

Bystrom is someone to monitor as the draft approaches because he is really improving as a player and is exciting to watch.

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Matt Finn

Matt Finn is a really good defenseman whose play doesn't suffer despite the large amounts of minutes he logs on a nightly basis.

He also has the offensive talents to become a very good two-way defenseman at the NHL level someday.

Thomas Wilson

Taylor Wilson is a physical winger who would bring great size and strength to any NHL organization. He also can play center if asked.

Wilson is a good offensive player but doesn't seem to be capable of being a top goal scorer someday. His all-around ability, however, is quite impressive, and he has very good defensive skills.

Matt Dumba

Matt Dumba is a big, physical defenseman who plays very well in his own zone and also checks opposing players with great strength.

He doesn't have tremendous offensive talents, but those skills do show signs of improving. His potential is very high, and it's up to him to show the work ethic to reach it.

Filip Forsberg

Filip Forsberg is a fabulous playmaker who not only provides offense for himself, he also sets up his teammates with glorious scoring opportunities.

The Swedish forward is a tremendous offensive talent and has a ton of potential. He has played in Sweden this season, but he will surely be a first-round pick at this year's draft.

Phil Di Guiseppe

Phil Di Guiseppe is a solid offensive player and combines his tremendous scoring ability with exceptional skating. He also has a high hockey intelligence, and he's improving at a good pace with the University of Michigan.

Pontus Aberg

Pontus Aberg has all the offensive talent you want in a young player, but his lack of size and toughness makes him a liability in the defensive zone.

He does have a ton of scoring ability, and he can be a good playmaker as well. With a bit of defensive teaching, Aberg could become a top player.

Scott Laughton

Scott Laughton is a very good center and plays the game with a physical edge that makes him very effective in his own zone.

His offensive skills are underrated, but he has the potential to be a solid two-way forward at the NHL level.

Alex Galchenyuk

Alex Galchenyuk has all the offensive talents you want in a player: he scores, passes well and has good speed up the ice.

Unfortunately, he is recovering from a knee injury, but passing on him because of that would be a foolish move. This kid is going to be an offensive stud in the NHL someday.

Colton Sissons

Colton Sissons is a good all-around forward who excels at both ends of the ice and is a tremendous leader at such a young age.

With underrated scoring abilities and a high hockey intelligence, expect him to be a highly talked-about talent come draft day.

Tomas Hertl

Tomas Hertl has excelled on the international stage for the Czech Republic and has shown great improvement in his game over the past year.

The young forward is a very good playmaker and also has underrated scoring abilities. He could very well sneak into the first round of this year's NHL draft.

Jarrod Maidens

Jarrod Maidens is a very good center prospect with a powerful and accurate shot, which allows him to be a goal-scoring threat nearly every night. He also has a lot of size and toughness, and he uses them to be solid defensively in his own end.

Charles Hudon

Charles Hudon is one of the better offensive talents in this draft class, and he has the shooting and skating ability that teams look for in top 15 picks.

His speed is also very good, and he shows signs of being a tremendous playmaker. He is the complete offensive package.

Brian Hart

Brian Hart is a raw 17-year-old talent from Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He is a great leader and goal scorer.

He also uses his strength and hockey intelligence to excel in his own zone. Hart has amazing potential and will be a very good NHL player someday.

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Matia Marcantuoni

Matia Marcantuoni's leadership and great offensive talent makes him a potential NHL All-Star and someone who will be a very good pro player for years.

He can score, set up teammates with good goal-scoring opportunities and play very well defensively in his own zone.

Matthew Campagna

Matthew Campagna is a great playmaking talent who passes very well and has fantastic offensive awareness.

His goal-scoring ability is also impressive, as well as his hockey smarts. To really climb up the first round in the draft, his defensive abilities must improve.

Eric Locke

Eric Locke is a speedy forward prospect who is a good playmaker with underrated scoring skills. At 5'9", he is a bit undersized, but it doesn't affect his ability to impact games in a big way.

Jared Rutledge

Jared Rutledge has great poise between the pipes and does very well to control rebounds on hard shots. He also shows great composure and hardly ever gets rattled, even in high-pressure moments.

Rutledge has the tools to be a very good goaltender with some more development.

Photo taken from here.

Nicolas Kerdiles

Nicolas Kerdiles is a very good forward prospect who can score goals and has very good speed, which allows him to beat defenseman 1-on-1 when he uses his solid puck-handling skills.

He's only 18 years old, but he has the potential to be a gifted offensive player.

Stefan Matteau

Stefan Matteau is a good forward who has played very well at the international level for Team USA.

He is a good scorer and is not a liability in his own end. He's a raw talent, but Matteau has all the tools to become a solid hockey player.

Gianluca Curcuruto

Gianluca Curcuruto is a good defenseman who excels offensively with his passing skills and solid skating ability.

He is one of many strong defensemen in this draft class who have good toughness and high hockey intelligence.

Teuvo Teräväinen

Teuvo Teräväinen has all the makings of a true sniper. He combines his great shot with tremendous speed, making him a highly skilled winger who has amazing potential.

The Finnish forward doesn't have a lot of defensive ability, but his offensive talent is too good to ignore.

Troy Bourke

Troy Bourke is an intelligent forward who skates really well in all three zones. He can set up teammates with scoring opportunities and put the puck in the back of the net himself.

His stock could really rise in the coming months, so watch out for Bourke as the draft gets closer.

Adam Pelech

Adam Pelech is a good offensive defenseman who moves the puck well and can serve as a power-play quarterback with his good passing.

His size and offensive ability makes him an interesting prospect to watch as the draft nears.

Connor Carrick

Connor Carrick is a fabulous defensive prospect who excels at both ends of the ice and can dominate games when he's playing well.

His intelligence on the ice and awareness in all three zones makes him a tremendous talent that will be coveted at the 2012 NHL draft.

Carrick could become one of the better offensive defensemen in the NHL someday.