2012 NHL Draft Order: Lottery Odds and Pick-by-Pick Projections

Who will be the first player to have to pose awkwardly for the camera as the first overall pick?

We won't know until June. However, we can speculate until then.

This year's draft is filled with a few solid forwards, a plethora of defenseman and a few other intriguing prospects. Nail Yakupov has been the top prospect for quite some time, so it is likely he will go first overall. But who will get the first overall pick? Will it be the Columbus Blue Jackets? Would they consider trading it away? 

It's going to be an interesting draft, with a few big name players also likely to move on draft day (see Rick Nash, etc), so look forward to it.

In the meantime, here are the predictions for the first 14 picks in the 2012 NHL entry draft:

1. Columbus Blue Jackets

With a 48.2 percent chance of getting the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft, it's likely the Columbus Blue Jackets will select Nail Yakupov.

Yakupov is the consensus No. 1 pick in this year's draft after showcasing his skills at the World Junior Hockey Championship with Russia.

Yakupov (5'11", 189 lbs) also finished this year with 69 points in 42 games with the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting.

He's the best forward in the draft and after Columbus trades superstar Rick Nash away in the offseason, they will be looking for some offensive talent to fill Nash's void.

2. Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have an 18.8 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick, so that puts them in second place.

Regardless of if they get the No. 1 pick or not, the Oilers are in need of a solid young defenseman. And this year's draft is full of them.

The Oilers should take Mathew Dumba, who played this season down the road from Edmonton with the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels.

Dumba, 5'11", 183 lbs, is a hard-hitting blueliner with offensive talent (57 points in 69 games).

It makes sense for Edmonton to take the highly-touted d-man who is ranked second on the NHL's final scouting ranks, but there's also the option of trading the pick.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly, Griffin Reinhart, Matt Finn, Cody Ceci and Ryan Murray are all prospects in the Top 10, so if Edmonton decided to trade their top three pick, they could still select one of these solid prospects early in the first round.

They would get something for a top pick, but they will also have the ability to draft a good defenseman.

3. Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have a 14.2 percent chance of getting the first overall pick.

If they get it, they will take Yakupov. But if they select third overall, where they are slotted to pick right now according to the odds, they should take Swedish left winger Filip Forsberg.

At 6'2", 181 lbs, Forsberg would add some size to a smallish Montreal lineup. But where he will make a difference, is in his offensive play, something the Canadiens desperately need.

The Canadiens are set on defense, so taking a forward is mandatory. However, their true need is at the centre position, so don't be surprised if the Habs take a centreman by the name of Mikhail Grigorenko or Alex Galchenyuk.

4. New York Islanders

The New York Islanders have a 10.7 percent chance of getting the first overall pick.

Their needs lie on the blueline, and this is a perfect draft year for it.

The Islanders will likely take the second defenseman overall, after the Oilers, but they will still have a lot of selection.

The Islanders should take Ryan Murray, who is a solid shutdown defenseman in the Western Hockey League. He is a leader and can go against other team's top lines, and that's exactly what the Islanders need.

At 6'0", 205 lbs, Murray would be a solid fit on the Islanders' blueline.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

With an 8.1 percent chance of getting the first overall pick, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the last team with a chance of selecting first overall.

Regardless if they get a higher pick or not, the Maple Leafs will be looking to select a scoring forward, and they will definitely have the opportunity to do so.

The Leafs would likely take Alex Galchenyuk if he is still around. The talented centreman would be a good fit in Toronto if he can recover after missing almost the entire year this year with a knee injury.

The Leafs taking a forward this year is all we know for sure.

6. Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks don't have a chance of getting the first overall pick, but they are slotted to pick sixth overall right now.

Anaheim has a solid group of forwards with the likes of Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. However, aside from these three stars, the Ducks have little depth scoring, so that's a concern.

But this year's pool of defensemen might be too good for the Ducks to pass up.

The Ducks will likely select defenseman Morgan Rielly if he is still around.

Reilly, 6'0", 190 lbs, played this season with the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, but a knee injury forced him to miss most of the season, so there are injury questions.

If healthy, Rielly has an offensive upside, and though he will be no Chris Pronger on the Ducks blueline, he will be a defeseman who can rush the puck end-to-end, which will help their depth scoring and their blueline concerns.

7. Minnesota Wild

With the seventh overall pick, the Minnesota Wild should select a defenseman.

There will still be plenty of solid blueline prospects available, and the Wild will likely take Griffin Reinhart.

The 6'4", 202 lbs defenseman will provide size to a Minnesota blueline. He was plus-23 this year with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, and he also racked up 36 points in 58 games.

Reinhart would be a good fit on a Wild team with a rich pool of prospects already.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

With the eighth overall pick, the Carolina Hurricanes will likely be looking for a forward to compliment stars Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner.

If Mikhail Grigorenko is still around, the Hurricanes would more than love to take him. He would be a great fit on the top two lines in Carolina.

At 6'3", 200 lbs, Grigorenko is a centreman with the whole package. But he has dropped in draft rankings due to his lack of desire. Sometimes he takes a shift off and coasts, so a few teams are afraid of that. He has been compared to Viktor Kozlov for his scoring talent, size and inconsistency.

So if the Habs don't take him third overall, the Hurricanes would definitely take a chance on him and see what the young Russian has to offer.

9. Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets will likely select ninth overall, and with this year's pool of defensive talent, the Jets will select a defenseman.

Jacob Trouba is a name that might look good on the back of a Jets jersey. At 6'2", 193 lbs, Trouba would be a welcome addition on a very thin Winnipeg blueline.

Trouba played in the United States' Under-18 program and has shown signs of brilliance. He is an all-around good defenseman and could be exactly what the Jets are looking for.

10. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lighting and general manager Steve Yzerman are heading into this year's draft in hopes the team can turn it around right away and make the playoffs next year.

Already having the NHL's leading goal scorer in Steven Stamkos, the Lightning will likely select a defenseman to solidify their defensive depth.

A prospect like Cody Ceci would be a welcome addition in Tampa Bay.

Whoever the pick, with the 10th overall pick, the Lightning will likely wait a few years and develop the prospect before he has a full-time spot on the roster. Yzerman is smart with the development of players, and he certainly won't rush this player either.

11. Washington Capitals (via Colorado Avalanche)

Having acquired Colorado's first-round pick in the trade that sent Semyon Varlamov to Colorado, the Washington Capitals are going to be picking in the Top 14.

Will they take the first goalie in the draft? They certainly don't have one right now. Injuries to Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth have resulted in the Capitals having to start Braden Holtby in net for their first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

Goaltending has been questionable for quite some time in Washington, so look for them to select goalie Malcolm Subban, the younger brother of P.K. Subban.

But if the Capitals want to gamble a little bit, they could select a solid defenseman like Derrick Pouilot.

12. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres hold the 12th overall pick and will likely select a defenseman to help out their blueline.

A solid defenseman like Matt Finn (6'0", 195 lbs) would look good in a Sabres uniform. Finn is playing this year with the Guelph Storm in the OHL and has 46 points in 58 games.

However, if the Sabres think their blueline is sufficient with Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff and Jordan Leopold then a power forward would also help out.

Players like Radek Faksa or Brendan Gaunce would fit what the Buffalo Sabres need as well.

13. Dallas Stars

With the 13th overall pick, the Dallas Stars will want to select Czech winger Radek Faksa.

The 6'3", 200-pound prospect is physical and can definitely be a solid NHL power forward. Scouts say he has great hockey sense but lacks explosiveness in his skating.

If the Stars were to select Faksa, he could play alongside Steve Ott and make up a great power line for the Stars.

14. Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are in a tough position with the 14th overall pick.

Do they select a goalie? Do they select power forward? Do they select a goal scorer? Maybe even a defenseman.

They need all of those players.

The Flames are going to need to rebuild their entire team, trade away some of their veterans and draft smartly if they want to reach the playoffs in the next few years. And it starts with this pick.

The Flames should select Zemgus Girgensons, who is poised to be the first-ever Latvian player selected in the first round. He has played in the United States since he was 15, so the adjustment to the North American game is something the Flames won't need to worry about.

Girgensons is a power forward, capable of playing on the top two lines. He is tough and can play a two-way game, but he will take a couple more years to develop before he has any impact on the Flames roster.

The Playoff Teams

The remaining teams who will select in the first round of the 2012 draft are battling for the Stanley Cup.

These teams are focused on their playoff run, and then when they get knocked out, they will be able to focus on the draft.

There are many solid prospects available in the first 30 picks so regardless of when a team has their first pick, they are going to get a solid prospect if they draft smartly.

There can only be one winner of the Stanley Cup in a given year, but there can be plenty of winners in the entry draft.

Follow Taylor Shire on Twitter: @TaylorShire