NHL Draft: Positional Report Cards for Each NHL Club Heading into the Draft

It's now time for NHL teams to examine the depth on their rosters and figure out which positions are strengths and which ones are weaknesses.

To address any weaknesses, general managers will use the draft and free agency to bolster their club. Let's look at grades for each position on every team ahead of the 2012 NHL draft.

Anaheim Ducks

C: The Ducks have good center depth with Ryan Getzlaf and Saku Koivu leading the top two lines. B+

LW: This is a position of need for the Ducks since Bobby Ryan is the only star left winger on the roster. Upcoming free agent Jason Blake will probably need to be replaced as well. C+

RW: Corey Perry and George Parros headline the right wing depth, but if veteran Teemu Selanne retires, Anaheim will need more scoring on the right side. B

D: The Ducks have some good talent on the blueline when healthy, but adding another physical defenseman for the second or third pairing wouldn't hurt. B

G: Jonas Hiller is still a quality NHL goaltender and will bounce back next season if healthy. B

Boston Bruins

C: The Bruins are stacked at center with Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Chris Kelly all able to excel at both ends of the ice. A-

LW: Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand are two solid top-six left wingers, but finding an upgrade over Benoit Pouliot for the third-line LW will need to be done. B

RW: If Nathan Horton is healthy, the Bruins have strong depth at right wing with Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley adding speed and scoring to the lineup. B+

D: Elite prospect Dougie Hamilton could join the best defensive group in the NHL next year, one that includes Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. A

G: The loss of Tim Thomas will hurt, but Tuukka Rask and young Anton Khudobin will be a solid tandem in net. B+

Buffalo Sabres

C: Derek Roy must play better next season for the Sabres to be more productive at center. The team will also expect Cody Hodgson to take another step in his development as he enters his first full season in Buffalo. B-

LW: Thomas Vanek, Tyler Ennis and Nathan Gerbe make up one of the best left wing groups in the NHL. A-

RW: Captain Jason Pominville and Drew Stafford are the stars of a talented right wing group that could lose Brad Boyes in free agency. B

D: Tyler Myers and Christian Ehrhoff help make up a very good defensive corps that is one of the best in the NHL unless hit with injuries, like it was last season. B+

G: Ryan Miller is one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL. A-

Calgary Flames

C: Failing to re-sign Olli Jokinen would create a lot of problems at center for the Flames. B-

LW: Veterans Alex Tanguay and Mike Cammalleri lead an impressive group of left wings in Calgary. B

RW: The Flames need to add more depth on the right wing, where Jarome Iginla is the only reliable offensive player. C

D: The blueline is a big area of concern for the Flames. Jay Bouwmeester is their most talented player but is certainly overpaid. C

G: Miikka Kiprusoff is one of the four best goalies in hockey, but he doesn't have a reliable backup. A-

Carolina Hurricanes

C: Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner give the Hurricanes two franchise centers any team would love to have. B+

LW: Tuomo Ruutu headlines an average group of left wingers. C

RW: Right wing is certainly a position that the Hurricanes must improve in the draft and in free agency. C-

D: Re-signing Bryan Allen would really help the Hurricanes build some impressive depth on defense. B-

G: Cam Ward is still one of the best goaltenders in hockey. B+

Chicago Blackhawks

C: Jonathan Toews, Dave Bolland and Brendan Morrison give the Blackhawks good depth down the middle. B+

LW: Patrick Sharp, Viktor Stalberg, Andrew Shaw and Brandon Saad make the Blackhawks very strong at left wing. B+

RW: Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa are two of the best RWs in the NHL, but the Blackhawks could upgrade their third and fourth lines with right wing improvements. A-

D: The talent of the Blackhawks defense really drops off after reading the top pairing of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. B

G: Corey Crawford and Ray Emery make up one of the worst goalie tandems in hockey. C-

Columbus Blue Jackets

C: Derick Brassard leads a very weak group of centers in Columbus. D+

LW: R.J. Umberger is the only quality left winger on the Blue Jackets. D

RW: If Rick Nash is traded this offseason, the Blue Jackets must strengthen the right wing position. C-

D: Jack Johnson and James Wisniewski make up an improving defensive corps in Columbus. B

G: Goaltending is a major area of weakness that must be addressed for the 2012-13 season. F

Colorado Avalanche

C: Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly are three of the best young centers in hockey. A

LW: Other than top rookie Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche don't have much talent at left wing. B-

RW: David Jones, Steve Downie and Milan Hejduk make up a deep right wing position for Colorado. B+

D: The Avalanche have solid defensive depth, but lack a legitimate No. 1 defenseman. B

G: Semyon Varlamov is a talented goalie but not one that can lead a team to a Stanley Cup title. B-

Dallas Stars

C: The Stars will need to draft a center this year or find one in free agency to make the playoffs in the 2012-13 season. B-

LW: Jamie Benn must be re-signed to help the Stars maintain their impressive talent at the left wing position. A

RW: Michael Ryder is the only right winger that the Stats can depend on offensively. C+

D: Adding an elite defenseman would be a major upgrade for the Stars ahead of next season. B-

G: Kari Lehtonen is one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL. B+

Detroit Red Wings

C: Pavel Datsyuk leads an impressive group of Red Wings centers. A-

LW: Henrik Zetterberg is as reliable as they come at the left wing position. B+

RW: The Red Wings will need to make some upgrades to the right wing position before next season. B

D: The loss of Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart will hurt the Red Wings tremendously if they are not adequately replaced. B

G: Jimmy Howard is one of the best young goaltenders in hockey. A-

Edmonton Oilers

C: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner are two fantastic young centers that the Oilers will want to build around going forward. A-

LW: If Taylor Hall is healthy, the Oilers' strength at left wing will be solid. B-

RW: Jordan Eberle and Ales Hemsky will give the Oilers some impressive scoring at right wing. B+

D: The blueline is still a major issue for the Oilers as they continue to build through the draft. C-

G: Devan Dubnyk is an underrated goalie and will have his breakout season next year. B-

Florida Panthers

C: Stephen Weiss is a quality center, but the Panthers need to add more depth down the middle in the offseason. B

LW: Tomas Fleischmann leads a deep group of left wingers on the Panthers. B+

RW: Kris Versteeg is the only reliable right winger on the Panthers who can be a goal score consistently. B-

D: Brian Campbell is a good No. 1 defenseman for Florida, but they still need another physical presence on the blueline. B

G: Top prospect Jacob Markstrom will give the Panthers a real strength between the pipes. B

Los Angeles Kings

C: Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Jarret Stoll were three key players in the Kings' 2012 Stanley Cup run. A

LW: Dustin Penner may leave in free agency, but Dwight King is a good young left winger going forward. B

RW: Dustin Brown and top prospect Tyler Toffoli will give the Kings talent and depth at the right wing position. B+

D: A No. 1 defenseman in Drew Doughty and good depth throughout its blueline is a real strength for Los Angeles. B+

G: Jonathan Quick is arguably the best goalie in the NHL, and Jonathan Bernier is one of the league's best backups. A+

Minnesota Wild

C: Mikko Koivu cannot be the only reliable center on the Wild if they want to make the playoffs. B-

LW: Dany Heatley is the Wild's only reliable scorer on the left wing. B

RW: Devin Setoguchi headlines a right wing group that needs to be upgraded. B-

D: Adding a No. 1 defenseman should be a top priority for the Wild in free agency. C+

G: Niklas Backstrom can lead the Wild to the playoffs if he is consistently healthy next season. B

Montreal Canadiens

C: Tomas Plekanec is the Canadiens' only quality center on their top two lines. B-

LW: Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole help make up a good group of left wingers in Montreal. B+

RW: The right wing position will need some major re-tooling in the summer. C

D: Re-signing PK Subban is a top priority for the Canadiens because their talent on defense is not what it needs to be. B-

G: Carey Price is one of the best goaltenders in hockey. A-

Nashville Predators

C: Mike Fisher leads an unimpressive group of centers on the Predators depth chart. C+

LW: Martin Erat is a good player, but the Predators need much more firepower on the left wing to make a deep playoff run next season. B-

RW: Upcoming free agents will lead to changes at the right wing position for the Predators. C

D: Nashville must keep Shea Weber and Ryan Suter long-term, but as its roster stands now, it has one of the best defensive groups in hockey. A

G: Pekka Rinne is one of the best goalies in the NHL. A

New Jersey Devils

C: Adam Henrique proved to be one of the best young centers in hockey during the regular season and playoffs. B

LW: Ilya Kovalchuk and Patrik Elias give the Devils some reliable scoring at the left wing position. A-

RW: Losing Zach Parise through free agency would give the Devils some major issues at the right wing position. B

D: Adam Larsson looks like a star in the making for a group of Devils defensemen that proved in the playoffs that they are talented when healthy. B

G: The playoffs proved that Martin Brodeur can still play at a high level. B+

New York Islanders

C: The Islanders need to add some center depth because John Tavares cannot be the only reliable playmaker down the middle next season. B

LW: Matt Moulson and Josh Bailey give the Islanders a scoring punch at the left wing position. B

RW: Right wing is the deepest on the Islanders, and it's full of young talent and offensive skill. A-

D: Until the Islanders improve the talent of their blueline, they will continue to watch the NHL playoffs from their living room couch. C

G: Evgeni Nabokov is a solid goalie, but will he be with the team long-term? B

New York Rangers

C: Brad Richards, Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle all play their roles well for the Rangers. A-

LW: Young forwards Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider will be fixtures at left wing for a long time with the Rangers. B+

RW: Captain Ryan Callahan and Marian Gaborik headline a very deep group of right wingers in New York. A

D: Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto help make up a defense group that is young and super talented. A+

G: Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Biron were one of the best goalie tandems in hockey this season. A

Ottawa Senators

C: Kyle Turris and Jason Spezza give the Senators two fantastic centers for their top two lines. B+

LW: Milan Michalek leads a group of talented young right forwards in Ottawa. B

RW: If Daniel Alfredsson retires, then the Senators will need to make major changes at right wing. C+

D: Erik Karlsson leads an impressive defensive group that combines youth and experience. B+

G: Craig Anderson and Ben Bishop give the Senators tremendous depth between the pipes. B+

Philaelphia Flyers

C: Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier are two of the best young centers in hockey. Giroux is arguably one of the five best players in the game. A+

LW: Scott Harnell and James Van Riemsdyk headline an impressive group of left wingers on the Flyers. B+

RW: Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and Jaromir Jagr give the Flyers amazing depth and skill at right wing. A+

D: The blueline is an area of concern, and the Flyers have the futures of several free-agent defensemen to address this summer. B-

G: The Flyers need to improve their goaltending, but Ilya Bryzgalov's massive contract makes that hard to do. C

Phoenix Coyotes

C: Daymond Langkow is one of the few top-tier centers on the Coyotes roster. C+

LW: If Ray Whitney re-signs and Mikkel Boedker continues to develop, the left wing position will improve next season in Phoenix. B+

RW: The depth and talent at right wing will depend on captain Shane Doan's decision to retire or not. B

D: Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle help make up a defensive group that is young and ultra talented, especially offensively. A

G: Mike Smith proved in the playoffs that he's a legitimate No. 1 goaltender on a contending team. B+

Pittsburgh Penguins

C: No team has more depth and talent at center than the Penguins with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal all having No. 1 center talent. A+

LW: James Neal's breakout season was a needed boost for the Penguins at the left wing position. B

RW: Right wing is a position that must be upgraded in the offseason for the Penguins to have playoff success. C+

D: Kris Letang is a good player, but the Penguins don't have the cap space needed to make necessary changes on defense. B-

G: Marc-Andre Fleury and newly-signed backup Tomas Vokoun are a fantastic goaltending tandem. A-

San Jose Sharks

C: Joe Thornton and Logan Couture are two of the best centers in hockey. B+

LW: Patrick Marleau's playoff struggles may force the Sharks to re-tool the left wing position in the summer. B

RW: Joe Pavelski and Martin Havlat are three good right wingers that the Sharks should keep for next season. B+

D: Dan Boyle and Brent Burns will once again lead the Sharks defensive corps into next season. B

G: Antti Niemi might not be the answer in goal for the Sharks, but there's no one else in the organization that could fill his role. C+

St. Louis Blues

C: T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund are two talented young centers that the Blues can build around for a long time. B+

LW: The defensive talents and physical strength of the Blues' left wing is impressive. B

RW: David Backes and restricted free agent Chris Stewart are two fantastic defensive players who give the Blues great strength at right wing. A-

D: The Blues are stacked with young defensemen that have star potential. It's the greatest strength of their roster. A+

G: Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott are one of the best goalie tandems in hockey. B+

Tampa Bay Lightning

C: Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier give the Lightning amazing offensive ability at the center position. Stamkos will be a Hart Trophy candidate for many years to come. A-

LW: The Lightning need to get younger on the left wing over the summer. C+

RW: Tampa Bay also needs to add more goal scoring to the right wing position in the offseason because veteran Martin St. Louis cannot be an elite player for much longer. B-

D: The Lightning have great young blueliner in Victor Hedman, but must continue to build their blueline with young talent through the draft. B

G: Since it's not likely that the Lightning will bring back veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson, important decisions will have to be made by the team regarding their goaltending situation in the summer.  D-

Toronto Maple Leafs

C: Addressing the team's problems at the center position will need to be done through the draft, or in free agency. C+

LW: Joffrey Lupul's impressive season has strengthened the Leafs' offensive talent at the left wing position. However, adding a veteran left winger would be a smart move in the summer. B-

RW: Phil Kessel headlines a good group of talented young right wingers that will only get better over the next few years. B

D: Leafs fans need to be patient with young defensemen such as Jake Gardiner and Luke Schenn. B

G: James Reimer will likely have one more season to prove he can be a No. 1 goaltender if he stays healthy. C-

Vancouver Canucks

C: The Canucks' center depth is quite strong with superstars Ryan Kesler and Henrik Sedin leading the top two lines. A-

LW: Daniel Sedin is one of the league's best left wingers, and with a full season in Vancouver under his belt, David Booth could really improve his offensive output next year. B+

RW: The Canucks will expect Zack Kassian to be one of their better right wingers next season. Alex Burrows also needs to play better next season. B

D: The Canucks have a number of talented veteran defensemen, but they lack a young star on the blueline. B-

G: Cory Schneider is someone that the Canucks can depend on during the playoffs going forward. He has yet to reach his potential as a starting goaltender at the NHL level. A-

Washington Capitals

C: The Capitals have some great depth at center, which includes young playmakers Nicklas Bacstrom and Marcus Johansson. B+

LW: Losing Alexander Semin would be a big loss for the Capitals, but they have bigger issues to work on this summer. B

RW: The Capitals need to add more depth at right wing, or they won't get to the conference finals next season. C+

D: The Capitals' ability to re-sign John Carlson, Mike Green and Dennis Wideman will determine their success next season. B+

G: Braden Holtby will give the Capitals a reliable presence between the pipes, which is something that has held them back for years. B+

Winnipeg Jets

C: Mark Scheifele will be a No. 1 center for the Jets in the near future and a big part of their offense next season. B

LW: Andrew Ladd gives the Jets a leader as captain, while Evander Kane gives the club an improving goal scorer that has superstar potential. B+

RW: Blake Wheeler had an impressive season, but the Jets need to add some more depth to the right wing position in the summer. B-

D: Dustin Byfuglien and Zach Bogosian are two good defensemen, but the Jets need to add a legitimate No. 1 defenseman to really contend for a championship. B

G: Ondrej Pavelec is a talented goalie who can lead the Jets to the playoffs if the team makes improvements. B-