2012 NHL Mock Draft: Updated Round 2 Predictions

The first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft is in the books, but we are just getting started.

The storyline continues along the same lines as usual. Some picks are expected while there are other picks that made ears perk up, heads turn sideways and some brows furrow.

So now that the fun and glamour of the first round of the draft has come to an end, it's time to take what we've learned and see what the second round might look like.

31. Columbus Blues Jackets

Player: Colton Sissons

Junior Team: Kelowna Rockets

Sissons is one of the highest ranked prospects remaining in the draft and is one of the better leaders.

Sissons will make a good addition to the Jackets, especially from a mentality point of view. He's a team guy who will work hard for his team.

32. Edmonton Oilers

Player: Ville Pokka

Junior Team: Karpat - Finland

Edmonton has to start addressing defense at some point.  Pokka is a good sized, stay-at-home defender.

33. Montreal Canadiens

Player: Nikolai Prokhorkin

Junior Team: CSKA 2 - Russia

Continuing to build size up front, the Canadiens should like Prokhorkin's size and scoring touch.

Last two seasons he's produced 40 points in 46 games and 26 points in 15 games played for CSKA 2. He's also no stranger to the physical portion of the game, logging 47 penalty minutes in just 15 games this past year.

34. New York Islanders

Player: Brandon Whitney

Junior Team: Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)

The Islanders are far from a sure thing in net, adding a young player into the system for the future will help.

Whitney is also one of the new breed of big goalies at 6'5" tall. He's got great potential to develop into one of the better goalies in the NHL.

35. Toronto Maples Leafs

Player: Mike Winther

Junior Team: Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

A young goal-scorer in the making, Toronto is still looking to upgrade their center position.

Winther may need another year or two to get stronger, but it's hard to argue with the incredible improvement in his production from year one (nine goals in 61 games) to the next (32 goals in 71 games).

When he's ready, Winther could be a force for the Leafs.

36. Anaheim Ducks

Player: Phillip Di Giuseppe

Junior Team: University of Michigan

Good sized forward with some talent. He could provide some more depth up front with the seemingly likely departure of Bobby Ryan.

37. Nashville Predators

Player: Matthew Finn

Junior Team: Guelph Storm

Top-rated defender left, Finn could provide a bit more depth for the Predators if Ryan Suter doesn't sign.

Finn is a good two-way defender that also can put up some points. He tallied 48 points in 61 games with Guelph this past season.

38. Carolina Hurricanes

Player: Ludvik Bystrom

Junior Team: Modo-JR (Sweden Jr)

Fresh off the trade of the NHL draft, the Hurricanes must look to strengthen their blue line; and what better way to strengthen it than with a 6'1", 208 pound swedish defender.

Bystrom is one of the top European players left and would be a good pick up for the Canes at this point.

39. Winnipeg Jets

Player: Martin Frk

Junior Team: Halifax Mooseheads

One of the biggest sliders in the draft to this point, Frk had a rough season filled with injuries. 

He still has a lot of scoring potential and talent that this Jets team could use.

40. Tampa Bay Lightning

Player: Dalton Thrower

Junior Team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Thrower is a point-producing defenseman that also has a bit of a mean streak.

With the 18 goals he got from the blue line this past season, he also logged 103 penalty minutes. Good pick for Tampa Bay.

41. Colorado Avalanche

Player: Tim Bozon

Junior Team: Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

Bozon just finished up his first season in the WHL and really isn't getting a lot of hype, but check out his numbers.

Bozon had 71 points in 71 games for the Blazers this year, 36 of them being goals.

The Avalanche need size and scoring on their wings, and Bozon gives them both. He could be another steal in the second round for the Avalanche.

42. Calgary Flames (From Buffalo)

Player: Daniil Zharkov

Junior Team: Belleville Bulls (OHL)

After going a bit off the board with their first pick, the Flames stay a bit more conventional here with a very solid pick.

Zharkov is a big winger that can produce points. He recovered well from a broken collarbone earlier in the year, and has strong offensive potential.

The Flames need more scoring depth and Zharkov is a good spot to start finding it.

43. Dallas Stars

Player: Scott Kosmachuk

Junior Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)

Trading away Mike Ribeiro means the Stars need some more help on the offensive side of things.

Kosmachuk is a big, gritty forward that can score and play a punishing game. His 30 goals and 110 penalty minutes show his ability to punish opponents in multiple ways.

44. Buffalo Sabres

Player: Nicolas Kerdiles

Junior Team: U.S. U-18 (USHL)

Kerdiles keeps with Buffalo's theme of adding size during this draft at 6'2", 201 lbs. 

Kerdiles also has offensive scoring ability, tallying 42 points in 51 games this past season.

45. Philadelphia Flyers

Player: Scott Laughton

Junior Team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Laughton would be a perfect fit with the Philadelphia Flyers. He's got offensive ability and plays with an edge.

101 penalty minutes with 53 points would seem like a pretty strong fit in Philadelphia.

He'll have to put on some weight though, as 177 pounds probably won't have him last too long playing a Flyer's style game in the NHL

46. Minnesota Wild

Player: Sebastian Collberg

Junior Team: Frolunda (Sweden)

Collberg is another big slider at this point in the draft but could be a great steal for the Wild.

He's not a big player but he's got a big offensive upside. He's helped not only his club team in Sweden, but he's been a great producer on the international scene helping earn medals for Sweden in the U-18 and Junior World Championships.

Collberg could be a great steal.

47. Carolina Hurricanes

Player: Michael Matheson

Junior Team: Dubuque (USHL)

Good sized two-way defender to help Carolina where they really need the most help.

Matheson scored 11 goals for Dubuque last season and also had 84 penalty minutes in 53 games.

48. Chicago Blackhawks

Player: Oscar Dansk

Junior Team: Brynas Jr. (Sweden-Jr)

Chicago has to bring in somebody to help their goaltending out.

Dansk has put up consistently good numbers in his junior career and should help Chicago get better in net.

It may not be for a couple of years, but something needs to happen to push Corey Crawford.

49. Detroit Red Wings

Player: Pontus Aberg

Junior Team: Djurgarden, JR (Sweden-JR)

Detroit has a history of getting unknown foreign players and developing them into great players in the league.

Aberg has a skill set and high potential but has had trouble over the past couple years keeping his numbers up.

However, just two seasons about Aberg put up 62 points in 38 games so the skill is there. Detroit could develop this guy into a future superstar.

50. Nashville Predators

Player: Lukas Sutter

Junior Team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Incredibly physical winger who provides his team with a lot of energy. Sutter can be a valuable member of the offense and an intimidating presence on the ice.

In the last two seasons, Sutter has accumulated 344 penalty minutes in 141 games. He'll get noticed.

51. Montreal Canadiens

Player: Sam Kurker

Junior Team: St. John's Prep. (High School-Mass.)

Kurker is a big body that can score. He does what every team wants its players to do, and that's make it hard for their team to play against.

52. Pittsburgh Penguins

Player: Andreas Athanasiou

Junior Team: London Knights (OHL)

Athanasiou has some fantastic skills with the puck and also fantastic speed. 

For a big-time offensive team like the Penguins, he could be a great fit.

53. Florida Panthers

Player: Patrick Sieloff

Junior Team: U.S. U-18 (USHL)

When in doubt, it's never a bad thing to give yourself more depth on defense. Especially with a guy who can play a rough and gritty game, like Sieloff.

54. Dallas Stars

Player: Chandler Stephenson

Junior Team: Regina Pats (WHL)

Big step forward with the Pats this year from a production stand point. Stephenson scored 15 more goals and a total of 23 more points from year one to year two.

55. San Jose Sharks

Player: Jarrod Maidens

Junior Team: Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Maidens is a versatile forward that can play on the wing and at center. 

With San Jose aging as they are, it's hard to tell exactly where they will need help in the future, so a versatile forward is a plus for them.

56. St. Louis Blues

Player: Cristoval Nieves

Junior Team: Kent School (High School-CT)

Nieves is a good sized center that really knows how to distribute the puck. In all of his statistic lines, his assists outnumber his goals so much that it looks like a defenseman's stat line.

Never a bad thing to have solid passers on your team.

57. Vancouver Canucks

Player: Trevor Carrick

Junior Team: Mississauga St. Michael's (OHL)

Vancouver needs to get bigger, and they can do that with Carrick. Carrick is 6'2" and 177 lbs, so he'll need a bit of time to grow into his body.

64 penalty minutes in 68 games. As he gets bigger, that number may go up as he learns to get meaner.

58. Phoenix Coyotes

Player: Tanner Richard

Junior Team: Guelph Storm (OHL)

A center that has great passing ability. Set-up men are so important to great teams and Richard could be a great compliment to guys like Radim Vrbata.

59. New York Rangers

Player: Brady Vail

Junior Team: Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Another player making solid leaps in his development with his junior team.

19 more goals and 42 more points are major improvements in his production. 

The Rangers will hope to continue to see Vail trend in the right direction as he gets closer to being NHL ready.

60. New Jersey Devils

Player: Jake Paterson

Junior Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

New Jersey needs some younger goalies in their system with their two primary goalies both at the end of their respective careers.

Paterson didn't have great numbers in Saginaw this year, but with another year or two of development could be prime to take Brodeur's place once he finally does hang up the pads.

61. Dallas Stars

Player: Gemel Smith

Junior Team: Owen Sound Attack (OHL)

Smith is the best offensive option available at this time and the Stars should like what he brings to the table.

He's another player who made a huge production jump during this past season, Smith upped his point production from 16 to 60.