2012 NHL Draft Prospects: Players Who Will Make Immediate Impacts as Rookies

Nail Yakupov is going to be an instant star for the Edmonton Oilers in 2012, but he's not the only young gun who will shine in his rookie season in the NHL.

We've seen over the years that NHL hockey is a game in which men as young as 18 have been able to dominate. Guys like Sidney Crosby have paved the way for the next generation of youngsters to be viewed as professionally viable from a young age. 

Here are the top three players drafted in the first round who will make immediate impacts for their teams as rookies next year.

Nail Yakupov, Drafted No. 1 Overall by the Edmonton Oilers

Yakupov is going to be a star in the NHL, barring major injury. He is an elite athlete and scorer who is as equally adept at dishing out assists as he is at making goals of his own.

He'll step in right away and make a huge impact in a positive way for the Oilers.

ESPN.com's Grant Sonier loves this pick, writing:

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Simply put, he's the best player available. His skill set and NHL upside are too great to pass on. And he's an elite character player. There's no give-up in him. He'll be contagious in that young group...I think we'll see Yakupov in the NHL next season, too.

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Goal scorers are invaluable in a game like hockey in which there aren't a ton of points scored from night to night. Yakupov's ability to light it up, combined with his ability to assist others, makes him a player to keep an eye on next year.

Ryan Murray, Drafted No. 2 Overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets

Murray, at the age of 18, is a mature player who has been a leader at every level on his way up to the NHL. The Blue Jackets desperately need a change in culture, and Murray is just the kind of player they need to get things turned around. 

He is a bit undersized as a defenseman, at 6'0" and 198 pounds, but Murray more than makes up for his lack of size with an uncanny ability to sense how the game flows from moment to moment.

He will help the Blue Jackets not only on the defensive side, but also as an offensive set-up man. 

ESPN's Grant Sonier says:

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As an 18-year-old, he will still have to go in and earn his spot on the roster and his ice time, but he should be up to the responsibility. His biggest challenge will be to defend against NHL players, a key component for any 6-foot defenseman.

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Murray will figure out a way to make it onto the ice and make a big impact for the Blue Jackets next year, and they will give him every opportunity to make it happen.

Mathew Dumba, Drafted No. 7 Overall by the Minnesota Wild

Dumba is another undersized defenseman who will make an immediate impact, despite his lack of size: 6'0" and 183 pounds.

Don't let his size fool you into thinking that Dumba can't lay some people out, though. Grant Sonier says:

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Dumba is a dynamic two-way defenseman who has already earned a reputation for thunderous open-ice hits...If he has any one flaw it's that he tries to do too much and it can get him in trouble. But as he matures he will make Minnesota fans go Wild.

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Dumba will make them go wild up north sooner rather than later, as his intense nature and excellent skills on the ice will cause him to be a force early on next season for Minnesota.

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