NHL Draft 2012: First-Rounders Who Will Become Faces of the Franchise

The terms promise and potential get thrown around excessively when analyzing the NHL draft.  Whoever is able to harness that elite skill on a professional level will become the face of their franchise.

The draft is very much full of prospects that don’t see professional ice for a few years, but there are a select few that get called up early and make significant contributions to their teams. 

Whether it takes five years or merely this October, these are the few draft selections who will become top talents for their respective squads.

Montreal Canadians: Alex Galchenyuk

You can never have too many playmakers in the NHL, and Galchenyuk is one of the best in this 2012 draft pool. The young center has a knack for the net, scoring 31 goals in 63 games of OHL play. The winningest franchise in NHL history certainly found a pure scorer.

The knock on the Montreal forward, though, is his durability. Previous to being selected in the draft, Galchenyuk was recovering from an ACL injury that took him out of the entire OHL season.

Nevertheless, he was able to come back for the playoffs, scoring four points in a six-game span. That’s why this centerman will be a future star; he knows how to score and he learned to bounce back from adversity at 18 years old. 

 Columbus Blue Jackets: Ryan Murray

In the NHL, rebuilding starts with defense. Ryan Murray will become the focal point of a Columbus defense that needs all the help it can get.

Murray is regarded as the top defenseman in his draft class, and he will immediately be amongst the best talent in the Blue Jacket locker room. He has also been commended for his strong leadership ability at such a young age. Sounds like a future franchise leader that will take charge on a young team.

Boston Bruins: Malcolm Subban 

The Bruins had a need in goal bigger than King Kong, so they snagged Subban in the middle of the first round, a solid value. He has only been playing the position for six years, so the Boston organization will need to develop him slowly so he can get used to NHL speed. If handled correctly, Boston could have a future star goalie on their hands. He has great post-to-post speed and has been compared to Marc Andre-Fleury.

Tim Thomas doesn’t seem like he’ll have a Martin Brodeur-like extended career after a disappointing 2011-2012 campaign. Subban will be the eventual replacement for the former Vezina winner.