2012 NHL Draft Selections' Strong Beginning to the 2012-13 Season

With the exception of three second round picks (Nic Kerdiles---Anaheim, # 36 overall; Brian
Hart--Tampa Bay, #53 overall; and Jordan Martinook--Phoenix, # 58 overall), all of the 2012
first and second round selections have seen action early in the 2012-13 season. Had there not
been an NHL lockout, several of these players would be skating for NHL teams, but, at this time,

of the 60 players selected in the first two rounds, 31 are currently playing in the CHL, 14 on
college teams, 9 are in Europe, and 6 are skating for AHL teams.

Several players in each of the CHL, Europe, the NCAA and AHL have quickly jumped out of the
gate. Of particular interest are the players mentioned below. All stats include games through the
October 22, 2012.

Does playing for a championship-calibre team increase a player’s stock heading into the NHL draft?  It may not be the only reason for a jump in rankings, but it would seem to be a contributing factor. 

The deeper your team goes in the playoffs, the more exposure you get – more scouts, more TV coverage and more opportunities to make an impression. 

Among teams that either won or reached the final of their respective leagues, there were a dozen players that were drafted at least one round sooner than projected.

Here’s a look at 6 of those players.  They all enter the upcoming season hoping to prove that drafting them earlier than expected was a good decision.