Prospect Tuesdays: A Dive for Top Five Primer

With the Wild continuing to do their best in the Dive For Top Five, and Dan off in sunny Cancun, Mexico, we answer the calls of the Wild fans clamoring for information on who is available with a top five draft pick. While we look in depth into potential draft picks after the season ends, we figured a preview wouldn't be out of the question. Dan has left us with a bit of knowledge to work with.

We added some raw data on the kids to give you a feel for who they are, and where they play.

The thinking of the General Manager always seems to be to draft the best available player, regardless of need. If that is the case, the Wild will almost certainly wind up drafting a defenseman. From the sounds of things, this is a defense heavy draft, which can be good and scary.

What will we be saying in six years? Will we be pining for a player that was available in the top five? Or glad the Wild didn't pick up a couple extra wins so they could snag one of the players listed below?

We'll have to wait and see.

FROM DAN:

The Minnesota Wild are now in the position of discussing a top 5 draft potential to perhaps becoming a Wild prospect. Sad. Remember that time we were 1st in the NHL?
So who is available in the top 5 of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft?

Forsberg is a complicated prospect. He is a safe prospect, yet raw. Let me explain:
He has all the tools to become a star. He has great size, very good skating, and an extremely good two way game. He can power his way into the offensive zone, give deliver solid checks, and is reliable in all three zones of the ice. He just has no glaring weaknesses.
He has tons of invaluable playing experience for a youngster like him. While not contributing offensively for gold medal winner Sweden during the WjCs many were hoping from the potential top five pick, he played decent minutes and did not look out of place.
At worst, he can develop into a solid bottom six player. The concern comes from whether he can take the tools he has been gifted with and put them together to become a star powerforward.

And the best thing for his chances? He was born in Rochester, Minnesota. Yeah. He just became the favorite of everyone. Got it.