2010 NHL Draft Prospects: The FanHouse Top 35

The 2010 NHL Draft will take place June 25-26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Hundreds of players from all levels of hockey -- junior, international, college and high school -- will find themselves selected, another step in their dream of making it to the NHL.

This draft doesn't work quite like those in the NBA and NFL, where players are expected to make an immediate impact on their new teams. Instead, hockey teams are building for the future. There is a very small number of drafted players -- usually less than 10 -- who will see significant ice time in the NHL in the first year after they are drafted. The vast majority of them will stay in junior or college hockey for a season or two (or longer). NHL teams hold the rights to their drafted players for four years, so they will have until the summer of 2014 to sign this draft class.

With all that talent from all around the world entering the farm systems of teams league-wide, how do you keep track of the prospects to watch? Simple. Below is FanHouse's list of the 35 best prospects entering the draft, complete with scouting reports and profiles for the top 30. This is not a mock, simply a list of the best players as we rank them.

More: Full 2010 NHL Draft Coverage

1. Taylor Hall, LW, Windsor (OHL)
2. Tyler Seguin, C, Plymouth (OHL)
3. Cam Fowler, D, Windsor (OHL)
4. Brandon Gormley, D, Moncton (QMJHL)
5. Brett Connolly, RW, Prince George (WHL)
6. Erik Gudbranson, D, Kingston (OHL)
7. Alex Burmistrov, C, Barrie (OHL)
8. Derek Forbort, D, U.S. NTDP
9. Nino Niederreiter, LW, Portland (WHL)
10. Nick Bjugstad, C, Blaine (Minn.) High School
11. Jack Campbell, G, U.S. NTDP
12. Austin Watson, RW, Peterborough (OHL)
13. Mikael Granlund, C, HIFK Helsinki (Finland)
14. Emerson Etem, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)
15. Jeffrey Skinner, C, Kitchener (OHL)
16. Ryan Johansen, C, Portland (WHL)
17. Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, Novosibirsk (KHL)
18. Mark Pysyk, D, Edmonton (WHL)
19. Quinton Howden, LW, Moose Jaw (WHL)
20. Jon Merrill, D, U.S. NTDP
21. Brock Nelson, C, Warroad (Minn.) High School
22. Jarred Tinordi, D, U.S. NTDP
23. John McFarland, C, Sudbury (OHL)
24. Tyler Pitlick, C, Minnesota State (WCHA)
25. Jaden Schwartz, C, Tri-City (USHL)
26. Riley Sheahan, C, Notre Dame (CCHA)
27. Evgeny Kuznetsov, C, Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL)
28. Alex Petrovic, D, Red Deer (WHL)
29. Beau Bennett, RW, Penticton (BCHL)
30. Ryan Spooner, C, Peterborough (OHL)
31. Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)
32. Calle Jarnkrok, C, Brynas (Swedish Elite League)
33. Calvin Pickard, G, Seattle (WHL)
34. Kirill Kabanov, LW, Moncton (QMJHL)
35. Charlie Coyle, RW, South Shore (EJHL)