NCAA: Gophers Stay Golden

Most NCAA programs would be devastated by the loss of two first round picks, but the Minnesota Golden Gophers continue to boast a staggering group of NHL prospects including four first round picks: Blake Wheeler, Kyle Okposo (pictured), Patrick White and David Fischer. McKeen's has notes on these players plus other Gophers looking to make an impact this season.

Blake Wheeler (Phx), C, Minnesota

Athletic big man with tremendous pure skill .. fluid and commanding skater with a superb initial burst of speed for a player of his size .. beginning to utilize his size and speed more while driving the net .. blessed with velvety hands and impressive in-close puck control despite owning a colossal reach .. displays the ability to execute at full speed, as he is a gifted playmaker that is also beginning to burry his own chances .. has made exponential gains to his defensive game over the years and he continues to refine that aspect of his repertoire while playing on the Gophers first penalty kill unit .. lacks a mean streak and is prone to going in-and-out competitiveness-wise .. will fit in well with the Coyotes other big men Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal, as his speed will open up the ice for them.

Kyle Okposo (NYI), C, Minnesota

Exciting combination of power and skill comparable to Jarome Iginla .. was struggling early in the season, as he was reacting instead of initiating .. he was also neglecting to share the puck, as once he received the puck he was looking to see how he can stick handle around guys instead of looking to see which teammates he can move the puck up the ice too ..seems to have ironed out the kinks, as he is attacking the opposition once again and is displaying his gifted passing game .. plays on the point during the powerplay to utilize his bone-rattling shooting arsenal .. possesses first-line-dangling ability, as he is a talented goal scorer with elite hand skill .. a commanding skater with strong lateral and straight line speed .. the type of player the Islanders can build around if developed properly.

Patrick White (Van), C/RW, Minnesota

Cerebral and skilled forward with good versatility .. has the offensive instincts NHL teams covet and you can see that he knows what to do, he just is not doing it quickly enough .. his early struggles can be attributed to him thinking he has more time to execute with the puck then he really does .. owns a skilled pair of mitts with the ability to twist and turn while maintaining possession to evade the opposition in traffic .. fluid skater that keeps his feet moving, although he lacks the top gear to get around the oppositions defense .. not a liability defensively, although he is guilty of leaving the zone too early at times .. off to a slow start as a freshman but was recently moved from centering the third line to the right wing on the first line.

David Fischer (Mtl), D, Minnesota

Big and mobile two-way defenseman that can move the puck .. more comfortable moving and skating the puck up the ice this season, as he is passing with authority on the powerplay and making heads-up, first passes .. could still tighten-up his stride but he is a fine skater overall with fluid and quick feet, long strides, and good lateral mobility .. handles the puck well with a long reach .. upgraded his shot selection, as he is using a quickly released wristshot that gets through to the net .. has bulked-up since last year and will need to continue to grow into his big frame, which can withstand significant muscle gain .. being utilized on the first penalty kill unit and is defending better off the rush recently .. does a fine job maintaining an active stick, although it would be nice to see him develop a physical edge .. inherited much more icetime this season and appears to be developing nicely.

Tony Lucia (SJ), C, Minnesota

Smart and gritty two-way center .. stable skater with good balance, although he lacks speed in the open ice .. receiving more icetime in offensive situations centering the second line and is being used on the powerplay this year .. not a high-end offensive player, although he is poised and smart on the puck with a mature passing game .. scores most of his goals through pure hard work, as he goes to the net without hesitation .. has some sand paper to his game, as he plays with an edge and is effective in the trenches .. savvy and hard working defensively making him a tremendous penalty killer .. it is obvious that he is the coach's son, as he is a tireless worker with a detailed game away from the puck.

Jay Barriball (StL), RW, Minnesota

Diminutive, offensive dynamo with great skill and offensive instincts .. nimble skater that appears to have improved his top gear this season .. much stronger on his feet than his size would indicate and he never hesitates to venture to the front of the net .. has phenomenal offensive instincts, as he appears to have a sixth sense for creating and finishing plays .. gifted passer with superb vision and creativity .. owns mesmerizing hand skill and is very difficult to defend in the open ice .. was a shrewd late round selection by the Sharks and a valuable trade deadline pick up by the Blues.

Cade Fairchild (StL), D, Minnesota

Creative powerplay quarterback that acts like a fourth forward on the ice, as he slides into the offensive attack so smoothly .. beautiful pure passer that is already quarterbacking the first powerplay unit as a freshman .. owns a high-end skill set with tremendous offensive creativity, as he is dangerous joining the rush .. boasts tremendous offensive instincts and his knack for pinching down low with perfect timing is special .. owns a compact stride that stimulates his great agility and footwork .. he is small but is tough and displays good gapping ability off the rush .. teams covet this type player in the new NHL.