5:56 p.m. (ET) - So Central has whipped through the first round and is now tearing through Round 2 -- 50 names have been voted upon. While I know it's probably killing you not to know who is rated where, my apologies. The final list is tentatively scheduled for release on April 9.

Beginning 9 a.m. Sunday morning, the boys will return to the conference room and look over the lists. It's possible a few hand votes will take place if there is a discrepancy somewhere.

4:17 p.m. (ET) - The OHL is now complete and that means the scouts will be voting on those players who should be considered in the first round, in order. Central Scouting Director Dan Marr (tongue in cheek) just asked me in front of the whole group, "Ok Mike, who do you take?"

A great honor indeed. But I passed. Marr is now just awaiting word from New York that 'Meeting Manager' is ready to accept votes. The scouts will then load in their first few picks and 'Meeting Manager' will then provide the average picks. Discussion will then commence.

3:20 p.m. (ET) - Ottawa's Cody Ceci has received some nice praise here at the scouting meetings. Discussion of Belleville's Daniil Zharkov, Oshawa's Scott Laughton and Owen Sound's Jarrod Maidens are on the table.

One scout said, "Brendan Gaunce is going to make one NHL team very happy," and another told the group "Olli Maatta may be the smartest player in the draft."

2:52 p.m. (ET) - So Chris Edwards is ready to begin discussion of the Ontario Hockey League and first item up up for discussion - that Nail kid.

I'm very interested in finding out where Yakupov's teammate in Sarnia, Alex Galchenyuk, will wind up. He was listed at a 'limited viewing' at the midterm ranks in January.

2:15 p.m. (ET) - Jack Barzee still meandering through US West players and we're now discussing possible sixth-round picks. Al Jensen, David Gregory and Dan Marr all making their points as Barzee moves down his list.

1:10 p.m. (ET) - So Hockey Hall of Famer Jim Gregory opened up the afternoon with some inspiring and encouraging words. He basically told the boys how proud he is to be associated with such a great group of workers. The scouts then thanked Gregory.

Jack Barzee is now leading the talks on those U.S. - Western players on the chart. The players are from many U.S. colleges, high schools and the United States Hockey League, which includes the National Team Development Program. Needless to say, USNTDP defenseman Jacob Trouba is highly regarded.

11:40 a.m. (ET) - The scouts have completed the ranking of players from the WHL. Quite an undertaking, but the boys broke it down extremely well and have left the meeting room for lunch. The Ontario Hockey League and U.S.-West skaters are up for discussion following the one-hour break.

11:00 a.m. (ET) - Some great debate on Saskatoon's Dalton Thrower and Lukas Sutter and Regina's Chandler Stephenson, who played center/left wing.

10:40 a.m. (ET) - The Western Hockey League is now up for discussion. Of course, the league is stocked with defenseman. Ryan Murray, Morgan Rielly, Mathew Dumba, Griffin Reinhart and Derrick Pouliot were among the top 10 blue liners regarded highly at the midterm rankings in January.

Fantastic discussion on whether or not Dumba has accelerated his play over the second half of the season to make a jump in the final WHL ranks.

While defenders are dominating the talks, center Colton Sissons of the Kelowna Rockets is certainly a player that isn't overlooked here.

Scouts now viewing a fight that took place at Top Prospects Game between Dumba and Raphael Bussieres. You have to be here to hear the banter that takes place as they view a fight. It's like kids in a candy store.

And, yes, Ryan Murray, as you might expect, is regarded highly by every scout.

NHL Central Scouting is ready to rock here in Ontario this week to determine its final rankings of the top draft-eligible players on the board this June at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

On Saturday, the pro scouts will have a go at it to determine this year's final list of the top 210 draft-eligible skaters and 30 goalies from North America for the 2012 NHL Draft.

NHL.com will also be present for the opening three days of the meetings, providing exclusive coverage. The scouts will no doubt be in heated debate, unveiling the pros and cons of every player from all the major junior leagues throughout North America.

Discussions will heat up almost immediately on Saturday morning as the scouts debate over who should receive the No. 1 overall placement among North American skaters. The four candidates expected to vie for that position will be Sarnia's Nail Yakupov, Quebec's Mikhail Grigorenko, Everett's Ryan Murray and Red Deer's Mathew Dumba.

Back in November, NHL.com had an opportunity to join NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards on a trip through Western Canada not only to view a few of the top prospects eligible for the 2012 Draft but gain exclusive access to "Life as a Scout."

"We're getting paid to watch hockey. Does it get any better?" Edwards told NHL.com.

In a span of 72 hours, and beginning in Regina, Sask., NHL.com accompanied Edwards to gain an exclusive first-hand look at the process of scouting and what it entails.

Edwards will be one of the several full-time scouts at the final meetings offering his assessment of those players he has witnessed over the course of the 2012 season.

NEWARK, N.J. -- The return of Vincent Lecavalier to the lineup for the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday comes at a time when Steven Stamkos seeks to become the 39th player in League history to score 60 goals in a season.
 
The Lightning visit Prudential Center on Thursday for the fourth and final meeting of the season with the New Jersey Devils. Stamkos has produced an NHL-leading 55 goals in 2011-12, recording 12 goals in his last 14 games.
 
Is 60 goals on his mind?
 
"With six games left, I'm not thinking about [60] too much as I was thinking about 50," Stamkos said. "That was more in my head a little bit. But I'll go out there and whatever happens, happens. It is a possibility, and I'll try for it."
 
He would also trade in all those gaudy statistics if it meant a playoff berth.
 
"You'd trade in some of these individuals stats and goals to be in the playoffs, especially for me, going as far as we did last year and, ultimately, believing that we had a team that could have won it," Stamkos said. "It's tough. That's what you play for. You don't play for individual stuff, you play for the Stanley Cup, and when you're not in it, it's tough and frustrating."
 
His 55 goals are the most by a center since Mario Lemieux scored 69 in 1995-96. The fourth-year center has 174 goals and 322 points in 319 NHL games.
 
Not surprisingly, Stamkos has become one of the more respected players in the League.
 
"I think he's phenomenal," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "I think he may be the best scorer to come along in the last 20-25 years in my mind, because he's found different ways to do it. He came in as a power-play, one-timer type of scorer, and the game takes that away from you because of the preparation and studying that was done. But he's found other ways to score."
 
Said Devils captain Zach Parise: "He goes about his business, scores goals and dominates games, but you can tell he respects other players. He plays hard and he'll hit you and do whatever he needs to do between the whistles, but he's not a dirty player. He plays the right way, and because of that you appreciate and respect what he does even more."
 
DeBoer finds it rather remarkable that Stamkos has been able to light the lamp so frequently at a time when coaching and goaltending are so good.
 
"You listen to comments on how hard it is to score in the League nowadays … Zach Parise discussed how hard it was to reach 30," DeBoer said. "That puts that number [50 goals] in perspective. I think the game is faster and better, the coaching preparation and film work and system play is at an all-time high. I know the hours the staff put in to matchups every night. I don't think I've seen it at this level ever before, so that's what makes scoring 50 so impressive to me."
 
Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

NEWARK, N.J. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning will get their captain, Vincent Lecavalier, back in the lineup on Thursday when they visit the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
 
Lecavalier has missed the previous 18 games with a fractured right hand sustained Feb. 18 against the Capitals when he was hit by a puck. Lecavalier actually announced his return via his Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon.
 
"I'm ready to play and happy that it's six games," Lecavalier said. "It wouldn't have mattered if it were six games, one game or three games. To me, when you're ready to come back, you come back and these guys have been working so hard the last month. I wanted to come and play and have some fun and play the game and try to finish strong."
 
Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said Lecavalier's minutes will be monitored, but he expects the big center to provide some extra energy to the lineup.
 
"My minutes won't be limited as a result of the injury more than the fact I've been away for five weeks," Lecavalier said. "We'll keep the shifts short and simple, but I'll be ready. I've worked out hard and I feel good."
 
Additionally, center Nate Thompson will miss his seventh straight game with upper-body injury. Boucher will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen for Thursday's contest.
 
Despite the lost time, Lecavalier has 21 goals, 46 points in 58 games while averaging 19:04 of ice time. He's second on the team with five game-winning goals and also second with 505 faceoff wins -- five behind Steven Stamkos.
 
Tampa Bay is a longshot to qualify for the playoffs. The team is nine points behind eighth-seeded Buffalo in the Eastern Conference standings.
 
Here are the projected lineups for the Lightning:
 
Teddy Purcell - Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Ryan Malone - Vincent Lecavalier - Brett Connolly
JT Wyman - Tom Pyatt - Tim Wallace
Trevor Smith - Adam Hall
 
Victor Hedman - Eric Brewer
Brett Clark - Brian Lee
Keith Aulie - Brendan Mikkelson
Bruno Gervais
 
Dwayne Roloson
Sebastien Caron
 
Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils will have a key cog back in the lineup on Thursday when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Prudential Center, with the return of defenseman Anton Volchenkov.
 
The (Bergen) Record reported on Wednesday that Volchenkov did skate on his own Wednesday morning after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury. Coach Peter DeBoer informed the media that there was a chance he could return to the lineup.
 
The return of Volchenkov is huge for the Devils, who currently stand sixth in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of seventh-seeded Ottawa.
 
Volchenkov, who has 2 goals, including a game-winner, 11 points and a minus-3 rating, leads the team with 166 hits and 120 blocked shots while averaging 18:02 of ice time. During the team's morning skate on Thursday, Volchenkov was paired with Peter Harrold.
 
"He's one of the better D-men on our team and it's kind of good for me to play with him because he's a good stay-at-home defenseman who takes care of his own end … it's comfortable back there with him," Harrold said. "I played a little with him the last stint up, but it's a comfort level with all the defensemen. Everyone here talks a lot and everyone knows what's going on, so they make the transition pretty seamless."
 
Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Adam Larsson will sit out his second straight game as a healthy scratch. Larsson was forced to leave a game against the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 2 with 5:58 remaining in the third period after being hit hard by defenseman P.K. Subban.
 
The rookie Swede would produce just 2 assists and a minus-1 rating over the next 16 games before coach Peter DeBoer had seen enough, listing him as a healthy scratch for the first time this season in a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
 
"We had a good conversation prior to the Chicago game about my reasons for doing what I was doing and he understood," DeBoer said. "We had an assistant coach sit with him during the Chicago game and kind of watch the play and point out things we felt would help him when he got back in and be more successful."
 
For the season, Larsson, drafted fourth by the Devils last June, has 2 goals, 18 points and a minus-7 rating. He ranks third on the team with 44 giveaways but also has 93 hits and 67 blocked shots while averaging 20:44 of ice time.
 
"There's lots of communication going there, but it's not a daily conversation for me," DeBoer said. "This time of year, we've got a lot of bigger things on our plate and Adam Larsson is a huge part of this organization going forward. But he's not the focal point; the focal point is our team and how we're playing."
 
DeBoer inserted Harrold, who was called up from the American Hockey League on Monday, into the lineup in Larsson's absence on Tuesday. He responded with two blocked shots in 19:06 of ice time.
 
There are several players looking to snap out of unusual offensive slumps, including Patrik Elias, who has 1 goal in his last eight games. Zach Parise has 3 goals in his last 13 games, David Clarkson is in the midst of a season-long nine-game goal drought and rookie Adam Henrique has 1 goal in his last 20 contests. DeBoer will have Travis Zajac centering Parise and Kovalchuk to begin the game to see if he can generate more offense.
 
Here are the possible line combinations for the Devils:
 
Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Ilya Kovalchuk
Petr Sykora - Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus
Alexei Ponikarovsky - Adam Henrique - David Clarkson
Ryan Carter - Jacob Josefson - Steve Bernier
 
Anton Volchenkov - Peter Harrold
Bryce Salvador - Marek Zidlicky
Andy Greene - Mark Fayne
 
Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg
 
Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

It appears Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier has declared himself ready for game action after missing over a month with a non-displaced fracture in his right hand.

Lecavalier, who has been practicing with the team this week, announced via his Twitter account on Wednesday afternoon that he is "happy to get back in lineup tomorrow" when the Lightning travel to Newark, N.J., to face the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

Lecavalier, who last played on Feb. 18, has missed the last 18 games. For the season, Lecavalier has 21 goals and 46 points in 58 games for the Lightning. He has scored 372 goals and 839 points in 992 career games spanning 14 seasons.

To those prospects passed over in previous drafts -- listen up!

There is hope. Just ask Chicago rookie forward Andrew Shaw, who was passed over in the 2009 and 2010 NHL drafts before the Blackhawks finally tabbed him in the fifth round (No. 139) last June.

He's currently playing big minutes in many situations alongside David Bolland and Bryan Bickell and has quietly become one of the most liked players in the Blackhawks locker room.

"It was a little disappointing not being drafted those first two years, but I had no pressure on me after that and went out there and had fun and stuck with my game," Shaw told NHL.com. "Chicago liked what they saw and decided to draft me. At prospect camp, I had everything to prove so I just went out there and gave it my all and they came back with an AHL contract. I didn't want to play in the Ontario Hockey League anymore and knew, if I did my best, there may be a shot."

The Blackhawks signed Shaw to a three-year contract on Jan. 3. At the time, his 12 goals and 21 points ranked third for the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. His 80 penalty minutes ranked second.

"He's been good for us in a lot of ways; we appreciate the way he competes," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Offensively, he's got a nice set of hands and he gets rewarded for going into the high traffic areas. He finds ways to get around the puck through positioning or with his hands. He's getting some assignments against top lines and his line (with center Dave Bolland and left wing Bryan Bickell) has been effective."

Shaw posted a career-high 54 points, including 22 goals, in 66 games last season for the eventual Ontario Hockey League champion Owen Sound Attack. He ranked 11th in the league with 135 penalty minutes and was honored at the end of the season as the OHL's Hardest Working Player.

NHL.com recently asked Shaw to evaluate two former teammates in Owen Sound considered to be top prospects for the 2012 Draft -- forwards Gemel Smith and Jarrod Maidens.

"Gemel is a great prospect; he has a lot of skill and he's quick," Shaw said. "He plays with a lot of energy and he plays tough … he plays big and is tough. I actually looked up to him and he was always all over me about how he got more points than me last year."

And Maidens:

"He knows the game, has great vision and is always finding the puck," Shaw said. "He has great dishes and he can find the back of the net, like he did in Game 7 [against Mississauga] last year."

Maidens led Owen Sound in rookie scoring with 21 points in 2010-11. He also recorded 6 goals and 10 points in the 2011 playoffs, helping lead the Attack to the OHL championship. He scored the overtime game-winner against Mississauga in Game 7 of the championship round.

Shaw also had some advice for those players who are draft eligible, but who might not be selected come June.

"Just have fun and keep playing the game and don't let it get you down," Shaw said. "My buddy Mike Halmo [from Owen Sound] never got much publicity last year, but it was great to see him sign a contract with the New York Islanders. I called him the day I found out. I think it made it easier for him knowing I was playing in the NHL because it made him realize there was a spot for players like me and him."

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

NHL Central Scouting is ready to roll in Toronto this weekend to determine its final rankings of the top draft-eligible players on the board this June at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

On Saturday, the pro scouts will have a go at it to determine this year's final list of the top 210 draft-eligible skaters and 30 goalies from North America for the 2012 Entry Draft.

NHL.com will also be present for the opening three days of the meetings, providing exclusive coverage. The scouts will no doubt be in heated debate, unveiling the pros and cons of every player from all the major junior leagues throughout North America.

Discussions will heat up almost immediately on Saturday morning as the scouts debate over who should receive the No. 1 overall placement among North American skaters. The top four candidates expected to vie for that position will be Sarnia's Nail Yakupov, Quebec's Mikhail Grigorenko, Everett's Ryan Murray and Sarnia's Alex Galchenyuk, who just recently returned to the lineup after undergoing knee surgery in October.