FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Boston University coach David Quinn doesn't know how many 19-year-old players are actually ready for the NHL, but he's willing to make an exception for freshman Jack Eichel.

Eichel, No. 2 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of the top North American players eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft, said he has a good idea of his intentions to either turn professional or return to Boston University as a sophomore following the draft. He just isn't ready to announce his decision publicly.

The first round of the draft will be held Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports); rounds 2-7 are Saturday (10 a.m. ET; NHLN, TVA Sports).

The Arizona Coyotes have the third pick of the 2015 NHL Draft and could go in a number of different directions. The route they choose will set the tone for how the rest of the draft plays out.

That same unpredictability played out in NHL.com's final mock drafts.

Staff writers Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale were in agreement that the Edmonton Oilers would select Erie Otters center Connor McDavid at No. 1 and the Buffalo Sabres would take Boston University center Jack Eichel at No. 2.

After that, however, there was little consensus.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The late E.J. McGuire, who served as NHL director of Central Scouting for seven years before dying of cancer in April 2011, has always remained in the hearts and minds of those attending the NHL Scouting Combine and NHL Draft each season.

In honor of its beloved friend and dedicated colleague, NHL Central Scouting this year will present the first E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence to a 2015 Draft prospect. The award will be presented Saturday prior to the start of the second day of the draft at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.

"Excellence is what E.J. personified," NHL Central Scouting's David Gregory said. "It was imperative that the winner have strength of character and competitiveness because these traits exemplify what E.J. brought to the hockey community every day."

Erie Otters captain Connor McDavid and Boston University freshman Jack Eichel will forever be linked whenever conversation shifts to the 2015 NHL Draft class.

Many believe McDavid and Eichel are generational talents in the making; they might even finish neck and neck in the voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2015-16. Perhaps an even bigger topic is where the McDavid-Eichel tandem will ultimately stand in NHL history.

The most heralded one-two punch drafted might be Guy Lafleur to the Montreal Canadiens and Marcel Dionne to the Detroit Red Wings in 1971. Lafleur, a six-time NHL All-Star, won two Hart Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy and has five Stanley Cup championship rings. Dionne, who ranks sixth all-time in points, won the Art Ross Trophy and was a two-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy.

MIAMI -- Boston University center Jack Eichel said he has decided whether he will turn professional after he's selected in the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.

He just isn't making his decision public yet.

Eichel, who was with five other top NHL draft prospects at Marlins Park on Wednesday, spoke to the media after taking his turn at batting practice prior to the Miami Marlins' game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

"I mean, I'm kind of set on what I want to do, but I guess you'll find out in the few days that follow the draft," Eichel said. "I have an idea what I want to do. I sat down and had dinner with [Boston University coach] David Quinn and spoke with my parents, so I have a good idea of where I want to be next year."

The first round of the draft will be held Friday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports); rounds 2-7 are Saturday (10 a.m. ET; NHLN-US, TVA Sports).

MIAMI -- Kingston Frontenacs left wing Lawson Crouse looked pretty comfortable Wednesday in the right-handed batter's box at Marlins Park, wearing a No. 67 Miami Marlins jersey.

Crouse was the only one of the six 2015 NHL Draft prospects to hit a home run during batting practice, clearing the fence in right field.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound forward could be a top-five pick when the first round of the draft is held Friday in Sunrise, Fla. (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports). But if Crouse's grandfather had his way, Lawson would be swinging a baseball bat full time, not a hockey stick.

Crouse shares a first name with his grandfather as well as a passion for sports. But for the elder Lawson, his sport was baseball and his favorite team was the Montreal Expos. Mike Crouse, the younger Lawson's father and elder Lawson's son, said as a youngster vacations with his father would include ballpark trips, including one road trip to Riverfront Stadium, former home of the Cincinnati Reds.

Ray Shero doesn't believe he's in familiar territory as general manager for the New Jersey Devils as he was almost a decade ago when hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the same role.

Still, it's hard to ignore the comparisons.

The Penguins had just completed a fourth straight season of having failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs when Shero was hired to replace Craig Patrick as GM in May 2006. Patrick, an iconic figure in Pittsburgh, had served as GM for 16 seasons.

"It's never a seamless transition; going into Pittsburgh there were people working for Craig for 16 years, so it takes a little time. The same can be said for those working for Lou Lamoriello in New Jersey," Shero said.

The 2015 NHL Draft will be a great opportunity for teams to shore up positions of need with an injection of energetic, young talent.

As the first round of the draft draws near, there's no better time to take a glimpse at the possible draft needs of all 30 teams.

While there still may be trades and surprises in the works leading up to the draft, which will be held June 26-27 at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., the priorities likely will remain the same. Here's a breakdown of what Metropolitan Division teams could be looking to do when they arrive in Florida.

NHL.com will take a look back at the NHL drafts from five, 10 and 15 years ago this week, leading up to the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. How would a redo of those drafts look today?

The debate for the No. 1 pick of the 2010 NHL Draft came down to one question: Taylor or Tyler?

Would the team with the first selection opt for high-scoring left wing Taylor Hall, who was dominating opponents with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League? Or would the playmaking skills of center Tyler Seguin, of the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, be too much to pass on?

But what the ensuing five years have proven is that there was a pool of talent picked that weekend at Staples Center in Los Angeles that went far deeper than just two players.

The gap between Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, first and second respectively on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of the top North American skaters eligible for the 2015 NHL Draft, is slim.

It's the gap between the projected top two picks of the 2015 draft, which will be held at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., on June 26-27, and the rest of the field that is a bit wider.

McDavid and Eichel have been touted as generational talents for the success and promise they've displayed before becoming draft eligible, and each offers a different skill set that many project will mesh with today's NHL game.

For McDavid, the expected No. 1 pick of the draft, comparisons have been made to Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby because of McDavid's ability to do everything not only incredibly well, but also incredibly fast.