Oshawa Generals right wing Hunter Smith is one year removed from slipping through the cracks at the 2013 NHL Draft at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The expectations are much greater this year when the 2014 draft is held at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, June 27-28.

"I didn't expect to be drafted after the year I had [in 2012-13], so it just gave me motivation to want it more this year and clearly it has paid off," Smith said. "I wanted to prove to teams [at the NHL Scouting Combine] that even though I'm a year late I still have a lot to bring. I wanted to give them a reason to draft me and show them that I'm going to be a pro one day."

After being passed over at the 2013 draft, following a season in which he played just 30 games after sustaining a hand injury, Smith rebounded in 2013-14 with 16 goals, 40 points and 100 penalty minutes in 64 games for the Generals. He followed that up with a great postseason, generating three goals, 11 points and 25 penalty minutes in 12 OHL playoff matches.

A gifted power forward projected to be a future second-line performer, he has a propensity for dropping the gloves whenever needed to defend a teammate.

Ottawa 67's defenseman Jacob Middleton might be a few years away from beginning his professional hockey career, but he has a good idea on what it might take to reach the highest level.

"You have to be the strongest guy on the ice both physically and mentally," Middleton said. "When you have guys like Sidney Crosby coming down on you, you must be mentally prepared for what's to come and physically prepared to take on someone of his ability."

Does Middleton, who stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, feel he's up to the challenge?

"I'm a physical defenseman and pretty aggressive," he said. "I'm a defensive-defenseman, but I was given opportunities on the power play in Ottawa as well because we were a younger team. I was able to showcase some skills up there, but as a pro, I think I'll be a stay-at-home guy."

NHL.com will take a look back at the NHL Draft from five, 10 and 20 years ago this week, leading up to the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. How would those drafts look today?

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since the 2004 NHL Draft gave us three of the best players in the game today.

There was a bit of a delay for the elite crop selected that year in Raleigh, N.C. Players had to wait to make their NHL debut due to the lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season.