One of the more intriguing stories in this draft is Shattuck St. Mary's defenseman Mike Reilly. Back in the fall, few imagined that he'd generate any interest in Minneapolis, with the exception of fans of the Golden Gophers, as Reilly has a commitment to head up the highway from Fairbault to the University of Minnesota. It might have even seemed a bit crazy for the school to offer a ride to a high school defenseman who stood 5-foot-6 and weighed 140 pounds. Reilly was a super-skilled kid, but with those dimensions you'd figure he'd be destined for a rec league.
Then a funny thing happened this season: Reilly had an almost unimaginable growth spurt, shooting up over five inches. He's still rail-thin at his combine weight of 156 -- by looks, he must have had a bowl of iron filings for breakfast to reach that weight at the testing. Still, he's tall enough to project him playing at 175, maybe 180 in a few seasons as he fills out. (Further, he's still 17 and looks like he's not done growing, either.)
To read more about Mike Reilly's rise, and get an update on the measurements of the draft's top prospects, you must be an ESPN Insider.
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Grant Sonier
Grant Sonier has scouted for six NHL organizations over the past 13 years, most recently for the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2010-11 season. He is a special contributor to ESPN Insider.
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Victoria Matiash
Victoria Matiash has served as a Fantasy Hockey columnist for ESPN.com since 2007, and contributor to NHL Rumor Central since 2010. She lives in Toronto.
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