NHL Draft Preview: Meet the Six Future Spartans Who Could Hear Their Names Called in Round One

The NHL Draft is this coming weekend, and with it comes a ton of fans who don't even know who to root for. There are so many different players from so many different leagues that if you haven't been paying attention to 14- and 15-year-olds, you'll be out of the loop almost instantly.

Names most Americans can't even pronounce until they hear them, and even then it's a 50/50 shot whether they'll stick in your memory.

If you're reading that and thinking, "Not me. I know all the prospects and already have my mock drafts set up," then consider this a refresher. If you read that first paragraph and thought, "Yup," then let me give you six names to pay attention to when watching the NHL Draft.

These six players are set to become Michigan State Spartans and will look to lead the Spartans back to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2008 before eventually heading off to make an impact in the NHL.

There are six names being heavily mocked in the first round, and if they don't go there, expect them to come off the board early in the second.

The first player on the list is Chase Reid. The most highly regarded American prospect from Michigan is expected to be a top-five pick on Friday, with some even believing he has a shot at going No. 1 overall.

Reid is the best defenseman prospect in this year's draft class. He will be the first future Spartan to hear his name called, and that feels like a guarantee.

The next prospect to keep your eyes on is Nikita Klepov, who is currently projected as a top-15 pick. More often than not, he's projected inside the top 10, which could give Michigan State two future Spartans selected in the draft's first 10 picks.

Klepov is a skilled player from Russia who may not have the ideal size just yet, but he can dance with the puck like a ballerina on ice.

If you were nervous about the departure of Porter Martone, you can start breathing a little easier knowing Reid and Klepov are coming over the horizon.

Then there are four more names that are consistently being mocked in the teens and twenties.

More often than not, the third future Spartan selected is Ethan Belchetz. In some mock drafts, he's even taken ahead of Klepov. Belchetz is a power forward who uses his strength to create plays all over the ice.

Next up will likely be either Jack Hextall or Tommy Bleyl.

If Jack Hextall's name sounds familiar, then you were probably playing NHL '94 at some point with the Philadelphia Flyers, or you were a Red Wings fan in 1997 when Detroit dismantled Ron Hextall and the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final. Jack, Ron's son, is one of the top centers coming out of the USHL and is expected to hear his name called in the first round before eventually looking to lead Michigan State to glory.

Bleyl, meanwhile, is one of the top defensemen in the draft. He won Defenseman of the Year as a rookie in the QMJHL and will spend one more season developing before arriving in East Lansing.

Lastly, Brooks Rogowski will likely put a bow on the night for Spartan fans. He's a player who seems to be right on the line between the first and second round, but most mock drafts I've seen still have Rogowski sneaking into the first.

Rogowski is a dependable center that any NHL organization can lean on, and Michigan State fans should feel the same way. The only catch is they'll have to wait one more year before he arrives on campus, but the wait should be well worth it.

The Spartans will be peppered throughout the NHL Draft on Friday, and NHL Draft picks will be littered throughout Michigan State's roster for the foreseeable future.

Now the question becomes: Can all of these future NHL talents finally get Michigan State back to the Frozen Four—and beyond?