MADISON, Wis. -- Call it a career fair for the aspiring hockey professional. Among the 104 players in Buffalo this week, four incoming Badgers are taking part in the 2019 NHL Scouting Combine -- a final showcase to prove their readiness for a future career in the field.

All four forwards in Alex Turcotte, Cole Caufield, Owen Lindmark and Ryder Donovan made the NHL Central Scouting's final list for North American skaters eligible for the draft, with Turcotte and Caufield ranked in the top 10.

The combine gives the 31 NHL clubs an opportunity to gauge the top prospects with interviews and physical testing before the official draft, June 21-22, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Teams use the event to look at a prospect's performance and fill in any gaps in what they may not know about a player.

Wisconsin has three players this year from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team. Ranked as the No. 4 prospect by NHL Central Scouting, the 5-11 and 185-pound center Turcotte posted 27 goals and 62 points in 37 games of the 2018-19 season. Caufield, the 5-7 and 162-pound right wing, collected a program record-shattering 72 goals and 100 points in 64 games this season and ranks No. 8 by Central Scouting.

Both players score high as first-round picks in NHL mock drafts across the board. Corey Pronman of The Athletic predicts Turcotte as the No. 3 pick going to his home-state Chicago Blackhawks, and Caufield at No. 5 going to the Los Angeles Kings. TSN keeps Caufield as the No. 5 pick and places Turcotte as the No. 7 with the Buffalo Sabres. NBC also predicts Turcotte as No. 7 but Caufield as the No. 13 pick with the Florida Panthers.

Also coming from the NTDP, the 6-0 and 192-pound center Lindmark took the No. 93 ranking in Central Scouting with 11 goals and 25 points in 56 games for this Under-18's season. Donovan, the 6-3 and 184-pound center, scored 17 goals and 47 points in 29 games for his season with Duluth East in Minnesota and joined the top prospects as No. 97 in the rank.

Prospects meet with teams in one-on-one interviews and provide physical and medical assessments. A majority of the prospects take part in 12 tests – some are measurements, balance and flexibility while others are about strength, power, speed and endurance.

Not all of the players will be drafted, but the event allows teams to keep up with prospects they may want in coming years.
 
Incoming Badgers in NHL Central Scouting
No. 4 -- Alex Turcotte (Center, USA U-18, NTDP)
No. 8 -- Cole Caufield (Right Wing, USA U-18, NTDP)
No. 93 -- Owen Lindmark (Center, USA U-18, NTDP)
No. 97 -- Ryder Donovan (Center, Duluth East, HIGH-MN)
No. 203 -- Michael Vorlicky (Defenseman, Edina, HIGH-MN)