Mullin will have up to four years at the University of Miami (Ohio) to add strength and weight and could come out of collegiate play as a late round steal for the Lightning. He's got a long road to the NHL, but has a fine chance to be a solid contributor at the AHL level at the least. The more the game opens up, the more it favors players such as Mullin. As the Lightning's Martin St. Louis has proven, there's no substitute for heart, desire, and natural skill, but you have to have legs the size of tree trunks to make it as a small player in the big leagues.