2017 NHL Mock Draft

2017 NHL Draft (55^th NHL Entry Draft)

Round 1: Friday June 23^rd at 7pm Eastern.
Broadcast on NBCSN
Rounds 2-7: Saturday June 24^th 10am Eastern
Broadcast on NHL Network
Eligibility: Players born between 1/1/1997 and 9/15/1999

Mock Draft

Comments:

1&2.It seems that some deviation of Nico/Nolan or Nolan/Nico is the 1-2 punch this year. Both seem to be NHL ready and will contribute right away.

3. Gabriel Vilardi -€” pure goal scorer. That's it in a nut shell.

4. Miro falling to Colorado is a blessing to a team who desperately needs an up and coming start defenseman. He is a mobile player who is positionally sound and can help in 1-2 years.

5. Casey MIttlestadt is still probably a year or two out from playing but he is so talented all around that Vancouver will buy and wait for him to develop.

6. Cody Glass was a monster in the WHL last year scoring 94 points in under 70 games. He has great legs and showed his ability to put points on the board last year.

7. Owen Tippet's stock started strong earlier this spring but concerns over his lack of being a well rounded player (all he does is score goals) has knocked him down. With that said, the Coyotes are in need of goals so I think they jump on him here.

8. Critics are devided on Elias Petterson who is a bit smaller but has electric puck handling and goal scoring abilities. This seems like a good fit for the Sabres who can put his IQ to great work. He's composed and level headed which he will need if he gets knocked around a bit.

9. Juuso Valimaki -€” do you think the team that allowed the 6^th most goals in the league wouldn't mind building up some of their defensive core in this draft? Over the course of a few seasons he could head up their power play too if he continues to develop his shot.

10. Timothy Liljegren was high on most draft charts until his most recent season which did not go swimmingly but such is the way when you are playing among the Swedish elites. I think the Panthers will take a roll of the dice for Timothy's upside so that they can have a young d-core alongside Aaron Eckblad to match their dynamic group of forwards.

11. Matin Necas, his stature is small but he's worked with it over the years as a strong two way player not noticeably being tossed around. He is a vocal player and his speed coupled with his skill could be a value pick for the Kings at 10. He is adept at surprising people with his determination.

12. Cale Maker the Hurricanes have built a strong front group of scorers with Jeff Skinner, Sebastian Aho, Eliash Lindholm and Teuvo Teravainen. Cale provides a chance to help an aging Justin Faulk and up and coming Noah Hanifin at the blue line.

13. Under 6'0, Nick Suzuki has some growing to do but that has not slowed him down due to his hockey IQ, wits and speed. He had 45 goals with the Sound last year across 65 games. He's getting better with each game and it's still unsure where his ceiling is. This would be a great pick up for an up and coming Vegas team. Boldly I think he won't start for Vegas but could come up mid-season if he continues to thrive.

14.  Ryan Poehling has the size to fit the part (6'3) and he has good on ice vision and passing. He's smart and will be able to pile up the assists much more than goals. Tampa can sit on him and watch to see how he develops.

15. Eeli Tolvanen. Not afraid to shoot. That should be the first thing that comes to mind from the Finnish prospect who led the USHL with 246 shots last year. He is a very adept skater who has accuracy and the determination to succeed. At times he gets in his own head but when his head is clear he is a power on offense.

16. Klim Kostin, to me, is much like Mitch Marner. He's not afraid to hold on to the puck moving all around the zone, he has good vision and knows when to pass vs. when to shoot. A nasty shoulder injury derailed his last season with Dynamo Moscow but his talent is too good to go much past #16.

17. Lias Anderson has heart. His dogged determination makes the Swede a great two way player. If they can get him up to speed quickly, he could serve as a good compliment in Toronto over the next few seasons to the Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Auston Matthews tandem. Lias would be more of a shutdown 2^nd-3^rd line piece allowing those three favorable matchups for scoring.

18. Michael Rasmussen is a large player (6'6) and can be a force fighting for pucks in corners (not afraid to play physical). He has a bit to develop but the size will certainly get him by while he works on it. Boston can put that size to use as they start to backfill young talent in their roster (waiting on your Frank Vatrano)

19. Nicholas Hague has some issues, notably with him not utilizing his size well enough but he's rather mobile, big, and he can move the puck well up ice which the Sharks can utilize to help their offense. It will be tough to pass him up as the first round goes on given what his size and skating can do.

20. Jake Oettinger, and finally we have a goaltender. At .927 save % and 2.11 GAA with the Terriers last year, he is projected to be the top goalie selected this year. It seems like BU is sending out quality players left and right lately and Oettinger will be next in that line. The Blues can definitely use a "goalie of the future" which Jake can be.

21. Shane Bowers has excellent lower body strength and knows how to utilize his size most effectively. He keeps his head up and plays as a strong two way player. He's still working on bulking up but he uses what size he has very well.

22. Kailer Yamamoto, besides having one of the "Kailer" names in the draft, this tiny prospect is one of the better skaters in this draft. His acceleration (especially around the net) makes it hard for opponents to get any form of good leverage on him. He does not shy away from the gritty work down low and with a little growth he could be a good first round sleeper for the Oilers who have more than enough size to help him out.

23. Son of NHLer Adam Foote, Callan is a built physical player who will not shy away from bruising players coming around the net. He is positionally sound and while he won't provide the offense Arizona might need, he will surely help shutdown opposing teams. Not to begrudge Adam but Callan is much smarter player and could grow some more giving him a chance at a quick transition to the NHL.He could help the Coyotes build a young blue line alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson (25 years old) and Jakob Chychrun (19 years old)

24. Kristian Vesalainen has plenty of experience as he moved up into the Swedish Hockey League at 16. He does not shy away from battling for the puck and with his speed and balance, he could be a good complement in a year or two alongside Patrick Laine.

25. Maxime Comtois plays with more grit than speed. Depending on what a team is searching for he could be a great fit or fall way behind the pace of play. Lucky for him this might fit in well with the Canadiens. Maxime works well around the net because of this and he will not shy away from the physical nature of the game.

26. Joshua Norris, being a Michigan native, is not too far from the Blackhawks, who themselves are not estranged from selecting players out of the Michigan USCHO system (Tanner Kero -€” Michigan Tech). Personally, I think Joshua could be one of the better sleepers on day 1. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and is a relentless forechecker and backchecker.

27. Erik Brannstrom. Man there are a lot of Swedes and Finns in this years draft. Erik is an affable heads up defensemen who is eager to learn. There is nothing flashy about his game and for defense sometimes that's a high praise. He doesn't stand out because he is consistent and smart in his play. St. Louis can use an influx of young d-talent too.

28. Nikita Popugaev is a bit of a jack of all trades. He has size, solid hands, decent speed and sees the ice well. Not very physical but he knows how to use his size and strength to score.

29. Matthew Strome is probably the least talented skater amongst the three brother (Dylan and Ryan) but he has size and determination. Given the talent of this family I think someone late in the first takes a flier to grab him.

30. Isaac Ratcliffe could make a nice backfill for the loss of James Neal. Not to say he will consistently score 20 goals but he did have 28 goals in 67 games and he uses his 6'6 frame well to power his way up ice. It will take some time to develop him but things could be worse sitting at the end of the first round then Isaac.

31. Henri Jokiharju. Fresh off back to back Stanley Cups, there isn't much the Penguins need but their defense got rather banged up this season and Henri can help backfill that in a few years. He reminds me of Kris Letang a little with his puck moving, control and on ice vision.