Discussion: 2017 NHL draft

[saucypass]

On 11/11/2016 at 2:45 PM, Canucks Curse said:

the more I watch middlesteadt the more I like him, looks like bure and kane mixed together but not quite as fast as bure or quick with the puck as kane but still very good.

I bet we finish 3rd or 4th last and I would draft him and try to get another 1st and grad foote or Rasmussen. Of course Tippett, and vilardi are interesting as well.

Jake Oettinger would be a money ball late round 1st as I bet he goes Demko style and rips it up in college, so his value will increase in a few years after the draft more so than other late 1sts I think.

 

Saw him live, like Demko, he plays on a really stacked team. However, I still think he's the next best college goalie prospect. 

[Canucks Curse]

On 11/16/2016 at 7:49 PM, the harry said:

The Nico Show:

 

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Hockey League today announced that 2017 NHL Draft prospect Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads is the CHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 13 after recording nine points in two games with five goals and four assists along with a plus-minus rating of plus-4.

 

Hischier earned first star honours in both games last week leading the Mooseheads to a pair of victories on home ice to improve their record to 11-10-0-0.  On Friday night he scored two goals and three assists as part of a 9-5 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix, then scored his second hat-trick of the season while adding an assist in a 7-4 win against the Charlottetown Islanders.

A 17-year-old from Naters, Switzerland, Hischier is playing in his first QMJHL season with the Mooseheads after being chosen sixth overall in the 2016 CHL Import Draft.  The rookie is currently tied for second in QMJHL scoring with 34 points including 17 goals and 17 assists in 21 games and is a top prospect for the 2017 NHL Draft with an ‘A rating’ from NHL Central Scouting in their October Players to Watch list.

He is on fire, he should be considered top 3 in the draft thus far.

1. Hirscher

2.Nolan

3.Llijgren

4.Mittelstadt

5.Vilardi

6.Rasmussen

7. Tippett

8. Tolvanen

9. Foote

 

[Canucks Curse]

On 11/23/2016 at 4:25 PM, suitup said:

 

Saw him live, like Demko, he plays on a really stacked team. However, I still think he's the next best college goalie prospect. 

yeah bro, I think if we have a late round pick, he could be an asset that will mature nicely and can be flipped for a forward down the road. I think that is too outside the box thinking for our management though.

[S N Y P E R S 7]

Right now I'd say it's more like this 

1. Patrick
2. Hischier
3. Liljegren
4. Mittelstadt
5. Tolvanen
6. Vilardi
7. Kostin
8. Foote
9. Vesalainen
10. Rasmussen

 

 

[Kaner]

3 hours ago, S N Y P E R S 7 said:

Right now I'd say it's more like this 

1. Patrick
2. Hischier
3. Liljegren
4. Mittelstadt
5. Tolvanen
6. Vilardi
7. Kostin
8. Foote
9. Vesalainen
10. Rasmussen

 

 

 

Here's a Q for you: 

 

What prospects do you think can come in next season and make an impact? 

[Warhippy]

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-patrick-liljegren-occupy-top-two-spots-1.620528

 

Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Timothy Liljegren of the Swedish club Rogle occupy the top two spots in the November Craig’s List for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

 

Patrick, a centre, maintains his hold on the top spot from September, while Liljegren, a defenceman, remains in second.  Despite having only skated in a combined 10 games this season because of injury - Patrick with an upper-body injury after off-season sports hernia surgery and Liljegren with a bout of mononucleosis - no other player has demonstrated more potential than those two.

 

Patrick, who has nine points in six games this season, could end up playing in the fewest number of regular-season games by a first-overall pick since Gord Kluzak’s 38 in 1981-82 for the Billings Bighorns ahead of his selection by the Boston Bruins. The Wheat Kings have 48 games remaining.   

 

The top two prospects aren’t likely to meet at the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship in Montreal and Toronto. Patrick was named to Canada’s selection camp roster Tuesday, but there is an expectation that he’ll need to be healthy and playing in WHL games before camp begins in Blainville, Que., on Dec. 11 to have a shot at making Team Canada. Liljegren is not expected to be on Team Sweden.

 

No. 3 Eeli Tolvanen of the Sioux City Musketeers in the United States Hockey League is a dynamic scoring winger who shows all the abilities of a gifted scorer and takes advantage of opportunities.

 

 

Centre Gabe Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires was injured at the outset of the season, returned, and was very productive before suffering appendicitis and finding himself sidelined once again. Rated fourth on our board, his ability to generate offence and create scoring chances puts him in position to be in the discussion at the top of the draft.

 

Fifth-ranked Nico Hischier of the Halifax Mooseheads, a centre, has literally found his stride and is showing the ability to be a very dangerous and prolific offensive threat.

 

Martin Necas has been a very good player with Brno in the Czech Extra League, no easy feat for a 17-year-old centre. Our No. 6 possesses a high skill level and a determination to make things happen.

 

Nikita Popugaev, a very talented Russian forward playing in Moose Jaw, finds his way into the top 10 in the seventh spot and very well could be another player who challenges at the top of the draft in June.

 

With Patrick and Liljegren not having the games played to showcase their talents this season, the door is open for others to challenge at the top of the draft. While the opportunity exists, and some players have shown the potential, no one has been able to truly seize the day.

 

While there is a lot of time for evaluation before the draft, the return to play by Patrick and Liljegren may very well shut the door for others, making this a decision at first overall between a top-end centre and a top-end defenceman.

 

 

Craig's List - November Ranking

 

RK	PLAYER	TEAM	POS	HT	WT	GP	G	P
1	Nolan Patrick	Brandon (WHL)	C	6'2 ¾	198	6	4	9
2	Timothy Liljegren	Rögle (SHL)	D	6'0	191	4	0	2
2	Eeli Tolvanen	Sioux City (USHL)	RW	5'10 ¼	170	19	13	22
4	Gabe Vilardi	Windsor (OHL)	C	6'3	201	16	9	22
5	Nico Hischier	Halifax (QMJHL)	C	6'0 ¾	176	26	22	45
6	Martin Necas	Brno (Czech)	C	6'0 ½	167	25	5	12
7	Nikita Popugaev	Moose Jaw (WHL)	LW	6'5 ½	204	25	19	37
8	Ryan Poehling	St. Cloud St. (NCAA)	C	6'2 ½	202	11	3	5
9	Lias Andersson	HV71 (SHL)	LW/RW/C	5'11 ¼	198	20	4	8
10	Casey Mittelstadt	Green Bay (USHL)	C	6'0 ¼	194	16	8	21
11	Klim Kostin	Moscow (KHL)	RW	6'3	196	8	0	0
12	Matthew Strome	Hamilton (OHL)	LW	6'3 ½	206	25	15	27
13	Shane Bowers	Waterloo (USHL)	C	6'1 ¼	178	19	8	16
14	Kailer Yamamoto	Spokane (WHL)	RW	5'7 ½	153	21	17	31
15	Cody Glass	Portland (WHL)	C/RW	6'1 ¾	180	26	13	37
16	Michael Rasmussen	Tri-City (WHL)	C/LW	6'5 ¾	215	27	20	33
17	Owen Tippett	Mississuaga (OHL)	RW	6'1½	202	24	18	28
18	Elias Pettersson	Timrå (Sweden-Als)	LW	6'1 ¼	156	22	10	23
19	Miro Heiskanen	HIFK (SM Liiga)	D	6'0	170	22	3	7
20	Nick Suzuki	Owen Sound (OHL)	RW	5'10 ¾	187	27	16	34
21	U-P Luukkonen	HPK U20 (SM Jr. Liiga)	G	6'0 ¼	170	18	1.56	0.917
22	Kristian Vesalainen	HPK (SM Liiga)	LW	6'3 ¼	207	5	0	0
23	Maxime Comtois	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	LW	6'2 ¼	199	27	8	16
24	Cal Foote	Kelowna (WHL)	D	6'3 ½	213	25	2	17
25	Noel Hoefenmayer	Ottawa (OJHL)	D	6'0 ¼	191	21	7	16
26	Grant Mismash	USA NTDP (USHL)	LW/C	6'0 ¼	186	25	7	17
27	Marcus Davidsson	Djurgårdens (SHL)	C	6'0	191	21	5	6
28	Nate Schnarr	Guelph (OHL)	C	6'2 ¾	180	21	8	14
29	Cale Makar	Brooks (AJHL)	D	5'10 ¼	171	25	9	27
30	Nicholas Hague	Mississuaga (OHL)	D	6'5 ½	206	23	8	17
31	Jusso Valimaki	Tri-City (WHL)	D	6'1 ½	204	27	10	30
32	P-Olivier Joseph	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	D	6'2	160	26	4	25
33	Isaac Ratcliffe	Guelph (OHL)	LW	6'5 ½	196	26	10	23
34	Henri Jokiharju	Portland (WHL)	D	5'11 ¾	176	26	2	14
35	Joel Teasdale	B-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	C/LW	5'11 ¼	190	26	9	22
36	Joni Ikonen	Frolunda (SWE-J20)	C	5'10	169	19	15	23
37	Morgan Frost	Sault. Ste. Marie (OHL)	C	5'10 ¾	170	26	11	24
38	Michael Dipietro	Windsor (OHL)	G	6'0	196	17	2.55	0.909
39	Markus Phillips	Owen Sound (OHL)	D	5'11 ¾	202	27	4	10
40	Maxim Zhukov	Green Bay (USHL)	G	6'2 ½	188	11	2.35	0.905
41	Mason Shaw	Medicine Hat (WHL)	C/LW	5'8 ½	180	26	5	40
42	Aleksei Heponiemi	Swift Current (WHL)	C	5'9 ¾	147	28	6	31
43	Conor Timins	Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)	D	6'1 ¼	185	26	3	20
44	Josh Norris	USA NTDP (USHL)	C	6'1 ¼	192	22	7	15
45	A. Crete-Belzile	B-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	D	6'0	186	14	0	2
46	Antoine Morand	A-Bathurst (QMJHL)	C	5'10	178	27	13	28
47	J. Anderson-Dolan	Spokane (WHL)	C	5'10 ¾	180	24	10	19
48	Jake Leschyshyn	Regina (WHL)	C/LW	5'10 ¾	184	23	10	24
49	Tyler Inamoto	USA NTDP (USHL)	D	6'1 ½	194	24	1	5
50	David Farrance	USA NTDP (USHL)	D	5'10 ¾	189	25	4	13
51	Jake Oettinger	Boston U (NCAA)	G	6'4	203	10	2.02	0.922
52	Eemeli Rasanen	Kingston (OHL)	D	6'6 ¼	216	24	3	11
53	Jarrett Tyszka	Seattle (WHL)	D	6'2 ¼	190	23	2	11
54	Urho Vaakanainen	Jyvaskala (SM Liiga)	D	6'0 ½	185	18	2	2
55	Jason Robertson	Kingston (OHL)	LW	6'1 ¾	192	24	10	20
56	Evan Barratt	USA NTDP (USHL)	C	5'11 ½	188	23	5	19
57	Scott Reedy	USA NTDP (USHL)	C/RW	6'1 ½	204	25	8	17
58	Cale Fleury	Kootenay (WHL)	D	6'1 ¼	212	27	6	16
59	Robin Salo	Vassan (SM Liiga)	D	6'0 ¾	187	21	1	7
60	Ivan Lodnia	Erie (OHL)	LW/C	5'10	182	25	11	26
61	Mackenzie Entwistle	Hamilton (OHL)	C/RW	6'2 ¾	180	25	10	19
62	Greg Meireles	Kitchener (OHL)	C/RW	5'9 ¾	172	25	7	23
63	Ostap Safin	Sparta Jr. (Czech Jr.)	RW	6'4 ½	191
64	Artyom Minulin	Swift Current (WHL)	D	6'2 ¼	202
65	Ian Scott	Prince Albert (WHL)	G	6'3 ¼	174
66	Alexei Lipanov	HK MVD Balashikha (MHL)	C	6'0	165
67	Paul Washe	Tri-City (USHL)	C	6'1	191
68	Maksim Sushko	Owen Sound (OHL)	RW	5'11 ¾	181
69	Luke Martin	Michigan (NCAA - B10)	D	6'3 ¾	216
70	Cayden Primeau	Lincoln (USHL)	G	6'2 ¾	177
71	Michael Anderson	Waterloo (USHL)	D	5'11 ½	196
72	Clayton Phillips	Fargo (USHL)	D	5'10 ½	170
73	Ian Mitchell	Spruce Grove (AJHL)	D	5'11	171
74	Jacob Paquette	Kingston (OHL)	D	6'2 ¾	207
75	Stelio Mattheos	Brandon (WHL)	C	6'0 ¾	190

 

 

[GB5]

Button always seems to follow his own drum instead of re-hashing what everyone else is saying. Guys like Tippet and Comtois and maybe Vesalainen seem to be top 10 for most. 

 

I'm not agreeing with him, just pointing out that this list seems pretty different than a lot of others I've seen. I've seen Tippett play and can't say how he compares to the other top 10 guys but I do know that he is a hellish player in his relentlessness and would be a really hard guy to play against.

[S N Y P E R S 7]

I agree with where Button has Cody Glass. Great player.

[DeltaSwede]

Elias Pettersson continues to get underrated. 

 

 

[ReggieBush]

Good to see Lias Andersson in the top 10. He and Jonas Rondberg are my favorite players in this draft.

[Smashian Kassian]

I'm a big fan of Nico Hischier so far. I got him at #3 behind favourites Lillegren & Patrick.

 

Seems like a player that can do everything, and do it at an elite level. (or close to it)

 

200ft player with outstanding offensive skill and smarts across the board. Perhaps more natural talent than Nolan Patrick, haven't seen enough of either player yet, and its still early. But as it stands now I wouldn't be surprised if throughout the year Hischier gets himself into the conversation for 1st overall. He's a heck of a talent. Could possibly end up being the best player to ever come out of Switzerland I've seen some say. (or atleast so far). 

 

Certainly would love to have him in Vancouver. 

[Jägermeister]

Patrick (assuming he is able to fully recover from his injury), Hischier, Mittelstadt.  

I really like Liljegren as well, but I think our need for offensive talent far outweighs our need to talent on the back end.  We have a decent young group of guys back there.

I'm also intrigued by Klim Kostin.  Awesome name, and for the most part guys who get KHL experience at 17 become strong prospects.

[J-Dizzle]

7 minutes ago, Jägermeister said:

Patrick (assuming he is able to fully recover from his injury), Hischier, Mittelstadt.  

I really like Liljegren as well, but I think our need for offensive talent far outweighs our need to talent on the back end.  We have a decent young group of guys back there.

I'm also intrigued by Klim Kostin.  Awesome name, and for the most part guys who get KHL experience at 17 become strong prospects.

 

While I agree with you; it sure would be a nice problem to have deciding who gets what minutes between Juolevi, Liljegren, Stetcher, Hutton and Tryamkin in a couple years. 

 

 

Edit:  I don't think we'll be picking in that range though  

[Shcott]

What are your guys thoughts on Tolvanen?

[Bure_Pavel]

13 minutes ago, Shcott said:

What are your guys thoughts on Tolvanen?

I really like him, he is a dynamic scorer with an amazing shot. He is probably have a big impact for Finland in the WJC and i could see his stock rise. He is a sure fire top 10 pick in my eyes, might creep in the top 5.

[Noble 6]

1 hour ago, Shcott said:

What are your guys thoughts on Tolvanen?

He definitely has a lot of skill and a great shot, but I'm not so sure he's really a "driver" of play. He could look good next to Horvag who really drives the play, but we'll see. 

[Smashian Kassian]

I like Tolvanen but I want to see more. Great shot and skill but is he going to impact the game in more ways than just shooting is what I want to know, or else I could see him falling to the back half of the top 10. I think there are some good players available this year. 

[baumerman77]

Nick Suzuki looks to be undervalued (ranked late first round). I could see him moving a lot by the end of the season. He could be a real steal.

[cyoung]

Vilardi will have a late season push,  he's back and already ripping it up. 

[CanadianRugby]

Tank in 2018 for:

3. Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden)

The 16-year-old Swedish defenceman already has scouts drooling for the 2018 draft. Despite playing just under 11 minutes per game, Dahlin has impressed with his size and poise. Some are already projecting him to be then next Nicklas Lidstrom, which would stand to reason that he is now being projected as the first overall pick a year from June.

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/ranking-interesting-performances-wjc-preliminary-round/