2017 Draft & UDFA Thread

[Pavel Buchnevich]

We have a first round pick next year.

Its supposed to be a weaker draft though.

Can a moderator please sticky this thread and remove the 2016 thread since the 2016 draft is over?

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[Kanneda]

Hope we can get a RHD star with our first 1st rounder in centuries. Callan Foote or Tim Liljegren could be exactly that, and the guys to dream about at this moment no?

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I thought next year was supposed to be better than this year, no?

 

[LaffyTaffy]

Hope we can get a RHD star with our first 1st rounder in centuries. Callan Foote or Tim Liljegren could be exactly that, and the guys to dream about at this moment no?

Callan is Adam Foote's son

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

I thought next year was supposed to be better than this year, no?

Think they Say this just about every year right after the draft.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I thought next year was supposed to be better than this year, no?

With the depth it could be better, but its hard to know about the depth of a draft a year out. Thats just a complete and utter guess so far out.

At the top of the draft, I don't think 2017 has the forwards that 2016 had. There are no Matthews or Laine's a year out, although there could be a month out.

This is only my opinion, although I've read similar from some others.

 

[Bluenote13]

The top end talent for next year is pretty good too, depth looks better in NA than this past draft, not sure you see a lot of guys stepping into the NHL right away like the top guys in this draft, but it is still a year out.

 

[Savant]

Hope we can get a RHD star with our first 1st rounder in centuries. Callan Foote or Tim Liljegren could be exactly that, and the guys to dream about at this moment no?

Better be picking high then.

 

[Igor Shestyorkin]

I would absolutely love to get Nolan Patrick, Timmy Liljegren or Cal Foote.

 

[Konamic Ice Hockey]

I would absolutely love to get Nolan Patrick, Timmy Liljegren or Cal Foote.

This

 

[darko]

I thought next year was supposed to be better than this year, no?

That's what I thought.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Liljegren could go 1st overall. It's a Stamkos vs. Doughty like debate. Does the team picking 1st want an elite center or elite RHD?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Nolan Patrick was four days too old to be eligible for the 2016 draft. Auston Matthews was two days too old to be eligible for the 2015 draft. Most thought if Matthews was eligible for the 2015 draft that he'd go third. If Patrick was eligible for the 2016 draft, I don't think he would've even went top 5. He had an awful Memorial Cup, and I don't think he projects as an elite #1C in the NHL. He lacks explosive skating. I think he's closer to a RNH level of #1 pick, if thats where he goes in the draft.

 

[cwede]

Nolan Patrick was four days too old to be eligible for the 2016 draft. Auston Matthews was two days too old to be eligible for the 2015 draft. Most thought if Matthews was eligible for the 2015 draft that he'd go third. If Patrick was eligible for the 2016 draft, I don't think he would've even went top 5. He had an awful Memorial Cup, and I don't think he projects as an elite #1C in the NHL. He lacks explosive skating. I think he's closer to a RNH level of #1 pick, if thats where he goes in the draft.

too young ?

 

[Edge]

I've viewed next year as having better overall depth, but not quite as much elite talent at the top of the draft.

But it's too soon to tell who emerges over the next 12 months.

Patrick is a stud though.

 

[Edge]

Nolan Patrick was four days too old to be eligible for the 2016 draft. Auston Matthews was two days too old to be eligible for the 2015 draft. Most thought if Matthews was eligible for the 2015 draft that he'd go third. If Patrick was eligible for the 2016 draft, I don't think he would've even went top 5. He had an awful Memorial Cup, and I don't think he projects as an elite #1C in the NHL. He lacks explosive skating. I think he's closer to a RNH level of #1 pick, if thats where he goes in the draft.

I'll disagree on him not going top 5, I think that's a a little bit of an over-statement.

I think he likely would've gone 3-5 depending on a team's preferences. Also keeping in mind that he was 3-9 months younger than the other guys in that conversation.

I'd say he projects more as a Jason Spezza than a RNH.

 

[Konamic Ice Hockey]

Patrick was the highest scoring 2017 draftee. He is 6'3" and 194 he will be 200 in his draft year. When I saw him he looked like a a kid a year older. If he hits 6'4" and 220 when he gets to the NHL he will be a stud. He also was tied for first in points in the WHL playoffs. The WHL teams this year in the Mem cup just did not have the overall talent that the OHL teams had, His lack of points was more a showing on the team.

I think this draft belongs to kids that play on the other side of the pond.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Yeah, Patrick's a good player, I'm just not convinced he's the player that the Canadian media is trying to make him out to be. He's not the next McDavid, I don't think he's even the next Tavares, Stamkos, MacKinnon. He's a good player, but I'm not sure he's the level of the center that the last two drafts have had with McDavid, Eichel and Matthews. If I was picking, as of now, I'd take Liljegren first, Patrick second.

 

[Fitzy]

I'll be keeping notes on some undrafted defensemen in the ECAC this season.

Nick Desimone of Union
Gavin Bayreuther of St. Lawrence
Max Gottlieb of Brown
Alec McCrea of Cornell

 

[Trxjw]

I haven't read anything declaring Patrick on the same level as McDavid or Eichel. I think putting him in that Barkov/MacKinnon tier is totally reasonable.

I'll wait to see how they perform this season before I declare Patrick or Liljegren the clear #1. This time last year everyone had Chychrun in the top two. It was Matthews or Chychrun. This year people kept telling me there's no way he'd fall out of the top-10. No way Bean and McAvoy would go ahead of him. Fell all the way to 16. A year makes a massive difference.

 

[Edge]

I would agree that right now I don't think Patrick is near the McDavid or Stamkos category.

It's too early to tell if he's in the Eichel, Matthews, Tavares range yet. We'll have a better indication in about six months.

Thus far he reminds me a lot of Jason Spezza, a big offensive forward who uses his size to his advantage but isn't an aggressive, banging power forward. Like Spezza, skating is what seperates him from the elite, but he definitely projects as an excellent player.

 

[Leetch3]

I like how we are debating how good Patrick is like we are going to pick in the top 65 and have a shot at him LOL

 

[Edge]

I like how we are debating how good Patrick is like we are going to pick in the top 65 and have a shot at him LOL

The wonders of the offseason.

It'll be nice to have a first round pick to discuss for a change.

 

[Joey Bones]

My really early top 10 for the 2017 draft....

1. Nolan Patrick
2. Timothy Liljegren
3. Casey Mittelstadt
4. Maxime Comtois
5. Antoine Morand
6. Kristian Veselainen
7. Juuso Valimaki
8. Callan Foote
9. Eeli Tolvanen
10. Kailer Yamamoto


This is another great year for the Americans and Fins. Swedes are well represented, too.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

My really early top 10 for the 2017 draft....

1. Nolan Patrick
2. Timothy Liljegren
3. Casey Mittelstadt
4. Maxime Comtois
5. Antoine Morand
6. Kristian Veselainen
7. Juuso Valimaki
8. Callan Foote
9. Eeli Tolvanen
10. Jake Oettinger


This is another great year for the Americans and Fins. Swedes are well represented, too.

That is a good projection for the top-10. I personally expect Stelio Mattheos and Kailer Yamamoto to possibly make the top10