Official 2017 NHL Draft Thread

[LegionOfDoom91]

It's early but we already have the the Hlinka done & the euro leagues started up or about to at least. Meanwhile the CHL is about to start up & the American Prospect game is on the 22nd of September.

So I figured we should start this up as some information is going to be coming out soon.

Click to read more...

 

[Maurice of Orange]

With the 1st pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft The Colorado Avalanche select....

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I think Toronto will have a similar year to what Buffalo just had this past year. Bad but not that bad. So I don't see them picking in the top 5 next year personally.

 

[flyersjim73]

I think Toronto will have a similar year to what Buffalo just had this past year. Bad but not that bad. So I don't see them picking in the top 5 next year personally.

Yea, I agree. IMO Vancouver heads the list of teams with the best chance at the #1 overall pick next year.

On a side note since you already mentioned them, I don't like Buffalo's core going forward as much as others. Really don't see anything special there. When everybody kept grouping mcdavid and eichle together as the clear cut top two in the draft I never really got it. Eichle may or may not end up being the second best player in that draft but when it comes down to it, it's going to be mcdavid then a gap the size of the Grand Canyon before the second best player to come out that year. Losing that lottery was a bigger deal than people (especially people in buffalo) want to admit. Not really sure where this mini-rant came from but /rant.

 

[Roo Mad Bro]

In for a forward in the 1st round.

Size, skill and speed on the wings please.

Yea, I agree. IMO Vancouver heads the list of teams with the best chance at the #1 overall pick next year.

On a side note since you already mentioned them, I don't like Buffalo's core going forward as much as others. Really don't see anything special there. When everybody kept grouping mcdavid and eichle together as the clear cut top two in the draft I never really got it. Eichle may or may not end up being the second best player in that draft but when it comes down to it, it's going to be mcdavid then a gap the size of the Grand Canyon before the second best player to come out that year. Losing that lottery was a bigger deal than people (especially people in buffalo) want to admit. Not really sure where this mini-rant came from but /rant.

It's Eichel, but I agree completely with what you're saying.

McDavid will be the best player in the league sooner than later. Eichel could be a franchise 1C but there is a big gap between the two IMO. And I've been saying that for some time as well.

I think their core is overrated as well. Not sold on Murray as a GM.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

One good thing going for Buffalo is that Alex Nylander falls under the Julius Honka rule. He was on loan from his Swedish club to Mississauga. So he doesn't fall under the CHL/NHL agreement. So he's eligible for the AHL this year & all indications are that's where he'll be. So they could get value out of him at the NHL level sooner than later which is big.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

I say the top 5 2017 draft order could be:
#1 Colorado
#2 Arizona
#3 Vancouver
#4 Las Vegas
#5 Detroit

 

[Chinatown88]

Hoping for another forward in the 1st.

 

[JWEKD]

I say the top 5 2017 draft order could be:
#1 Vancouver
#2 Carolina
#3 Columbus
#4 Las Vegas
#5 Toronto

Carolina 2? Damn. What do you see there for them to drop? They were in playoff contention last season until late.

 

[FLYguy3911]

It's Eichel, but I agree completely with what you're saying.

McDavid will be the best player in the league sooner than later. Eichel could be a franchise 1C but there is a big gap between the two IMO. And I've been saying that for some time as well.

I think their core is overrated as well. Not sold on Murray as a GM.

They need to start adding pieces on the backend. I don't think Ristolainen is as good as people make him out to be, but even if he is, they still don't have much outside of him back there and not much in the pipeline.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Defense looks good again on the surface right now. You got a big guy like Nicolas Hague who's legitimately shown offensive potential to this point. I'd imagine NHL people are hoping he continues to progress enough to be top 10 selection worthy. Despite the good depth you didn't really have that last year.

 

[Roo Mad Bro]

They need to start adding pieces on the backend. I don't think Ristolainen is as good as people make him out to be, but even if he is, they still don't have much outside of him back there and not much in the pipeline.

Yep. Looks like on their board they have 2 dmen so far in their top 14 voted prospects (Borgen and Nelson).

Decent prospects but nothing special.

 

[Roo Mad Bro]

Defense looks good again on the surface right now. You got a big guy like Nicolas Hague who's legitimately shown offensive potential to this point. I'd imagine NHL people are hoping he continues to progress enough to be top 10 selection worthy. Despite the good depth you didn't really have that last year.

Good. Hope there are enough dmen to keep pushing higher end forward talent down to the 15-20 range (where I'm guessing they will be drafting next June).

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Good. Hope there are enough dmen to keep pushing higher end forward talent down to the 15-20 range (where I'm guessing they will be drafting next June).

Klim Kostin is an intriguing case. He's coming off a strong Hlinka & Four Nations tourneys in the last month. It seems like some think he's a top 5-10 talent but he plays in Russia. So it will be interesting to see if keeps he progressing & if so whether teams will want to take a guy there they might have to wait longer on potentially.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=312823

After the past two drafts & the free agents we've pluck from there recently. It's certainly worth monitoring on Russians playing over there now.

 

[Rebels57]

I say the top 5 2017 draft order could be:
#1 Vancouver
#2 Carolina
#3 Columbus
#4 Las Vegas
#5 Toronto

You couldnt be further off with Carolina.

Theyll be in the mix for the final playoff spot in the East.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

The bottom 10 from last year was:
30. Toronto
29. Edmonton
28. Vancouver
27. Columbus
26. Calgary
25. Winnipeg
24. Arizona
23. Buffalo
22. Montreal
21. Colorado

I think Vancouver & Columbus are right back there in contention for the top pick again this year. Of course you could always have a bubble team like Winnipeg this year get hit with injuries & fall down that far too. So tough to really tell where everybody will slot in the end of the season standings.

 

[kelmitchell]

With the 1st pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft The Vancouver Canucks select....

Nolan patrick (C/RW) calling it

 

[Rebels57]

I can see Van finishing last but that doesnt mean they'll pick 1st with the lottery factoring in.

Toronto will be terrible again too.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I can see Van finishing last but that doesnt mean they'll pick 1st with the lottery factoring in.

Toronto will be terrible again too.

Of course. I wasn't trying to account for ping pong balls as that's pure randomness. It's why I said in contention & mentioned last years end of the year standings without the lottery changes.

 

[daynus]

I too

Am dumbfounded Carolina at 2, I would put them at 15-16, very close to the bubble.
Van yah either Patrick or a sexy rhd from Sweden. Either of those 2 would speed up their turn around.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

You couldnt be further off with Carolina.

Theyll be in the mix for the final playoff spot in the East.

Columbus too. I think they will be in the mix for a playoff spot as well.

 

[Appleyard]

Wrote an article this week on 5 Euro players who will be re-entering the draft next year who could be interesting given their talent levels depending on how they play this season:

http://pucksandrecreation.com/tim-wahlgren-igor-shvyrov-prospects/

Some of them could easily be interesting guys for 2017.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I feel like college re-entries have become pretty popular in recent years. Obviously the hits on Gostisbehere & Parayko will get people to start looking for the next possible ones like that. However I feel like teams are starting to draft some of these guys just to avoid competition down the road if they were to turn UFA too.

 

[Chinatown88]

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-nolan-patrick-stands-above-the-rest-1.566071

Button's September list for the 2017 draft.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Craig's buying high off Poehling's Hlinka showing. He's pulling a Hanifin/Werenski buy attending St. Cloud State a year earlier this year.