2017 NHL Mock Draft: First Edition

Here is my first edition of my 2017 NHL Mock Draft.

1. New Jersey Devils- Nolan Patrick, Center, Brandon (WHL): He's been the guy from the very start of the draft process. But just like in year's past, another player puts together a great season and makes a charge for the top spot. Last season it was Patrik Laine who put on a great campaign to knock off Austin Matthews for the top spot and in 2015 it was Jack Eichel who put forth a valiant effort to go number one over Connor McDavid. Just like those drafts, the team in the top spot will stick with the guy who's been at the top the whole time.

2. Philadelphia Flyers- Nico Hischier, Center, Halifax (QMJHL): The Flyers are still pumped about winning a top-three selection in the draft lottery, so they don’t really care whether it’s Nolan or Nico. They get Nico, an extremely promising playmaker, and make him the highest-drafted Swiss player of all time. 

3. Dallas Stars- Gabriel Vilardi, Center, Windsor (OHL): One of the OHL's top players in 2016/17, Vilardi is a big centre who has great offensive awareness and the dynamic skill to take advantage. While he is not the fastest player on the ice, he can maneuver in a phone booth and make things happen with a great passing ability.

4. Colorado Avalanche- Owen Tippett, Wing, Mississauga (OHL): With talented, young centres Matt Duchene and Tyson Jost already in the stable, the Avalanche pick up the drafts top winger. Tippett is
a speedster who has a knack for finding the back of the net, proven by his 44 goals in 60 games for the Mississauga Steelheads.

5. Vancouver Canucks- Cody Glass, Center, Portland (WHL): Having grown a couple of inches and gained some muscle in the process, Glass has been rising up draft boards around the NHL. Glass
plays strong on the puck and uses his excellent speed to create space and finish with his quick release.

6. Las Vegas Golden Knights- Casey Mittelsdalt, Center, Eden (High-MN): At 6-foot-1 and 200-pounds, Mittelstadt has ideal size to go along with his elite skill. Playing for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, the centre put up 30 points in just 24 games. He has a fantastic first step and can use his quickness to make defenders miss.

7. Arizona Coyotes- Cale Makar, Defenseman, Brooks (AJHL): The Coyotes are loaded with high-end offensive talent, so they go for a dynamic blueliner who can lead the offense from the backend. Makar has some question marks, but the Coyotes see his upside and simply can’t pass up on him.

8. Buffalo Sabres- Miro Heiskanen, Defenseman, HIFK Helsinki (SM-Liiga): Heiskanen is an excellent two-way defender with top-pairing potential. Having played his entire draft year in Finland’s top professional league, Heiskanen is one of the most pro-ready prospects available.

 9. Detroit Red Wings- Timothy Liljegren, Defenseman, Rogle (SHL): Liljegren is a fast, strong player who many thought would be a top-five pick at the start of the year. Injuries derailed his season, but the potential is still there for the young Finn and Detroit is hoping to reap the rewards of his tumble to ninth.

10. Florida Panthers- Nick Suzuki, Center, Owen (OHL): The Panthers have many options, but decide to go with the best player available. Plain and simple. Suzuki is a promising playmaker with a strong two-way game who can help the Panthers get back on track in the near future.

11. Los Angeles Kings- Klim Kostin, Center, Dynamo (KHL): A big body, a non-stop motor, and a quick release - that's what the Panthers are getting with the versatile forward. Kostin is a guy that will work hard in the dirty areas and use his size to keep possession of the puck. Once he fills out his big
frame, he could be a beast in the NHL.

12. Carolina Hurricanes- Michael Rasmussen, Center, Tri-City (WHL): The Hurricanes have some promising talent on every position, but want to add another potential top-six centre to the fold. Rasmussen isn’t everyone’s favourite, but he could be a steal if he works out the way Carolina is hoping.

13. Winnipeg Jets- Juuso Valimaki, Defenseman, Tri-City (WHL): At 13, Winnipeg is happy to pick up one of Finland’s many up-and-coming prospects in two-way defenceman Juuso Valimaki. At this point, the Jets find Eeli Tolvanen almost too good to pass up on, but they decide a D-man is the higher priority with this pick.

14. Tampa Bay Lightning- Eeli Tolvanen, Wing, Sioux City (USHL): Although he's a bit undersized, Tolvanen exhibits great speed, skill, and intensity on the ice. The winger has a quick release and a
powerful shot, making his one-timer extremely dangerous. He loves to shoot and should become an effective goal scorer at the highest level.

15. New York Islanders- Martin Necas, Center, Brno (CZREP): An offensive-minded centre, Necas has great lateral movement and can make defenders miss in space. He has good vision of the ice and can dissect the play quickly when on the rush.

16. Calgary Flames- Callan Foote, Defenseman, Kelowna (WHL): Following a similar storyline to last year's draft, the Flames once again take a player with a strong NHL lineage. Foote is a big, right-shot defenceman who has a powerful shot from the point. He is able to use his size and skating ability to take away time and space from opposing forwards.

17. Toronto Maple Leafs- Erik Brannstrom, Defenseman, HV (SHL): Three of the NHL’s top four highest-scoring rookies this season are part of the Maple Leafs organisation. What the club is still missing, however, is a strong defenceman, and the Leafs are hoping to get that in Brannstrom. A smart and dynamic blueliner who is solid in his own end but stands out whenever he touches the puck.

18. Boston Bruins- Lias Andersson, Center, HV (SHL): The Bruins pick up an intelligent centre who has the hockey IQ, leadership, and decision making qualities of a more mature player. Andersson is not the most skilled centre in the draft, but he brings solid instincts in the offensive zone and always makes the right play.

19. San Jose Sharks- Nicolas Hague, Defenseman, Mississauga (OHL): Hague is a large young man at 6-foot-6, but he combines that size with plenty of skill. He has good straight line speed, which helps him when retreating back into his own zone. He has a big point shot and he has the potential to be a big-time offensive contributor from the back-end.

20. St. Louis Blues- Kristian Vesalainen, Wing, Frolunda (SHL): Blues GM Doug Armstrong can’t help but crack a smile as he announces St. Louis’s pick, still somewhat afraid he might’ve missed that Vesalainen is already off the board. A highly talented winger who can play a punishing power-forward game, Vesalainen is a perfect fit with the Blues, and might be looked at as a major steal just a couple of years from now.

21. New York Rangers- Isaac Ratcliffe, Wing, Guelph (OHL): A big boy - 6-foot-5 to be exact - Ratcliffe loves to throw his weight around on the ice. He's a strong skater with a big shot, but is still fairly raw.

22. Edmonton Oilers- Urho Vaakanainen, Defenseman, JYP (Liiga): The Oilers have a long history of failing to develop defence, up to the point where they felt the need to trade star winger Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. Yet, they give it another try, this time going for two-way blueliner in Vaakanainen. The Finn brings pro experience and solid upside to Alberta

23. Arizona Coyotes (via Minnesota Wild)- Kailer Yamamoto, Wing, Spokane (WHL): Being the organisation that had the guts to make a 26-year-old ‘numbers guy’ their GM, drafting Cale Makar and Kailer Yamamoto in the first round of the draft would definitely be a Coyote thing to do. Arizona gets another incredibly talented but undersized prospect that could develop into a Johnny Gaudreau-level scorer in the NHL.

24. Columbus Blue Jackets- Shane Bowers, Center, Waterloo (USHL): A gritty centre, Bowers can make life hard on the opposition. He uses his body well to protect the puck and he's willing to go play in the dirty areas. Armed with a quick shot, he is quite dangerous around the net.

25. Montreal Canadiens- Robert Thomas, Center, London (OHL): The London Knights seem to be a factory for first round picks. This year, it's Thomas, who is a strong two-way player that does everything well. He makes good reads and plays with tenacity.

26. Chicago Blackhawks- Pierre-Oliver Joseph, Defenseman, Charlottetown (QMJHL): Joseph has limited upside but good NHL potential. He is a hard worker who can defend and move the puck, which is enough to move into the first round as a strong two-way player.

27. St. Louis Blues (via Washington Capitals)- Maxime Comotis, Wing, Victoriaville (QMJHL): Comtois is the typical low-floor, low-ceiling type of player. He seems like a lock to make the NHL in one role or another, but the Blues might have to be fine with getting a bottom-six grinder with a strong two-way game here, rather than an exciting offensive contributor. Then again, Comtois has nice offensive potential as well.

28. Ottawa Senators- Joshua Norris, Center, NTDP (USHL): The American plays with lots of energy and contributes on both ends of the ice. He's a good stick-handler who does a good job of protecting the puck. While he may not be the most skilled forward in the draft, his consistent high-tempo style of play creates quality chances more often than not.

29. Dallas Stars (via Anaheim Ducks)- Joni Ikonen, Center, Frolunda (SHL): Ikonen has incredible offensive potential thanks to excellent hockey IQ and outstanding puck skills. With their two picks, Dallas could be one of the big winners of this round

30. Nashville Predators- Jason Robertson, Wing, Hamilton (OHL): Playing in the Stanley Cup finals comes with a price tag one we head into the draft. But the Predators probably don’t give a damn. They cap off a fantastic season with a solid first-round draft pick in Jason Robertson. The goal-scoring winger has some work to do, but it could well pay off for the Preds in the future. 

31. Pittsburgh Penguins- Max Gildon, Defenseman, NTDP (USHL): The American two-way defender had a slow start into the year but really turned it around and now looks like a prospect with second-pairing upside again. The Pens are in no rush to bring their 2017 draft picks in, so they don’t mind taking Gildon with their only pick in the top two rounds of the draft.