With the World Junior Championships over after the United States took gold, several prospects headed for the 2017 NHL Draft saw their stock rise. For many, like Nico Hischier, the international showcase served as a boon for his professional career. Casey Mittelstadt, on the other hand, has turned heads at the high school level. They’re both likely to see it pay off this summer when Chicago hosts the draft in late June.
ISS Hockey released their latest rankings and still have center Nolan Patrick and Swedish defenseman Timothy Liljegren as #1 and #2 respectively. Patrick has been nursing an upper body injury, and while he’s played only six games for the Brandon Wheat Kings this season, he remains at the top of the list. Liljegren, who didn’t play in the WJC, remains the top ranked defenseman.
Sam McCaig of Puck Daddy writes the following on Hischier and Mittelstadt:
Hischier, a right winger who plays for the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, turned heads at the WJC with four goals and seven points in five games for his native Switzerland. As a result, Hischier rose from the No. 8-ranked prospect a month ago all the way to No. 3. Mittelstadt, a centre who’s playing high school hockey in Minnesota and has committed to the University of Minnesota next year, went from No. 12 up to No. 6.
When Sportsnet conducted its rankings in early December, Patrick remained at the top of the list as well. But Jeff Marek did bring up the case of Gord Kluzak, who played only 38 games in the year he was drafted. If the name isn’t familiar, there’s a good reason for that. Kluzak succumbed to a knee injury and would go on to have 10 surgeries following the injury. He did end up playing 299 games with the Boston Bruins, but injuries shortened–and hampered–his career.
While Marek doesn’t think that Patrick will travel down the same path, he also writes that NHL scouts he spoke with weren’t too concerned with him not playing in the WJC. Marek, prior to the Championships, also noted Hischier’s rise.
ISS January Rankings: Top Ten
- Nolan Patrick – Center – Brandon – WHL
- Timothy Liljegren – Defenseman – Rogle – Sweden
- Nico Hischier – Center – Halifax – QMJHL
- Gabe Vilardi – Center – Windsor – OHL
- Owen Tippett – Right Wing – Mississauga – OHL
- Casey Mittlestadt – Center – Eden Prairie High School
- Michael Rasmussen – Center – Tri City – WHL
- Callan Foote – Defenseman – Kelowna – WHL
- Klim Kostin – Center – Dynamo – KHL
- Eeli Tolvanen – Left Wing – Sioux City – USHL
I really hate when draft experts bring up Gord Kluzak as a warning for drafting injured prospects. Yes, Kluzak’s case is an absolute worst case scenario but medical science in sports has come an insanely long way since then. It’s been widely believed that Kluzak, and even Bobby Orr, would not have sustained the continuous re-injuries that they did because doctors today can fix all of the issues in surgery while rehab strengthens not only the injured area but the surrounding area as well. Plus, in Kluzak and Orr’s eras, players would intentionally try to hurt any game changers and would target known soft spots in order to win. That level of ruthlessness does not exist in today’s NHL.
Now none of this really pertains to Patrick since his injury has nothing to do with his knees. No one has specified what he’s been out with but some are speculating it has to do with the sports hernia injury he had fixed last summer. The common speculation is he came back too early and re-injured himself but again, nothing’s been confirmed.
I agree, it was the same case for Morgan Rielly. And he’s been fantastic for the Leafs since