NHL Central Scouting has released their final rankings of the eligible prospects for the 2017 Entry Draft, and Nolan Patrick has retained his #1 spot. Despite an injury-riddled season that saw him miss much of the first half and the entire first round of the playoffs—Brandon was swept without their best player—the Wheat Kings’ superstar will fend off Nico Hischier and his rising stock.
This doesn’t necessarily mean Patrick will be selected first overall by whoever wins the draft lottery, but it does bode well for how confident scouts are with his ability to bounce back from the injuries and still be an impact player at the next level.
Hischier does hold the second spot among North American skaters, while Casey Mittelstadt takes the third spot after his outstanding season split between high school and the USHL. Mittelstadt has already committed to the University of Minnesota, but that won’t stop many teams from picking him in the top five.
Among the other notable rankings is Timothy Liljegren, who at one point was expected to be the second-overall pick in June. Now all the way down at #6 among international skaters, he may be a big prize for a mid-round selection. His draft season has been even worse than Patrick’s, after battling mono early on and fighting for ice time late in the season. He may be the third defenseman off the board behind Cale Makar and Miro Heiskanen.
Jake Oettinger easily climbs to the top ranking among North American goaltenders, and has a chance to go in the first round after his standout season at Boston University. Despite being just 17 for much of the season, Oettinger ranked among the nation’s best goaltenders putting up a .927 save percentage while going 21-11-3.
One of the biggest drops was Maxime Comtois, who was ranked 15th at mid-season but is now listed down at 30. The Victoriaville winger had a very disappointing season, but still possesses the size and offensive ability to make him an interesting choice, especially if he falls into the second round. Any team selecting him would be betting on his future development, instead of evaluating on this season.