Nolan Patrick – McKeen's Hockey

Claude-Busting – Philadelphia Flyers 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 17:45:42 +0000

REVIEW/STATE OF PLAY - Things were looking bleak as December began. The Flyers were in 28^th place in the NHL with an 8-11-7 record. They had finished out of the playoffs three times in the last five years and bowed out in the first round twice. From that point everything fell into place and they posted an impressive 34-15-7 over the last 56 games to finish third in the Metropolitan and clinch a playoff berth.

GIROUX AND COUTURIER DOMINATE - The surge was fuelled by a brilliant season from a top line anchored by Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier, tethered together for 80 percent of their ice time at 5v5. The first third of the season was spent with Jakub Voracek and the last half spent with 21-year-old Travis Konecny. Giroux topped 100 points to finish second in league scoring, and fourth in Hart Trophy voting, while Couturier finished second in Selke voting and shattered career highs with 31 goals and 76 points.

Konecny flourished beside Grioux and Couturier scoring 20 goals in 43 games (43-20-14) from January 1^st. Konecny benefitted from a high shooting percentage of 13.6% but progress made heading into his third NHL season is cause for optimism, particularly if he remains on the top line.

Jakub Voracek scored a career high of 85 points. A force throughout the season, he was consistent regardless of center, seeing time with Couturier at first, Filppula briefly and rookie Nolan Patrick for the last 33 games. Voracek scored at almost a point a game while together (33-12-18-30) while 19-year-old Nolan Patrick a respectable 19 points (33-9-10-19) while displaying consistency. The played the last 22 games with 21-year-old rookie Oskar Lindbolm flanking them.

The veterans returning to their superstar status after two sub seasons was a big story line, the most exciting aspect of the 2017-18 season was the number of youthful players that are developing into the next generation of stars. Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny represent potentially high-end additions to the offence.

Shayne Gostisbehere

BRIGHT YOUNG STARS ON DEFENSE - Two very bright young stars on the blueline helped power the surge in offense, contributing significantly from the back end. The Flyers received 50 goals from the blueline which is the most since 1992-93, 30 from 25-year-old Shayne Gostisbehere and 21-year-old Ivan Provorov combined. Gostisbehere received Norris trophy votes (10^th) while scoring 65 points - the most by a Flyers blueliner since 93-94. Provorov tied for the lead league in defense goal scoring with 17, and in even strength goals 15^th. He placed 10^th in the league in time on ice, killing penalties and playing the power play at a tender young age.

As a team they saw a leap in goals scored from 212 (18^th) to 237 (12^th) and are transitioning with high end young talent in the line-up and resurgent veterans. They still boast a strong prospect system that should include more promotions in the future. None more anticipated than Carter Hart in goal. He will join the AHL this season after being named best goaltender in the Western Hockey League for the third straight season, and second in three years as the best goaltender in the CHL. He is the future, but unlikely it is this season.

The Flyers have been stockpiling the goaltending cupboard for some time and a source of concern over recent seasons. This season is no exception with veterans Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth holding down the cage. Elliott is the presumed number one, but Neuvirth can mount a challenge. Both are free agents at the end of the season and should be motivated but the problem is neither are particularly healthy, and both went through injuries last season. Should a call be made, 6’6” prospect Anthony Stolarz is likely most ready out of Lehigh in the AHL, or Alex Lyon who appeared in 11 games with the big club last year.

SPECIAL TEAMS CONCERNS - Special teams need further improvements. Given their firepower one would assume their power play would be better than 15^th (20.7%). Their penalty kill is dreadful finishing 29^th in the league (75.8%) and they lose Valteri Filppula - who was key penalty killer for them. Finishing 22^nd in save percentage underscores their challenge in net.

To help the power play they signed free agent James Van Reimsdyk bringing a 30-goal scorer with one of the best net front presences in the NHL. He joins fellow teammate Wayne Simmonds, in the last year of a contract, in providing elite skills in that unique specialty and making goaltender miserable. Former first round pick Simmonds may find himself a trade chip with apparent replacement Van Reimsdyk signed for five years at a $7 million AAV. If playoffs are in reach they may use him as their own rental. He endured an injury filled campaign, but has been a model of health, only missing 14 games in the previous ten seasons and it is too early to suggest his style of play is catching up to him.

In the off-season they added 27-year-old defenseman Christian Folin giving them a right shot option on defense. Andrew MacDonald and Radko Gudas will be the other regular. Serviceable if not spectactular. The youth movement was further by rookies 22-year-old Travis Sanheim and 23-year-old Robert Hagg. Sanheim saw 49 games worth of actions. Folin’s addition buys them some more development time.

OVERVIEW - The Flyers seem to have the best of both worlds, high end prospects already in the NHL, a pipeline brimming with more, and a veteran core that performed at their peak. Can all the elements come together in the next few seasons for a serious run while making a generational shift? Questions in goal and whether the veterans can repeat last season heroics will determine whether they are a playoff team but they looked unbeatable down the stretch and were tied for 5^th in the league from December on.

McKeen’s Prospects: Looking back at our rankings at the quarter mark

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 17:26:31 +0000

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 27: Philadelphia Flyers Center Nolan Patrick (19) skates during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers on November 27, 2017, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

When putting together a top prospect list, as we did for the recent McKeens yearbook, one of the ever-present challenges is balancing the immediate gratification of “ready-now” players, with what we perceive to be greater potential big-picture value. Even though we led off our top 250 with Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, respectively, two teenagers fresh off their selection at the top of the 2017 Entry Draft, we did not really believe them to offer the best short term value among prospects.

Both of those players have been performing well at the NHL level as first year pros, but they earned their stops at the top of the rankings for the length of their development that is still to come.

Conversely, our rankings for the Calder Trophy looks not at best prospect in general, but focused on players we saw as having more opportunity to shine right now. That is one reason why Hischier was slotted behind Patrick in the overall prospect ranking, but outmanned him by nine spots in the Calder rankings. Another way of looking at that disparity is through the lens of Spencer Foo, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Calgary Flames after a stellar run at Union College. We saw a good opportunity for his skill set and maturity to earn him a top nine role right away, giving us comfort in ranking him ninth (one ahead of Patrick) in the Calder rankings, while only giving him the highly coveted 112 spot in the overall prospect rankings.

With the 2017-18 season now almost two months, and slightly over one quarter of the way through, this is as good a time as any to look at players we missed on. The easiest place to start would be with the aforementioned Foo. Instead, Foo failed to impress the Flames’ brass in pre-season, and was sent back to Stockton, where he has found the professional game to be more difficult than he (and we) had expected. Through 17 games with the Heat, he has scored but a single goal, to go along with five assists.

Another player for whom I am starting to downgrade expectations is our fifth ranked prospect, the Oilers’ Jesse Puljujarvi. I had long thought of him as a very mature player, with a high-end two-way game. Someone as likely to play on the first PK unit as he was to pot 20-25 goals on the regular. After all, he was trending in that direction as a 17 year old playing with men in Liiga and Mestis, Finland’s top two levels. I still see him as a strong two-way player, who should have a long NHL career. But looking at what he has achieved since being drafted (and it is still very early) highlights the fact that although he was always pushed to play among older players, he never sustained great offense at any senior level. He may simply lack that creative, dynamic element that is necessary on a first line. He looks more middle six than top six.

While some players step up to new levels and destroy the competition as handily as they had against their former set of competition, others take a few months, or even a season and change, to find their feet. I am happy to shine a light on a player exceeding expectations early, but will try to reserve judgement on players who need some more time to acclimatize. Cale Makar is doing well enough as a freshman at UMass-Amherst, but not really outperforming less heralded fellow freshman blueliner Mario Ferraro. Even more disconcerting, Colin White has struggled mightily in his first full season in the AHL, with only five points in his first 12 games. So why would I be down on Foo and not on White? For the simply reason that Foo is three years older – he has less time available to him to make his mark.

Like Foo, although not to the same extent, Zach Aston-Reese brought high expectations with him when he signed a contract as a collegiate free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a high-scoring Hobey Baker Award finalist, he was expected to take the fast track to the NHL in Western Pennsylvania. As a 23 year old, his window was similarly limited. With two goals and nine point sin his first 15 games this year in the AHL with the Baby Pens, he is on his way to blowing his one big chance. He has shown enough that I am not bearish with him as I am with Foo, but I am concerned.

I have no worries about the slow hand Ottawa is taking with future superstar Thomas Chabot. The team clearly prefers that he learn the ropes away from the bright lights in Belleville. The B-Sens are not the best team in the AHL, but he is holding his own, and has performed well enough in his brief NHL cameos, with three assists through his first five NHL games, with decent possession metrics, albeit in sheltered usage. His future remains bright, even if it will not begin as soon as we had anticipated a few months ago, ranking him fifth in the Calder chase.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 02: Montreal Canadiens Defenceman Victor Mete (53) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadians on November 2, 2017 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.The Wild defeated the Canadians 6-3.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

For every player we missed on the high side, there is one we missed by underrating. We had rated Victor Mete ninth among all Montreal prospects, behind two other blueliners. He was outside of the top 250 altogether. We recognized his great mobility and a strong point shot, but were not convinced he could be more than a good number four, and we certainly did not think him ready for steady NHL action. Not only did he make the Habs out of training camp, but he played with Shea Weber in the early goings. He has not looked out of place, although I still suspect that he will be sent back to the London Knights before playing a 40^th game and burning a year service time. He has been burned in the back too often of late and has seen his minutes dwindling as a result. Further, his relative Corsi% is ahead of only Joe Morrow among current Montreal defenders. Even though he is still raw, he deserved to be ranked higher than ninth with Montreal, and should have made the top 250.

While we were clearly too low on Mete, at least in his case, we had him ranked in the top 20 of his organization. There are two players who have seen significant action in the NHL, and have performed even better than Mete, who fell short of organizational top 20. The first is Robert Hagg, defenseman of Philadelphia. We were, of course, well aware of Hagg. The former second round pick was a three time participant for Team Sweden at the WJC and had already spent three full seasons learning the North American game in the AHL, first coming over at age 19. He played a relatively quiet game, with a modicum of offense through in from the point. He has plus mobility and was very reliable when it came to getting the puck out of his own end. What kept Hagg from the book was a combination of a very deep Philadelphia system and a crippling propensity to commit an unforced error on an almost daily basis. He has been receiving a ton of ice time for the Flyers in the early going, but his good press show more luck than skill. He has not been sheltered by coach Dave Hakstol, starting more than his share of shifts in the defensive zone. It stands to reason that his shot share is in the red. On the other hand, for every goal that was scored against the Flyers with Hagg on the ice at even strength, three were scored by Philly. That good fortune will run out. In spite of his early, unexpected success, Hagg still lacks the upside of many of the other prospects in the Philadelphia system, but as a usable now player who has a relatively high floor, he should have been able to sneak onto the Philadelphia top 20.

The other player I want to point out in this exercise is New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt. Bratt is neither the leading nor the runner-up in scoring for a New Jersey rookie, but that is more indicative of the strength of the Devils’ rookie class than an indictment of Bratt’s play, as he is currently fifth in team scoring with 14 points through his first 23 games. Undersized, but quick and with exciting hands, the former sixth rounder has been a revelation in the early-goings. He has even taken on a crucial role in the team’s second PK unit, scoring once. While his possession numbers are middling, they stand up well enough in comparison to his teammates’. So why did he miss our NJ top 20? Had we hewed more closely to our objective 20/80 scores, he actually would have slotted in around 15^th. But we chose to deviate for the pure scouting scores. The reason behind that approach was that at a certain point, the difference between the scores is not as exact as the numbers suggest. While a 55 OFP is clearly better than a 52, a 53 and a 51 are really rather close. Further, when scores are close, we usually leaned towards the player deemed closer to his prime. We made the very false assumption that, at still only 19 years of age, we would have more chances to view Bratt among his peers, seemingly as an import player with the London Knights in the OHL. More than Hagg, Bratt looks like the real deal.

It is still too early to come to any broad conclusions about the art of prospecting. In any ranking, showing what can only be a snapshot in time, there will be players whose relative positioning are not truly indicative of what they are or will be. For both good and bad. We will miss on a few every year, but we will never be afraid of looking back at our misses to refine our process and produce rankings that are better and better with each passing season.

Philadelphia – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 07:32:34 +0000

To paraphrase an old axiom from the days of legitimate voter fraud, the Philadelphia Flyers draft early and draft often. With 28 selections over the last three draft classes, including two top ten selections, the Flyers have rebuilt a system that had been lackluster at best and now ranks as one of the deepest and most impressive in the game.

Even with two of the better players of those three drafts already bonafide NHLers, this system has players for every position and every role. There are seven forwards who can all lay some claim to having top six upside. That is not to say that they will force out the dynamic NHL duo of Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, but they will add significant breadth to the Flyers’ attack once they are ready to produce. The backhalf of the top ten – and looking deeper than them as well – has many more forwards who have games well suited for bottom six roles.

Looking at the blueline, and considering that the Flyers already have an awesome pair of young ones who have already graduated in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov, there is much more on the way. Near the top of this list there are two – Philippe Myers and Travis Sanheim – who both have second pairing upside and look relatively near to being ready. Further down the list, we rank two other defenders who have NHL upside, but players like Robert Hagg or David Bernhardt, who would likely have fit into many other organizational top 20s, also could play in the NHL in some role.

Even with the above, it almost feels silly to suggest that the blueline might be the weakest positional area in the system. The players are good, some very good, but it is true that the Flyers are not deep in blueliners who have not yet graduated to NHL roles.

Finally, that leaves us with the goaltending. The Flyers, always known for being a goalie graveyard, have stockpiled goalie after goalie, trusting the eye of their GM, himself a longtime NHL netminder, to pick ones with high-end potential. Even though the team does not have an incumbent of great standing for the top level, it is rather difficult to say with any certainty which of their prospects is the heir-apparent, or even which is most ready to break through. We ranked Carter Hart ahead of Felix Sandstrom in the rankings, but there was very little space between the two.

Anthony Stolarz has looked sharp in limited NHL action, but if push came to shove, we would not bet too much cash that if the Flyers had a long term need at the position this year, they would not call up Alex Lyon instead. Beyond that, it would not be totally surprising if any of their other three netminders – Matej Tomek, Kirill Ustimenko, or Ivan Fedotov – eventually emerges as the best NHL player, although it is reasonable to note for now that they are all further away.

Patrick Nolan of the Brandon Wheat Kings, photo by

1 Nolan Patrick – Favored to be the 2017 first overall pick since before the 2016 draft, Patrick lost nearly half of his draft season to groin and shoulder injuries and still had many expecting him to go first overall. The Flyers did not mind one bit when he dropped to second. A strong, big-game player, he had the highest hockey IQ of anyone in the draft. Skating, shooting, and puck skills are also all high end. Assuming health, he should be able to step right into a middle six role with the Flyers, and has first line upside.

2 Travis Sanheim – The former first round pick had a solid, if unspectacular first full season with Lehigh Valley of the AHL. A good two-way defenseman who is just as comfortable quarterbacking a power play as he is guarding the slot on the penalty kill, he has fantastic puck skills for a blueliner. Could stand to be more aggressive in his own zone, but has enough of a well-rounded skill set coupled with above average hockey IQ that his path to the NHL should not be long.

3 Philippe Myers – One of the best underdog stories of recent prospect lore. Myers was undrafted in his first year of eligibility, despite great size, due to poor production (8 points in 60 games). He impressed in rookie camp and earned an ELC from Philadelphia, going back to the Q to reward the Flyers for their faith, he finished his junior career as a point-per-game defender. Between his size, hockey sense, awareness, and poise on the puck, he looks like a future second pairing option.

4 German Rubtsov – After suffering a facial injury playing for Russia at the WJC, Rubtsov elected to stay in North America and spent the rest of his first post-draft season with Chicoutimi in the QMJHL. He acclimated very quickly to the CHL game, especially considering the injury situation. He has great offensive instincts and is very creative. Plays with some sandpaper that allows him to play bigger than his size. Has magic in his hands.

5 Isaac Ratcliffe – A raw, physical specimen, Ratcliffe combines ideal power forward size with burgeoning puck skills with the willingness and ability to be effective in front of the net. While his draft year numbers do not leap off the page, it is important to remember that he was playing on a horrible Guelph team. He is a solid skater, but can be inconsistent in his pace. Shows strong anticipation and soft hands. His ceiling is very high.

6 Oskar Lindblom – The former fifth round pick continued to take big strides in his development in his third full season in the SHL, leading Brynas in scoring. He is excellent with the puck along the boards and around the crease and does a great job of finding soft spots in coverage for himself or his teammates. Paired with a skilled center, he has enough complementary skills to be a strong option on a second line in the NHL. May get that chance this year.

7 Wade Allison – After emerging as if out of nowhere in his draft year at Tri City of the USHL, Allison continued to play his game without a hitch as a freshman at Western Michigan. Playing a power forward game, he stays heavily involved in all three zones. He has enough speed in his hands and feet to draw penalties and can contribute to the offense as a shooter or creating for others on the cycle. Could stand to cut down on the penalties caused by his aggressive style.

8 Morgan Frost – Somewhat of a surprise as a first round pick this year, Frost has three main selling points in his skating speed, his puck skills, and his hockey intelligence. A heads-up player who earns his keep on both sides of the puck, he is already a reliable penalty killer. When he is on the ice, the puck is generally glued to his stick until he is ready to move it along. He will need to increase in strength and round out his game more, but he has the building blocks for a good middle six forward.

9 Carter Hart – If you like Hart, he is one of the better goaltending prospects in the game. If you have doubts, you point to the extreme defensive system employed by Everett as an aid to his stellar WHL numbers. Only moderately sized for a modern netminder, he makes up for it with great athleticism, reassuring calmness in net and excellent ability to read the play and track the puck. He has one more year of WHL eligibility before he will turn pro.

10 Felix Sandstrom – If not for Hart, Sandstrom would get a lot more attention in the Flyers’ system, especially after improving his numbers across the board in the second season with Brynas of the SHL as well as a strong showing in his second WJC. Above average across the board, he is not a goalie who can carry a team on his back, but he will also not let his mates down if they play solidly in front of him. He will continue his development next year in Sweden.

11 Jordan Weal – Undersized and quicker than he is fast, Weal was finally given a chance to take his game to the NHL last year after proving that he could score at a point-per-game pace in the AHL. 8 goals in 23 NHL games suggest that he is more than a dreaded 4A player and he is in line for a full season with the Flyers, likely on the second line. He has very impressive puck skills and a keen understanding of the flow of the game.

12 Pascal Laberge – Laberge maintains a spot in the solid middle of the Flyers deep prospect list as he still flashed high end offensive potential in a season fraught by concussions and off-ice issues outside his control. He has very soft hands, and is a shifty skater who can change directions in a flash to deke out defenders and netminders. He sees the ice very well in the offensive zone and is as strong shooting as he is setting up others. Look for a big bounce-back campaign.

13 Anthony Stolarz – As difficult as it would seem to trap a 6-6” netminder, Stolarz is trapped. From below, the Flyers have drafted, among others, Carter Hart and Felix Sandstrom since using a second round pick on Stolarz in 2012. That duo is earmarked for the future. From above, Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth are both signed to multi-year NHL deals. Stolarz, who has an impressive combination of compete and play reading ability is effectively trapped.

14 Samuel Morin – The first thing that stands out when watching Samuel Morin is..well, Samuel Morin. He is huge. 6-6”, and broad as well. The former first round pick is strong on his feet, which is especially impressive at his size, but has been slow to develop. His offensive game is very limited and he does not play as aggressive a game as you want to see from a player of his stature. At his best, he is safe and intelligent. At his worst, he is 6-6”.

15 Mike Vecchione – One of the prize NCAA free agents of the year, Vecchione was both a key contributor to Union’s surprise NCAA championship team in his freshman season and the team captain for the past two years. A fast skater who was dynamic offensively was a faceoff ace as well. Although not tall, he is stocky and incredibly strong. He may not have the impact of former teammate Shayne Gostisbehere, but he will be an asset in Philadelphia.

16 Tanner Laczynski – A somewhat surprising inclusion in Team USA’s gold medal winning WJC squad, Taczynski had a very strong freshman season with Ohio State. Showing more willingness to shoot the puck, he is still stronger and more effective when stickhandling and looking to set-up a teammate. Not the best skater, he has nevertheless improved since his time in the USHL. Only one year on, he is already looking like a sixth round steal for the Flyers.

17 Taylor Leier – A relative anomaly in a system chock-full of players with as-yet-untapped potential, Leier is what he is. A strong secondary scorer with Lehigh Valley, he succeeds through his unrelenting aggression in all three zones. He has done well enough in callups to the NHL on both of the last two seasons and should see more NHL time this year. Strong enough defensively to play on the PK.

18 Mikhail Vorobyov – One of the biggest surprises for Team Russia at the last WJC, Vorobyov was everywhere, seemingly picking up an assist on every second goal his nation scored. A strong puck mover, his most notable traits are his hockey IQ/vision and his physical game. He has above-average size and uses it effectively to ensure he can play wherever he wants to. The Flyers signed him to an ELC after his first full KHL season ended and he will spend this season with Lehigh Valley.

19 Nicolas Aube-Kubel – After a stellar junior career with Val-d’Or, Aube-Kubel struggled mightily in his first full AHL campaign. He is still a very good skater and was very consistently reliable away from the puck, demonstrating good hockey sense, but the best that could be said of his ability to impact the game offensively was that there were flashes. We will be looking to see more out of him in his follow-up season.

20 Mark Friedman – An offensively inclined blueliner, Friedman is a strong skater who looks strong when beginning to rush the puck out of his zone thanks to his plus acceleration. He plays a physical game despite being undersized and has improved that aspect of his game by dint of taking fewer minor infractions. Does not have the shot to profile as a serious power play QB, but moves the puck around well enough to play there for the second unit.

Despite avoiding blueliners in the draft for the past two years, the Philadelphia Flyers still have strength at all positions in their system. Further adding to their case for the top tier of systems in the league is that their talent will arrive in multiple waves, with some ready now, some needing another year of development in the AHL and some who are further down the road, but no less bright for the distance.

2017 NHL Draft Grades: Metropolitan Division – Philadelphia Flyers

Ryan Wagman — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 13:08:57 +0000

Shortly after 1:00pm CST, on Saturday, June 24, 2017, the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins selected William Reilly, a defenseman from RPI as the 217^th player selected, bringing the 2017 Entry Draft to an end. With a few days of hindsight between me and the bowels of the United Center, the urge to spew out hot takes flushed away, it is time to analyze the strategies and selections employed by the league’s 31 teams.

The analysis will focus on the first five rounds, as it is clear to most long-time observers that the final two rounds are often taken up with long-shots, favours to regional scouts, among other reasons. I will, of course, call out some astute late picks, but will not judge a team for the names called in the final hour. The apocryphal story of Pekka Rinne, drafted as an eighth round after-thought in 2004 based mostly on his play in game warm-ups. Few other scouts would have seen him at all, and he has had a very good career, which is not yet over. For the most part, though, those picks have little statistical likelihood of having NHL careers and teams should not be judged there.

Each draft class will be graded using the 20-80 scale that we use in our player specific scouting reports throughout the site. In this context, a 50 is essentially an average grade in light of the picks the team had on draft day. A 20 would mean the draft is an unmitigated disaster while an 80 would be the best draft class of all time. As those things can only be truly seen in retrospect, most classes will trend towards 50 at this point, so pay attention to those we see as outliers.

Finally, all grades are incomplete. Actual winners and losers in this draft class will not be known until 2023 at the earliest, after those who will have “made it” will have played out their entry-level contracts. What I am looking at here is whether, knowing what we know now, the drafting team got good value.

RD	#	CS	MCK	PLAYER	P	AGE	HT/WT	TEAM
1	2	1-N	1	Nolan PATRICK	C	18	6-2/200	Brandon (WHL)
1	27	31-N	41	Morgan FROST	C	18	5-11/170	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)
2	35	15-N	18	Isaac RATCLIFFE	LW	18	6-5/200	Guelph (OHL)
3	80	5-EG	hm	Kirill USTIMENKO	G	18	6-3/190	JHC Dynamo SPb (MHL)
4	106	33-N	56	Matthew STROME	LW	18	6-4/210	Hamilton (OHL)
4	107	72-N	111	Maksim SUSHKO	RW	18	6-0/185	Owen Sound (OHL)
5	137	121-N	hm	Noah CATES	LW	18	6-1/170	Stillwater (USHS-MN)
6	168	NR		Olle LYCKSELL	RW	18	5-10/165	Linkopings (Swe Jr)
7	196	NR		Wyatt KALYNUK	D	20	6-0/165	Bloomington (USHL)

RD	#	PLAYER	P	TEAM	GP (W)	G (L)	A (T)	PTS (GA)	PIM (Sv%)
1	2	Nolan PATRICK	C	Brandon (WHL)	33	20	26	46	36
1	27	Morgan FROST	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	67	20	42	62	36
2	35	Isaac RATCLIFFE	LW	Guelph (OHL)	67	28	26	54	65
3	80	Kirill USTIMENKO	G	JHC Dynamo SPb (MHL)	17	5	3	1.74	0.938
4	106	Matthew STROME	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	66	34	28	62	62
4	107	Maksim SUSHKO	RW	Owen Sound (OHL)	54	18	14	32	24
5	137	Noah CATES	LW	Stillwater (USHS-MN)	25	20	45	65	10
5	137			Omaha (USHL)	11	2	5	7	6
6	168	Olle LYCKSELL	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	29	4	5	9	2
6	168			Linkopings (Swe Jr 18)	10	10	11	21	27
7	196	Wyatt KALYNUK	D	Bloomington (USHL)	60	6	25	31	82

Philadelphia Flyers – Draft Grade: 55

Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Photo by Tim Smith/Brandon Sun

In a draft without talent the likes of Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Patrick Laine or Jack Eichel, but with two high end players at the top of the class with little to separate them in overall value, the team owning the second pick of the draft had the easiest job around. Take the guy who wasn’t picked first. And that is exactly what the Flyers did. After New Jersey selected Nico Hischier at the top, Philadelphia rejected all trade overtures and drafted Nolan Patrick second overall.

Morgan Frost of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Assuming health – Patrick battled a few injuries last year and was reported to have undergone surgery in the recent past – Patrick should step right into a middle six forward role with Philadelphia, effectively replacing Brayden Schenn, dealt to St. Louis later on day one. When healthy, Patrick earns plus grades everywhere. As clear as that first pick was, the use the Flyers made of the pick received from St. Louis for Schenn was much more curious.

Morgan Frost is an excellent skater and talented playmaker, but he plays a very individualistic game with the puck and is very prone to high risk plays. He has enough hockey IQ to improve there, but his selection in the first round was a surprise. The Flyers’ Day Two was pretty strong, with a number of higher upside picks including Isaac Ratcliffe, who has everything you want to see in a power forward, Matthew Strome, who would have been a first rounder with even average skating abililty (he is currently a long ways from average), and Noah Cates, who was unstoppable offensively in high school and maintained impressive production in a late-season cameo with Omaha of the USHL.

Isaac Ratcliffe of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Best value: Isaac Ratcliffe, LW, Guelph (2/35): Ratcliffe was viewed by many as a possible first rounder. He has ideal size and shows some proclivity for a power forward game. His point totals were not impressive, but he played for one of, if not the worst, team in the OHL. Had the Flyers selected him instead of Frost in the first round, no one would have batted an eye.

Biggest head-scratcher: Morgan Frost, C, Sault Ste. Marie (1/27): With all due credit to his speed and all-situations utility, Frost in the first round was a shocker. While he does not look like a traditional third line forward, that may be his ultimate destination. I highly suspect he would have been available with the pick they ultimately used to select Ratcliffe.

McKeen’s 2017 NHL Draft Rankings (Subscribers) – Top 125 – May 31st, 2017

Iain Morrell — Wed, 31 May 2017 14:16:51 +0000

MCKEEN'S 2017 NHL DRAFT GUIDE - Learn more here!

Nico Hischier will make National Hockey League history as the first name called in Chicago at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

The New Jersey Devils hold the first overall selection having won the draft lottery, and will be looking at three prospects in particular who have risen to the top of the 2017 draft class.

Switzerland's Nico Hischier #18 leans in for the face-off during preliminary round action against the Czech Republic at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Hischier is a very attractive choice having 'checked all the boxes' during an outstanding North American debut with the Halifax Mooseheads. The native of Naters, Switzerland led all rookie scorers in the QMJHL and finished 10th in league scoring, while delivering strong performances for his country at both the U20 and U18 World Junior Championships (WJC).

A fast and dynamic skater with high-end puck skills, Hischier distinguished himself for his two-way diligence and his ability to contribute in every area of the ice and - by extension - the game. He possesses a high hockey IQ and is a very creative player combining both structure and innovation.

It will be an agonizing decision if New Jersey opts to pass on Hischier in favour of the other prime attraction - Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Winnipeg native entered the 2016-17 season as the consensus top choice after a standout season in which he tied for the league playoff scoring lead with 30 points in 21 games (13-17-30) and earned WHL Playoff MVP honours.

Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Photo by Tim Smith/Brandon Sun

Patrick was injured during that playoff run however and underwent sports hernia surgery last July. His groin/abdominal problems would re-surface after playing in Brandon's opening five games, and sideline him for 34 games and force him to miss the U20 WJC.

Returning in January, Patrick still managed to finish fifth on the Wheat Kings in scoring with 20 goals and 46 points despite playing in just 33 games.

However he suffered another health setback late in the regular season - an unspecified upper-body injury - and missed the WHL playoffs.

Nolan Patrick would be the first Manitoban selected first overall in the NHL draft - with Nico Hischier set to become the first-ever Swiss-born player.

A third option emerged for New Jersey this spring at the U18 WJC where defenceman Miro Heiskanen turned in a commanding performance for Finland and effectively threw his hat into the ring.

Finland's Miro Heiskanen #2 lets a shot go during relegation round action against Latvia at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

It makes some sense for the Devils to consider adding a potential building block on the blueline given the loss of Adam Larsson in last summer's Taylor Hall deal.

Heiskanen would be the first Finnish-born player to go first overall.

CENTRE STAGE

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires sits at No. 4 on the McKeen's Top 125 - ranking the best prospects available for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward led Windsor with 29 goals and 61 points - in just 49 games - and then played a central role in helping the Spitfires win the Memorial Cup, highlighted by a four-assist performance in a win over the top-ranked Erie Otters.

Big, highly-skilled, and ultra competitive, Vilardi brings plenty of meat to the plate - but the skating has raised concerns about how impactful an NHLer he can be. Described as a 'knock kneed' skater, he will have to continue upgrading his quickness and explosiveness.

The Kingston, Ontario native can play on the wing but showcased at the Top Prospects Game in January that he is very effective playing in the middle.

The fifth-ranked prospect is Casey Mittelstadt, the top American-born player.

Mittelstadt ripped apart the high school circuit averaging 2.56 points per game (64 points in 25 games) and earning Minnesota’s distinguished Mr. Hockey award as the state’s top senior skater. He fell short though of leading his hometown Eden Prairie to a state championship, falling in the semi-finals.

Mittelstadt was questioned about returning for his senior year amid concerns that his development could be stunted. However, he helped allay some of those concerns with impressive stints in the USHL, wrapped around his high school season, recording 30 points in 24 games - for a 1.25 points-per-game average which was tops in the league.

Sharp-shooting winger Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads is next at No. 6.

The Peterborough, Ontario native infuriated with his inconsistent (and incomplete) defensive work habits but, at the end of the day, may be the best goal-scoring prospect in this draft class.

He finished fifth in the OHL with 44 goals and added another 10 goals in 20 playoff games.

Slick-skating defenceman Cale Makar of the Brooks Bandits is ranked seventh.

The Calgary, Alberta native was among this season's biggest risers - shooting up the draft chart and dazzling with his skating and skills while leading Brooks to the RBC Cup final.

Makar still has plenty of growing to do in terms of learning how to harness and deploy his exceptional talents. His education will be in good hands for his upcoming freshman season at the University of Massachusetts. Makar may benefit most by staying on the NCAA collegiate route for at least two years, though the lure of the NHL is all powerful.

Sorting out the rest of the top 10 has been a convoluted journey since the initial rankings were published last fall. That's not unusual - but this season the rankings seemed to be in a larger state of flux. There's not much to separate the next dozen or so players - all of whom could conceivably land a top 10 spot.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks was another big riser, moving up from 24th - in the preliminary ranking - to grab the No. 8 position.

A cerebral two-way pivot with good size and skill, the Winnipeg native led Portland and tied for seventh in WHL scoring during a spectacular breakout season - in which he more than tripled his rookie numbers from 2015-16.

Glass begins a run of centremen with seven of the next ten players being pivots; Michael Rasmussen (10th), Elias Pettersson (11th), Martin Necas (12th), Robert Thomas (15th), Nick Suzuki (16th), and Lias Andersson (17th).

KLIM PICKINGS

The wildcards for this year's draft will begin with swift-skating Swedish defenceman Timothy Liljegren

The native of Kristianstad, Sweden has been a prime name for 2017 since he was 16 years old - and was ranked No. 4 on our preliminary list. However, he was sidelined early by a bout of mononucleosis and struggled to find his game after returning.

There's no denying the physical gifts as he is a strong, fast skater with a good skill set featuring a heavy wristshot.

Klim Kostin

However, his hockey sense and overall decision making have continually come into question as the scrutiny on his game intensified. He doesn't seem to possess an innate feel for pressure and can be prone to stickchecks and turning pucks over on outlets. Can this part of his make-up develop and mature? Perhaps. It's a risk NHL teams must weigh before considering him as a top selection.

Another 'hot potato' pick will be Dynamo Moscow forward Klim Kostin who began the season at No. 5 in the rankings following a solid showing at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. The Penza native captained Russia and led his team in scoring (5-4-3-7) while flashing an intriguing mix of size, skill and creativity.

He also put in a decent showing at the Canada-Russia series in November, albeit not enough for World Junior team coach Valeri Bragin to include him on the U20 roster. However, Kostin underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in January and missed an opportunity to further convince NHL scouts at the U18 WJC in April.

Strong and skilled with the puck, Kostin can create openings with his stickhandling and 1-on-1 abilities, but must work on his skating and consistency.

Eeli Tolvanen

Eeli Tolvanen also watched his stock soften as the season progressed after beginning as a top 10 pick (8th).

The native of Vihti, Finland tied for third in the USHL with 30 goals and then helped Sioux City reach the Clark Cup Finals. Tolvanen possesses sharp offensive instincts and a lethal shot, yet there are concerns about how his slight frame and dimensional game will translate to higher levels.

No player fell further in the rankings this season than towering Russian winger Nikita Popugaev.

The Moscow native fired 19 goals in his first 25 games with Moose Jaw, however his play tailed off in December and he was dealt a month later to Prince George where he continued to sputter.

Popugaev brings great size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds as well as a strong shooting arsenal. His skating needs to come along though, particularly his footwork and overall agility.

But the bigger concern is how badly he wants it - as his work ethic and defensive play regressed to alarming levels over the second half.

PLENTY OF FINNISH

Finland gave advance warning that they would be a big factor at the 2017 NHL Draft when they captured gold at the 2016 U18 WJC.

It was Finland's first gold medal at the event since winning the first two tournaments in 1999 and 2000 - and was accomplished with a predominantly underage blueline.

They followed up this year at the U18's with a silver medal, led by the splendid duo of Miro Heiskanen and Urho Vaakanainen.

Heiskanen's exploits were well chronicled, however Vaakanainen's play may have turned just as many NHL heads. His smooth skating, subtle skills, and innate feel for the game were on full display throughout.

Vaakanainen could turn out to be one of the best players from this draft.

Expect the Finns to be high profile at this draft - as they could place up to seven players in the opening round plus another half dozen in the second.

In all, there are 16 Finnish-born players in the McKeen's Top 125 including a number of potential sleepers such as Joni Ikonen (59th), Aleksi Heponiemi (65th), Emil Oksanen (76th) and U18 WJC captain Aarne Talvitie (77th).

Finland's Santeri Virtanen #22 carries the puck during semifinal round action at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Gritty two-way centre Santeri Virtanen threw his name into the ring with an impressive showing at the U18 WJC after missing most of the season to injury.

His late rise wasn't a total surprise as he had initially been slotted as a potential 50-70 pick after a good showing at the Ivan Hlinka last fall.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Nolan Patrick	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/200	19-Sep-98	Canada
2	Nico Hischier	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/175	4-Jan-99	Switzerland
3	Miro Heiskanen	D	HIFK Helsinki (Fin)	6-0/170	18-Jul-99	Finland
4	Gabriel Vilardi	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/200	16-Aug-99	Canada
5	Casey Mittelstadt	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-1/200	22-Nov-98	USA
6	Owen Tippett	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/200	16-Feb-99	Canada
7	Cale Makar	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-11/180	30-Oct-98	Canada
8	Cody Glass	C	Portland (WHL)	6-2/180	1-Apr-99	Canada
9	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-3/205	1-Jun-99	Finland
10	Michael Rasmussen	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-6/215	17-Apr-99	Canada
11	Elias Pettersson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/165	12-Nov-98	Sweden
12	Martin Necas	C	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-0/170	15-Jan-99	Czech
13	Urho Vaakanainen	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-0/185	1-Jan-99	Finland
14	Juuso Valimaki	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Oct-98	Finland
15	Robert Thomas	C	London (OHL)	6-0/190	2-Jul-99	Canada
16	Nick Suzuki	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	10-Sep-99	Canada
17	Lias Andersson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	5-11/200	13-Oct-98	Sweden
18	Isaac Ratcliffe	LW	Guelph (OHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-99	Canada
19	Erik Brannstrom	D	HV 71 (Swe)	5-10/175	2-Sep-99	Sweden
20	Timothy Liljegren	D	Rogle (Swe)	6-0/190	30-Apr-99	Sweden
21	Klim Kostin	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	6-3/195	5-May-99	Russia
22	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/175	22-Apr-99	Finland
23	Conor Timmins	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	18-Sep-98	Canada
24	Kailer Yamamoto	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-8/160	29-Sep-98	Canada
25	Jason Robertson	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-2/195	22-Jul-99	USA
26	Ryan Poehling	C	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/195	3-Jan-99	USA
27	Nicolas Hague	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-6/215	5-Dec-98	Canada
28	Josh Norris	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	5-May-99	USA
29	Shane Bowers	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/185	30-Jul-99	Canada
30	Cal Foote	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/215	13-Dec-98	USA
31	Henri Jokiharju	D	Portland (WHL)	6-0/180	17-Jun-99	Finland
32	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	HPK (Fin)	6-4/195	9-Mar-99	Finland
33	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/190	12-Sep-99	Canada
34	Kole Lind	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/180	16-Oct-98	Canada
35	Jesper Boqvist	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	30-Oct-98	Sweden
36	Grant Mismash	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	19-Feb-99	USA
37	Keith Petruzzelli	G	Muskegon (USHL)	6-5/180	9-Feb-99	USA
38	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-2/165	1-Jul-99	Canada
39	Maxime Comtois	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-2/200	8-Jan-99	Canada
40	Adam Ruzicka	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-4/205	11-May-99	Slovakia
41	Morgan Frost	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/170	14-May-99	Canada
42	Filip Chytil	C	Zlin (Cze)	6-0/180	5-Sep-99	Czech
43	Nikita Popugaev	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-6/220	20-Nov-98	Russia
44	Jake Oettinger	G	Boston University (HE)	6-4/210	18-Dec-98	USA
45	Josh Brook	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-1/185	15-Jun-99	Canada
46	Santeri Virtanen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/195	11-May-99	Finland
47	Kyle Olson	C	Tri-City (WHL)	5-11/165	22-Mar-99	Canada
48	Evan Barratt	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/190	18-Feb-99	USA
49	Max Gildon	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/190	17-May-99	USA
50	MacKenzie Entwistle	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-3/180	14-Jul-99	Canada
51	Stelio Mattheos	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-1/195	14-Jun-99	Canada
52	Marcus Davidsson	C	Djurgardens (Swe)	6-0/190	18-Nov-98	Sweden
53	Michael DiPietro	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/195	9-Jun-99	Canada
54	David Farrance	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/190	23-Jun-99	USA
55	Stuart Skinner	G	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/210	1-Nov-98	Canada
56	Matthew Strome	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-4/210	6-Jan-99	Canada
57	Alex Formenton	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/165	13-Sep-99	Canada
58	Eemeli Rasanen	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-7/215	6-Mar-99	Finland
59	Joni Ikonen	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-10/170	14-Apr-99	Finland
60	Scott Reedy	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	4-Apr-99	USA
61	Sasha Chmelevski	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/190	9-Jun-99	USA
62	Filip Westerlund	D	Frolunda (Swe)	5-11/180	17-Apr-99	Sweden
63	Ian Mitchell	D	Spruce Grove (AJHL)	5-11/175	18-Jan-99	Canada
64	Maxim Zhukov	G	Green Bay (USHL)	6-3/190	22-Jul-99	Russia
65	Aleksi Heponiemi	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/150	9-Jan-99	Finland
66	Ostap Safin	LW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-4/200	11-Feb-99	Czech
67	Jack Studnicka	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/170	18-Feb-99	Canada
68	Nick Henry	RW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/190	4-Jul-99	Canada
69	Markus Phillips	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/200	21-Mar-99	Canada
70	Jarret Tyszka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/190	15-Mar-99	Canada
71	Kirill Maksimov	RW	Niagara (OHL)	6-2/195	1-Jun-99	Russia
72	Jake Leschyshyn	C	Regina (WHL)	5-11/185	10-Mar-99	Canada
73	Alexei Toropchenko	RW	MVD Balashikha (Rus Jr)	6-3/190	25-Jun-99	Russia
74	Kirill Slepets	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
75	Olle Eriksson Ek	G	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/185	22-Jun-99	Sweden
76	Emil Oksanen	LW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-1/190	25-Sep-98	Finland
77	Aarne Talvitie	C	Espoo Blues (Fin Jr)	5-10/200	11-Feb-99	Finland
78	Reilly Walsh	D	Proctor Academy (USHS-NH)	5-11/180	21-Apr-99	USA
79	Ivan Lodnia	RW	Erie (OHL)	5-10/180	31-Aug-99	USA
80	Jonah Gadjovich	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-2/210	12-Oct-98	Canada
81	Ben Mirageas	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-1/180	8-May-99	USA
82	Dylan Samberg	D	Hermantown (USHS-MN)	6-3/190	24-Jan-99	USA
83	Antoine Morand	C	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	5-10/180	18-Feb-99	Canada
84	Morgan Geekie	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/180	20-Jul-98	Canada
85	Alexei Lipanov	C	MVD Balashikha (Rus 2)	6-0/165	17-Aug-99	Russia
86	Jack Badini	C	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/200	19-Jan-98	USA
87	Brady Lyle	D	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/205	6-Jun-99	Canada
88	Lucas Elvenes	C	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	18-Aug-99	Sweden
89	Zach Gallant	C	Peterborough (OHL)	6-2/190	6-Mar-99	Canada
90	Lane Zablocki	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	5-11/190	27-Dec-98	Canada
91	Kevin Hancock	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Mar-98	Canada
92	Alexandre Texier	C	Grenoble (Fra)	6-0/190	13-Sep-99	France
93	Noel Hoefenmayer	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	6-Jan-99	Canada
94	Nate Schnarr	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-3/180	15-Jun-99	Canada
95	Jonas Rondbjerg	RW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	31-Mar-99	Denmark
96	Ivan Chekhovich	LW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/180	14-Jan-99	Russia
97	Robin Salo	D	Sport (Fin)	6-1/190	13-Oct-98	Finland
98	Luke Martin	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-4/215	20-Sep-98	USA
99	Cale Fleury	D	Kootenay (WHL)	6-1/205	19-Nov-98	Canada
100	Mikey Anderson	D	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-May-99	USA
101	Mason Shaw	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-9/180	3-Nov-98	Canada
102	Linus Nyman	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Jul-99	Finland
103	Gustav Lindstrom	D	Almtuna (Swe 2)	6-2/190	20-Oct-98	Sweden
104	Marian Studenic	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/165	28-Oct-98	Slovakia
105	Jack Rathbone	D	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-10/175	20-May-99	USA
106	Artyom Minulin	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-2/200	1-Oct-98	Russia
107	Kalle Miketinac	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	2-Apr-99	Sweden
108	Dmitri Samorukov	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-2/180	16-Jun-99	Russia
109	Ian Scott	G	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-3/175	11-Jan-99	Canada
110	Austen Keating	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/170	7-May-99	Canada
111	Maksim Sushko	RW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/185	10-Feb-99	Belarus
112	Tyler Inamoto	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	6-May-99	USA
113	Ty Lewis	LW	Brandon (WHL)	5-11/180	5-Mar-98	Canada
114	Drake Batherson	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-1/190	27-Apr-98	Canada
115	Rickard Hugg	C	Leksands (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	18-Jan-99	Sweden
116	Scott Walford	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-1/195	12-Jan-99	Canada
117	Jordy Bellerive	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/195	2-May-99	Canada
118	Matthew Kellenberger	D	Oakville (OJHL)	6-0/175	11-Jan-99	Canada
119	Johnathan Kovacevic	D	Merrimack (HE)	6-4/215	2-Jul-97	Canada
120	Nick Campoli	C	North York (OJHL)	5-11/190	16-Feb-99	Canada
121	Mario Ferraro	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-11/185	17-Sep-98	Canada
122	Michael Pastujov	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	23-Aug-99	USA
123	Tyler Steenbergen	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/190	7-Jan-98	Canada
124	Mark Rubinchik	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/180	21-Mar-99	Russia
125	Kasper Kotkansalo	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-2/200	16-Nov-98	Finland

McKeen’s 2017 NHL Draft Rankings – Top 31 – May 31st, 2017

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 31 May 2017 14:10:10 +0000