The 2017 NHL Entry draft takes place on June 23 and 24 at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.
From the start of the year until now, scouts have been studying prospects, rating and ranking them in order to give their team a shot at the best player available at every selection that they own.
Scouting services have been doing much the same thing.
Hockeyprospect.com, ISS and NHL Central Scouting, among others, have compiled lists, showing where they feel each eligible player belongs when compared to everyone else in the draft.
Now that the final NHL Central Scouting list has come out, it is possible to examine the consensus on some local connections.
Londoner Nick Suzuki just watched his little brother, Ryan, become the first overall selection in the OHL Priority Selection. He was drafted by the Barrie Colts. Nick is in line to become a top-20 pick at the NHL level.
ISS has Suzuki rated as the No. 17 pick. Hockeyprospect.com has Suzuki at No. 26 pick. NHL Central Scouting does things a little differently. They separate North American-based skaters and European-based skaters. On their list, Suzuki, who plays for the Owen Sound Attack, is No. 10 among all players playing in the Canadian Hockey League, NCAA or other U.S. and Canadian junior leagues.
All scouting services praise Suzuki for his hockey IQ and his skating ability. In his second year in Owen Sound, Suzuki scored 46 times and racked up 96 points, good for fifth overall in league scoring.
Another Londoner, Isaac Ratcliffe comes in at NO. 15 on the NHL Central Scouting list. ISS has him at No. 20, but Hockeyprospect.com has the Guelph Storm forward at No. 13. Ratcliffe has great size and skill and scored 28 goals in his second OHL season.
Two London Knights have ranked prominently in scouting rankings all year as well.
Forwards Robert Thomas and Alex Formenton joined Ratcliffe and Suzuki at the CHL Top Prospects game.
Thomas has raised his game to higher and higher heights as this season has progressed, centring Janne Kuokkanen and Mitchell Stephens on what has become London’s most productive line in the post-season.
Thomas has a prototypical hockey build, has an exceptional hockey IQ and has become an extremely good shot blocker and penalty killer. He was second on the Knights in assists and third in points with 66.
Thomas was ranked No. 22 by NHL Central Scouting and No. 26 by ISS.
Formenton was an 11th round pick of the Knights in 2015. He’s playing in his very first year in the Ontario Hockey League.
When London drafted him, he was well below the six-feet-one-inch that he stands at now. Formenton has excellent speed and showed off his athleticism at the Top Prospects’ skills competition, winning the overall on-ice event.
Formenton is rated as the 31st best prospect overall by ISS and 29th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
The NHL rankings also had London defencemen, Jacob Golden and Brandon Crawley at No. 144 and No. 199 respectively. Crawley attended training camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins last fall. He has also been to rookie camp with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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