For those fans looking for more, here’s an early look at the top prospects for next summer and where they could be headed with the first look at next year’s draft.
Most experts agree, Nolan Patrick is the top ranked player heading into this season. The big center is set to take the ice with Brandon of the WHL and with a solid year for the Wheat Kings, it appears he will hear his name called first next June with Toronto or Columbus his likely landing spot.
Gabriel Vilardi is another strong front line scorer that has all the skills needed to succeed at the next level. At 6’2″ and 190 pounds, he already has the size needed to play at the highest level and with another year at Windsor of the OHL, that experience will see the young man as a sure-fire top-5 selection and with a great year, he could battle Patrick as the top overall pick next summer.
Timothy Liljegren starts the year as the top ranked defender and playing with the under-twenty squad in Sweden has helped develop his game. Teams like the Maple Leafs and Coyotes could both use more depth at the position and with some continued growth over the next few months, he could begin his NHL career with one of these franchises.
Unlike 2016, next year’s draft class has several goalies that could get drafted in the opening round. Tankathon has Michael DiPietro as the top ranked player between the pipes, but Ian Scott and Jake Oettinger, both have the skill level to hear their named called in the first round and possibly the first goalies taken off the board.
Next year’s draft class is very deep on the front line and a bit thin on the back, but experts are excited with the young talent available and several of these young men could take the league to a new level over the next decade and that’s exciting news for the fans who love the game.
