2017 NHL Mock Draft: Full Round 1 Projections for Every Team

The 2017 NHL draft doesn't feature a prospect on the same level as the Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid or the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews, the past two No. 1 overall picks. There are still some franchise building blocks available at the top of Round 1, though.

Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier and Gabriel Vilardi are battling it out to become the first player off the board on June 23 in Chicago. The talented centers will provide the three lottery winners with prospects potentially capable of making an immediate jump to the pro level.

Let's check out a complete projection for how the opening round will play out following the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs. That's followed by a deeper dive into some key picks.

1st-Round Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Colorado Avalanche	Nolan Patrick, C, Brandon (WHL)
2	Vancouver Canucks	Nico Hischier, C, Halifax (QMJHL)
3	Vegas Golden Knights	Gabriel Vilardi, C, Windsor (OHL)
4	New Jersey Devils	Casey Mittelstadt, C, Green Bay (USHL)
5	Arizona Coyotes	Michael Rasmussen, C, Tri-City (WHL)
6	Detroit Red Wings	Nick Suzuki, C, Owen Sound (OHL)
7	Florida Panthers	Owen Tippett, RW, Mississauga (OHL)
8	Dallas Stars	Timothy Liljegren, D, Rogle BK (SWE)
9	Buffalo Sabres	Juuso Valimaki, D, Tri-City (WHL)
10	Los Angeles Kings	Cody Glass, C, Portland (WHL)
11	Carolina Hurricanes	Eeli Tolvanen, LW, Sioux City (USHL)
12	Philadelphia Flyers	Miro Heiskanen, D, HIFK Helsinki (FIN)
13	Winnipeg Jets	Cale Makar, D, Brooks (AJHL)
14	New York Islanders	Martin Necas, C, Kometa Brno (CZE)
15	Tampa Bay Lightning	Callan Foote, D, Kelowna (WHL)
16	Nashville Predators	Klim Kostin, RW, Dynamo Moscow (KHL)
17	Toronto Maple Leafs	Nicolas Hague, D, Mississauga (OHL)
18	Calgary Flames	Elias Pettersson, C, Timra IK (SWE)
19	Boston Bruins	Lias Andersson, C, HV71 (SWE)
20	St. Louis Blues	Jason Robertson, LW, Kingston (OHL)
21	Ottawa Senators	Kailer Yamamoto, RW, Spokane (WHL)
22	San Jose Sharks	Shane Bowers, C, Waterloo (USHL)
23	New York Rangers	Ryan Poehling, LW, St. Cloud State (NCAA)
24	Edmonton Oilers	Maxime Comtois, LW, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
25	Montreal Canadiens	Kristian Vesalainen, RW, Frolunda HC (SWE)
26	Anaheim Ducks	Isaac Ratcliffe, LW, Guelph (OHL)
27	Columbus Blue Jackets	Nikita Popugayev, LW, Prince George (WHL)
28	Arizona Coyotes (from MIN)	Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
29	Pittsburgh Penguins	Robert Thomas, C, London (OHL)
30	Chicago Blackhawks	Ivan Lodnia, RW, Erie (OHL)
31	St. Louis Blues (from WSH)	Urho Vaakanainen, D, Espoo (FIN)

Notable Selections

1. Colorado Avalanche: Nolan Patrick, C, Brandon (WHL)

Patrick would probably be the undisputed top pick if not for his injury history. He's struggled to stay healthy during his four years with the Brandon Wheat Kings, including an extended absence during the first half of this season with an undisclosed ailment, which raises a red flag.

Mitch Rosset of Global News noted the playmaking center's issues date back to early in his teenage years, when he broke his collarbone twice in as many years. On the topic of this season's absence, he felt it was the right move with his long-term outlook.

"For me, it was the best thing to shut myself down to get healthy," Patrick said, per Rosset. "I wasn't at the top of my game. Playing through the pain wasn't much fun."

His talent is on display every time he steps on the ice, though. His most active season came in 2015-16, when he appeared in 72 games. He proceeded to score 102 points (41 goals and 61 assists) before adding 13 goals and 17 helpers in 21 playoff contests.

The Avs could go with Hischier, who represents the safest option of the three contenders for the top spot. But since there isn't a guaranteed face of the franchise among the bunch, going with the player who possesses the most upside would be a worthwhile risk.

3. Vegas Golden Knights: Gabriel Vilardi, C, Windsor (OHL)

It won't take long to see whether playing in the gambling mecca brings the Vegas Golden Knights any luck. They'll be given the same odds as the third-worst NHL team in the lottery, and there's a drop off after the first three prospects, so it will be an important moment for the expansion organization.

Vilardi hasn't shown the offensive explosiveness of Patrick or Hischier, but he's impressed with his two-way game. Being advanced in terms of handling defensive responsibility should make him ready to join the NHL sooner rather than later, which is certainly a consideration for a new franchise.

Ryan Yessie of HockeyProspect.com also likes the center's hockey IQ in the offensive zone:

It's easy to see Vegas giving him the maximum nine-game tryout next season in a third-line role to see how he handles to jump. Either he'll prove he's ready for the NHL or the fans will at least get a glimpse toward the future before he heads back to the OHL.

That option probably won't be on the table if the Golden Knights pick a forward outside the top three.

9. Buffalo Sabres: Juuso Valimaki, D, Tri-City (WHL)

The Buffalo Sabres defense still needs a serious overhaul if the team is going to turn the corner in its rebuilding effort. Rasmus Ristolainen and Jake McCabe are the only blueliners who held their own among an otherwise disappointing group.

Juuso Valimaki is a perfect fit for a variety of reasons. He's got an offensive flair to his game, which Buffalo sorely lacked from its defense this season, his size is already at an NHL level and he might be able to help right away with pressure starting to build on the front office.

Jeremy Crowe‏ of NHL Numbers showcased the Finnish rising star's impact on offense:

An eventual top pairing of Finns with Ristolainen and Valimaki would give the Sabres one of the league's best offensive blue-line tandems in the NHL. They would also give the team a lot of firepower on the point during the power play.

One draft pick won't be enough to rectify Buffalo's defensive woes. But it would be a key step in the right direction with offensive assets like Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly already in place.