Brandon Wheat Kings' Nolan Patrick leads WHL’s strong 2017 NHL draft class
Led by Brandon Wheat Kings centre Nolan Patrick, the Western Hockey League is set to produce a bumper 2017 NHL draft crop. The major junior league’s draft class includes a wide range of various elite prospects.
Patrick, who has netted 35 goals and 79 points in 60 games, has asserted himself as one of the WHL’s top forwards in just his second season in the league. He’s believed to be in the running to go first overall because of the combination of his imposing 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame, impeccable hockey sense and uncanny offensive abilities.
“Nolan Patrick is a special centre that is effective in all aspects of the game,” says Future Considerations scout Zenon Herasymiuk. “He has the size that NHL teams crave, but it is his uncanny awareness and smarts which separate him from his peers. He seamlessly flows through the ice and puts himself in positions to positively impact the play every time he steps on the ice.”
Patrick has elicited some comparisons to former Kootenay Ice star Sam Reinhart, whom the Buffalo Sabres chose second overall in 2014. The two centres both possesses high hockey IQs and don’t play with a whole lot of flash.
“I would compare him most closely to Sam Reinhart in terms of recent top draft picks out of the WHL,” says Herasymiuk. “While they don't play identical games, both players rely on the hockey sense to impact the play. Neither is a really flashy centre that is blowing past guys or dangling around defencemen, but they both do a ton of subtle things in all zones which help their team win and make them very effective hockey players.”
Lethbridge Hurricanes sophomore Stuart Skinner is touted as one of the top goalies to come out of the WHL since Montreal Canadiens superstar Carey Price. He covers most of the net with his 6-foot-4, 197-pound stature and has a calm, cool and collected demeanor.
“A lot of people are hesitant to rank goalies in the first round, but in my eyes Stuart Skinner has shown he has the talent and potential to be a top-30 pick in the 2017 Draft as of this time,” says Herasymiuk. “He is a huge goalie that is very economical in his movements, but he also has the raw athleticism and power to make brilliant saves. He tracks pucks well and has gotten quicker at reading developing plays. He has the size and ability to be an impact goalie. If he continues to play well through his draft year, it would be hard seeing him not go in the first round.”
Even though he wasn’t picked in the 2013 WHL bantam draft until the fifth round, Spokane Chiefs winger Kailer Yamamoto has blossomed into one of the most exciting scorers in the league. He currently leads his team in points with 19 markers and 64 points in 50 matches.
“He is probably the most exciting prospect coming out of the Western Hockey League for 2017 because he has a ton of skill and has the smarts to creatively generate opportunities for his team,” says Herasymiuk. “He is one of those guys that makes everyone else on his team better. Some people will knock him for his size (5 foot 9, 160 pounds), but for me he plays a pesky enough game to be a difference maker at the next level. With the game becoming more welcoming to small players, he definitely has the potential to be a top-15 pick in 2017.”
The Tri-City Americans have a pair of players with the potential to don sweaters in the first round: Finnish blueliner Juuso Välimäki and 6-foot-4, 180-pound centre Michael Rasmussen. Välimäki has a reputation as an intelligent defender with a strong all-around game. Rasmussen has an extremely high ceiling, as he possesses an enticing blend of size, a smooth skating ability and offensive poise.
Beyond Rasmussen, the 2014 WHL bantam draft class produced many more bluechip prospects. Wheat Kings centre Stelio Mattheos, the No. 1 pick in 2014, and Hurricanes centre Jordy Bellerive, the No. 2 pick, have struggled a bit as freshmen, but have the tools to breakout next season. Chiefs centre Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Portland Winterhawks centre Cody Glass and Prince Albert Raiders netminder Ian Scott are three others to keep an eye on.
Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen