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Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier top 2017 NHL Draft prospect midterm rankings

Central Scouting took notice of the World Juniors.

By Patrick Iversen
Halifax Mooseheads v Blainville-Boisbriand Armada Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

As expected, the 2017 World Juniors resulted in some shakeups in the way scouts are assessing the 2017 NHL Entry Draft prospects.

The NHL’s Central Scouting released their midterm rankings on Tuesday, splitting up every eligible draft prospect into four pools: skaters and goalies playing in North America and skaters and goalies playing in Europe.

As before, the top prospect available, according to Central Scouting, is Nolan Patrick of the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings. Patrick has been the top target for the 2017 draft for years now, but the big center has appeared in just eight games due to injury. That apparently wasn’t enough to cost him a slip in the rankings.

The second-highest rated skater is Nico Hischier, the Swiss center playing for Halifax in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The playmaking forward has 31 goals and 63 points in 37 games for the Mooseheads, but he put on a show at the World Juniors, as well, with 15 points in 11 games.

Notably falling down the rankings is Timothy Liljegren. The Swedish defenseman missed the World Juniors entirely with an injury. And, apparently, his loan to a lowered-tier team in Sweden isn’t doing him much favors, either.

Here’s the full midterm rankings from NHL Central Scouting.

North American Skaters

Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
1 Patrick, Nolan Center Brandon WHL
2 Hischier, Nico Center Halifax QMJHL
3 Vilardi, Gabriel Center Windsor OHL
4 Tippett, Owen Right Wing Mississauga OHL
5 Mittelstadt, Casey Center Eden Prairie HIGH-MN
6 Rasmussen, Michael Center Tri-City WHL
7 Tolvanen, Eeli Right Wing Sioux City USHL
8 Glass, Cody Center Portland WHL
9 Valimaki, Juuso Defenseman Tri-City WHL
10 Makar, Cale Defenseman Brooks AJHL
11 Hague, Nicolas Defenseman Mississauga OHL
12 Foote, Callan Defenseman Kelowna WHL
13 Bowers, Shane Center Waterloo USHL
14 Poehling, Ryan Center St. State NCHC
15 Comtois, Maxime Left Wing Victoriaville QMJHL
16 Suzuki, Nick Center Owen Sound OHL
17 Yamamoto, Kailer Right Wing Spokane WHL
18 Popugaev, Nikita Left Wing Prince George WHL
19 Strome, Matthew Left Wing Hamilton OHL
20 Ratcliffe, Isaac Left Wing Guelph OHL
21 Lind, Kole Right Wing Kelowna WHL
22 Jokiharju, Henri Defenseman Portland WHL
23 Mattheos, Stelio Right Wing Brandon WHL
24 Formenton, Alex Left Wing London OHL
25 Henry, Nick Right Wing Regina WHL
26 Timmins, Conor Defenseman Sault Marie OHL
27 Ruzicka, Adam Center Sarnia OHL
28 Thomas, Robert Center London OHL
29 Frost, Morgan Center Sault Marie OHL
30 Mismash, Grant Left Wing USA U-18 NTDP
31 Leschyshyn, Jake Center Regina WHL
32 Schnarr, Nate Center Guelph OHL
33 Tyszka, Jarret Defenseman Seattle WHL
34 Robertson, Jason Left Wing Kingston OHL
35 Entwistle, Mackenzie Right Wing Hamilton OHL
36 Heponiemi, Aleksi Center Swift Current WHL
37 Lodnia, Ivan Right Wing Erie OHL
38 Chmelevski, Alexander Center Ottawa OHL
39 Meireles, Greg Center Kitchener OHL
40 Anderson-Dolan, Jaret Center Spokane WHL
41 Hoefenmayer, Noel Defenseman Ottawa OHL
42 Joseph, Pierre-Olivier Defenseman Charlottetown QMJHL
43 Samberg, Dylan Defenseman Hermantown HIGH-MN
44 Koltygin, Pavel Center Drummondville QMJHL
45 Mitchell, Ian Defenseman Spruce Grove AJHL
46 Norris, Joshua Center USA U-18 NTDP
47 Reedy, Scott Center USA U-18 NTDP
48 Mirageas, Benjamin Defenseman Bloomington USHL
49 Minulin, Artyom Defenseman Swift Current WHL
50 Geekie, Morgan Center Tri-City WHL
NHL Central Scouting

European Skaters

Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
1 Kostin, Klim Left Wing/Center Dynamo Moscow RUSSIA
2 Pettersson, Elias Center Timra SWEDEN-2
3 Andersson, Lias Center HV 71 SWEDEN
4 Vesalainen, Kristian Left Wing/Right Wing Frolunda SWEDEN
5 Necas, Martin Center Brno CZREP
6 Heiskanen, Miro Defenseman Hifk FINLAND
7 Liljegren, Timothy Defenseman Rogle SWEDEN
8 Vaakanainen, Urho Defenseman Jyp FINLAND
9 Safin, Ostap Right Wing Sparta Jr. CZREP-JR.
10 Westerlund, Filip Defenseman Frolunda SWEDEN
11 Boqvist, Jesper Center Timra SWEDEN-2
12 Davidsson, Marcus Center Djurgarden SWEDEN
13 Ikonen, Joni Center Frolunda Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
14 Rondbjerg, Jonas Right Wing Vaxjo Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
15 Chytil, Filip Left Wing Zlin CZREP
16 Brannstrom, Erik Defenseman Hv Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
17 Salo, Robin Defenseman Sport FINLAND
18 Lipanov, Alexei Center Mvd 2 RUSSIA-JR.
19 Elvenes, Lukas Right Wing/Center Rogle Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
20 Galvas, Jakub Defenseman Olomouc CZREP
21 Hugg, Rickard Center Leksand Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
22 Kvasnicka, David Defenseman Plzen CZREP
23 Skorikov, Daniil Right Wing Ufa 2 RUSSIA-JR.
24 Dvorak, Jaroslav Right Wing Hr. Jr. CZREP-JR.
25 Shutov, Gleb Defenseman Omsk 2 RUSSIA-JR.
26 Koskenkorva, Jesse Center Karpat FINLAND
27 Baranov, Venyamin Defenseman Dynamo 2 RUSSIA-JR.
28 Slepets, Kirill Left Wing Yaroslavl 2 RUSSIA-JR.
29 Afonkin, Grigory Defenseman Magnitogorsk 2 RUSSIA-JR.
30 Novak, Matej Right Wing Brno Jr. CZREP-JR.
31 Ovechkin, Dmitri Left Wing Ska 2 RUSSIA-JR.
32 Lindstrom, Gustav Defenseman Almtuna SWEDEN-2
33 Bemstrom, Emil Center Leksand Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
34 Pavlikov, Mark Defenseman Yaroslavl 2 RUSSIA-JR.
35 Altybarmakyan, Andrei Right Wing Lvy 2 RUSSIA-JR.
36 Kern, Jan Left Wing Slavia CZREP-2
37 Chrtek, Ondrej Center Liberec Jr. CZREP-JR.
38 Kubik, Adam Center Kladno CZREP-2
39 Texier, Alexandre Center Grenoble FRANCE
40 Ekberg, Philip Left Wing Frolunda Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
41 Davidsson, Jonathan Right Wing Djurgarden SWEDEN
42 Soderlund, Tim Left Wing/Center Skelleftea SWEDEN
43 Salda, Radim Defenseman Hr. Jr. CZREP-JR.
44 Zotov, Kirill Defenseman Magnitogorsk 2 RUSSIA-JR.
45 Oskin, Alexander Right Wing Ufa 2 RUSSIA-JR.
46 Geisser, Tobias Defenseman Zug Academy SWISS-2
47 Lisin, Ivan Center Yaroslavl 2 RUSSIA-JR.
48 Lacka, Jakub Left Wing Trinec Jr. CZREP-JR.
49 Yelshansky, Pavel Defenseman Dynamo 2 RUSSIA-JR.
50 Hedera, Tomas Defenseman Bratislava Jr. SLOVAKIA-JR.
NHL Central Scouting

North American Goalies

Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
1 Petruzzelli, Keith Goalie Muskegon USHL
2 Scott, Ian Goalie Prince Albert WHL
3 Oettinger, Jake Goalie Boston University H-EAST
4 Primeau, Cayden Goalie Lincoln USHL
5 Zhukov, Maksim Goalie Green Bay USHL
6 Rasmussen, Dayton Goalie Tri-City USHL
7 Dipietro, Michael Goalie Windsor OHL
8 D'orio, Alex Goalie Saint John QMJHL
9 Skinner, Stuart Goalie Lethbridge WHL
10 Keyser, Kyle Goalie Oshawa OHL
11 Hollett, Jordan Goalie Regina WHL
12 Fulcher, Kaden Goalie Hamilton OHL
13 Vomacka, Tomas Goalie Corpus Christi NAHL
14 Villalta, Matt Goalie Sault Marie OHL
15 Korenar, Josef Goalie Lincoln USHL
16 Baribeau, Dereck Goalie Quebec QMJHL
17 Ferguson, Dylan Goalie Kamloops WHL
18 Swayman, Jeremy Goalie Sioux Falls USHL
19 Dhillon, Stephen Goalie Niagara OHL
20 Larkin, Ryan Goalie Miami NCHC
21 Lebedeff, Daniel Goalie Madison USHL
22 Moe, Jared Goalie Holy Catholic HIGH-MN
23 McGrath, Jake Goalie Sudbury OHL
24 Murray, Matthew Goalie Fargo USHL
25 Propp, Christian Goalie Barrie OHL
26 Hrenak, David Goalie Green Bay USHL
27 Lafreniere, Olivier Goalie Ottawa OHL
28 Hughes, Aidan Goalie Sarnia OHL
29 Taylor, Ty Goalie Vernon BCHL
30 Prosvetov, Ivan Goalie Minnesota Magicians NAHL
31 Weatherill, Dawson Goalie Spokane WHL
NHL Central Scouting

European Goalies

Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
Midterm Rank Player Position Last Amateur Club League
1 Luukkonen, Ukko-Pekka Goalie HPK Jr. FINLAND-JR.
2 Eriksson Ek, Olle Goalie Farjestad Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
3 Tarasov, Daniil Goalie Ufa 2 RUSSIA-JR.
4 Samoilov, Alexander Goalie Cska 2 RUSSIA-JR.
5 Soderblom, Arvid Goalie Frolunda Jr. SWEDEN-JR.
6 Patera, Jiri Goalie C. Jr. CZREP-JR.
7 Makiniemi, Eetu Goalie Jokerit Jr. FINLAND-JR.
8 Beck, Benjamin Goalie Ec U18 RBHRC U18
9 Lehtinen, Lassi Goalie Lukko Jr. FINLAND-JR.
10 Sklenar, Juraj Goalie Slovakia U18 SLOVAKIA-JR.
NHL Central Scouting