2017 NHL Draft

Top-150 Overagers

Older, wiser draft prospects offer shorter path to the NHL
Steve Kournianos  |  2/27/2017 |  New York  |  [hupso]

Photo courtesy of Darwin Knelsen

Swift Current center Tyler Steenbergen is a big reason why the Broncos are ready to return to the WHL playoffs

If it is true the crop of first-year eligible prospects for the 2017 NHL Draft is in fact one of the weakest in recent memory, then why not turn back the clock and give another shot to a kid passed over in either 2015 or 2016?

This could very well be the draft day strategy of several NHL general managers, specifically those looking for players who are physically ready to step in and challenge for a roster spot. Upcoming expansion, a seemingly league-wide emphasis on youth and speed, and the desire to stay competitive while operating with salary cap flexibility are just some of the reasons why teams are expected to be less inclined to wait more than three years for a player to develop. Plus, many draft eligibles from the vaunted 2015 pool were passed over simply because of the quality and depth of the players made available, thus allowing scouts to familiarize with players previously left off their respective team’s draft boards. Lastly, high-end European prospects are more inclined to head to North America, to the point where Russians and Finns are willing to play in the USHL or NCAA if the roster of the CHL team that owns their rights is maxed out on the allowable number of imports.

The downside? The bridge between entry level deals and unrestricted free agency once the player turns 27 is anywhere from one to three years shorter, which means cap-strapped teams will have to “buy” UFA years on deals following entry level contracts. Nevertheless, we expect teams to follow the tactics used last year when 48 of the 211 players chosen were overagers.

Russian imports Ivan Kosorenkov (QMJHL) and Igor Shvyryov (MHL)  — two former members of Russia’s now-defunct U18 program — are at the top of this talented group of older draft prospects. Both 1998-born forwards are superior puck handlers that can create scoring chances within the confines of a clogged offensive zone. From the blueline, Latvians Kristians Rubins (WHL) and Kristaps Zile (MHL) remain two of our top defenders, both for their mature builds, physicality and leadership ability. And in goal, we remain partial to Niagara (OHL) backstop Stephen Dhillon, who just missed first-year eligibility for 2017 by only two days.

Below is a detailed sortable table of The Draft Analyst’s February rankings of overage draft-eligible prospects for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, to be held in Chicago from 23-24 June. Players born between 01 January 1997 and 15 September 1998 were considered in the zone for overage draft eligibility and were previously eligible for the 2015 or 2016 NHL Entry Drafts.

FEB OCT NAME POS TEAM LEAGE DOB HT WT
1 3 Ivan Kosorenkov RW Victoriaville QMJHL 1/22/98 6’0 189
2 1 Igor Shvyrev C/LW Stalnye Lisy MHL 7/10/98 6’0 205
3 4 Kristians Rubins LHD Medicine Hat WHL 12/11/97 6’5 219
4 8 Tyler Steenbergen C Swift Current WHL 1/7/98 5’10 188
5 41 Andrey Altybarmakyan LW Serebryanye Lvy MHL 8/4/98 5’10 183
6 NR Denis Smirnov C/W Penn State Big-10 8/12/97 5’10 185
7 9 Domenic Commisso C Oshawa OHL 2/19/98 5’11 192
8 36 Linus Weissbach LW Tri-City USHL 4/19/98 5’8 161
9 2 Simon Stransky LW Prince Albert WHL 12/21/97 6’0 180
10 57 Maxime Fortier RW Halifax QMJHL 12/15/97 5’10 176
11 7 Kristaps Zile LHD Dinamo Riga KHL 12/24/97 6’1 185
12 10 Stephen Dhillon G Niagara OHL 9/14/98 6’4 187
13 19 Antoine Samuel G Baie Comeau QMJHL 9/17/97 6’3 190
14 NR Carson Meyer C Miami-Ohio NCAA 8/18/97 5’11 185
15 6 Yegor Zaitsev LHD Dynamo Balashikha VHL 5/3/98 6’0 190
16 NR Morgan Geekie C Tri-City WHL 7/20/98 6’2 167
17 NR Thomas Grégoire RHD Sherbrooke QMJHL 7/15/98 5’11 170
18 5 Alexander Polunin LW Lokomotiv KHL 5/25/97 5’9 180
19 13 Justin Murray LHD Barrie OHL 8/22/98 6’0 185
20 25 Patrik Bajkov RW Everett WHL 11/27/97 6’0 180
21 11 Kristian Reichel C Litvinov Extraliga 6/11/98 6’1 170
22 23 Dominik Lakatos C/W Liberec Extraliga 4/8/97 5’10 180
23 24 Roman Krikunenko C/W Loko Yaroslavl MHL 12/27/97 5’11 170
24 18 Matt Fonteyne LW Everett WHL 11/30/97 5’10 180
25 NR Tory Dello RHD Notre Dame Hockey East 2/14/97 6’0 190
26 51 Maxim Mizyurin C Val-d’Or QMJHL 3/25/98 6’3 220
27 72 Emil Westerlund LW Linkopings J20 Superelit 2/16/98 6’1 190
28 15 Zack Osburn RHD Michigan State Big-10 2/7/97 5’10 191
29 70 Dylan Coghlan RHD Tri-City WHL 2/19/98 6’2 190
30 22 Victor Brattstrom G Timra IK Allsvenskan 3/22/97 6’5 201
31 30 Dmitri Alexeyev LHD Chelmet Chelyabinsk VHL 2/17/98 6’0 192
32 35 Samuel Harvey G Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL 2/4/98 6’0 184
33 NR Owen Headrick D Lake Superior St WCHA 8/23/97 5’11 186
34 39 Alex Limoges C Tri-City USHL 9/16/97 6’1 197
35 50 Grant Cruikshank LW Penticton BCHL 7/19/98 5’10 176
36 55 Zach Sawchenko G Moose Jaw WHL 12/30/97 6’1 175
37 88 Ryan Moore C Flint OHL 4/9/97 5’8 168
38 NR Jack Adams RW Fargo USHL 2/5/97 6’5 207
39 NR Andrei Svetlakov C CSKA KHL 4/6/96 6’0 203
40 26 Gustaf Westlund C Lincoln USHL 12/12/97 6’0 171
41 27 Ilya Karpukhin LHD Chelmet Chelyabinsk VHL 7/13/98 6’1 192
42 42 Konstantin Dubin LW Stalnye Lisy MHL 8/28/98 5’8 163
43 54 Vladimir Kuznetsov LW Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL 2/18/98 6’1 214
44 NR Jack Ahcan RHD St. Cloud State NCHC 5/18/97 5’8 184
45 14 Mikhail Meshcheryakov C Krasnaya Armiya MHL 1/18/98 5’8 170
46 NR Mark Yanchevsky LHD Stalnye Lisy MHL 6/30/98 6’6 200
47 38 Juha Jääskä LW IFK Liiga 2/9/98 6’0 187
48 NR Robbie Jackson C St. Cloud State NCHC 8/22/97 5’9 174
49 53 Daniel Marmenlind G Orebro SHL 11/14/97 6’0 180
50 44 Matt Brassard RHD Oshawa OHL 8/8/98 6’2 201
51 76 Mikhail Sidorov RHD Ak Bars Kazan KHL 6/25/97 6’0 214
52 NR Joona Luoto LW Tappara Liiga 9/26/97 6’2 185
53 34 Ilya Avramenko C Stalnye Lisy MHL 9/13/98 5’9 165
54 NR Nick Swaney C/RW Waterloo USHL 9/9/97 5’10 175
55 28 Marcus Ersson LHD Brynas SHL 9/27/99 6’2 201
56 48 Veini Vehvilainen (OA) G JyP Liiga 2/13/97 6’0 174
57 79 Tomas Havranek LW Slavia Trebic Extraliga Jrs 5/4/98 5’10 166
58 68 Dmitri Lozebnikov G Stalnye Lisy MHL 1/15/98 6’3 194
59 83 Kohen Olischefski RW Chilliwack BCHL 2/1/98 6’0 163
60 NR Brennan Menell RHD Lethbridge WHL 5/24/97 5’11 172
61 NR Artur Tyanulin RW Ottawa OHL 1/20/97 5’10 178
62 29 Luke Coleman LW Calgary WHL 9/9/98 6’2 198
63 37 Dawson Davidson LHD Regina WHL 4/7/98 5’11 181
64 60 Jonathan Davidsson RW Djugardens SHL 3/12/97 5’11 185
65 20 Jamie Armstrong LW Penticton BCHL 8/7/98 6’2 190
66 65 Anton Krasotkin G Loko Yaroslavl MHL 5/20/97 6’0 179
67 64 Roman Ivashov RW Avto Yekaterinburg MHL 4/5/97 6’1 181
68 32 Mitchell Balmas C Gatineau QMJHL 3/19/98 5’11 168
69 33 Ondrej Najman C Spokane WHL 1/30/98 6’1 201
70 NR Danila Kvartalnov C CSKA KHL 7/7/97 6’1 183
71 NR Kevin Davis RHD Everett WHL 3/14/97 6’0 180
72 45 Kyle Maksimovich RW Erie OHL 3/10/98 5’9 174
73 NR Jiri Karafiat C Zlin Extraliga 7/7/98 6’2 170
74 NR Otto Leskinen LHD Kalpa Liiga 2/6/97 5’11 176
75 NR Colin Theisen LW Dubuque USHL 4/24/97 5’11 181
76 NR Jordan Kawaguchi C Chilliwack BCHL 5/4/97 5’9 181
77 67 Kenneth Johnson LHD Penticton BCHL 5/28/98 6’3 214
78 61 Leonid Lavrinenko LHD Belye Medvedi MHL 1/15/98 6’1 190
79 NR Linus Olund C/W Brynas SHL 6/5/97 5’11 185
80 73 Ty Amonte RW/C Penticton BCHL 1/11/98 5’11 181
81 49 Greg Printz LW Chicago USHL 5/4/98 6’2 215
82 56 Luke McInnis LHD Boston Colege Hockey East 7/29/98 5’10 175
83 NR Jordan Topping LW Tri-City WHL 7/20/97 6’1 198
84 62 Matthew Boucher C Quebec QMJHL 12/17/97 5’9 175
85 74 Michael Graham C Fargo USHL 11/27/97 6’2 185
86 NR Jason O’Neill C Chicago USHL 3/23/97 5’11 182
87 31 Tim Wahlgren C MoDo SHL 3/8/98 6’0 176
88 NR Daniil Yurtaikin LW/RW Loko Yaroslavl MHL 7/1/97 5’9 170
89 43 Benjamin Gleason LHD Hamilton OHL 3/25/98 6’1 180
90 63 Nolan Volcan LW Seattle WHL 7/4/98 5’9 194
91 NR Jayden Halbgewachs C Moose Jaw WHL 3/22/97 5’8 160
92 52 Tobias Eder RW EC Salzburg Alps HL 3/4/98 6’1 174
93 NR Matthew Hellickson LHD Sioux City USHL 3/21/98 6’0 184
94 46 Roman Golovanov G Reaktor MHL 5/28/97 6’1 165
95 NR Josh Wilkins RW Providence Hockey East 6/11/97 5’11 181
96 NR Kevin Hancock C/LW Owen Sound OHL 3/20/98 5’11 180
97 17 Otto Makinen C/LW Sault Ste Marie OHL 5/21/98 6’2 173
98 82 Nicolas Werbik C Youngstown USHL 10/9/97 6’3 208
99 100 Adam Brizgala G Muskegon USHL 6/19/98 6’0 209
100 40 Jeff de Wit C Regina WHL 3/14/98 6’3 192
101 NR Skyler McKenzie LW Portland WHL 1/20/98 5’8 160
102 NR David Keefer LW Des Moines USHL 10/21/97 5’10 186
103 78 Vito Bavaro RW Sacred Heart NCAA 10/1/97 6’2 194
104 81 Julian Napravnik RW Des Moines USHL 5/6/97 5’11 159
105 66 Brayden Burke (OA) LW Moose Jaw WHL 1/1/97 5’10 170
106 NR Tomas Soustal C Kelowna WHL 2/15/97 6’3 198
107 NR Alexander Volkov LW SKA-1946 MHL 8/2/97 6’1 192
108 59 Alexander Yakovenko LHD Belye Medvedi MHL 2/22/98 5’10 161
109 95 Walker Duehr RW Chicago USHL 11/2/97 6’2 205
110 NR Bo Hanson LHD Muskegon USHL 11/13/97 6’2 203
111 NR Karolus Kaarlehto G Tuto Mestis 9/1/97 6’2 165
112 NR Marian Adamek RHD Trinec Extraliga 10/2/97 6’0 180
113 90 Alexander Bjurstrom C/RW Brynas J20 Superelit 4/2/98 5’11 172
114 47 Willie Knierim RW Miami-Ohio NCHC 1/22/98 6’3 220
115 NR Hank Crone LW Fargo USHL 2/19/98 5’9 157
116 80 Carter Long RHD Lincoln USHL 2/13/98 6’4 209
117 NR Colt Conrad C/RW Western Michigan NCHC 4/27/97 5’10 187
118 58 Marco Miranda C/LW GCK NLB 6/2/98 6’2 196
119 NR Wyatt Kalynuk LHD Bloomington USHL 4/14/97 6’0 168
120 NR Matthew Galajda G Victoria BCHL 10/7/97 6’1 177
121 NR Lukas Haudum C Malmo SHL 5/21/97 6’0 183
122 NR Roger Karrer RHD GCK Lions NLB 1/21/97 5’11 181
123 NR Cole Hults LHD Madison USHL 5/22/98 6’0 189
124 NR Ryan Larkin G Miami-Ohio NCAA 6/9/97 6’1 194
125 85 Kody McDonald RW Prince George WHL 4/7/98 6’1 194
126 98 Troy Timpano G Erie OHL 11/13/97 6’1 187
127 71 Alex Barre-Boulet C Drummondville QMJHL 5/21/97 5’10 165
128 NR Blake Lizotte C Fargo USHL 12/13/97 5’8 173
129 NR Lukas Zetterberg LW Västerås Allsvenskan 3/27/97 6’1 201
130 91 Michael O’Leary C Notre Dame Hockey East 1/1/98 6’1 195
131 NR Kyle Betts C Powell River BCHL 9/17/97 6’0 165
132 77 Cameron Askew C Shawinigan QMJHL 5/13/97 6’4 212
133 NR Evan Bell LHD Fargo USHL 6/25/97 5’10 191
134 NR Ryan Edquist G Boston College Hockey East 1/28/98 6’0 172
135 NR Phillip Knies LW Sioux City USHL 6/4/98 5’9 170
136 84 Samuel Solensky RW/C Youngstown USHL 8/25/98 5’9 170
137 99 Artem Maltsev RHD Rimouski QMJHL 3/27/98 6’2 181
138 NR Jack Bandini LW Chicago USHL 1/19/98 6’0 203
139 16 Alan Lyszczarczyk LW Sudbury OHL 2/17/98 6’0 181
140 NR Anton Danielsson LHD HV71 SHL 5/16/97 6’2 187
141 NR Griffin Outhouse G Victoria WHL 3/13/98 6’0 175
142 NR Joseph Nardi LW Whitecourt AJHL 6/1/97 5’11 176
143 NR Jacob Bryson D Providence Hockey East 11/18/97 5’9 175
144 NR Sami Tavernier RW Merrimack Hockey East 4/25/97 6’0 185
145 NR Derek Hamelin LHD Omaha USHL 1/21/97 5’11 166
146 94 Scott Perunovich LHD Cedar Rapids USHL 8/18/98 5’9 165
147 97 Mikael Hakkarainen C Chicago USHL 1/26/98 6’1 174
148 NR Bailey Webster RHD Saint John QMJHL 9/8/97 6’3 214
149 NR Khristian Acosta RW Sioux Falls USHL 5/5/98 5’10 170
150 NR Pontus Jigermark C AIK J20 Superelit 1/7/97 6’3 185
151 NR Johan Lindholm C/RW Frolunda SHL 1/30/97 6’0 192
152 NR Alex Stevens RHD Sioux Falls USHL 2/27/97 6’1 199
153 NR Radek Koblizek RW Karpat Liiga 10/20/97 5’9 170
154 NR Pietrus Palmu RW Owen Sound OHL 7/16/97 5’8 180