Nolan Patrick remains atop NHL Central Scouting’s draft rankings.
The 18-year-old Brandon Wheat Kings centre was rated the top North American-based skater available for the 2017 NHL draft in the final rankings, released Tuesday. He was also first in the mid-term rankings.
Patrick recorded 20 goals and 46 points while being limited to 33 WHL games due to injuries. He was the playoff MVP last season when the Wheat Kings won the league title.
Rounding out the top three North American skaters are Nico Hischier of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads and Casey Mittelstadt, a centre for Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota.
Hischier had 38 goals and 86 points in 57 games to earn top rookie honours in the QMJHL. He also starred for Switzerland at the World Junior Championship, recording seven points in five games. He’ll likely surpass Minnesota Wild winger Nino Niederreiter as the highest-drafted Swiss player. Niederreiter was selected fifth overall by the New York Islanders in 2010.
Mittelstadt was named the top senior player in Minnesota after recording 21 goals and 64 points in 25 games. He also played for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, where he picked up 13 goals and 30 points in 24 games.
Forwards Klim Kostin of Dynamo Moscow and Elias Pettersson of Timra (Sweden) maintained their statuses as the first- and second-best international skaters.
Boston University’s Jake Oettinger is the top North American goaltender, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of HPK’s junior team is the best international netminder.
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