There is no debate for No. 1 in 2018.
The flip-flop for No. 2 continues — at least for me — and the rest of the top 10 is very much to be determined on draft day.
The entire first round is full of promising prospects and the depth of this draft class has become more and more impressive over the course of the season.
Now that all the regular seasons have wrapped up and the playoffs have commenced for various leagues in various countries, it’s time to take another look at my Top 100 rankings for this June’s draft.
There have been some subtle changes — as well as some drastic ones — since my last update in early February, following the CHL Top Prospects Game and the release of NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term list.
'2018 NHL Draft: Fisher’s Top 93 Midseason Rankings' from our @LarryFisher_KDC https://t.co/YGKtvCM2Pe #THW #NHLDraft #NHLProspects #NHL pic.twitter.com/YdcSo0QNeh
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) February 7, 2018
The plan is to publish a final update in May, following the World Under-18 Championship, to be hosted in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia, from April 19 to 29. By then, the draft lottery will be held and we’ll know the order of picks for the NHL’s non-playoff teams.
From there, I’ll be busy putting the finishing touches on my favourite project of the year — my seventh annual mock draft, which typically publishes the morning after the Stanley Cup is awarded in June, once the official draft order is finalized. For the third year in a row, I’ll be mocking the full seven rounds — all 217 selections.
There is a lot to look forward to, and the excitement for this year’s draft goes far beyond the Rasmus Dahlin sweepstakes. But without further ado, here are my Top 100 rankings as of today:
First Round
1) Rasmus Dahlin (LHD, Sweden, Frolunda SHL)
2) Andrei Svechnikov (RW, Russia, Barrie OHL)
3) Filip Zadina (LW, Czech Republic, Halifax QMJHL)
4) Brady Tkachuk (LW, USA, Boston University NCAA)
5) Adam Boqvist (RHD, Sweden, Brynas J20)
6) Quinn Hughes (LHD, USA, Michigan NCAA)
7) Oliver Wahlstrom (RW, USA, NTDP U18)
8) Evan Bouchard (RHD, Canada, London OHL)
9) Noah Dobson (RHD, Canada, Acadie Bathurst QMJHL)
10) Joel Farabee (LW, USA, NTDP U18)
11) Ty Smith (LHD, Canada, Spokane WHL)
12) Bode Wilde (RHD, USA/Canada, NTDP U18)
13) Ryan Merkley (RHD, Canada, Guelph OHL)
14) Joe Veleno (C, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)
15) Barrett Hayton (C, Canada, Sault Ste. Marie OHL)
16) Vitali Kravtsov (RW, Russia, Chelyabinsk KHL)
17) Jesperi Kotkaniemi (LW/C, Finland, Assat)
18) Isac Lundestrom (C/LW, Sweden, Lulea SHL)
19) Rasmus Kupari (C, Finland, Karpat)
20) Dominik Bokk (RW, Germany, Vaxjo J20)
21) Grigori Denisenko (LW, Russia, Loko Yaroslavl MHL)
22) Martin Kaut (RW, Czech Republic, Pardubice)
23) K’Andre Miller (LHD, USA, NTDP U18)
24) Nils Lundkvist (RHD, Sweden, Lulea SHL)
25) Jared McIsaac (LHD, Canada, Halifax QMJHL)
26) Nicolas Beaudin (LHD, Canada, Drummondville QMJHL)
27) Ryan McLeod (C/LW, Canada, Mississauga OHL)
28) Benoit-Olivier Groulx (C, Canada, Halifax QMJHL)
29) Jonatan Berggren (C/W, Sweden, Skelleftea J20)
30) Jonny Tychonick (LHD, Canada, Penticton BCHL)
31) Calen Addison (RHD, Canada, Lethbridge WHL)
Second Round
32) Ty Dellandrea (C, Canada, Flint OHL)
33) Akil Thomas (C/RW, Canada, Niagara OHL)
34) Serron Noel (RW, Canada, Oshawa OHL)
35) Filip Hallander (C/W, Sweden, Timra)
36) Milos Roman (C, Slovakia, Vancouver WHL)
37) Jack McBain (C, Canada, Toronto OJHL)
38) Jay O’Brien (C, USA, Thayer High School)
39) Jake Wise (C, USA, NTDP U18)
40) Jacob Olofsson (C, Sweden, Timra)
41) Jesse Ylonen (RW, Finland/USA, Espoo United)
42) Jett Woo (RHD, Canada, Moose Jaw WHL)
43) Rasmus Sandin (LHD, Sweden, Sault Ste. Marie OHL)
44) Adam Ginning (LHD, Sweden, Linkoping J20)
45) Alexander Alexeyev (LHD, Russia, Red Deer WHL)
46) Kevin Bahl (LHD, Canada, Ottawa OHL)
47) Mattias Samuelsson (LHD, USA/Sweden, NTDP U18)
48) Jacob Bernard-Docker (RHD, Canada, Okotoks AJHL)
49) Cole Fonstad (RW, Canada, Prince Albert WHL)
50) Aidan Dudas (C, Canada, Owen Sound OHL)
51) Alexander Khovanov (C, Russia, Moncton QMJHL)
52) Jakub Lauko (C, Czech Republic, Chomutov)
53) Jakub Skarek (G, Czech Republic, Dukla Jihlava)
54) Filip Johansson (RHD, Sweden, Leksands J20)
55) Blake McLaughlin (C, USA, Chicago USHL)
56) Curtis Hall (C, USA, Youngstown USHL)
57) Cam Hillis (C, Canada, Guelph OHL)
58) Dmitry Zavgorodniy (RW, Russia, Rimouski QMJHL)
59) David Gustafsson (C, Sweden, HV71 J20)
60) Sampo Ranta (RW, Finland, Sioux City USHL)
61) Oskar Back (C/W, Sweden, Farjestad J20)
62) Nando Eggenberger (RW, Switzerland, Davos)
Third Round
63) Philip Kurashev (C, Switzerland, Quebec QMJHL)
64) Allan McShane (C, Canada, Oshawa OHL)
65) Luka Burzan (C, Canada, Brandon WHL)
66) Kirill Marchenko (F, Russia, Mamonty MHL)
67) Ivan Morozov (C, Russia, Mamonty Yugry, MHL)
68) Vladislav Kotkov (LW/RW, Russia, Chicoutimi QMJHL)
69) Kirill Nizhnikov (RW, Russia, Sudbury OHL)
70) Bulat Shafigullin (F, Russia, Nizhnekamsk MHL)
71) Niklas Nordgren (RW, Finland, HIFK Liiga)
72) Albin Eriksson (LW, Sweden, Skelleftea J20)
73) Stanislav Demin (LHD, USA, Wenatchee BCHL)
74) Nico Gross (LHD, Switzerland, Oshawa OHL)
75) Adam Samuelsson (LHD, USA/Sweden, NTDP U18)
76) Sean Durzi (RHD, Canada, Owen Sound OHL, over-ager)
77) Scott Perunovich (LHD, USA, Minnesota-Duluth NCAA, over-ager)
78) Jacob Tortora (LW, USA, Boston College NCAA, over-ager)
79) Lukas Dostal (G, Czech Republic, Kometa Brno U20)
80) Jan Jenik (LW, Czech Republic, Liberec U20)
81) Ivan Muranov (LW, Russia, HK MVD MHL)
82) Egor Sokolov (LW, Russia, Cape Breton QMJHL)
83) Axel Andersson (RHD, Sweden, Djugardens J20)
84) Danila Galenyuk (LHD, Russia, Mamonty Yugry MHL)
85) Toni Utunen (LHD, Finland, Tappara Liiga)
86) Giovanni Vallati (LHD, Canada, Kitchener OHL)
87) Filip Kral (LHD, Czech Republic, Spokane WHL)
88) Kyle Topping (C, Canada, Kelowna WHL)
89) Gabriel Fortier (C/W, Canada, Baie-Comeau QMJHL)
90) Liam Foudy (C, Canada, London OHL)
91) Kody Clark (RW, Canada, Ottawa OHL)
92) Curtis Douglas (C, Canada, Windsor OHL)
93) Blade Jenkins (C, Canada, Saginaw OHL)
Honourable Mentions
94) Jake Pivonka (C, USA/Czech Republic, NTDP U18)
95) Johnny Gruden (LW, USA, NTDP U18)
96) Tyler Madden (C, USA, Tri-City USHL)
97) Tyler Weiss (C/LW, USA, NTDP U18)
98) Anderson MacDonald (LW, Canada, Moncton QMJHL)
99) Xavier Bouchard (RHD, Canada, Baie-Comeau QMJHL)
100) Samuel Fagemo (LW, Sweden, Frolunda J20)
As always, and like any good scout, I’m open to feedback. Is anybody missing from my list, any glaring omissions? Is somebody way too high or way too low? Feel free to make your voice heard in the comments below, or reach out to me directly via email at larry.fisher31@gmail.com.