{"id":3849,"date":"2016-12-01T20:48:41","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T01:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonhockey.com?p=3849&preview=true&preview_id=3849"},"modified":"2021-10-13T19:09:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T23:09:32","slug":"2017-nhl-draft-november-rankings-26-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2016\/12\/01\/2017-nhl-draft-november-rankings-26-31\/","title":{"rendered":"2017 NHL Draft November Rankings: 26-31"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column looking at hockey\u2019s stars. Over the next few days we will be previewing the 2017 NHL Draft<\/strong> by ranking our top 30 prospects. We will also do some\u00a0honourable mentions.\u00a0 As always, you can check out the previous Top Shelf Prospects articles here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the CHL<\/strong> season a good eight weeks old; \u00a0a month or so of NCAA<\/strong> hockey; plenty of games for the US National Team Development Program;<\/strong>\u00a0the Ivan Hlinka<\/a> Tournament<\/strong>;\u00a0an international break in Europe; and the CIBC CHL\/Russia\u00a0Series<\/strong> all being played since we last updated our draft rankings, we have gotten a decent overview of what some of the biggest prospects for the 2017 draft are doing this year.<\/p>\n

That said, as a staff\u00a0we haven\u2019t seen every player yet\u2014it\u2019s quite simply not possible this early\u00a0in the season. If there is an obvious name left out, we\u2019ll do our best to get a look before the February\u00a0rankings; as well as before our final rankings that go from April through\u00a0June.<\/p>\n

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The group we haven\u2019t seen a lot of are European prospects who, for whatever reason, haven\u2019t had much exposure on the international stage.\u00a0 With the World Juniors, Five Nations<\/strong>, and the Under-18<\/strong> all to come later in the year, we should get a better look at most of those players.<\/p>\n

Check out the Top 5<\/a>;\u00a0Rankings 6-10<\/a>; Rankings 11-15<\/a>; Prospects 16-20<\/a>; as well as Prospects 21-25<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2017 NHL Draft November Rankings: 26-31<\/h2>\n

26.)\u00a0Miro Heiskanen, HIFK; Defence (6’0″ 174 lbs)<\/h3>\n

Heiskanen played as an underager on Finland’s gold medal winning Under-18 team. He also has been playing in Finland’s top men’s league, putting up three goals and seven points in 22 games. He has very good skating ability. Heiskanen has good speed and acceleration in both directions. He also has\u00a0the agility and edgework to make quick pivots and transition from defence to offence, or vice-versa. He is also a good passer, and can start the rush or make plays on the point on the powerplay. \u00a0Heiskanen could stand to be a bit more physical; as well as work on his slap shot.<\/p>\n

27.)\u00a0Antoine Morand, Acadie-Bathurst Titan; Centre (5\u20199\u2033 170 lbs)<\/h3>\n

Morand is extremely elusive in the offensive zone. He has a great first step, excellent agility, and the edge work necessary to make quick cuts on a dime. He combines this with the soft hands to control the puck and make plays in tight spaces and at top speed. Morand is deadly in close to the net. He can make a quick deke on a goaltender, fire the puck to the top of the net, or make a quick pass to a teammate. Morand might be small, but he is not afraid to get involved in battles for the puck in the corner, or in front of the net. He is often found at the middle of post-whistle scrums as well. He has 28 points in 27 games so far this year.<\/p>\n

27.) Nick Suzuki, Owen Sound Attack; Centre (5’11” 183 lbs)<\/h3>\n

An excellent skater, Suzuki gets in very quickly on the forecheck, throwing hits or pressuring defenders into turnovers. Once he gets the puck, he uses his speed and agility to create space and open up passing lanes. He has excellent vision and was a very good playmaker at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. He looks to take the next step in the OHL this year. He’s been great for Owen Sound with 16 goals and 34 points in just 27 games this year.<\/p>\n

28.) Marcus Davidson, Centre; Djugardens (6\u20190\u2033 183 lbs)<\/h3>\n

An excellent two-way centre, Davidson does all the little things well. He gets in quickly on the forecheck and pressures defencemen into making turnovers. Once a turnover happens he can hit a teammate with a quick pass, drive the puck to the front of the net, or fire an excellent wrist shot on goal. He is relentless in chasing down pucks in all three zones, and has the skating to be able to get to loose pucks quickly. Defensively, he is already good in the face-off circle. He shows a highly advanced ability to pressure puck carriers, and to play a smart positional game in his own end.<\/p>\n

29.) MacKenzie Entwistle, Hamilton Bulldogs; Centre\/Right Wing, (6’3″ 181 lbs)<\/h3>\n

Entwhistle is a solid skater who plays a north-south style of game. \u00a0He is willing to get dirty in the corners and in front of the net, as well as play a grinding game on the cycle. Entwhistle gets to the front of the net where he can bang in rebounds, or quickly one-time passes. He also grabs loose pucks and keeps the offense going by moving them quickly to teammates. Add in a good defensive game, and he could\u00a0be a first round pick. Entwistle has 10 goals and 19 points in 25 games for the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n

30.) Robin Salo, Sport; Defence (6’0″ 181 lbs)<\/h3>\n

A late 98 birthdate, Salo was another member of Finland’s Under 18 gold medal winning team, and also played in the 2015 Ivan Hlinka tournament. This year he is playing for Sport in the SM-Liiga and has put up seven points in 21 games. Salo is an effective two-way player who shows good mobility. He uses strong positioning and an active stick to cut down passing and shooting lanes in his own end. He also makes a strong first pass, and moves the puck quickly. Salo has also shown ability to handle the puck and lead the rush himself. He also has a good shot which he uses from the point on the power play.<\/p>\n

31.) Conor Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds; Defence (6’1″ 181 lbs)<\/h3>\n

Timmins is one of the quickest risers on our list. He has played like a number one defenceman for the Greyhounds this year, with good mobility and positioning in the defensive end and putting up points in the offensive end. Timmins has very good vision and passing skills. He moves the puck up the ice quickly, and efficiently starting the rush. He also works as a quarterback on the powerplay. Timmins has put up 21 points in 27 games this year. He\u00a0has also played a physical game in his own end, throwing hits against opposing\u00a0forwards, winning battles on the boards, and clearing the front of the net.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n