The 2017 NHL draft has been completed and graded. But that's old news. What say we take a look at the top players available for next year's draft?
The 2018 class is not a blow-you-away group; as of now, it looks about average to slightly above average. Joe Veleno's simply OK season at 16 year old keeps this from having the shine I thought 2018 would have had judging things one year ago.
Players like Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov could be true front-line talents in the NHL, and Veleno isn't far behind.
Here's how they rank as of one year out from the big night: