Re-Drafting the 2017 NHL Draft
Revisiting the 2017 first round with in-depth analysis 5 years later
5 years out of the 2017 NHL draft, we’re getting a clear picture of who is becoming an NHL mainstay and who hasn’t lived up to their potential. As players from this draft turn 23-24 next season, a lot of the elite talent is entering their primes and the project pieces are either just making the NHL or are fizzling out allowing us to have a look at what the draft would look like if we decided to redo it.
A quick caveat, this draft isn’t picking players that are “best” for the franchise but rather ranking the best players in the draft in order of how impactful they are and how impactful they likely will be going forward. Let’s get right into business.
1st Overall - New Jersey Devils - Cale Makar
(Originally taken 4th overall by Colorado Avalanche) - #8 - RHD
Cale Makar is a generational defenseman.
While the term generational is about as subjective as a term can get, when looking at defenseman Cale Makar skate, it becomes clear why he has that title. When looking at Cale Makar’s stats, it becomes clear why he has that title. When watching the 2022 playoff run he’s having, it becomes clear why he has that title. There isn’t a human currently playing hockey the way Makar does, nor is there one who plays his position as well as him.
This past season for Makar among defensemen league-wide
1st in xGF%
1st in goals
1st in scoring chances %
2nd in points
2nd in plus/minus
He’s the best defenseman in the league and the best player in the 2017 draft class. New Jersey would be very happy to put reunite him with Ryan Graves on the 1st pair.