2018 NHL Entry Draft: May Top-50

With the hockey season nearing an end, we are seeing a shift in focus to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. For 27 teams, the season is over, leading fans to start gaining interest in which prospects might be added to their organization at the end of June. It’s the time of year when junior hockey becomes a lot more interesting to NHL fans.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen a number of players use the U18 World Championship to establish their value going into the draft. Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a tremendous tournament and is now widely viewed as a top-10 pick.

Joel Farabee and Serron Noel stood out as offensive threats, and proved that they can be a great pick for teams selecting in the middle of the first round. And then there’s Jonatan Berggren. The Swedish forward made a case that he might be the most underrated talent in the first round.

Now, with most of the draft eligible prospect finished the season, we look forward to the combine in Buffalo in a few weeks. While there is likely little we can learn there about physical skills, the interview process will be huge.

The draft combine could be make or break for Ryan Merkely. The former 1st overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection draft, Merkley is a tremendously talented offensive defenseman. Despite the skill, he’s falling down draft lists because of perceived attitude issues. His interviews at the combine could go a long way in convincing scouts and general managers that all the off-ice ‘issues’ are overblown.

For now, here is my top-50: