NHL Entry Draft: All 31 Picks By Each Team’s Biggest Need

By Shepard Price | Jun 4, 2017

Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; NHL commissioner Gary Bettman speaks before the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

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So far, Puck Prose has done a lot of work with the NHL Entry Draft. But now it’s time to discuss a different way of drafting. Instead of only taking the best available, let’s take the biggest need.

I say instead of only best available because there’s no way New Jersey takes anybody not named Nolan Patrick in the NHL entry draft. Nothing wrong with that, as New Jersey needs both offense and defense. So first we’ll say which player each team selects, then discuss why they fit a need.

More from NHL Draft

First Round Trades

A reminder of what’s in store in terms of trades. Already, three teams have traded away their first round pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft. Those teams are Minnesota, Washington, and Anaheim. All three made the playoffs, which means their picks were later in this draft.

The teams receiving the picks: Arizona, St. Louis, and Dallas. That means that Arizona will be picking 7th and 23rd, St. Louis will pick 20th and 27th, and Dallas will pick 3rd (they were bumped up during the NHL entry draft lottery this year) and 29th.