The top ten players who came out of the 2017 NHL Draft
By Jim Lynch
The 2017 NHL Draft featured a lot of talent still leading the way in the league. While there are a ton of stars, the top ten players from this draft illustrate just how good this group was.
The 2017 NHL Draft took place in Chicago on June 23 and 24. The New Jersey Devils held the first overall pick taking Nico Hischier. The Flyers held the second pick and drafted Nolan Patrick, and the Stars held the third overall pick choosing to draft defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
This draft class has five players so far who have put up over 200 points and includes a Norris Trophy winner as well as a lot of players ho have had success so far in their career either in the postseason or getting a nice lengthy contract. So without further ado, let’s dive in with the top ten from 2017.
The top ten players who came out of the 2017 NHL Draft
10. Robert Thomas
At number ten, we have Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues. Thomas was drafted 20th overall in 2017 by the Blues, and he has been in the league for the past five seasons. 2021-22 was his breakout year, where he put up 77 points in 72 games for the Blues.
One would have thought his numbers might fall back to earth the next season, but that has not been the case for Thomas, who has 37 points in 40 games. The Blues are lucky to have Thomas on their team, and he is going to be there for a long time, thanks to the big extension he signed in September that is going to keep him in St. Louis through 2031.