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Final 2016 NHL Draft Rankings from Chris Dilks

By Chris Dilks
The top of this year's Draft class
The top of this year's Draft class
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

After a year--or in some cases, longer--of scouting, the 2016 NHL Draft is finally upon us. This has been one of the most fun draft years ever for me to follow, if only because of the opportunities available. From a first round pick deciding to stay home and play five miles from my house to the World U18s being held in the US and allowing me to see a wide range of international talent, to a number of NCAA prospects emerging as draft targets, I probably did more NHL Draft scouting this year than I have in the past three years combined. In terms of pure words written, I think I've lapped Moby Dick twice over in writing about this Draft.

As a result, my draft list--which as a reminder, only includes players I've seen and felt comfortable enough to rank--is a lot deeper this year than it has been in past years.

So here is my list of how I'd rank these players based on what I've seen this year, including links to over 50 full draft profiles. Since it's not a complete list, I've added line breaks for a rough estimate of how my ranking would equate with a full draft.

  1. Auston Matthews-F-Zurich(SUI)

  2. Patrik Laine-F-Finland

  3. Jesse Puljujarvi-F-Finland

  4. Clayton Keller-F-NTDP U18

  5. Alexander Nylander-F-(SWE)

  6. Pierre-Luc Dubois-F-Cape Breton(QMJHL)

  7. Logan Brown-F-Windsor(OHL)

  8. Matt Tkachuk-F-London(OHL)

  9. Max Jones-F-Windsor(OHL)

  10. Mikhail Sergachev-D-Windsor(OHL)

  11. Olli Juolevi-D-London(OHL)

  12. Dante Fabbro-D-Penticton(BCHL)

  13. Jakob Chychrun-D-Sarnia(OHL)

  14. Michael McLeod-F-Mississauga(OHL)

  15. German Rubtsov-F-Team U18(RUS)

  16. Kieffer Bellows-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  17. Tyson Jost-F-Penticton(BCHL)

  18. Jake Bean-D-Calgary(WHL)

  19. Riley Tufte-F-Fargo(USHL)/Blaine(MNHS)

  20. Luke Kunin-F-Wisconsin(Big Ten)

  21. Charlie McAvoy-D-Boston University

  22. Julien Gauthier-F-Val D'Or(QMJHL)

  23. Brett Howden-F-Moose Jaw(WHL)

  24. Logan Stanley-D-Windsor(OHL)

  25. Kale Clague-D-Brandon(WHL)

  26. Alex DeBrincat-F-Erie(OHL)

  27. Joey Anderson-F-NTDP U18

  28. Evan Fitzpatrick-G-Sherbrooke(QMJHL)

  29. Carl Grundstrom-F-Modo(SWE)

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd Round

  1. Adam Fox-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  2. Jordan Kyrou-F-Sarnia(OHL)

  3. Ryan Lindgren-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  4. Libor Hajek-D-Saskatoon(WHL)

  5. Sam Steel-F-Regina(WHL)

  6. Dilon Dube-F-Kelowna(WHL)

  7. Victor Mete-D-London(OHL)

  8. Pascal LaBerge-F-Victoriaville(QMJHL)

  9. Tim Gettinger-F-Sault Ste Marie(OHL)

  10. Samuel Girard-D-Shawinigan(QMJHL)

  11. William Bitten-F-Flint(OHL)

  12. Janne Kuokkanen-F-Karpat U20(FIN)

  13. Tyler Benson-F-Vancouver(WHL)

  14. Trent Frederic-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  15. Oskar Steen-F-Farjestad(SWE)

  16. Boris Katchouk-F-Sault Ste Marie(OHL)

  17. Cam Morrison-F-Youngstown(USHL)

  18. Markus Niemelainen-D-Saginaw(OHL)

  19. Aapeli Rasanen-F-Tappara U20(FIN)

  20. Filip Gustavsson-G-Lulea(SWE)

  21. Wade Allison-F-Tri-City(USHL)

  22. Tyler Parsons-G-London(OHL)

  23. Linus Lindstrom-F-Skelleftea(SWE)

  24. David Quenneville-D-Medicine Hat(WHL)

  25. Cliff Pu-F-London(OHL)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd Round

  1. Jacob Cederholm-D-(SWE)

  2. Dmitri Alexseyev-D-Tractor Chelyabinsk(RUS)

  3. Chad Krys-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  4. Tage Thompson-F-UConn(Hockey East)

  5. Nolan Stevens-F-Northeastern(Hockey East)

  6. Tanner Kaspick-F-Brandon(WHL)

  7. Dylan Gambrell-F-Denver(NCHC)

  8. Ross Colton-F-Cedar Rapids(USHL)

  9. Jacob Moverare-D-HV71(SWE)

  10. Noah Gregor-F-Moose Jaw(WHL)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4th Round

  1. JD Greenway-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  2. Eetu Tuulola-F-HPK U20(FIN)

  3. Jesper Bratt-F-AIK(SWE)

  4. Ondrej Vala-D-Kamloops(WHL)

  5. Connor Bleackley-F-Red Deer(WHL)

  6. Connor Hall-D-Kitchener(OHL)

  7. Vojtech Budik-D-Prince Albert(WHL)

  8. Chase Priskie-D-Quinnipiac(ECAC)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------5th Round

  1. Otto Makinen-F-Tappara U20(FIN)

  2. Will Lockwood-F-NTDP U18

  3. Ondrej Kachyna-D-Hamilton(OHL)

  4. Mikey Eyssimont-F-St. Cloud State(NCHC)

  5. James Sanchez-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  6. Vladimir Kuznetsov-F-Acadie-Bathurst(QMJHL)

  7. Mitch Eliot-D-Muskegon(USHL)

  8. Jacob Neveu-D-Rouyn-Noranda(QMJHL)

  9. Griffin Luce-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  10. Graham McPhee-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  11. Rem Pitlick-F-Muskegon(USHL)

  12. Max Zimmer-F-Chicago(USHL)

  13. Beck Malenstyn-F-Calgary(WHL)

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6th Round

  1. Otto Somppi-F-Halifax(QMJHL)

  2. Joseph Woll-G-NTDP U18(USHL)

  3. Marek Zachar-F-Bili Tygri U20(CZE)

  4. Michael Graham-F-Eden Prairie(MN HS)

  5. Sam Rossini-D-Waterloo(USHL)

  6. Ondrej Najman-F-Dukla Jihlava U20(CZE)

  7. Rhett Gardner-F-North Dakota(NCHC)

  8. Peter Thome-G-Aberdeen(NAHL)

  9. Hugo Danielsson-F-Skelleftea(SWE)

  10. Mitchell Mattson-F-Grand Rapids(MN HS)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7th Round

  1. Casey Staum-D-Hill-Murray(MN HS)

  2. Lukas Doudera-D-Trinec U20(CZE

  3. Markus Nurmi-F-TPS U20(FIN)

  4. Axel Jonsson Fjallaby-F-Djurgarden(SWE)

  5. Marco Miranda-F-GC Kusnacht Lions(SUI)

  6. Jack LaFontaine-G-Janesville(NAHL)

  7. Brandon Duhaime-F-Tri-City(USHL)

  8. Jake Kielly-G-Tri-City(USHL)

  9. Erlends Klavins-F-HC Riga(RUS)

  10. Nick Pastujov-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  11. Scott Perunovich-D-Hibbing(MN HS)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  1. Jordan Klehr-D-Nebraska Omaha(NCHC)

  2. Willie Knierim-F-Dubuque(USHL)

  3. Alex Limoges-F-Tri-City(USHL)

  4. Peyton Jones-G-Lincoln(USHL)

  5. Mikael Hakkarainen-F-Brookings(NAHL)

  6. Anthony Salinitri-F-Sarnia(OHL)

  7. William Fallstrom-F-Omaha(USHL)

  8. Colin Gerber-D-Bern U20

  9. Tyler Nother-D-Windsor(OHL)

  10. Derek Daschke-D-Muskegon(USHL)

  11. Keenan Suthers-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  12. Zach Walker-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  13. Zach Osburn-D-Michigan State(Big Ten)

  14. Dominik Volejnicek-F-Zug U20(SUI)

  15. Blake Hillman-D-Denver(NCHC)

  16. Todd Burgess-F-Fairbanks(NAHL)

  17. Robert Hampton-F-North Jersey(T1EHL)

  18. Greg Printz-F-Selects Academy

  19. Adam Smith-D-Bowling Green

  20. Matt Hellickson-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  21. Keegan Howdeshell-F-NTDP U18(USHL)

  22. Kenny Johnson-D-Shattuck

  23. Tyler Johnson-G-Topeka(NAHL)

  24. Garrett Wait-F-Waterloo(USHL)

  25. Drew Vogler-G-Merrimack

  26. Michael Campoli-D-NTDP U18(USHL)

  27. Rourke Russell-D-Wichita Falls(NAHL)

  28. Vincent DeMey-F-Shattuck

  29. Dmitri Zaitsev-D-Wilkes-Barre Scranton(NAHL)

  30. Luke Kirwan-F-Flint(OHL)

  31. Tyler Jette-D-Farmington(MN HS)

  32. Matt Kiersted-D-Chicago(USHL)

  33. Connor Ford-F-Shattuck

  34. Jacob Schmidt-Svestrup-F-Boston(EJHL)