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18 Minnesotans named as Players to Watch for 2018 NHL Draft

10/03/2017, 11:25am CDT
By Let's Play Hockey

Eighteen Minnesota natives have been named as NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.

The list includes seven players who are expected to play high school hockey in Minnesota during the 2017-18 season, five in the USHL (including two with the U.S. National Team Development Program), three in the WHL, and one each in the Big Ten, NAHL and Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

Grand Rapids High School left wing Blake McLaughlin (pictured above), U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman K'Andre Miller and Sioux Falls (USHL) center Jaxon Nelson (Luverne) are projected to be second/third round selections at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in Dallas.

Click here for the complete list from NHL Central Scouting

Rating Player Pos. 2017-18 Team (League) Hometown College
B Blake McLaughlin LW Grand Rapids HS (MSHSL) Grand Rapids Minnesota
B K'Andre Miller D U.S. Under-18 Team (USHL) Hopkins Wisconsin
B Jaxon Nelson C Sioux Falls (USHL) Luverne Minnesota
C Gavin Hain C U.S. Under-18 Team (USHL) Grand Rapids North Dakota
C Chase Hartje D Moose Jaw (WHL) Bemidji  
C Ben Helgeson C Hill-Murray HS (MSHSL) Lake Elmo Wisconsin
C Jack Jensen C Eden Prairie HS (MSHSL) Eden Prairie Minnesota
C Isaac Johnson LW Tri-City (WHL) Andover  
C Keegan Karki G Omaha (USHL) St. Cloud  
C Nate Knoepke D Minnesota (B1G) Farmington Minnesota
C Jack Lagerstrom D Shattuck-St. Mary's Edina  
C Luke Loheit RW Minnetonka HS (MSHSL) Minnetonka Minnesota Duluth
C Jack Perbix RW Elk River HS (MSHSL) Elk River Notre Dame
C Colin Schmidt RW Wayzata HS (MSHSL) Maple Grove Minnesota
C Todd Scott G Vancouver (WHL) Albertville  
C Zach Stejskal G Central Illinois (USHL) Grand Rapids Minnesota Duluth
C Ryan Ullan G Bismarck (NAHL) Hibbing  
C Michael Vorlicky D Edina HS (MSHSL) Edina  

Players have been identified using the following criteria:

• A Rating -- Indicates a 1st round candidate

• B Rating -- Indicates a 2nd/3rd round candidate

• C Rating -- Indicates a 4th/5th/6th round candidate

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