Now that the Conference Semi-Finals are complete, the draft order is set up to the 27th pick overall. To celebrate, I will be continuing my mock draft up to that point, with the rest coming once a Stanley Cup Champion is crowned.

If you want to read the Post-Lottery picks and descriptions, click here. If you’re lazy like me, here’s a quick recap of where we stand after the lottery:

New Jersey Devils – Nolan Patrick (C) – Brandon (WHL)

Philadelphia Flyers – Nico Hischier (C) – Halifax (QMJHL)

Dallas Stars – Casey Mittelstadt (C/LW) – Green Bay (USHL)

Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Vilardi (C) – Windsor (OHL)

Vancouver Canucks – Elias Pettersson (C) – Timra (Allsvenskan)

Vegas Golden Knights – Timothy Liljegren (D) – Rogle (SHL)

Arizona Coyotes – Miro Heiskanen (D) – HIFK (SM-Liiga)

Buffalo Sabres – Eeli Tolvanen (RW) – Sioux City (USHL)

Detroit Red Wings – Martin Necas (C) – Brno (CZE-Extra)

Florida Panthers – Cale Makar (D) – Brooks (AJHL)

Los Angeles Kings – Michael Rasmussen (C) – Tri-City (WHL)

Carolina Hurricanes – Owen Tippett (RW) – Mississauga (OHL)

Winnipeg Jets – Juuso Valimaki (D) – Tri-City (WHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning – Cody Glass (C) – Portland (WHL)

New York Islanders – Nick Suzuki (C) – Owen Sound (OHL) Again, this is not a rank of prospects. It’s purely speculation on whom I think teams will pick. You’ve scrolled down this far, so here are my picks for #16-27.

Calgary Flames – Lias Andersson (C/LW) – HV71 (SHL) Rarely do you come across a Swedish prospect producing at the rate Lias Andersson has this year. He cracked 2 points per hour in a men’s league, falling just short of a half a point per game. His 15%INV puts him on the same level as Pontus Aberg, and Carl Grundstrom. His ability to play centre is a benefit though, and he has not looked out of place. There are some more high ceiling players available, but Andersson has a very solid NHL skill set. He is smart and capable around the net, and has excellent scoring instincts. If you’re looking for a player who can slot in as a #2 or 3 center on a good team, Andersson could be your man. I don’t know about his ceiling as a game-breaking #1 centre, but he should translate well to the pro game in Calgary’s system. Their Swedish scouts have been busy recently, and I can see them staying that way in 2017.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Erik Brannstrom (D) – HV71 (SHL) I’m a little biased as a born and raised Leafs fan, but I promise that I didn’t see Bransstrom being picked before 17. I’m very high on Brannstrom, and while he’s ranked to go somewhere between 20-30, I can see the Leafs reaching and taking the player who has the tools to be the best offensive defender in the first round. He is the epitome of the modern puck mover. His skating is second to none, exemplified by his ability to not only walk the blueline extremely well, but also his raw north-south speed. He can make stretch passes with the best of them and hasn’t looked out of place in the SHL. He is the only draft eligible defender over a point per game in Sweden’s Jr. League, and he had a fantastic showing in the U18s paired with Tim Liljegren. To me, they looked like they were on a very similar level, but I always found myself liking the puck on Brannstrom’s stick quarterbacking an offense. He generates offense through his solid shot as well as his exceptional vision. His defensive play needs work, and size is a concern to many, but this pick could be a home run that also fills a hole in the Leafs prospect cupboard. You always take the best player available, and this was a tough decision, but I would probably take the chance with Brannstrom at 17.

Boston Bruins – Ryan Poehling (C) – St. Cloud St. University (NCAA) Boston historically values North American players in the higher end of the draft, and with Poehling still on the board, he’s tough to resist. Similar to Andersson, Poehling’s best assets come from in front of the next. His offensive production wasn’t ideal, and historically, he has had a relatively weak year for non-overage NCAA 1st round picks, but his raw ability around the net and hand-eye coordination are great tools that I could see fitting in as a #3 two-way centre down the line. What is troublesome is the last few non-overage 1st round picks from the NCAA have been nearly point per game players, and his 12.7%INV puts him on the same level as Jamie Oleksiak, and below names like Matt Nieto, Charlie McAvoy, and fellow 2017 eligible Patrick Khodorenko. I like Poehling for the “safety” of the pick, however. He’s a big center who is at his best in front of the net. He’ll need to add more to his game in order to become a major piece, and it isn’t outside the realm of possibility, but I see a fit here in Boston for Poehling. Not the flashiest, but his ceiling could be a second line powerful centre that is a nightmare in front of net.

San Jose Sharks – Kailer Yamamoto (RW) – Spokane (WHL) The Sharks are not afraid of skill. Nik Goldobin and Timo Meier have been recent picks and both are promising, even if Goldobin is now in Vancouver. Kailer Yamamoto may be the biggest swing for the fences in the 1st round. I’m a believer, and his metrics are ridiculous. If he were a few inches taller, we’d be talking about him as this year’s Clayton Keller. He has the skill, the speed, and the creativity to make it work, but he’s going to boost those skill even further to get around the issues surrounding a lack of size. Yamamoto’s 46.7%INV beat out Nolan Patrick, and of recent WHL picks, he finished 3rd behind Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl. His 2.5 even strength primary points per hour is very high, good for 5th in the draft for CHL players behind Nico Hischier, Owen Tippett, Mason Shaw, and Cody Glass. 70% of his points were primary points at even strength, which is also ridiculous, bested only by Kingston’s Jason Robertson, who had a 73.6%. In my Cat% metrics, he was a +52.3% total, which puts him 10th of CHL picks. For someone with that production, to maintain those metrics at even strength is remarkable. The big question is, will he be able to put it all together for the pro game? I’m a believer, but I know many may not be. He’s the biggest wild card, but I believe the Sharks are willing to be patient and help grow his strengths to become what they need to be.

St. Louis Blues – Callan Foote (D) – Kelowna (WHL) The Blues are another team that tends to pick North American players up high, and they’ve done quite well recently going that direction. I imagine they’ll go for the best player available, and using more “traditional” thinking, I believe Foote is the best player here at 20. Foote has the tools to become a solid two-way defender in the NHL. He has no real weaknesses in his game on the surface, but his metrics leave a bit to be desired. Among CHL defensemen, he was 7th in INV%, 5th in ESGF%, 26th in P1 on even strength goals scored while on the ice, but was 4th in Tot.Cat% at 37%. Foote is not a bad pick here whatsoever, so don’t think I’m out to get him. I just believe that there might be more raw potential available with players with more favourable metrics. I can see someone like Isaac Ratcliffe or Conor Timmins going here for that reason, but Foote seems to be higher on people’s lists. He is a more complete defender than many, and his production has been solid. Foote will likely fit in as a solid #3 or #4 defensemen, and with how St. Louis has handled their young defender picks, Foote should be a good addition to the crop.

New York Rangers – Kristian Vesalainen (LW/RW) – Frolunda (SHL) Vesalainen has been a very polarizing player this year. After starting the season as a solid Top-10 or even Top-5 pick, his production and inability to solidify a role on any team he played on dropped his stock. He had a fantastic U18 though, registering a 39.4%INV. He showed off his ability to carry the puck and use his size to create space and make a play. Vesalainen can be a smart playmaker, and a great puck possession winger who has really helped his stock as the season concluded. The Rangers haven’t had a first round pick since 2012, and Vesalainen may be gone by 21, but he seems to fit the mould of a Rangers player as they transition to a younger team over the next few years. Vesalainen will be able to get a lot of ice time next year in the SM-Liiga playing for HPK, and should be an NHL winger sooner rather than later. He should evolve into a good second line power winger with a lot of upside if all goes well. Vesalainen’s production puts him between SHL picks Rasmus Asplund and Adam Larsson, and coupled with his size and upside, the Rangers would be quite happy with this pick.

Edmonton Oilers – Nicolas Hague (D) – Mississauga (OHL) If you want to talk about controversial picks, Hague may be up there. He was scorching hot to start the year, and his offensive tools evolved throughout the season. He has an attractive set of tools that might get him picked pretty early, but there are questions around his game translating to the pro ranks. He’s a shooting machine, registering over 7 shots per hour, 10.2% of which came from high or medium danger areas, which is among the best for CHL defenders. His 20.5%INV matches with Callan Foote, but 31% of goals scored while on the ice were primary points, which is one of the best for CHL defenders. He isn’t as much of a catalyst as names like Timmins and Foote, but a player with his size and raw production is desirable for many, and I think Edmonton could do much worse than to take Hague and develop him into a Cody Franson-esque offensive leaning big defender in their Top-4. His footwork will need to continue improving, and he has made some… poor decisions… But the tools are there, and would be a good add.

Arizona Coyotes – Isaac Ratcliffe (LW) – Guelph (OHL) Let me start by saying that as more of an analyst, Ratcliffe is a very attractive player available in the late 1st round. He is massive, and his metrics are excellent to go alone with that. A 27%INV isn’t anything particularly fantastic, but it’s solid. He only got a primary point on 49% of goals scored while on the ice, which is more on par with Robert Thomas and Mike Rasmussen, but his team scored 72% more at even strength and was scored on just 6.6% more. That puts him right at the top of the draft class, indicating his play away from the puck has been quite good for a high-usage forward. He was involved in 21% of Guelph’s even strength goals on average, which is solid for a 1st round pick. Ratcliffe is a solid all around winger who has upside as a secondary scorer with great size. If his raw offensive game can grow and if he can recapture the sizzle he had to start the season, he could become something much more impactful. Arizona aren’t afraid of metrics and smaller players, but they also aren’t afraid of size. Landing Ratcliffe with their second first rounder is a great supplemental part to add to their expansive youth cupboard.

Columbus Blue Jackets – Urho Vaakanainen (D) – JYP (SM-Liiga) Columbus famously passed on a Finn last year at 3rd overall, and while Pierre-Luc Dubois had an up and down year, all hope isn’t lost. Jesse Puljujarvi has been quite poorly handled by multiple teams if you ask me, but his time in the AHL has been very promising. With that being said, Columbus could really use a defender like Vaakanainen. His two-way play is quite good, and his Corsi data from the SM-Liiga (a men’s league, mind you) exemplifies that (61%CF in the playoffs (+6.8rel) and 56.3% (+5.4rel) during the season). While he only managed 6 points all year, which came short of his production at 16 in the same league, he does have solid offensive tools as he showed at the U18s. He isn’t a flashy player, but he makes his linemates better and drives possession well. He could slot in as a solid #4 in Columbus and add another solid piece to one of the better groups of young defensemen in the NHL.

Montreal Canadiens – Klim Kostin (RW) – Moscow (KHL) Kostin is a strange one. A very highly touted power scorer last year, he struggled to gain a foothold in the KHL because… Russian coaching… He also struggled to stick in the VHL (the Russian farm league). Add to that a season ending shoulder injury, and you have a very strange case of a player with a lot of upside, but even more questions regarding their performance in their draft year. A bright spot is Kostin’s international experience. His Ivan Hlinka performance was exceptional, as was his U19 World Junior A Championship, and his skills as a puck possession winger is undeniable. Him and Kristian Vesalainen are somewhat similar in style of play. Montreal has had success with players like Radulov, and I think Kostin’s aspirational ceiling could be similar to Radulov’s. He doesn’t have the creativity yet, but he has the power possession game that starts him down that path. He’s big, he can shoot, he can pass, and he can isolate the puck. It’s a bit of a risky pick, but there aren’t many players with a higher upside available here that are likely to be picked.

Chicago Blackhawks – Shane Bowers (C) – Waterloo (USHL) Compete centres who can be relied upon in any situation are commonplace in the NHL. They’re the meat and potatoes of any team, and Bowers is perceived to fit that mould. I can see Chicago going to the USHL or the USDP for this pick, and Bowers is perceived to be a bit better than the guys on the US Under-18 team. I keep using the word perceived because I don’t particularly see that out of Bowers. His Tot.Cat% is 12.67%, which is less than ideal, his 24.9%INV is fine for a late 1st round pick, and my eye test sees an okay passer making plays off the wing in the offensive zone. Bowers managed a primary point on 61% of Waterloo’s goals while on the ice, which puts him on par with names like Kole Lind, Jarret Anderson-Dolan, and Zach Gallant. He isn’t necessarily exciting to watch, but he seems talented enough to keep an eye on over time. He’s a longer term project as he’ll be off to college, so Chicago has plenty of time to keep an eye on his development. All of his skills seem good enough to be worth picking in the 1st, but if it were me, I might look elsewhere. Of the guys in leagues where Chicago tends to pick from, Bowers is among the best left at 26th. Someone like Evan Barratt, Grant Mismash, Conor Timmins or even Matt Strome could go here, but I can see Chicago go after the solid centre from the Waterloo Black Hawks. I’m about 99% sure I didn’t make this pick because he came from a team of the same name, but no guarantees.