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          Way-too-early 2018 NHL draft rankings

          Saint John Sea Dog Joe Veleno is the fifth player to be granted "exceptional" status by Hockey Canada, following John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid and Sean Day. Where does he rank among all the top prospects for the 2018 NHL draft? Dennis Pajot/Getty Images
          • Corey Pronman, Special to ESPNJun 25, 2017, 05:27 PM
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              Corey Pronman is ESPN's NHL Draft and Prospects analyst. He provides analysis on the top draft-eligible players, prospects drafted by NHL teams and all other relevant prospect information. He lives in New York.
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          The 2017 NHL draft has been completed and graded. But that's old news. What say we take a look at the top players available for next year's draft?

          The 2018 class is not a blow-you-away group; as of now, it looks about average to slightly above average. Joe Veleno's simply OK season at 16 year old keeps this from having the shine I thought 2018 would have had judging things one year ago.

          Players like Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov could be true front-line talents in the NHL, and Veleno isn't far behind.

          Here's how they rank as of one year out from the big night: