The Western Hockey League has been one of the most consistent producers of talent for the National Hockey League for decades. The teams have a level of familiarity with the style of hockey played in the NHL that is arguably only approached by some Ontario Hockey League teams - it helps that a few WHL teams are owned by NHL organizations.Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs (Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs)

The 2018 class from the WHL may lack the star power of previous seasons - there';s no Nolan Patrick here - but the secondary group of depth prospects is one of the best they';ve had in several years. Here';s a glance at the top 20 WHL prospects for the 2018 NHL Draft.Top 20 WHLers In 2018 Draft

RankPlayerPos.ClubNHL Projection

1Ty SmithDSpokane ChiefsSecond pairing D

2Alexander AlexeyevDRed Deer RebelsSecond pairing D

3Calen AddisonDLethbridge HurricanesSecond pairing D

4Jett WooDMoose Jaw WarriorsSecond pairing D

5Cole FonstadCPrince Albert RaidersMiddle six winger

6Milos RomanCVancouver GiantsMiddle six center

7Riley StottsCCalgary HitmenBottom six center

8Chase WoutersCSaskatoon BladesBottom six center

9Riley SutterRWEverett SilvertipsBottom six winger

10Filip KralDSpokane ChiefsSecond pairing D

11Kyle ToppingCKelowna RocketsThird line center

12Ryan ChyzowskiCMedicine Hat TigersBottom six winger

13Justin AlmeidaCMoose Jaw WarriorsThird line center

14Tristen NielsenCCalgary HitmenBottom six forward

15Luka BurzanCBrandon Wheat KingsMiddle six forward

16Kristian ReichelCRed Deer RebelsBottom six center

17Vladislav YeryomenkoDCalgary HitmenSecond/third pairing D

18Connor DewarCEverett SilvertipsBottom six center

19Wyatte WylieDEverett SilvertipsSecond/third pairing D

20Egor ZamulaDCalgary HitmenSecond/third pairing D

Seven WHLers went in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft - Patrick, Cody Glass, Michael Rasmussen, Cal Foote, Juuso Valimaki, Kailer Yamamoto and Henri Jokiharju. It';s a leaner year for the Dub and could be one of the leanest ever: Smith will definitely go somewhere during the first round, but he';s the only guarantee.

Alexeyev, Addison and Woo could all sneak into the late first round, but all seem easy bets to be gone by the middle of the second round. From there, the pack from Fonstad to Almeida are all likely third and fourth round selections, but could slide a bit. If nothing else, there may be a run on WHL prospects in the sixth and seventh round depending on which players are left on the board.

It';s a weaker year for established talent, as teams have to bank on potential in a lot of cases and try to project the WHL draftees into NHL depth players. That said, there are several strong defenders here and a few crafty centers in the later rounds.Honourable MentionsEric Florchuk of the Saskatoon Blades (Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen)

In addition to the Top 20, here are ten more players that almost made the cut (in alphabetical order). These players could potentially be drafted in the fifth, sixth or seventh rounds. If nothing else, keep an eye for these players on development camp invite lists over the summer.

C Eric Florchuk - Saskatoon BladesC Carson Focht - Calgary HitmenG Joel Hofer -
Swift Current BroncosC Brett Kemp - Edmonton Oil KingsLW Jackson Leppard - Prince George CougarsG Max Paddock - Regina PatsLW Cole Reinhardt - Brandon Wheat KingsLW Brodi Stuart - Kamloops BlazersG David Tendeck - Vancouver GiantsD Libor Zabransky - Kelowna Rockets

The post Top 20 WHL Draft Prospects for 2018 appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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