DRAFT: Best Picks at No. 17 Overall

It's uncharted territory for the Blackhawks, not only in the unique nature of this year's NHL Draft -- which begins Tuesday, Oct. 6 -- but in the fact that Chicago has never held the No. 17 overall pick.

At No. 17, it won't be a selection that steps into the NHL right away like Kirby Dach did from the No. 3 spot a year ago, or even the way Adam Boqvist did this season from No. 8 overall the year before that. Instead, whomever Chicago takes just past the halfway point of the opening round is likely someone projected to compete for a full-time role within the next 3-4 years.
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The No. 17 overall pick from 2017, Timothy Liljegren, got his first taste of NHL action this past season with 11 games fro the Maple Leafs. Dante Fabro, the 17th pick in 2016, just completed his first full-time NHL campaign. Neither of the last two picks, Peyton Krebs in 2019 or Ty Smith in 2018, have made NHL appearances yet, each putting up in the neighborhood of 60 points in WHL action last year.
"At 17, I think what we're looking at is an unfinished project," Blackhawks' Vice President of Amateur Scouting Mark Kelley said this week. "We have an idea of the pool of players we're looking at, now we're trying to figure out just what the ceiling of that player is. How high can you take his game? What impact can he have for the Blackhawks?"
To understand what kind of talent a No. 17 selection can have on an organization just a few years later, just take a look at some of the players picked there over the last 20 years.

Top No. 17 Overall Picks (Since 2000)

5. Trevor Lewis, 2006

A gritty, two-way forward often used in a middle-six role, Lewis makes the list because of his career longevity and a pair of Stanley Cup rings with the LA Kings. The Utah native has 674 career regular season games -- all with the team that drafted him -- and 163 points (70G, 93A) under his belt, plus another 79 playoff tilts and 23 points (including two goals in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final against New Jersey).

4. Travis Sandheim, 2014

An ever-growing presence on the Flyers blue line over his first three seasons, Sandheim has played in 200 regular season games -- appearing in every game over the last two seasons -- and another 20 playoff contests since he was taken 17th overall six years ago. At just 24 years old, he appears poised for a long, impactful NHL career on the blue line.

3. Tomas Hertl, 2012

Just a year after he was drafted -- a year in which he was the Czech League's rookie of the year -- Hertl didn't wait long to make a name for himself in the NHL. In just his third game, he became the fourth-youngest player to score four goals in a single game, and by his fifth game already had seven goals to his name. Injuries have held him out for a few long stretches of action in his career since, but the center still has 280 points (132G, 148A) in 453 regular season appearances.

2. Kyle Connor, 2015

In a few years, Connor appears poised to vie for the No. 1 spot on this list based on his early returns. With 201 points (105G, 96A) in his first 249 regular season games (a .807 point-per-game rate), Connor has climbed from fifth to third and, most recently, first in Winnipeg Jets scoring over his first three years. He's already one of the premier left wings in the NHL and at 23 years old, the Michigan native sets a high bar among recent No. 17 overall picks.

1. Zach Parise, 2003

The New Jersey Devils were fresh off their second Stanley Cup in four years when they selected a franchise-defining winger in Zach Parise at No. 17 overall (a pick originally held by the Edmonton Oilers. In just seven seasons with New Jersey, the two-time Hobey Baker finalist still ranks fifth in all-time goals (194) and 10th in points (410). He signed as a free agent with his hometown Minnesota Wild in the summer of 2012, where he has scored at least 20 goals in five of his eight seasons since. Parise eclipsed the 1,000-game mark this past season and is set to surpass 800 NHL points (386G, 406A) early next year.

All No. 17 Overall Picks (Since 2000)

2019:
Peyton Krebs
, C -- 0 GP
2018:
Ty Smith
, D -- 0 GP
2017:
Timothy Liljegren
, D -- 11 GP, 1 PT
2016:
Dante Fabro
, D -- 68 GP, 11 PTS
2015:
Kyle Connor
, LW -- 249 GP, 201 PTS
2014:
Travis Sanheim
, D -- 200 GP, 70 PTS
2013:
Curtis Lazar
, C -- 284 GP, 61PTS
2012:
Tomas Hertl
, C -- 453, 280 PTS
2011:
Nathan Bealieu
, D -- 370 GP, 89 PTS
2010:
Joey Hishon
, C -- 13 GP, 2 PTS
2009:
David Rundblad
, D -- 113 GP, 25 PTS
2008:
Jake Gardiner
, D -- 619 GP, 269 PTS
2007:
Alexei Cherepanov
, RW -- 0 GP
2006:
Trevor Lewis
, RW -- 674 GP, 163 PTS
2005:
Martin Hanzal
-- 673 GP, 338 PTS
2004:
Marek Schwarz
, G -- 6 GP
2003:
Zach Parise
, LW -- 1,015 GP, 792 PTS
2002:
Boyd Gordon
, RW -- 706 GP, 161 PTS
2001:
Carlo Coliacovo
, D -- 470 GP, 157 PTS
2000:
Alexei Mikhonov
, LW -- 2 GP, 0 PTS