Draft class of 2017 reunion

DENVER — The Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche have played some sensational, highlight-reel shinny this week, with their first playoff meeting providing no shortage of entertainment for fans.

It’s not a stretch to suggest it’s been the best opening-round matchup, by far.

Some of the seeds for this bountiful hockey harvest were actually planted in 2017, when general managers around the NHL gathered in Chicago for the annual teen-talent show known as the entry draft.

Go figure that three of the top picks that year are now playing crucial roles in this Central Division clash — Cale Makar, Casey Mittelstadt and Gabriel Vilardi.

Turns out there’s a bit of a shared history to this story.

“It was a cool experience. The NHL does a really good job with that,” Vilardi said of the days leading up to the draft, in which he was flown into the Windy City early as part of a promotional tour as one of the “top prospects” that year.

So, too, was Mittelstadt, who got to know Vilardi pretty well.

“There were a few nights we were rooming together, if I recall correctly,” he said. “We did a ton of media. He was a super nice kid. We hung out quite a bit and had a great time. Super nice guy.”

Among the pre-draft events: Taking the mound at Wrigley Field to help toss out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the Chicago Cubs game against the San Diego Padres.

The ball was actually delivered by Winnipegger Nolan Patrick, who was in the running for top pick that year, while Vilardi and Mittelstadt looked on in front of tens of thousands of fans. The trio of fresh-faced hockey players were all wearing Cubs jerseys.

They also took a boat tour on the Chicago River, played street hockey with Blackhawks legend and hall of famer Denis Savard (and plenty of kids) and were whisked away for a night to Nashville to take in a Stanley Cup Final game between the Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.

All while forming a bit of a bond that remains to this day, despite going their separate ways.

“Nothing but good things to say about him,” Mittelstadt said of Vilardi.

Right back ‘atcha, Casey.

“I knew his game and remember leading up to the draft and after the draft watching him,” said Vilardi. “A really skilled player. He’s a great player.

What does Makar remember about the entire pre-draft experience? Not a whole lot, actually.

“I wasn’t able to be a part of those,” he told the Free Press. “I never got an invite.”

Despite putting up huge numbers with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League — an unconventional path to the NHL to say the least — Makar was snubbed by the league when it came to showcasing what they viewed at the time as the best and brightest.

Swing-and-a-miss there.

“It’s pretty crazy to think,” Mittelstadt said of his teammate. “That’s kind of how it goes, you go back and people want to remake the draft order. I think he’d go No. 1 in pretty much all of them.”

History shows the New Jersey Devils selected Nico Hischier first-overall. He joined Vilardi, Mittelstadt and Patrick for some of the draft events, although he missed the baseball game because his flight hadn’t yet arrived from Switzerland.

Patrick went second-overall to the Philadelphia Flyers, with the Dallas Stars then nabbing defenceman Miro Heiskanen third.

Next up was the Avalanche, who landed themselves a franchise blue-liner in Makar with the No. 4 selection.

The Vancouver Canucks selected Elias Pettersson fifth, the Vegas Golden Knights made Winnipegger Cody Glass their first franchise pick at No. 6, the New York Rangers selected Lias Andersson at No. 7, and the Buffalo Sabres then grabbed Mittelstadt at No 8.

Vilardi patiently waited for his name to get called, watching the Detroit Red Wings select Michael Rasmussmen at No. 9 and the Florida Panthers take Owen Tippett at 10 before the Los Angeles Kings ended the suspense and pulled the trigger at No. 11.

All of which gave Vilardi a little extra incentive to prove any doubters wrong.

“You can do all the re-drafts you want. At the end of the day some guys pan out, some guys don’t, for whatever reasons. That’s life,” he said.

“There’s different opportunities. Everyone gets different opportunities when they are drafted. Some get drafted to a team that’s rebuilding and they get the opportunity to play on the first line right away. Other guys get drafted to a good team and they might not be looking at playing top-six minutes ever.”

The Jets had a first-round pick that year, and would probably want a do-over. The selection of Kristian Vesalainen at No. 24 goes down as a whiff, considering he only appeared in 70 NHL games before heading back home to Finland two years ago, where he remains.

However, second-round pick Dylan Samberg (43rd-overall) is now playing a key role on the blue-line trying to shut the likes of Makar and Mittelstadt down.

To Vilardi’s point, there’s no such thing as a slam-dunk, and the case of Patrick shows how quickly things can change. The now 25-year-old has missed the last two-and-a-half seasons with injury, and his career is likely over after just 222 NHL games. (32 goals, 45 assists).

“It’s so tough when you’re dealing with injuries at such a young age and everyone else is developing,” said Vilardi, who has suffered his share of ailments as well, which have limited him to just 199 regular-season games over parts of five years.

Now in his first year with the Jets following last summer’s huge Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, Vilardi is savouring every minute of this playoff run. Skating on the top line with Mark Schiefele and Kyle Connor, he had three assists in the first two games.

Mittelstadt, too, has battled some aches and growing pains, which ultimately led to the Sabres sending him to the Avalanche earlier this season in a blockbuster trade that saw defenceman Bowen Byram (No. 4 overall in 2019) going the other way. He’s now centring the second line with the Avalanche, with a goal in the first two games against the Jets.

As for Makar, he’s not going anywhere. He won the Calder Trophy as top rookie in 2020, the Norris Trophy as top defenceman in 2022, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP that same year en route to winning his first Stanley Cup.

As fun as a boat ride and ball game in Chicago would have been a blast seven years ago, it’s safe to say Makar has made out pretty well. Now in pursuit of a second shiny ring, Mittelstadt and Vilardi have a thirst for their first.

No question all three players from the Class of 2017 will have a significant say in which team moves on to the next round.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X: @mikemcintyrewpg