It is time to start talking about Dominik Bokk as a potential first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft
Bokk earned a "Grade C" rating from NHL Central Scouting last month, which means he is projected to be taken in the fourth round or later. This won't happen. Bokk will go much higher.
On a Tuesday when there was little action involving draft prospects, the 6-foot-1 German forward stood head and shoulders above the rest. Making his Champions League debut for Vaxjo, Bokk picked up a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win over Salzburg Red Bull. His goal, scored on a power play at 6:16 of the second period, pulled the Lakers into a 2-2 tie. He later assisted on the game's final goal at 16:29 of the third.
Bokk was only recently called up to Vaxjo's SHL team after dominating Under-20 play with the Lakers' top junior squad. In 16 games with the U20 squad, he posted 20 points, including seven goals and six multi-point games. After his promotion to the SHL, he wasted little time recording his first goal in one of the world's top men's leagues, scoring for the Lakers on Nov. 3. Arguably the best junior player in Germany when he left there last summer, Bokk has proven he can adjust to a more competitive style of hockey in Sweden.
The idea that Bokk might go in Round 4 or later seems ludicrous. Keep an eye on him as a player who will rise high in the mid-season Central Scouting rankings. He is a rare talent from a country that has produced its fair share of NHL players.