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The ISS have released their April rankings of 2017-draft-eligible players. The top two names have been around all year long, while after that its been a total scramble, with no two draft previews giving the same order. This is going to make for a very exciting and unpredictable draft day, and to fully understand everything that goes down in June, step one is learning these names:

For the rest of the list, see the ISS website HERE.

Dont be surprised if some lower-ranked d-men jump up the list on draft day (Miro Heiskanen comes to mind), and if Owen Tippett falls further than this list suggests. Lots of scouts seem to be cooling off on him as the season progresses. Not only that, but there could be a serious threat of Nico Hischier grabbing the number one spot after Nolan Patrick's very shortened season. This truly is a draft year where anything could happen. 

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As playoffs approach, dont miss your chance to test your fantasy hockey savvy in post-season pools. With so many factors at play in such a short amount of time, playoffs are a whole new beast to tackle in fantasy sports. DobberHockey and DobberProspects has you covered for all your last-minute needs:

Here's Dobber's own box pool layout, a great place to start for any casual pool: 

http://www.dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/the-dobotomy/free-nhl-playoff-hockey-pool-boxes-2017/

And to make sure you end up on top, here's where to find the Dobber guide: 

http://dobbersports.com/product/dobbers-2017-interactive-playoff-draft-list/

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Several playoff series are locked in at this point, and I wanna ramble on the prospects that need to be on your draft board.

Pittsburgh vs. Columbus

Anyone who didn't give up on hockey in the final weeks are probably already familiar with Jake Guentzel – the newest star in Pittsburgh who is racking up points playing with Crosby. We all know how Columbus is going to treat Sid in this post-season do-over, but having this threat on the line is going to make double-teaming the captain alot less palatable. If you predict the Pens wil go far, he should be a go-to pick right after the superstars.

Matt Murray looks set to be the playoff starter once again and pick up where he left off last year. Like above – if you're betting on the Pens, he's your goalie pick.

Zach Werenski was a playoff hero in the AHL last year, leading his team to the championship. With the responsibility he's received already this year, he will have every opportunity to repeat his performance at this level.

Montreal vs. New York

We all know that once playoffs start, the defensive matchups are made and the top offensive line gets smothered. To rule your pools, you need to know the secondary guys who can step up when that happens. Artturi Lehkonen is my pick to be a sneaky Habs producer should the squad do well. 

Following the same depth-is-king logic as above, maybe dont worry about Jimmy Vesey's slow second-half of the season on draft day. He hasn't produced enough to be a top pick, but he has the potential to be one of the third-line heros we see every year.

Chicago vs. Nashville

There are too many kids on the Hawks to give them each a line here, but whoever makes it onto Toews' line is going to be golden. Does his line ever not step it up in the playoffs?

St. Louis vs. Minnesota

Its very possible that niether of these teams will have prospects in the lineup. If Eriksson Ek stays with the big club, he will certainly make the Minny 4th line more talented than the Blues'.

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Three first-NHL-goals to be proud of this week, and three from players that are going to be big pieces for their clubs in the future.

Tyson Jost gets his first of many as part of the Avs rebuild:

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Julius Honka absolutely dominates OT and finishes with his first:

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Kasperi Kapanen gets his first just when the Leafs needed it:

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As always, thank you for reading and best of luck in your playoff pools!

Hayden Soboleski

@soboleskih