Of the final 49 picks of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Tampa Bay Lightning owned three—two of which were in Round 6 (169th and 180th overall) and the other in Round 7 (200th overall). The 180th overall selection was acquired from the Montréal Canadiens with defenseman Jonathan Racine in a deal for defenseman Nikita Nesterov. The other two picks were the Lightning’s natural picks in the draft.
Steve Yzerman, Al Murray, and staff have shown a willingness these past few years to draft college-bound prospects in the later rounds. The goal of acquiring their rights now is to avoid a bidding war if the respective prospect generates a lot of buzz upon the conclusion of his college career.