The 2016-17 NHL season has yet to begin, but that doesn't mean scouts and fans aren't looking ahead to the 2017 NHL Entry draft, which will take place from June 23-24, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago. If you're curious about which goaltending prospects you should watch ahead of the draft, here are three suggestions.

1. Stuart Skinner: WHL

Skinner is an Edmonton-born netminder who has played two full seasons for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). In 2014-15, he posted a 3.69 goals against average (GAA) to go along with a .909 save percentage (SP). He improved those numbers in 2015-16 by lowering his GAA to 2.73 and boosting his SP to .920. He'll return to Lethbridge this season, but he should be one of the first goalies drafted in 2017.

Skinner, 17, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, which fits the need for a team in search of a significant presence in the net.  

2. Michael DiPietro: OHL

DiPietro played his first season for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season and he handled himself well. DiPietro played in 29 of the team's games and posted a 2.45 GAA and a .912 SP to go along with a record of 16-8-1-1. His GAA put him sixth in the league and his SP ranked him at No. 7.  

DiPietro split starts with Mario Culina last year. Culina will be back again this season, so DiPietro may have to once again split time in net, but if, like last season, his numbers warrant it, he will get the bulk of the starts.

3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Luukkonen suited up last season for the Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) U18 team. His solid play promoted him to the U20 team, where he excelled further with a 1.98 GAA and .924 SP.  At the IIHF U18 World Championship, he led the Finnish team to a gold medal, stepping in for Leevi Laakso who fell ill during the tournament.

In August, Luukkonen signed a three-year deal with the HPK men's team.

By Trent Reinsmith