The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is less than a month away, and after a full season of scouting, my first top-32 ranking of the year is done. I’ve already written more in-depth about some of these players, and I’ll have more analysis of several of them before and after the draft. Additionally, stay tuned for a full three-round, 96-player ranking right before the draft at the end of June.
As a reminder, I don’t consider overseas contracts or other external (but very real) factors in my rankings; these are based purely on on-ice ability.
1. Connor Bedard | C | Regina Pats (WHL)
What more can be said? Bedard is the best prospect we’ve seen since McDavid. He does nearly everything extremely well: the shot, the skating, the vision, the playmaking, etc. His shooting talent, among other things, is NHL-ready, and I’m constantly impressed by how much space he creates for himself with his skillset.
2. Adam Fantilli | C | Univ. of Michigan (NCAA)
A surefire first-overall pick in nearly any other class, Fantilli is a phenomenal skater, who keeps his feet moving at both ends of the ice. He’s a good puck protector, a monster in transition, and an extremely cerebral player with and without the puck.
3. Matvei Michkov | W | HK Sochi (KHL)
What Michkov lacks in skating mechanics, he makes up for in so many other departments. He’s creative with the puck in a way that Fantilli and Leo Carlsson aren’t and has some of the best stickhandling ability in this class. His transition decisions can be perplexing, but he’s an underrated puck protector and distributor.
4. Leo Carlsson | F | Örebro HK (SHL)
Carlsson is not an explosive skater, but he still has some elusiveness to his game. His mechanics need improvement but not dramatically so. He makes good decisions with the puck under pressure and rarely skates himself into difficult spots. His off-puck game is just as good as he understands dynamic puck support very well.
5. Will Smith | C | U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Smith is a dazzling player in the offensive zone with unbelievable hands that can operate at top speed. His skating is fine, but he lacks an accelerating gear and sometimes sacrifices his feet when using his hands to get himself out of trouble. Smith is a confident forechecker and transition player who needs to add some strength to really shine.
6. Ryan Leonard | F | U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Leonard may be one of my favorite players in this class. He’s a forceful, accurate shooter and comes with a good set of hands too. His speed isn’t elite, but he’s constantly moving his feet and plays a very heavy north-south game. Leonard scans the ice well away from the puck and engages early in possession battles and foot races. With a little more intention and defensive discipline, he could be a special player.
7. Zach Benson | F | Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
If Ryan Leonard is constantly buzzing around the ice, then I can’t even describe Benson’s game. He’s everywhere despite a few flaws in his skating mechanics. Defenders have to respect his ability to shoot, stickhandle, or pass as he can make such excellent plays at high speed off the rush. I’d like to see him refine his forechecking skills and defensive positioning, and his size will concern some teams.
8. Dalibor Dvorský | F | AIK (Allsvenskan)
Dvorský is a detail-oriented player who some criticize as lacking creativity, but I disagree. He’s confident with the puck and exhibits good patience under pressure. He leads defenders on then looks them off as he sets up a teammate. He’s a solid skater and attacks open ice with a give-and-go style.
9. Colby Barlow | W | Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
One of the best shooters in this class, Barlow’s release is lightning quick, and he can manipulate his blade so quickly to fool goaltenders. He can also score in many other ways, including deflections, backdoor tap-ins, and more. He isn’t a great forechecker, and his skating skills are lacking, but Barlow’s off-puck timing and anticipation might be enough to make up for those deficiencies.
10. Oliver Moore | C | U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Moore has one of the best acceleration gears in this class and is an extremely quick change-of-direction player. He moves the puck confidently and with his head up in transition, and I think his puck protection skills have gotten better despite his sub-6’0″ frame. Moore can chase the play a bit too much defensively, but his skill set at the other end of the ice is impressive.
11. Axel Sandin Pellikka | D | Skellefteå AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)
In a forward-heavy first round, Sandin Pellikka (ASP) and David Reinbacher are neck-and-neck for me. ASP is a smooth skater with four-way mobility; his positioning is so solid that he doesn’t need elite speed. He could add some physicality to his game and keep his gaps a little tighter, but he should be an excellent catalyst in transition for an NHL club one day.
12. David Reinbacher | D | Kloten (NL)
Reinbacher is another solid skater who mans the offensive blueline with poise and confidence. He can be quite physical in puck battles but needs to work on disrupting opponents with good puck-protection skills. His net-front defense is solid, and he fills passing and skating lanes against rushing opponents very well.
13. Eduard Šalé | W | HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)
Šalé has quick hands and good puck skills, executing good plays under pressure. He has an excellent release to his wrist shot, needing little time, space, or weight transfer to wire the puck past goalies. His skating is very fluid, and he can really accelerate out of his linear crossovers in transition. Defensively, and at times off the puck in the offensive end, Šalé leaves a bit to be desired, and he can improve his decision-making in how he attacks defenders with good gaps.
14. Riley Heidt | F | Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Heidt is a nifty, creative puck handler who keeps his head up in transition and can distribute the puck well while opposing defenders are respecting his speed. He buys a lot of time for his teammates by pulling up in the offensive zone and using his hands to get defenders to chase the play. He works himself into trouble occasionally and tries to do too much to get out of it, leading to some frustrating turnovers. On the other hand, I love his forechecking smarts and skating mechanics.
15. Brayden Yager | C | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Yager is a future top-six center that doesn’t get enough credit for the speed he plays with. He covers so much ice and although he isn’t overly flashy, he can set up so many plays with good puck-handling skills, smart passes, and a knack for finding rapidly closing passing lanes.
16. Dmitri Simashev | D | Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
Simashev may one day make everyone participating in the ASP-Reinbacher debate look dead wrong. He’s 6’4″ and skates extremely well. He has a long stick that makes him a very effective rush defender, but he can still improve his footwork against quicker opponents. He attacks forwards at the blue line and maintains his gaps very well. Simashev also has a decent set of hands and knows how to shoot to create rebounds.
17. Matthew Wood | F | Univ. of Connecticut (NCAA)
Wood is a big body and an excellent scorer. He can rifle the puck from the top of the circle and pick his corners, or he can dig for greasy goals or assists around the crease. His hands and patience with the puck are very good, and he has the size to draw defenders out of position and make plays under pressure. Skating is the big question mark for him.
18. Gavin Brindley | F | Univ. of Michigan (NCAA)
Like several other forwards in this first-round tranche, Brindley is undersized but extremely fun. He’s constantly buzzing all over the ice, scanning to anticipate plays, attacking opponents’ passing lanes, and going all out in transition. With the puck, he can spin off defenders or cut back across them to set up a play. He’s a persistent forechecker that I think will be an extremely effective middle-six winger with more development to his defense and skating mechanics.
19. Andrew Cristall | W | Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Cristall is another undersized forward and struggles from time to time against heavier defenders. But, he’s genuinely dazzling with the puck on his blade when he finds or creates enough time and space. He’s always thinking a step or two ahead of the play and doesn’t hesitate to attack the tougher areas of the offensive zone with his slick hands. However, Cristall’s skating mechanics lack proper stride extension, and he’s not an elite accelerator.
20. Nate Danielson | C | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Danielson is an extremely solid two-way skater who is maybe unfairly pigeonholed as more of a defensive player. He plays with good pace although I wouldn’t say he’s amazingly creative in his puck-support game. But, he protects the puck well at top speed and knows how to use his reach and body to frustrate defenders. Where Danielson can shine is his defensive positioning and ability to reverse the play quickly from his own end.
21. Gabe Perreault | W | U.S. NTDP (USHL)
You don’t smash the record for most points at the U.S. NTDP in one season without being a cerebral, talented player. Perreault excels at finding quiet ice in the offensive zone and giving his teammates options in the cycle. He has great catch-and-release shooting skills and needs almost no time or space to fire off his wrist or snap shots. His skating is the biggest flaw in his game, and I have my concerns about how much work his linemates did for him this season.
22. Tom Willander | D | Rögle BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
I’m higher on Willander than most, but he’s just so solid at so many aspects of the game. Offensively, he gets pucks off his stick at the blue line quickly but effectively and while he isn’t as aggressive as other defenders, he gives his teammates plenty of puck support from the point. He’s a good defender with solid gaps and times his pivots well. Willander does need to work on his reads against speedier forwards, and I’d like to see more consistency in his zone exits, but I think there is a really excellent foundation here.
23. Calum Ritchie | C | Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Ritchie is another forward with above-average hands; he can deke out opponents in all three zones, and he pairs that skill with good puck-protection abilities. Unfortunately, when his hands get going in transition, his feet often slow or stop. He’s a solid distributor who can score off the rush or create chances for his teammates, but his skating mechanics are really inconsistent, and his forechecking can feel unintentional at times.
24. Mikhail Gulyayev | D | Omskie Yastreby (MHL)
Gulyayev is a power-play quarterback in the making who demonstrates very impressive puck skills along the blue line and across the offensive zone. He’s got good change-of-direction speed and great four-way mobility, making him dangerous at both ends. At his best, he’s deceptive with the puck as he skates or passes his way out of his own end. He usually handles himself well against zone entries but could improve his in-zone defense with more proactive scanning.
25. Samuel Honzek | C | Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Honzek is a huge forward who has the frame and pedigree of an NHL-level power forward. He uses his size and long stick well to protect the puck and dominate offensive-zone cycles at times. And despite that size, he can sneak into quiet ice well but also muscle his way to high-danger areas. He’s a solid passer with good skating mechanics; while he lacks elite speed, he isn’t careless with the puck and is decently reliable defensively.
26. Quentin Musty | W | Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Musty has the makings of an excellent top-six winger in the NHL: good size, good hands, great shooting arsenal, etc. He forechecks, works the perimeter, dives to the slot, and can shoot from a distance. His acceleration and skating mechanics need work, but he sees the offensive zone very well and can thread difficult lanes with forceful passes. With more consistency shift-to-shift, I’m excited to see what he can become.
27. Otto Stenberg | W | Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
Otto Stenberg is extremely confident with the puck; he attacks the offensive zone so well and is so patient when defenders are hanging onto him looking to make a play. He’s not the most physical, but he reacts well to his teammates’ movements and maintains good puck-support positions. He’s a brilliant shooter who can fool goalies and defenders alike. He can be prone to turnovers and can improve at keeping his feet moving into the harder areas of both the offensive and defensive zones.
28. Daniil But | W | Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
Similar to his teammate Simashev, Daniil But is a really impressive skater for his 6’5″ size. He lacks elite acceleration, but he has good four-way agility. His hands are good, and his play from the half-wall to the slot can be quite effective, attacking high-danger areas without hesitation. He can be careless with the puck here and there and attempts a ton of long-range shots, but I bet teams will like the foundation he comes with.
29. William Whitelaw | C | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Whitelaw is a speedy, shifty, undersized forward who plays a strong north-south game with the puck. He’s got some solid explosiveness in transition, and his skating mechanics are overall quite good. He has tons of skill with the puck but lacks patience in the offensive zone sometimes. His forechecking angles are superb, leading to giveaways from his opponents, and he has a scrappy edge to his game too. The big question is how effective will his game be at higher levels if he sticks around 5’9″.
30. Kasper Halttunen | W | HIFK (Liiga)
Halttunen is a frustrating player, but there’s a lot about his game to bet on. He’s got NHL-ready size and understands the fundamentals of the game very well. His skating mechanics are fine, but his stride extension could be more complete and consistent. At his best, he plays an effective give-and-go game and drives to the net with a head of steam. But his off-puck game can be stagnant, and he doesn’t always react in a timely manner to adjustments from defenders.
31. Gracyn Sawchyn | C | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Sawchyn has good pace to his game and keeps his feet moving throughout his shifts, but there’s still room to improve his stride recovery. He’s direct in his attack, chasing pucks, winning battles, and making plays. I think he can be smarter in his puck-support game, but he’s an underrated passer who can create chances under pressure. Sawchyn maximizes space with the puck and forces defenders to respect his nose for the net.
32. Ethan Gauthier | F | Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)
Ethan Gauthier seems destined to become an NHLer even if it’s in a bottom-six role. He’s a hard-hitting, physical forward who finishes every check and can drive opponents crazy on the forecheck. He has NHL-average speed but knows how to use his body to drive to the net, lowering his shoulder to gain an edge on opponents. Off the puck, he can tend to float a little aimlessly, particularly in the defensive zone, and he needs to improve at cashing in on chances around the net by fending off defenders when he’s screening opposing goalies.
