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Draft Class: 2023

Published: Jun. 4, 2023 at 4:40 p.m.

DRAFT

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Round 1
1. Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks) (Details: Obvious).
2. Adam Fantilli (Anaheim Ducks) (Details: Anaheim isn't desperate for centres, but they aren't going to turn down one of his calibre.).
3. Leo Carlsson (Columbus Blue Jackets) (Details: Columbus needs centres and NHL-ready prospects. Carlsson has done a lot to prove himself as a centre against men, so he seems like the obvious choice.).
4. Matvei Michkov (San Jose Sharks) (Details: San Jose can afford to wait for Michkov, an incredible talent who is worth the risk of drafting despite the Russia situation.).
5. Will Smith (Montreal Canadiens) (Details: Montreal takes the last of the top 5 forwards in the draft. Smith has a lot of development to do, but adding his talent onto the roster could be huge in a few years.).
6. David Reinbacher (Arizona Coyotes) (Details: It's very difficult to acquire high-end RHD in the NHL, so with the top tier of talent off the board, Arizona grabs the most proven RHD prospect of the draft.).
7. Ryan Leonard (Philadelphia Flyers) (Details: Leonard is one of the most well-rounded players in the draft. He's strong, skates well, has good skill, can shoot, and drives to the net really well.).
8. Dalibor Dvorsky (Washington Capitals) (Details: Washington needs centre depth, and Dvorsky brings the blend of size, skill, physicality, compete, and shooting prowess that brought them success with Ovechkin.).
9. Zach Benson (Detroit Red Wings) (Details: Detroit may be wary of drafting a skilled forward who falls on draft day, but Benson brings a lot to the table in terms of skill, hockey sense, and compete at both ends of the ice.).
10. Nate Danielson (St. Louis Blues) (Details: Another well-rounded player, Danielson fills a need for St. Louis at centre. He brings size, speed, great playmaking ability, and a pretty decent shot.).
11. Tom Willander (Vancouver Canucks) (Details: Willander shows great promise defensively, is one of the best skaters in the draft, and has offence to offer as well. He would make a great defensive partner for Hughes.).
12. Gabe Perreault (Arizona Coyotes from Ottawa Senators) (Details: Perreault was a great complimentary player to Smith this year. Arizona will hope he can play the same role with Cooley in the future.).
13. Matthew Wood (Buffalo Sabres) (Details: Buffalo hopes to replicate the success of Thompson with a similar player on the wing.).
14. Oliver Moore (Pittsburgh Penguins) (Details: Pittsburgh looks to add speed and centre depth to support their aging core. Moore may eventually develop into a top six centre as the old core ages out.).
15. Colby Barlow (Nashville Predators) (Details: Nashville adds size and scoring power on the wing with Barlow.).
16. Axel Sandin Pellikka (Calgary Flames) (Details: Calgary picks up a highly touted offensive RHD.).
17. Samuel Honzek (Detroit Red Wings from New York Islanders) (Details: Having gone with a small, skilled player at 9OA, Detroit opts to go for size with their second 1st round pick.).
18. Daniil But (Winnipeg Jets) (Details: But is a huge winger with surprising skill and few weaknesses. He would go higher if not for the situation in Russia.).
19. Dmitri Simashev (Chicago Blackhawks from Tampa Bay Lightning) (Details: Having secured the best forward in the draft, Chicago adds size and defensive prowess in Simashev. His puck skills and decision making need some work, but if they improve, this pick will look like a steal.).
20. Eduard Sale (Seattle Kraken) (Details: Seattle takes a skilled winger with high upside to inject into their very solid forward core.).
21. Brayden Yager (Minnesota Wild) (Details: While Yager's size is a bit of a concern, Minnesota have bet on small players before and won. He fills an important position of need at centre, plays a strong two-way game, and has one of the best shots of the draft class.).
22. Calum Ritchie (Columbus Blue Jackets from Los Angeles Kings) (Details: Another centre for Columbus ensures that their woes down the middle of the ice are at an end.).
23. Riley Heidt (New York Rangers) (Details: With so many questions surrounding the Rangers' roster construction, they will need versatility. Heidt provides that with his ability to play both centre and wing, as well as up and down the lineup. He's a strong playmaker who brings a ton of energy.).
24. Mikhail Gulyayev (Nashville Predators from Edmonton Oilers) (Details: Nashville takes a gamble on Gulyayev, hoping to unlock his high ceiling as an offensive defenceman with a strong transition game.).
25. Oliver Bonk (St. Louis Blues from Toronto Maple Leafs) (Details: Having picked up a centre already, St. Louis grabs a solid defensive RHD just before the Sharks get the chance to do so.).
26. Lukas Dragicevic (San Jose Sharks from New Jersey Devils) (Details: San Jose takes the best RHD available. Dragicevic struggles defensively, but is a major asset in transition and the offensive zone.).
27. David Edstrom (Colorado Avalanche) (Details: Colorado looks to shore up their centre depth with an underrated prospect who has good tools. Edstrom is strong defensively and has a good understanding of how to score goals around the front of the net.).
28. Otto Stenberg (Toronto Maple Leafs from Boston Bruins) (Details: Toronto grabs a solid depth forward who scores goals in big moments; a trait sorely needed on this team.).
29. Theo Lindstein (St. Louis Blues from Dallas Stars) (Details: St. Louis moves to the left side now, grabbing another solid defensive defenceman.).
30. Andrew Cristall (Carolina Hurricanes) (Details: Cristall is an odd fit for Carolina, but after years of falling short due to a lack of scoring, they're willing to take a bet on a dynamic offensive player.).
31. Michael Hrabal (Montreal Canadiens from Florida Panthers) (Details: Montreal takes a goaltender; a position of need with a long development time. Hrabal is big and athletic, so he could turn into something great.).
32. Quentin Musty (Vegas Golden Knights) (Details: Vegas takes a big, one-way winger with great playmaking abilities.).

Round 2
33. Gavin Brindley (Anaheim Ducks).
34. Caden Price (Columbus Blue Jackets).
35. Jayden Perron (Chicago Blackhawks).
36. Carson Bjarnason (San Jose Sharks).
37. Maxim Strbak (Montreal Canadiens).
38. Charlie Stramel (Arizona Coyotes).
39. Cameron Allen (Buffalo Sabres from Philadelphia Flyers).
40. Anton Wahlberg (Washington Capitals).
41. Kasper Halttunen (Detroit Red Wings).
42. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (Detroit Red Wings from St. Louis Blues).
43. Gavin McCarthy (Detroit Red Wings from Vancouver Canucks).
44. Bradly Nadeau (Chicago Blackhawks from Ottawa Senators).
45. Ethan Gauthier (Buffalo Sabres).
46. Koehn Ziemmer (Nashville Predators from Pittsburgh Penguins).
47. Danny Nelson (Nashville Predators).
48. Tanner Molendyk (Calgary Flames).
49. Nick Lardis (New York Islanders).
50. Jakub Dvorak (Seattle Kraken from Winnipeg Jets).
51. Trey Augustine (Chicago Blackhawks from Tampa Bay Lightning).
52. Gracyn Sawchyn (Seattle Kraken).
53. Alex Ciernik (Minnesota Wild).
54. Étienne Morin (Los Angeles Kings).
55. Hunter Brzustewicz (Chicago Blackhawks from New York Rangers).
56. Andrew Gibson (Edmonton Oilers).
57. Coulson Pitre (Seattle Kraken from Toronto Maple Leafs).
58. Lenni Hämeenaho (New Jersey Devils).
59. Luca Cagnoni (Anaheim Ducks from Colorado Avalanche).
60. Beau Akey (Anaheim Ducks from Boston Bruins).
61. Carson Rehkopf (Dallas Stars).
62. William Whitelaw (Carolina Hurricanes).
63. Juraj Pekarcik (Florida Panthers).
64. Noah Dower Nilsson (Minnesota Wild from Vegas Golden Knights).

CapFriendly.com User-Generated Mock-Draft

ROUND 1	TEAM	ORIGINAL	PLAYER	DETAILS

1	-	Connor Bedard	Obvious
2	-	Adam Fantilli	Anaheim isn't desperate for centres, but they aren't going to turn down one of his calibre.
3	-	Leo Carlsson	Columbus needs centres and NHL-ready prospects. Carlsson has done a lot to prove himself as a centre against men, so he seems like the obvious choice.
4	-	Matvei Michkov	San Jose can afford to wait for Michkov, an incredible talent who is worth the risk of drafting despite the Russia situation.
5	-	Will Smith	Montreal takes the last of the top 5 forwards in the draft. Smith has a lot of development to do, but adding his talent onto the roster could be huge in a few years.
6	-	David Reinbacher	It's very difficult to acquire high-end RHD in the NHL, so with the top tier of talent off the board, Arizona grabs the most proven RHD prospect of the draft.
7	-	Ryan Leonard	Leonard is one of the most well-rounded players in the draft. He's strong, skates well, has good skill, can shoot, and drives to the net really well.
8	-	Dalibor Dvorsky	Washington needs centre depth, and Dvorsky brings the blend of size, skill, physicality, compete, and shooting prowess that brought them success with Ovechkin.
9	-	Zach Benson	Detroit may be wary of drafting a skilled forward who falls on draft day, but Benson brings a lot to the table in terms of skill, hockey sense, and compete at both ends of the ice.
10	-	Nate Danielson	Another well-rounded player, Danielson fills a need for St. Louis at centre. He brings size, speed, great playmaking ability, and a pretty decent shot.
11	-	Tom Willander	Willander shows great promise defensively, is one of the best skaters in the draft, and has offence to offer as well. He would make a great defensive partner for Hughes.
12		Gabe Perreault	Perreault was a great complimentary player to Smith this year. Arizona will hope he can play the same role with Cooley in the future.
13	-	Matthew Wood	Buffalo hopes to replicate the success of Thompson with a similar player on the wing.
14	-	Oliver Moore	Pittsburgh looks to add speed and centre depth to support their aging core. Moore may eventually develop into a top six centre as the old core ages out.
15	-	Colby Barlow	Nashville adds size and scoring power on the wing with Barlow.
16	-	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Calgary picks up a highly touted offensive RHD.
17		Samuel Honzek	Having gone with a small, skilled player at 9OA, Detroit opts to go for size with their second 1st round pick.
18	-	Daniil But	But is a huge winger with surprising skill and few weaknesses. He would go higher if not for the situation in Russia.
19		Dmitri Simashev	Having secured the best forward in the draft, Chicago adds size and defensive prowess in Simashev. His puck skills and decision making need some work, but if they improve, this pick will look like a steal.
20	-	Eduard Sale	Seattle takes a skilled winger with high upside to inject into their very solid forward core.
21	-	Brayden Yager	While Yager's size is a bit of a concern, Minnesota have bet on small players before and won. He fills an important position of need at centre, plays a strong two-way game, and has one of the best shots of the draft class.
22		Calum Ritchie	Another centre for Columbus ensures that their woes down the middle of the ice are at an end.
23	-	Riley Heidt	With so many questions surrounding the Rangers' roster construction, they will need versatility. Heidt provides that with his ability to play both centre and wing, as well as up and down the lineup. He's a strong playmaker who brings a ton of energy.
24		Mikhail Gulyayev	Nashville takes a gamble on Gulyayev, hoping to unlock his high ceiling as an offensive defenceman with a strong transition game.
25		Oliver Bonk	Having picked up a centre already, St. Louis grabs a solid defensive RHD just before the Sharks get the chance to do so.
26		Lukas Dragicevic	San Jose takes the best RHD available. Dragicevic struggles defensively, but is a major asset in transition and the offensive zone.
27	-	David Edstrom	Colorado looks to shore up their centre depth with an underrated prospect who has good tools. Edstrom is strong defensively and has a good understanding of how to score goals around the front of the net.
28		Otto Stenberg	Toronto grabs a solid depth forward who scores goals in big moments; a trait sorely needed on this team.
29		Theo Lindstein	St. Louis moves to the left side now, grabbing another solid defensive defenceman.
30	-	Andrew Cristall	Cristall is an odd fit for Carolina, but after years of falling short due to a lack of scoring, they're willing to take a bet on a dynamic offensive player.
31		Michael Hrabal	Montreal takes a goaltender; a position of need with a long development time. Hrabal is big and athletic, so he could turn into something great.
32	-	Quentin Musty	Vegas takes a big, one-way winger with great playmaking abilities.

ROUND 2	TEAM	ORIGINAL	PLAYER	DETAILS

33	-	Gavin Brindley
34	-	Caden Price
35	-	Jayden Perron
36	-	Carson Bjarnason
37	-	Maxim Strbak
38	-	Charlie Stramel
39		Cameron Allen
40	-	Anton Wahlberg
41	-	Kasper Halttunen
42		Oscar Fisker Mølgaard
43		Gavin McCarthy
44		Bradly Nadeau
45	-	Ethan Gauthier
46		Koehn Ziemmer
47	-	Danny Nelson
48	-	Tanner Molendyk
49	-	Nick Lardis
50		Jakub Dvorak
51		Trey Augustine
52	-	Gracyn Sawchyn
53	-	Alex Ciernik
54	-	Étienne Morin
55		Hunter Brzustewicz
56	-	Andrew Gibson
57		Coulson Pitre
58	-	Lenni Hämeenaho
59		Luca Cagnoni
60		Beau Akey
61	-	Carson Rehkopf
62	-	William Whitelaw
63	-	Juraj Pekarcik
64		Noah Dower Nilsson

Jun. 4, 2023 at 5:07 p.m.

Brian_O_Blivion

Moo-kama-doo-lin

Joined: Jun. 2023

Posts: 937

Likes: 347

Agree that Michkov is the right pick. Dragicevic really isnt. Sure we need an RHD but we need a forward prospect with size even more. Musty or Halttunen make sense. Eklund, Bordeleau, Michkov, Robins, Gushchin and Cardwell all under 6’. Only Lund and Bystedt are over that have a legit chance at prominent NHL roles.

HabsCanucks liked this.

Jun. 4, 2023 at 11:49 p.m.

TheGreatMistake

Dead inside

Joined: May 2019

Posts: 209

Likes: 78

I doubt the Hawks go with Simashev with all the big, LHD they have in their system like Vlasic, Korchinski, Del Mastro, Philips, and Allen. They don't have a lot of high end talent at forward, so they're most likely going to be looking for a fwd with size since Dach might be the only fwd prospect they have who's >6'1 that has a chance at being a top 6 fwd

HabsCanucks liked this.

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