2023 NHL Mock Draft

The Smaht Scouting team completed their third annual mock draft.

Ben Jordan , Austin Garret, Alex Appleyard, Josh Tessler, Gray Matter, Jordan Malette, Clare McManus and SpokedZ from the Smaht team participated. In addition, our ole buddy Sebastian Jackson drafted for a few teams as well.

Each scout was assigned multiple NHL teams to draft for and were instructed to draft as if they were running the draft.

Below you will find the list of draft picks and the assigned scout who selected them. Once you finish sifting through the list, you can find commentary from each scout on who they chose and why.

PICK	TEAM	PLAYER	DY TEAM	ANALYST
1	Chicago	Connor Bedard	Regina	Ben
2	Anaheim	Adam Fantilli	Michigan	Austin
3	Columbus	Leo Carlsson	Örebro	Austin
4	San Jose	Matvei Michkov	Sochi	Jordan
5	Montréal	Will Smith	USNTDP	Gray
6	Arizona	Zach Benson	Winnipeg	Josh
7	Philadelphia	Ryan Leonard	USNTDP	Alex
8	Washington	Oliver Moore	USNTDP	Gray
9	Detroit	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Skellefteå	Alex
10	St. Louis	Gavin Brindley	Michigan	Ben
11	Vancouver	Andrew Cristall	Kelowna	Ben
12	Arizona	Dmitri Simashev	Yaroslavl	Josh
13	Buffalo	David Reinbacher	Kloten	Austin
14	Pittsburgh	Quentin Musty	Sudbury	Josh
15	Nashville	Daniil But	Yaroslavl	Gray
16	Calgary	Gracyn Sawchyn	Seattle	Jordan
17	Detroit	Mikhail Gulyayev	Omsk	Alex
18	Winnipeg	Nate Danielson	Brandon	Austin
19	Chicago	Riley Heidt	Prince George	Ben
20	Seattle	Jayden Perron	Chicago	Gray
21	Minnesota	Otto Stenberg	Frölunda	Clare
22	Philadelphia	Dalibor Dvorsky	AIK	Alex
23	New York Rangers	Eduard Šalé	Brno	SpokedZ
24	Nashville	William Whitelaw	Youngstown	Gray
25	St. Louis	Brayden Yager	Moose Jaw	Ben
26	San Jose	Tom Willander	Rögle	Jordan
27	Colorado	Bradly Nadeau	Penticton	Seb
28	Toronto	Samuel Honzek	Vancouver	Ben
29	St. Louis	Gabe Perreault	USNTDP	Ben
30	Carolina	Timur Mukhanov	Omsk	Josh
31	Montréal	Calum Ritchie	Oshawa	Gray
32	Vegas	Colby Barlow	Owen Sound	Seb
33	Anaheim	Matthew Wood	UConn	Austin
34	Columbus	Oscar Fisker Mølgaard	HV71	Austin
35	Chicago	Nick Lardis	Hamilton	Ben
36	San Jose	Denver Barkey	London	Jordan
37	Montréal	Aydar Suniev	Penticton	Gray
38	Arizona	Alex Čiernik	Södertälje	Josh
39	Buffalo	Charlie Stramel	Wisconsin	Austin
40	Washington	Anton Wahlberg	Malmö	Gray
41	Detroit	Lukas Dragicevic	Tri-City	Alex
42	Detroit	Roman Kantserov	Magnitogorsk	Alex
43	Detroit	Koehn Ziemmer	Prince George	Alex
44	Chicago	Beau Akey	Barrie	Ben
45	Buffalo	Michael Hrabal	Omaha	Austin
46	Nashville	Luca Pinelli	Ottawa	Gray
47	Nashville	Luca Cagnoni	Portland	Gray
48	Calgary	Tanner Molendyk	Saskatoon	Jordan
49	New York Islanders	Lenni Hämeenaho	Pori	SpokedZ
50	Seattle	Caden Price	Kelowna	Gray
51	Chicago	David Edstrom	Frölunda	Ben
52	Seattle	Trey Augustine	USNTDP	Gray
53	Minnesota	Aram Minnetian	USNTDP	Clare
54	Los Angeles	Oliver Bonk	London	Seb
55	Chicago	Kalan Lind	Red Deer	Ben
56	Edmonton	Jacob Fowler	Youngstown	SpokedZ
57	Seattle	Martin Mišiak	Youngstown	Gray
58	New Jersey	Gavin McCarthy	Muskegon	Clare
59	Anaheim	Etienne Morin	Moncton	Austin
60	Anaheim	Coulson Pitre	Flint	Austin
61	Dallas	Easton Cowan	London	Jordan
62	Carolina	Andrew Strathmann	Youngstown	Josh
63	Florida	Theo Lindstein	Brynäs	Alex
64	Minnesota	Adam Gajan	Chippewa	Clare
65	Anaheim	Matthew Mania	Sudbury	Austin
66	Columbus	Quinton Burns	Kingston	Austin
67	Chicago	Hunter Brzustewicz	Kitchener	Ben
68	Nashville	Noel Nordh	Brynäs	Gray
69	Montréal	Hoyt Stanley	Victoria	Gray
70	Arizona	Jakub Dvorak	Liberec	Josh
71	Carolina	Ignat Lutfullin	SKA St. Petersburg	Josh
72	Arizona	Nico Myatovic	Seattle	Josh
73	Detroit	Ethan Gauthier	Sherbrooke	Alex
74	St. Louis	Carson Rehkopf	Kitchener	Ben
75	Vancouver	Tristan Bertucci	Flint	Ben
76	St. Louis	Maxim Štrbák	Sioux Falls	Ben
77	Vegas	Cameron Allen	Guelph	Seb
78	Los Angeles	Mathieu Cataford	Halifax	Seb
79	Nashville	Kasper Halttunen	HIFK	Gray
80	New Jersey	Jesse Nurmi	KooKoo	Clare
81	Arizona	Carson Bjarnason	Brandon	Josh
82	Winnipeg	Juraj Pekarcik	Nitra	Austin
83	Nashville	Griffin Erdman	Waterloo	Gray
84	Seattle	Alexander Rykov	Chelyabinsk	Gray
85	Anaheim	Damian Clara	Färjestad	Austin
86	Buffalo	Carey Terrance	Erie	Austin
87	Philadelphia	Yegor Klimovich	Novosibirsk	Alex
88	Arizona	Carter Sotheran	Portland	Josh
89	Vancouver	Felix Nilsson	Rögle	Ben
90	Pittsburgh	Arvid Bergström	Djurgården	Josh
91	New York Rangers	Noah Dower Nilsson	Frölunda	SpokedZ
92	Boston	Petter Vesterheim	Mora	SpokedZ
93	Chicago	Arttu Kärki	Tappara	Ben
94	San Jose	Brady Cleveland	USNTDP	Jordan
95	Philadelphia	Felix Unger Sorum	Leksands	Alex
96	Vegas	Rodwin Dionicio	Windsor	Seb

Anaheim Ducks

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
2	Adam Fantilli	Michigan
33	Matthew Wood	UConn
59	Etienne Morin	Moncton
60	Coulson Pitre	Flint
65	Matthew Mania	Sudbury
85	Damian Clara	Färjestad

I debated taking Michkov at the second overall selection, but the timeline to the NHL and with Zegras entering his second contract I wanted to infuse a high-end talent sooner rather than later for the ducks. McTavish and Fantilli both can move to the wing and Fantilli provides great speed and puck transporting ability to give a dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle and allows McTavish to be a heavy F1 forechecker in the future as well.

Matthew Wood fell too far, and while I question the pace he plays at, the raw tools he possesses makes him a tantilizing pick in the early second round that he could sit on the wing with either Zegras/Fantilli and capitalize on his great offensive zone play.

Etienne Morin and Pavel Mintyukov will be a riot in the offensive zone. Same with Matthew Mania if his offensive game continues to mature and develop. Coulson Pitre most likely projects to the bottom six, but he’s shown throughout the season the ability to be a utility type player where he can complement puck transporters or one-touch his way through the neutral zone to be a positive transition player.

Damian Clara is a project, but the size and athleticism allows for a potential goalie replacement down the road. (Austin Garret)

Arizona Coyotes

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
6	Zach Benson	Winnipeg
12	Dmitri Simashev	Yaroslavl
38	Alex Čiernik	Södertälje
70	Jakub Dvorak	Liberec
72	Nico Myatovic	Seattle
81	Carson Bjarnason	Brandon
88	Carter Sotheran	Portland

While I doubt that Arizona takes Zach Benson at #6 on Wednesday night, I wanted to get a prospect who I can see making an impact player at the NHL level for a long time. Pairing Benson with Dylan Guenther would be neat. Benson would go on the hunt for pucks and leverage his speed to win pucks and key up one-timers for Guenther. For my second first rounder, I decided to go with Dmitri Simashev. The Arizona Coyotes get a strong defensive defenseman who could slot in nicely in a future top four pairing. In the second round, I selected Alex Čiernik at #38th. He’s got great play-making ability especially off the rush and his hands allow him to break free in tight pressured situations. In the third round, I drafted Jakub Dvorak, Nico Myatovic, Carson Bjarnason and Carter Sotheran. Dvorak and Sotheran are both solid defensive defensemen who could play shut down roles at the next level. Bjarnason has great athleticism, speed and excellent rebound control. Projects to be a starter at the NHL level. Myatovic played down the line up for the Seattle Thunderbirds, but has the tools to be a solid middle six power forward. (Josh Tessler)

Boston Bruins

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
92	Petter Vesterheim	Mora

The Boston Bruins need help at essentially every single position in their prospect pool with almost 0 draft capital work with, so maybe I should have gone for more of a home run swing here. Regardless, Vesterheim is an intriguing option in the middle rounds of this draft. The 2022-23 season was his first in Sweden, and it was quite the impressive first season. He led Mora’s J20 team in points (12G, 39P in 41 games), and also earned his way into their Allsvenskan squad at points where he did not look out of place. He’s a smart player on and off the puck, and he’s a plus-skater who is always in motion and playing with high pace. He has a high work rate and is a more than capable defender already. Given time and proper development, the Bruins could wind up adding a solid middle-six forward capable of impacting the game in every scenario. (SpokedZ)

Buffalo Sabres

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
13	David Reinbacher	Kloten
39	Charlie Stramel	Wisconsin
45	Michael Hrabal	Omaha
86	Carey Terrance	Erie

As the resident Sabres fan and someone who has mock drafted the Sabres countless times, this was a combination of players I’ve never selected. The Sabres have a plethora of high-end forward prospects but are severely lacking in defensive prospect depth. With Power and Dahlin looking to get locked up long term this offseason it made sense to not chase power play potential but rather play it safe on the right hand side of the defense. While other defenders have higher offensive ceilings in my opinion, Reinbacher should be able to be a plug-and-play middle pairing defender who could play up in a pinch.

Time for 100% honesty: coming into this year after summer scouting I thought Stramel was a lock for the top 10 and was my second ranked American after Fantilli. However, this past year at Wisconsin was severely disappointing. Not only did his transition and passing metrics plummet; he struggled to find a meaningful role within Tony Granato’s system. I question his puck distributing skills, but I hold fast that the player that I watched last year is still in there and he should be able to mature into a dynamic power forward if everything breaks right.

The Sabres lost Erik Portillo this season and there’s speculation that UPL could be on the move as well. Adding to that with Topias Leinonen’s lackluster D+1 year means the Sabres could use a retooling of the goalie depth. Hrabal was the best player available and fills a need. Terrance has a lot of tools and is a high-end skater that letting him stay in the OHL the next two years and transition to Rochester could lead to a great middle-six winger. (Austin Garret)

Calgary Flames

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
16	Gracyn Sawchyn	Seattle
48	Tanner Molendyk	Saskatoon

Calgary stays in the WHL with their two picks, going with Gracyn Sawchyn and Tanner Molendyk. The Flames could trade back here and look to get Sawchyn a bit later, but I didn’t feel like they were passing on anything substantial by selecting him at this spot. I remember my first viewing of Gracyn and just being blown away by his technical abilities. Especially when the defence thinks they have him boxed in, he’s so deceptive and evasive to escape pressure and maintain possession of the puck. He’s a crafty playmaker who relies on this previously mentioned deceptiveness to open up passing lanes and connect passes together to generate dangerous chance after chance for the Thunderbirds. Simply, Sawchyn is a ton of fun to watch and, if everything goes right, would be an instant fan favourite in Calgary. The Flames added to Sawchyn by adding Saskatoon Blade, Tanner Molendyk in the mid-second round. Labelling Tanner as the best skating defender in the 2023 draft class is not an exaggeration. He’s incredibly mobile in all directions, has tremendous straight-line speed, and is so evasive with the puck on his stick. Pairing his skating with his intelligent puck distribution yields a projectable foundation for the highly sought-after “puck-moving defenceman.” He is a more than capable defender, and there’s no reason to think why he couldn’t develop into a solid second-pairing defender for the Flames. (Jordan Malette)

Carolina Hurricanes

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
30	Timur Mukhanov	Omsk
62	Andrew Strathmann	Youngstown
71	Ignat Lutfullin	SKA St. Petersburg

For the Carolina Hurricanes picks, I drafted Timur Mukhanov at #30th overall. The Hurricanes end up with Gleb Trikozov’s former teammate. Mukhanov is zippy and is a great distributor. While his frame is a bit on the smaller end, he holds his own in tight pressure and has excellent escapability. I don’t believe Timur will go this high and based on what I’ve seen from other rankings, it appears that he’ll end up going later on. Probably the third round or fourth round. But, the talent is there and the Smaht team really believes that there is a top six asset in Mukhanov. The draft is going to play out differently and while I would bet on Mukhanov ending up in Carolina, I believe that the Hurricanes will end up with Andrew Cristall or Riley Heidt if they keep their pick and don’t trade down.

In the second round, I drafted Andrew Strathmann and Ignat Lutfullin. Strathmann is an offensive defenseman with a lot of creativity in his game and Lutfullin is a methodical playmaker who plays with great tempo. When drafting for Carolina, you go for upside and that’s what I did. (Josh Tessler)

Chicago Blackhawks

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
1	Connor Bedard	Regina
19	Riley Heidt	Prince George
35	Nick Lardis	Hamilton
44	Beau Akey	Barrie
51	David Edstrom	Frölunda
55	Kalan Lind	Red Deer
67	Hunter Brzustewicz	Kitchener
93	Arttu Kärki	Tappara

Chicago dominated our mock draft owning 8 selections within the first 3 rounds. Starting at 1, Connor Bedard is a no brainer. He will drastically improve the Hawks the moment they announce his name. At 19, their other selection in round 1, I went with a high-upside shifty playmaker in Riley Heidt. Likely a winger at the next level, Heidt has shown the ability to play center ice this season as well, and will contribute in all zones. With pick 35, the first selection the Hawks own in round 2, I went with one of the most dynamic skaters in this entire class. After his trade from Peterborough to Hamilton in the OHL, Nick Lardis’ scoring took off. He showed he can log big minutes and play against opponents’ top units. With the remaining 2^nd round picks, I went with safer floors while still maintaining offensive upside. First, at 44, Beau Akey. One of the better first pass and transition defenders in the draft. With the departure of Brandt Clarke from Barrie next year, Akey will get lots more offensive opportunity and gain lots of confidence handling the puck in the offensive zone. Rounding out round 2 is David Edstrom, a big, two-way centreman. I don’t anticipate him being available in 50’s on draft day, but should the Hawks land him, they are getting a great piece for the future that is committed to play in all zones, with great puck handling ability. Kicking off round 3, Kalan Lind is a safer, hard-nosed winger that brings a tenacious forecheck style of game. He is the perfect middle-six forward for successful playoff teams, and the type of player teams seem to overpay for in Free Agency. Think Ivan Barbashev, but better skater. The final two selections I used on higher upside mobile defenders. Both Brzustewicz and Karki are good skaters that love to move the puck up the ice. At this stage in the draft, given the wealth of picks owned in the previous two rounds, taking some swings on potential point producers makes sense to me. (Ben Jordan)

Colorado Avalanche

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
27	Bradly Nadeau	Penticton

If Bradly Nadeau is available at 27, Colorado is a perfect fit for both the team and player. Nadeau possesses a top 5 shot in this draft. An incredible workhorse in all zones of the ice. Nadeaus skating needs improvement however while he lacks foot speed, his awareness moving up and down the ice, getting from point A to point B by using effective lane decisions projects well at the next level. He isn’t physical at all and I am not sure that’s an area he will develop in which is why he falls into the 25-35 range but as someone who projects to be a top 9 center, the things he does well will far outweigh the negatives. (Sebastian Jackson)

Columbus Blue Jackets

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
3	Leo Carlsson	Örebro
34	Oscar Fisker Mølgaard	HV71
66	Quinton Burns	Kingston

Columbus is the one team I would be shocked if they took Michkov in the top 5. I would guess that if the draft falls like this to start then I think the Blue Jackets are looking at Will Smith and Carlsson. To me, Carlsson is the easy choice. He was impressive every time I watched him this past year and I think he’s an easy fit into what Columbus is building.

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard won’t wow you with eye-popping skill, but he plays the game so well in the details that it’s hard not to get excited that he fell to the second round. He plays both ends of the ice extremely well and did so against men in the SHL. I don’t know if he ever is a PP player or a massive point producer, however I do think he’s a player that will make his line effective and extremely impactful.

Burns is a personal favorite. He had such a high work rate in the games I tracked and he is extremely physical at separating players from the puck without sacrificing positioning. His first pass is good, but he is not an offensive defenseman. In the early third round I think he’s a relatively safe pick to play NHL games who could develop to be an impactful shutdown defender. (Austin Garret)

Dallas Stars

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
61	Easton Cowan	London

With only one pick in the top 3 rounds, the Stars only had a little draft capital to work with. Near the end of the second, there are plenty of reasonable options the Stars could elect to go for, but Easton Cowan was my choice of the pack. Cowan is an effective puck manager who offers plenty of value in transition and as a puck distributor. He is exceptionally creative with his passing, frequently spotting and exploiting some complex passing lanes to thread pucks to the dangerous parts of the ice. Easton plays with high-end pace, notably in puck pursuit, which adds to the projection of a player with the desired offensive playmaking upside, but also could fill some form of a depth forward role. For this reason, it’s a logical fit for a team with only one selection in the top 96. I wouldn’t label him a “boom or bust,” but there still is solid upside in Cowan’s game. (Jordan Malette)

Detroit Red Wings

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
9	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Skellefteå
17	Mikhail Gulyayev	Omsk
41	Lukas Dragicevic	Tri-City
42	Roman Kantserov	Magnitogorsk
43	Koehn Ziemmer	Prince George
73	Ethan Gauthier	Sherbrooke

Yes, yes… I know that arguably three of the Red Wings top five prospects, and five of the top 10, are defensemen. Sandin Pellikka… I must admit I thought about Cristall instead as a swing on upside… but the Swedish blue-liner is arguably the best defenseman in the draft when combining current level and upside, and what goes better together than Swedes and Motown? Then yeh, another defenseman at 17. But Gulyayev was BPA for me at that venture with maybe the most upside of any blue-liner in the draft. Then we have the run of three picks in the 2nd round. The Wings already have a strong, deep pool, so who better to swing for upside with? Dragicevic could end up being a steal in the mid-second. Kantserov has the ability to be a top-six forward in the NHL and Ziemmer would be a late first-rounder in many drafts. At #73 Gauthier was a no-brainer for me. I think overall? In this mock the Red Wings had six picks and picked up six players who in many drafts would be “first-round-talents”. (Alex Appleyard)

Edmonton Oilers

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
56	Jacob Fowler	Youngstown

The Edmonton Oilers finally take their swing on a goaltender and draft Jacob Fowler of the Youngstown Phantoms. I must admit, I’m no goaltending expert by any means. A big reason I went this direction here is due to me still being shocked Edmonton passed on Wallstedt in 2021. That being said, it’s not difficult to see that Fowler boasts serious physical strength and explosive lateral movement and agility in the crease. He’s a confident goaltender and has no fear of challenging any shooter. Fowler had an immensely impressive season in the USHL, leading all goaltenders in almost every statistic. Youngstown also took home the Clark Cup Trophy, only losing 1 playoff game in the process thanks to a historic run from Fowler (he was named Clark Cup MVP, of course). Fowler boasts serious physical strength and explosive lateral movement and agility in the crease. He’s a confident goaltender and has no fear of challenging any shooter. We’ll see how he continues to develop at Boston College. (SpokedZ)

Florida Panthers

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
63	Theo Lindstein	Brynäs

The Panthers are not exactly awash with 2023 picks early on. #63 is therefore there only real chance to get a player with a decent chance of being an NHLer going forward. Their prospect pool at the present time is not the strongest, and arguably their top three prospects right now are forwards. Lindstein is a player who certainly has 2nd pairing upside, and might be ready for the NHL in 2-3 years. He has already shown himself to be a solid SHLer and I think he would be an absolute steal at the end of the second round. (Alex Appleyard)

Los Angeles Kings

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
54	Oliver Bonk	London
78	Mathieu Cataford	Halifax

LA Kings are another team that loves its CHL prospects. Enter Oliver Bonk. Bonk is an interesting Defencemen who I believe will be one of the steals of the NHL Draft. Playing for the London Knights, his development has been quite steady. His foot speed and agility is questionable. It’s likely his biggest weakness and what will drive him out of the 1st round. Considering that there are a lack of quality defencemen available (Draft is forward heavy) Bonk is worth the bet. As the 22-23 season went on, I saw Bonk engage more physically. He possesses a heavy shot however doesn’t use it to his advantage. Joining a defence that currently has Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence, the LA Kings who are already a very good NHL team are quietly building a D core that will replace the likes of Drew Doughty in the future on the fly.

Cataford is a perfect fit for the Kings. Cataford projects as a middle six forward in the NHL. Possesses solid physical tools. Always finishes his checks, always will to engage in a physical battle, net front battles. His skating is excellent. I don’t always love the lanes he selects but considering LA’s Development staff, he’ll figure that out. He’s always finding time and space that allows him to find success in the offensive zone. A high IQ and a package that offers a bit of everything, it’s not quite an elite find but the Kings are getting a complete package. (Sebastian Jackson)

Minnesota Wild

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
21	Otto Stenberg	Frölunda
53	Aram Minnetian	USNTDP
64	Adam Gajan	Chippewa

Minnesota picks up some solid prospects in this mock draft. With their first round pick, Otto Stenberg gives the Wild more elite depth on the wing. He is a strong skating forward who can fire the puck for a goal-scoring opportunity. Stenberg has good hands and works hard in the offensive zone. His playmaking needs to get better but he still has the ability to make smart plays here and there. Stenberg can also play center but projects more as a winger in the pros. His versatility makes him a very intriguing player. The next pick for the Wild is USNTDP defenseman, Aram Minnetian. I really like this pick for the Wild. Minnetian is an offensive defenseman who possesses elite skating skills. He has strong smarts moving the puck up ice and making plays in the offensive zone. While his game is mostly noted in the o-zone, Minnetian has shown he can play a consistent defensive game. With their last pick Minnesota takes Adam Gajan. Gajan is a Slovakian goaltender who played this past season with the Chippewa Steel(NAHL) and Green Bay Gamblers(USHL). Committed to University of Minnesota-Duluth, Gajan put up strong numbers with the Steel. He is super athletic and does extremely well positioning in the net. He played with with Slovakia at the World Juniors posting a 2.40 GAA and a .926 save percentage. (Clare McManus)

Montréal Canadiens

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
5	Will Smith	USNTDP
31	Calum Ritchie	Oshawa
37	Aydar Suniev	Penticton
69	Hoyt Stanley	Victoria

I’m pretty happy with these four for Montréal. Plenty of risk, but a ton of potential reward, which are generally the types of picks I prefer to make, especially if I’m a team like Montréal.

With Michkov gone at 4, the decision at 5 was a bit of a tossup between Smith, Moore, and Benson. The deciding factor being that I see Smith as having a very slight edge in terms of highest upside / likelihood of reaching their upside, and star-power is something Montréal is lacking.

Ritchie has sneaky good playmaking potential, and overall smart play at both ends of the ice. Contrary to the other three picks, I see Ritchie more so as a higher floor player than higher ceiling, but I do still think there’s a lot of offensive potential there. Given the players available, he seemed like the best bet to make.

Suniev and Stanley are both high risk options with really enticing skillsets and the potential to boom into great top-6 / top-4 players down the line. (Gray Matter)

Nashville Predators

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
15	Daniil But	Yaroslavl
24	William Whitelaw	Youngstown
46	Luca Pinelli	Ottawa
47	Luca Cagnoni	Portland
68	Noel Nordh	Brynäs
79	Kasper Halttunen	HIFK
83	Griffin Erdman	Waterloo

With a plethora of picks and seven(!) in the first three rounds, Nashville is primed to do some damage with this draft, and can afford to take some big risks.

Starting off with two massive swings in the first round in But and Whitelaw; two guys who bring a ton of fun, lots of risk, and sky-high potential. If they both pan out, Nashville has a couple superstars on their hands, and to me, that’ll always be worth the risk.

Next up, another couple of high upside swings with the two Lucas. Pinelli could become a high-end playmaker in your top-6, and Cagnoni a great offensive playmaking d-man in your top-4 . . . or neither of them could make the NHL, roll the dice.

And finishing it off with three slightly safer / lower upside options, still with some offensive potential, albeit less than the previous four. Noel Nordh is one I’m a particular fan of, with a power forward style and high intensity, I enjoy watching him play. I think a third line role is a very likely outcome for him, and the same for Halttunen, with potential for more with the right development. Getting both in the third round is great value, especially after swinging big in the first two. Griffin Erdman just makes smart plays all the time, is responsible defensively, and has some solid playmaking upside that I do have belief in, though I’d probably bet on him being just a reliable bottom-6 forward. (Gray Matter)

New Jersey Devils

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
58	Gavin McCarthy	Muskegon
80	Jesse Nurmi	KooKoo

With New Jersey’s first pick in the 2023 draft they select USHLs Muskegon Lumberjacks, Gavin McCarthy. The Devils selected Gavin’s brother, Case in 2019. After two seasons with the Lumberjacks Gavin will be attending Boston University with his brother this upcoming season. McCarthy is a right-handed, two-way defenseman who skate the puck well. While he possesses strong offensive skills, he also has a knack to be physical. With their second and last pick in the draft the Devils select Jesse Nurmi. The winger played this past season with KooKoo U20 and Liiga organizations this past season. He also was a notable player for Finland in the world juniors. He is a high-energy forward who could provide strong depth for the Devils organization. (Clare McManus)

New York Islanders

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
49	Lenni Hämeenaho	Pori

While he isn’t the sexiest pick here, the New York Islanders pick up a true swiss army knife in Hämeenaho. Hämeenaho projects as a player who can play up and down your lineup in a variety of roles, and he’s an extremely smart player at both ends of the ice. Off the puck in the offensive zone, he is constantly scanning his surroundings to find quiet areas of the ice and anticipate where the puck will go next. He uses that same scanning habit in the defensive zone, where he is able to kill plays and eliminate scoring chances for the opposition. This well-rounded game and high work rate should make him an attractive player in this class. The skating will certainly need to improve, but he looks like a player who can contribute in every facet of the game. He feels like an Islander. (SpokedZ)

New York Rangers

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
23	Eduard Šalé	Brno
91	Noah Dower Nilsson	Frölunda

The Rangers go out and add two-more offensively gifted players with size in Eduard Sale & Noah Dower Nilsson. Sale’s physical tools & raw skill alone make him a slam dunk top 10 pick in any other draft class. They also make him one of the most naturally talented players with the highest ceiling in this one. He’s a plus-skating, 6’2”, left-shot winger who often plays on the right side and is a dual-threat with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. He’s one of the best passers & playmakers in the class, capable of threading the puck through layers to teammates with precision. At the same time, he’s more than capable of putting the puck in the net himself. He’s able to shoot in motion with power and accuracy, while also boasting a heavy one-timer on his off-side. While there may be questions about his compete level & at times can leave scouts wanting more, there is absolutely no questioning his ability and talent level. Simply put, he does the hardest thing to do in hockey- generate offense.

In Dower Nilsson, the Rangers take another swing on upside. Dower Nilsson had an incredible draft-eligible season in terms of stats in the Swedish J20 this year (26 goals, 54 points in 37 games). He’s a creative forward with incredible hands and skill, and he’s capable of creating offense and high-danger scoring chances in many ways inside the offensive zone. He’s also a gritty forward who’s more than happy to engage physically and win puck battles in front of the net or along the boards. He certainly has the potential of a top six forward, but also several roadblocks to overcome to get there. The skating is average at best, limiting his effectiveness in transition. His defensive work rate and decision making will also need to improve. That being said, the physical tools and talent make him another intriguing option in the 2nd or 3rd round. (SpokedZ)

Ottawa Senators

No picks in the top three rounds.

Philadelphia Flyers

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
7	Ryan Leonard	USNTDP
22	Dalibor Dvorsky	AIK
87	Yegor Klimovich	Novosibirsk
95	Felix Unger Sorum	Leksands

The way that the top six fell, in my eyes, is the worst case scenario for the Flyers, and in that scenario were I Danny Briere I would be tempted to trade back. The decision to take Leonard amongst the group remaining was a difficult one, but he would immediately slot in after Cutter Gauthier as the teams second best prospect, and add much needed future first line potential to the pool. If Dvorsky fell to 22 the Flyers would be laughing all the way to the bank, there might be some upside questions, but there is no doubt even if you are down on his game that he can certainly be a 2C down the line. Leonard+Dvorsky in the first round would give the Flyers two players who are almost certainly going to be NHLers in the not so distant future, who both have the ability to put up points while being two-way players. I was hoping at least one defensemen with #3 upside in my eyes would fall to picks 87 and 95. But alas, the guys I had earmarked were both gone by the mid-3rd round. Therefore I went BPA and swung on upside. Klimovich has all the ability to be a top-six forward one day, and Felix Unger Sörum could be an absolute steal in the late 3rd. Skilled and smart with lots of room to grow. He could certainly be a good middle-six winger down the line. (Alex Appleyard)

Pittsburgh Penguins

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
14	Quentin Musty	Sudbury
90	Arvid Bergström	Djurgården

For the Pittsburgh Penguins, I selected Quentin Musty and Arvid Bergström. Musty provides the Penguins with a top six forward who can drive the transition nicely, has a great shot from range, distributes efficiently off of the rush and does an excellent job of executing passes through rather tight lanes. If Musty can continue to develop his east-west speed and his physicality, he’s going to be tough to contend with in the trenches. With Bergström, the Penguins get a solid puck moving defenseman with great mobility and a defensive-minded defender who plays very conservatively. They end up drafting two players who are rather efficient and methodical with their puck movement. (Josh Tessler)

San Jose Sharks

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
4	Matvei Michkov	Sochi
26	Tom Willander	Rögle
36	Denver Barkey	London
94	Brady Cleveland	USNTDP

The Sharks got a good mix of everything in this mock draft. Matvei Michkov, at four, needs no explanation. Yes, the Sharks will have to wait a few seasons, but the uber offensively talented Russian winger is well worth the wait and should fit nicely within the Sharks’ rebuild timeline. Willander is a very projectable #3 or #4 defenceman, complementing the other upside swings in this Sharks draft class. His skating and defensive acumen are the foundational pieces to an NHL-caliber defender, and the Sharks would be thrilled to find that package at the tail end of the first. It’s presumably earlier than Barkey will go on draft day, but I love the upside swing after the two picks the Sharks have made. He’s a remarkable playmaker who can pick apart opposing defences by exploiting the tightest of passing lanes. Size is the knock, but he more than makes up for it with his high-end motor, pesky, and tenacious playstyle. And finally, Brady Cleveland. Cleveland is a physically imposing defender who could fill an unsexy but valuable penalty-killing and shutdown role on the Sharks’ third pair if everything goes right in his development. It’s a really exciting and balanced mix of prospects the Sharks came away with, and I think they’d be pretty happy with this class. (Jordan Malette)

Seattle Kraken

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
20	Jayden Perron	Chicago
50	Caden Price	Kelowna
52	Trey Augustine	USNTDP
57	Martin Mišiak	Youngstown
84	Alexander Rykov	Chelyabinsk

With this draft, the freshest team in the league gets a little bit of everything to stock the cupboards with.

They get high-end playmaking with Jayden Perron, one of the best passers in the class, who brings excellent positioning in all zones to form a pretty complete package with very strong upside as a playmaker.

Caden Price at 50 might seem a little high, but it’s a bet on exciting offensive flashes that have come out primarily outside of league play. Always an interesting conundrum, and I tend to err on the side of the player figuring it out; he’ll be a solid top-4 puck-moving defender if he’s able to.

Augustine has looked great all year, and remains my top goalie for the draft. With three picks in the second round, I’m taking a chance on my potential goalie for the future if I’m Seattle.

Mišiak and Rykov both bring good intensity and responsible defensive games, as well as some upside, though I judge Mišiak’s to be a fair bit higher. I see both as pretty safe options, with strong middle-6 upside. (Gray Matter)

St. Louis Blues

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
10	Gavin Brindley	Michigan
25	Brayden Yager	Moose Jaw
29	Gabe Perreault	USNTDP
74	Carson Rehkopf	Kitchener
76	Maxim Štrbák	Sioux Falls

The St. Louis Blues are strapped with ammunition in the first round. Three selections in round 1, which tops every other team. I love the way the first round for the Blues went in this mock. Starting off with one of my favourites in this class. Gavin Brindley’s motor never stops. Ever. When he and Fantilli got puck on the same line, it almost felt as though Fantilli benefited from having Brindley more than the other way around. At 26 I went with Yager. I’d be shocked if he were there for the Blues on draft night, but if he were to be, I would pounce all over the opportunity to select him. I believe he has the tools to be a centre at the next level, and just make all the right decisions, all the time. Godly release on his shot as well. Rounding out the trifecta in round 1 is offensive juggernaut Gabe Perreault. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him fall in the draft as he does not drive play from the wing. He is a great complimentary piece that can play with top players and has the chance to put up hefty point totals if he’s found in the right situations. At pick 74 I went for a bigger body centreman. Rehkopf likely slots in as a winger at the pro level, but he can puck the puck in net. Loves to get to dirty areas and has a great release and shot. For the Blues last selection, I went for a safer, two-way defenseman in Strbak. He does well defending the rush and getting the puck up to his forwards. Don’t see much offensive upside with this player, but that’s not why we’re selecting him here. (Ben Jordan)

Tampa Bay Lightning

No picks in the top three rounds.

Toronto Maple Leafs

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
28	Samuel Honzek	Vancouver

Due to our abbreviated 3-round mock, the Leafs find themselves with just a lone selection at the end of round 1. With that pick I selected Samuel Honzek a bigger frame winger from the Vancouver Giants. He combines his reach and agility so well and is a pain to try and strip of the puck. He’s got a solid shot and does well to find himself with time and space in danger areas. (Ben Jordan)

Vancouver Canucks

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
11	Andrew Cristall	Kelowna
75	Tristan Bertucci	Flint
89	Felix Nilsson	Rögle

Given the situation the Canucks find themselves in, more than 1 pick in the first two rounds would be nice, but for the sake of the mock, we play the hand we are dealt. The Canucks reach and grab dynamic offensive winger Andrew Cristall. Cristall, with improved skating could be an offensive force to be reckoned with. He’s extremely smart with the puck, and has an innate ability to read off his linemates to help create and finish the best offensive opportunities. With the lack of any selections in round 2, I went for a bigger swing in Bertucci. The first and second half of his season in Flint were very different. At Christmas time I loved the way he retrieved pucks in his own zone and subsequently broke the puck out, however I had many concerns about the offense. The second half of the year he answered all those questions. Put up great numbers and looked confident handling the puck in offensive situations. To round out the Canucks mock I went with Swede Felix Nilsson (had to throw the Nucks a Swede). Nilsson checks a lot of boxes to become a dominant 3^rd line centreman in the NHL. He is great in transition and supporting his defenseman during retrievals. He has great vision and underrated hands which make him a sneaky offensive threat as well. (Ben Jordan)

Vegas Golden Knights

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
32	Colby Barlow	Owen Sound
77	Cameron Allen	Guelph
96	Rodwin Dionicio	Windsor

Vegas LOVES their CHL players. Enter Colby Barlow.

Barlow is an interesting case. I am higher on Barlow than most. I love his shot, his shot selection, his decision making in the offensive zone. An underrated aspect is, he was the Captain of the Owen Sound Attack this year and was impressed with his leadership on and off the ice. At the end of the day, you’re getting a very good goal scorer and a quality human. Transitioning from offense to defense is also one of his bright spots. Needs to work on his explosiveness. His foot speed is fine but it’s left me wanting and expecting more. I’d like to see him work on becoming more than just a shot. Nothing wrong with a scoring forward however i’d like to see more of his playmaking on display. Vegas also is a team that lives in the here and now and would prefer to draft a sure bet and Barlow is that. Again, very good goal scorer.

Cam Allen during his rookie season in the OHL in 2021-2022 looked like a sure fire top 10 prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft. He has fallen out of the 1st round, and likely the 2nd round. However this is still a very interesting prospect. What worries me about Cam Allen is his decision making and awareness. Cam often takes very undisciplined penalties. Often at very unnecessary times. When he sees red, he has a hard time coming down from it. However, he’s one of the hardest hitters in the draft, his defensive play is among the best as we saw down the stretch in Guelph. He has a wicked shot which he didn’t display this year. (13 goals as a rookie the season prior) This is a prospect that i expect great improvement from next season. It is worth noting that Guelph had a shaky start to last season. Coaching changes, lots of uncertainty. With a full season of a new coach who isn’t a lame duck, with a D core that will experience very few changes, Allen is set up for success. He will be running the power play and will be Guelph’s most relied on defencemen in a year they look like a threat in the Western Conference.

Vegas is an interesting team when it comes to drafting. While they usually hit in the draft, they are a team that lives in today and not the future. Honestly, I’m surprised when a drafted prospect does make the Knights because they usually use their capital of picks and prospects to build their roster via trades. However, as the later rounds in the draft goes, I could see Vegas wanting to make some safe bets and swing for the fences. Rodwin is an interesting prospect. He’s a re-entry. Went undrafted last year which was a bit shocking considering the amount of prospects ranked below him went drafted. Getting out of NIagara was the best thing for Rodwin who has international experience as well. After landing in Windsor, his game took off. Since entering the OHL, Dionicio has been a monster physically. When he hits you, HE HITS YOU. He’s a very large, beefy defencemen. You don’t want to go 1v1 in the corners vs Dionicio. His offense game took off putting up 43 points in 34 games including a hat trick. As a re-entry, he likely goes later in the draft, but this is a player I believe will be a steal for whoever selects him and one of the most professional hockey ready players available on the board. (Sebastian Jackson)

Washington Capitals

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
8	Oliver Moore	USNTDP
40	Anton Wahlberg	Malmö

Likely heading towards a rebuild and having only two picks in the top 96, it’s not an ideal situation, but Washington makes out very well with what they have.

Starting with Oliver Moore at 8, likely the best skater in the draft and tons of skill and smarts to boot. He hasn’t quite put it all together yet, but if he does, he’ll be a hell of a centre for Washington to build around.

Wahlberg at 40 is another great addition at centre, with a strong power game and solid two-way play, along with raw skill that he’s still honing, Wahlberg has the makings of a good middle-6 centre. And just like that, Washington’s future at centre looks pretty good already. (Gray Matter)

Winnipeg Jets

PICK	PLAYER	DY TEAM
18	Nate Danielson	Brandon
82	Juraj Pekarcik	Nitra

Nate Danielson is a player I stuck my neck out for in our rankings calls that he’s better than the production and microstats have indicated. His physical tools are very good, but he was unable to gel with linemates throughout the season to sustain high-end production or possession time. He’s a 200 foot center with a lot of projectable traits that could lead to a top 6 center, which at the 18th overall pick is a swing I’d make if I were Winnipeg.

I wasn’t a European scout this year, but Pekarcik did impress throughout the u18s when he was put with Dvorsky. His men’s league tape didn’t pop like he did at the u18s, but as you enter the third round he’s a player who, when playing against his peers, looked like a great upswing to make in the mid rounds. (Austin Garret)