The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is June 28 and 29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. Usually, there’s an exciting build-up to the event, with scouts and analysts debating which young prospect will be the top selection.
However, for several months, everyone in hockey knows Connor Bedard will be the consensus No. 1 pick. Considering he is being labeled a generational talent like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Mario Lemieux, it will be interesting to see how he adapts to the game at the NHL level.
Outside of Bedard, there are over 250 players who hope to find a home in the NHL. Even though most of them will never suit up in the league, the chance to get drafted is an honor no one can take away.
Here’s a breakdown of the top 40 prospects eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft, with their average ranking coming from 16 reliable sources like Sportsnet, Elite Prospects, and The Hockey News.
1. Connor Bedard, C, Canada
Average rank: 1
Connor Bedard is considered a generational talent and will be the top pick at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, just a week after becoming the first recipient of the IIHF Player of the Year Award. As captain of the Regina Pats in the WHL, he scored 143 points in 57 games after leading Canada to another World Junior Championship in January.
2. Adam Fantilli, C, Canada
Average rank: 2
The consensus from several highly respected scouts is that Adam Fantilli is the second-best prospect in the draft, behind Bedard. Additionally, as a freshman at the University of Michigan, he scored 65 points in 36 games while winning gold at the World Junior Championship. Furthermore, Hockey Canada invited him to the World Championships, where he collected three points in 10 games.
3. Leo Carlsson, C/W, Sweden
Average rank: 3
Leo Carlsson, at just 18, became the youngest player to ever suit up for Sweden at the World Championship, where he scored five points in eight games. Although he made his SHL debut in 2021-22, collecting nine points, he almost tripled his production this past season with 25 points as a teenager in a men’s league. Currently, he is the highest-ranked prospect outside of North America.
4. Matvei Michkov, RW, Russia
Average rank: 3
Although Matvei Michkov was quiet on the international stage during the 2022-23 season, not playing a single game, he was busy working on his game in the KHL, where he scored 20 points in 27 games. There are rumors that no matter when he gets drafted, he may not come to North America anytime soon. Ultimately, despite his high rankings, he could see his stock tumble on draft day.
5. Will Smith, C, United States
Average Rank: 5
Will Smith is a Massachusetts native committed to attending Boston College in the fall. Naturally, it was inevitable that he would graduate from the U.S. National U18 team, where he scored 127 points in 60 games. He also collected 20 points in just seven games while representing the U.S. at the 2022 World Junior Championships.
6. Zach Benson, F, Canada
Average rank: 6
Zach Benson ranks from third down to 14th, depending on the source, which is unusual for a teenager who scored 98 points in the WHL this past season. However, it is a fair assessment for a player who doesn’t have experience outside of the Yale Hockey Academy and the WHL, only playing in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2022. Considering the top of the draft class is stacked with forwards, it will be interesting to see where he lands.
7. Ryan Leonard, C, United States
Average rank: 8
Ryan Leonard is another Massachusetts native headed to Boston College in the fall; however, he doesn’t have quite the resume as Smith. Nevertheless, he scored 94 points on the U.S. National U18 Team, and his performance at the U18 World Junior Championships earned him a gold medal and a Top 3 Player on Team award.
8. Dalibor Dvorsky, F, Slovakia
Average rank: 10
Dalibor Dvorsky may be from Slovakia, but he’s established himself as an elite-level prospect while playing junior hockey in Sweden. Even though he’s not a veteran of international competitions, playing in a handful of tournaments, his trophy case includes a couple of medals and top player awards.
9. Oliver Moore, C, United States
Average rank: 10
Oliver Moore jumped from high school to the U.S. National U17 team in 2021-22, scoring just under a point per game. Ultimately, going into his draft-eligible season of 2022-23, he played more games with the U18 team, scoring more points and finishing the year with a 1.22 PPG average.
10. Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, Sweden
Average rank: 11
Axel Sandin Pellikka is one of the best young defensemen in the draft, with a solid junior career in Sweden. After debuting at the 2022 World Junior Championships, where he collected 11 points, he progressed to the SHL and finished with five points in the senior league. Interestingly, various scouts predict he’ll go in the Top 10 or find a team in the middle of the first round.
11. David Reinbacher, D, Austria
Average rank: 12
Interestingly, David Reinbacher is among the highest-ranked defenders in the draft and can go in the Top 10, depending on a team’s need. Although he doesn’t crack the Top 3 regarding European-born skaters, there’s a chance that he’ll become a solid NHL defenseman in the future.
12. Matthew Wood, F, Canada
Average Rank: 14
Matthew Wood is an Alberta native who grew up in the British Columbia hockey association, scoring 85 points in 46 games in 2021-22 while setting many BCHL rookie records. After pursuing the college route to professional hockey, he collected 34 points in 35 games during his first year at the University of Connecticut.
13. Colby Barlow, LW, Canada
Average rank: 14
Within a season of making his OHL debut with the Owen Sound Attack in 2021, Colby Barlow earned the captaincy for his second season. After 118 games, he’s scored 126 points and won two Player of the Year awards.
14. Eduard Sale, RW, Czechia
Average rank: 16
As a junior player at Czechia’s U16, U17, and U18 levels, Eduard Sale looked poised to be a top draft prospect. After a career year in 2021-22 with 89 points in 39 games, he struggled when promoted to the senior league with just 14 points last season. Even though he’s earned two Top 3 Player on Team awards on the international stage, his ranking dropped over the winter.
15. Nate Danielson, C, Canada
Average rank: 17
Nate Danielson played parts of four seasons at Alberta’s U15 and U16 AAA levels, only failing to produce more points than games on one occasion. After his 2021 debut in the WHL, where he is now captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, his point totals keep increasing, leading to a favorable draft ranking in 2023.
16. Gabe Perreault, RW, Canada/United States
Average rank: 18
Gabe Perreault is a dual citizen who came through the USA Hockey ranks. After leaving the AAA program in Chicago in 2021 to play with the U.S. National Development Team, he would score 132 points in 2022-23. Interestingly, despite his mid-round ranking, he had more points than Smith, Leonard, and Moore.
17. Brayden Yager, C, Canada
Average rank: 18
Brayden Yager has spent his entire hockey career in Saskatchewan, Canada, where he plays for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL. Thus far, career highlights include scoring 103 points in 2018-19 and the CHL and WHL Rookie of the Year honors in 2021-22.
18. Dmitri Simashev, D, Russia
Average rank: 18
Interestingly, Dmitri Simashev finds himself ranked among the latter half of eligible picks for the first round, most likely because of his commitment to stay in Russia. Considering the country has its own professional league (the KHL), many prospects remain there to develop further, coming to North America later. Although he’s not known for scoring, scouts say skating is his best attribute.
19. Andrew Cristall, LW, Canada
Average rank: 20
Andrew Cristall is a British Columbia native serving as an alternate captain with the Kelowna Rockets. After scoring 80 points in 27 games at the U15 level, his production dipped when first called up to the WHL. However, heading into this draft year, he led the Rockets in scoring with 95 points.
20. Samuel Honzek, C, Slovakia
Average rank: 20
Only two Slovakian-born prospects should hear their name in the first round, barring any surprises. Interestingly, Samuel Honzek is one of them and earned his place on this list with 56 points in the WHL last year. After advancing through the Slovakian U16, U18, and U20 programs, he took his talents to North America to enhance his chance of being drafted.
21. Otto Stenberg, F, Sweden
Average rank: 21
Otto Stenberg is one of the highest-ranked Swedish prospects in the draft. Although he’s only collected three points in 23 games in the SHL, he’s been a dominant junior player who routinely scored 40 or more points in U18 competitions. His trophy case already has a medal of every color in just two years of international play.
22. Calum Ritchie, C, Canada
Average rank: 21
Calum Ritchie is an Ontario, Canada, native who continues to grow as a prospect with the Oshawa Generals. As assistant captain, he finally scored at a PPG pace, reaching the 20-goal plateau while improving his plus/minus rating in his second season. Besides a gold medal from the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he earned a bronze at the U18 World Junior Championship and a Top 3 Player on Team award.
23. Tom Willander, D, Sweden
Average rank: 22
In a draft class full of forwards hoping to crack NHL lineups, Tom Willander ranks among the best defenders from this draft class. Even though he’s scored at most 28 points in a single season, he makes up for his lack of production with a solid defensive game. He’s committed to Boston University for 2023-24; the Hockey East school just became tougher to play against.
24. Quentin Musty, LW, United States
Average rank: 22
Quentin Musty is one of the few American prospects projected to go in the first round, thanks to an impressive 78-point campaign in the OHL. After joining the Sudbury Wolves in 2021-22, he more than doubled his production in his draft-eligible season to catch the eyes of many scouts while serving as an assistant captain. However, unlike many players before him, he only possesses a little international experience, appearing in only four games thus far.
25. Riley Heidt, F, Canada
Average rank: 24
Riley Heidt may be from Saskatchewan, Canada, where he dominated at the U15 level with 99 points; however, he now racks up points in British Columbia, Canada. As one of the top prospects in the 2023 draft, he finished second in team scoring, 97 points, with the Prince George Cougars in the WHL.
26. Gavin Brindley, RW, Canada/United States
Average rank: 24
As one of the top prospects in the draft, Gavin Brindley proves that hockey in Florida is alive and well. After progressing out of the Florida Alliance AAA program, he jumped to the USHL before a brief stint with the U.S. National U18 team, eventually enrolling at the University of Michigan. During his freshman season, he impressed with 38 points in 41 games.
27. Mikhail Gulyayev, D, Russia
Average rank: 25
Mikhail Gulyayev is another Russian defenseman who has a chance to find an NHL team in the first round. Even though he’s ranked lower than his fellow countryman, thanks to his ability to fly around on the ice, he’s very productive for a defender. Although the transaction to the KHL has yielded different results, he was more than a PPG player in the MHL.
28. Daniil But, LW, Russia
Average rank: 26
Daniil But is praised for his ability to do things with the puck on his stick; however, he needs to be known for his scoring touch as a forward. Even though he’s only played 15 games in the KHL, with two points, his totals in the MHL were respectable, where he tallied at least a PPG.
29. Ethan Gauthier, RW, Canada/United States
Average rank: 31
Ethan Gauthier is another dual citizen prospect, born in Phoenix, Arizona, but plays hockey in the QMJHL. Statistically, he’s coming off his best season, reaching 30 goals for the first time and finishing the year with 69 points. Depending on a team’s needs, Gauthier could find an NHL team at the end of the first round or go immediately at the start of the second.
30. Lukas Dragicevic, D, Canada
Average rank: 35
Statistically, Lukas Dragicevic is one of the highest-scoring defenders available at the start of the draft, coming off a 75-point campaign with the Tri-City Americans. After 130 games in the WHL, Dragicevic has already amassed 107 points, which isn’t too shabby for a defenseman who has 86 assists thus far.
31. Michael Hrabal, G, Czechia
Average rank: 37
As mentioned, the 2023 draft class has plenty of centers and wingers, with few highly ranked netminders. Michael Hrabal is one of the top goalie prospects who could hear his name either at the end of the first round or toward the beginning of the second. Interestingly, the native of Czechia is plying his trade in North America to mixed results in the USHL with a commitment to the University of Massachusetts in the fall.
32. David Edstrom, C, Sweden/United States
Average rank: 38
David Edstrom may be a dual citizen of the United States and Sweden; however, he’s grown up playing in the Sweden junior system. Even though he will play with the J20 Nationell team again in 2023-24, Edstrom has skated in 11 games in the SHL thus far.
33. Kasper Halttunen, RW, Finland
Average rank: 39
Few Finnish prospects are among the top 40, which gives Kasper Halttunen a chance to be his country’s first pick at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Even though he’s not producing in Finland’s highest-level Liiga like in his junior days, several scouts believe Halttunen will eventually turn into a top-six forward in the NHL.
34. Gracyn Sawchyn, C, Canada
Average rank: 39
Gracyn Sawchyn ranks toward the start of the second round despite recently winning the WHL championship with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Outside of his point totals at the AAA level, Sawchyn underperformed with the U.S. National Development Team and during his time in the USHL. However, in the WHL, he rediscovered his passing game and finished the year with 40 assists.
35. Oliver Bonk, D, Canada
Average rank: 39
Oliver Bonk will score only a few goals, but the CHL All-Rookie Team and OHL Second All-Rookie Team member will set up his teammates whenever the occasion arises. After collecting 30 helpers during the regular season with the London Knights, Bonk added 11 during a lengthy playoff run, giving him 51 points in 88 games in his first full season in the OHL.
36. Jayden Perron, RW, Canada
Average rank: 40
Surprisingly, Jayden Perron appears on a handful of lists as a first-round prospect, despite a consensus as a 40th overall pick. After terrorizing goalies at the U15 level with 104 points, he moved to the U.S. to play in the USHL and collected 117 points in two seasons. Although he is considered a top prospect, the University of North Dakota fans can expect big things from the Manitoba, Canada native.
37. Nick Lardis, RW, Canada
Average rank: 43
Nick Lardis could be a second-round pick or even fall into later rounds, depending on which teams want to develop a right winger. Although he had some mild success with the Peterborough Petes, he exploded for 46 points after transitioning to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Statistically, he never scored a point in the OHL playoffs before collecting 10 points in six games this past season.
38. Theo Lindstein, D, Sweden
Average rank: 45
Theo Lindstein is another Swedish-born defenseman looking for a future home in North America. Even though he’s never reached double digits in points at any level of elite hockey, Lindstein has a handful of medals in his trophy case, including a J18 Best U18 Defenseman award.
39. Trey Augustine, G, United States
Average rank: 45
Trey Augustine is one of the highest-rated goalies from North America, and depending on which direction a team chooses, he could be a first-round selection. Statistically, he has not posted a losing record since his stint with the U.S. National U17 team in 2021-22, playing on other national teams and at international competitions.
40. Koehn Ziemmer, RW, Canada
Average rank: 46
Koehn Ziemmer is another Canadian forward that could go to an NHL team looking for depth on the wings. Considering the draft has abundant centers, anyone looking for a right winger will be lucky to select Ziemmer, who is coming off his best season with 89 points in the WHL.