Hes got quick hick hands (hes prolific on breakaways/in the shootout), a cleverness to his game as a passer (whether through seams or often blind), slick skill in traffic sliding pucks under sticks and rotating through coverage or past checks, and a knack for finessing pucks into spots for himself or his linemates to skate onto. I love him on the half-wall/point on the PP with his ability to hit east-west seams (he just seems to see every lane and opening). The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) cares about your privacy. Stenberg is never the biggest guy on the ice, but hell drop a shoulder and push his way to the dangerous areas of the ice without hesitation. Publishing date 2022-12-21 User Anonymous Views 12926 Favorited 2 Share Embed 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 He wants to hang onto the puck and make plays but hell also hurry it up and dominate in and out of give-and-goes. I believe Austrian defender David Reinbacher is the best defenseman in the 2023 Draft class right now and an argument could be made that he could be ranked as high as the top-10. The pro build, mentality and scoring tools are very appealing though and there will be teams that fall in love with his game/makeup. His size is obviously a talking point, and theres a boom or bust element to his projection, but hes a first-round talent and a clear play creator on a team with a few of them in Chicago this year. Gabriel Perrault looks like someone who could be a power play specialist at the next level with great skill and smarts in the offensive zone. 2023 NFL Mock Draft . I wondered if my thoughts were altered by the late start and had an effect on how I viewed. Hes consistent shift-to-shift and game-to-game and while he might lack the dynamism of some of the players in front of him here, he can make plays in a variety of ways on and off the puck and the ice usually tilts in his teams favor when hes out there. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club's of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. He may become a darn good, hard and heavy bottom-six player at the next level in time, but hell have to show me more to warrant a projection higher than that (a projection some others do still believe in). Scott Wheeler. Beckett Hendrickson, C (NTDP) Reinbacher had a solid tourney on a bad team despite dealing with an illness the entire time. Despite his diminutive size, hes also a smart player off of the puck and Ive been struck by how often hes in the right position above the puck to hold play inside the offensive zone (I absolutely get why he was named an alternate captain). February 2023 OHL Draft Ranking Update Jordan Malette 2023 Canada Winter Games Recap - Eastern Canada Brayden Olafson 2023 Canada Winter Games: Gold Medal Game Report - Team Saskatchewan Joel Henderson 2023 Canada Winter Games: Gold Medal Game Report - Team Ontario Jordan Malette Four 2005-born standout defenders in the CHL Sam McGilligan Michael Hrabal, G (Omaha) He is a very intelligent offensive player and can make these great reads and plays at full speed. Fantilli is a big, strong, powerful kid who takes pucks from the wall to the interior with force, and ease, and speed. A slow start to the OHL season saw his draft stock swing way down, but his production has leveled up significantly of late, and hes beginning to rise again. He could use a bit more speed (who couldnt? Each of those guys played quite well at the tournament for draft eligible players, but nobody at the tournament of any age could hand the offensive pressure of Bedard. You want the play to run through his hands and brain. He was an alternate captain and second-leading scorer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and isan alternate captain and leading scorer with Moose Jaw. His ability to make plays offensively both off the rush and inside the zone (where hes got slick skill in traffic, great instincts off of the puck, and a lunch-pale approach) also gives me a lot of confidence that hell continue to progress. Nobody can defend his inside-out cut into that low, hard wrister of his at the junior level. 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 - Elite Prospects 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. Im a big fan of his and hes still my top ranked defenseman in this draft, it has just become harder to rank him above certain forward prospects who have really begun to establish themselves. Theres just this elusiveness to his game where you never know where hes going with the puck. Hes got impressive shooting mechanics given how long his stick is, and regularly pulls pucks into his feet to change his angle face-up against goalies. Connor Levis, RW (Kamloops) I was eager to see how Matthew Wood would adjust to the college game after dominated the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) where he led the league in goals and points as a 16-year-old. Everywhere he plays, Bedard just oozes poise and talent unlike any other player on the ice. He has every physical tool you could hope for, and uses each of them well, with the speed, strength, and reach to be a really great top-four defender in the NHL. The original owner of the team was Terry Simpson, the original . The WHL Bantam Draft is only one step in this process. Hes a natural scorer and creator, but hes also got plus vision and deft touch (though I wouldnt say his creativity is necessarily a strength). Now that the 2023 World Juniors are firmly in the rearview mirror, it's time to take another deep-dive into the top prospects for the 2023 Draft. Its impossible not to. Hes excellent on the wall in puck protection and also has some outside-in skill so that he can attack off of holds into the middle third. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. He has also learned to use the attention his shot gets as a tool to open up passing and find linemates at the backdoor with blind passes through seams. He has been impressive thus far, scoring six points in 14 games with Sochi, with four of those points being goals. 2002 Rankings. That continued to start this year as he struggled to have a real impact with the Badgers early on as a freshman (albeit it a young one, and albeit on a bad/at-times lost team). He can beat you by pushing through lanes to the middle third, driving the net, or dropping a shoulder to take space that isnt there. The only player to ever score at a rate of two points per game on the U18 team for a full season is Jack Hughes, you might have heard of him. Theres the pinpoint accuracy from impossible angles. And while he played exclusively as a winger in the SHL the last two seasons, Carlsson came up as a centre and I like the way his game might fit there long term because of his combination of size, detail, and awareness. He has the tools to be a top-16 player in the draft easily, but I want to see some more offense from him in the OHL before I increase his ranking that much. Not Cole Caufield. After playing on Russias Hlinka Gretzky team twosummers ago, But played to a point-per-game level in the MHL as one of its top 2005s last season and began his draft year on a tear in the MHL, scoring 11 goals in his first 15 games of the season before earning a mid-October promotion to the KHL for the first time (he has since scored his first two pro goals and has bounced between the KHL and MHL). Felix Nilsson, C (Rogle) Michkov is, without question or hesitation, the best prospect Ive ever ranked at No. Mix in a multi-dimensional shooting arsenal and I see top-six upside. Hes gotdecent hands when he pushes through the middle. He can run the wall or the point on the PP, effortlessly picking coverage apart and feathering pucks through seams. The drafts order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the League standings. pic.twitter.com/OOjR1KDavy Thibaud Chatel (@Thibaud_Chatel) January 24, 2023, David Reinbacher (#64 blue) (Draft 2023) just overskating former NHLer Alex Formenton, following up on his shots, winning a puck against Formenton and Former NHler Tim Heed before serving his teammate on a plate. 2023 WHL Draft Ranking Update: . He stays on pucks, hes got good instincts and takes smart routes around the ice, hes sound positionally, he applies pressure off of the puck and comes up with possession despite not being very physical, and he just always seems to be involved in positive things inside the offensive zone. There have been times this season, though, where he has looked like hes trying a little too hard to impress and make things happen instead of allowing the game to come to him. I cant think of a first overall pick so far above the rest of the competition since Connor McDavid back in 2015, of course some tried to argue for Jack Eichel (as they do now for Adam Fantilli), but that argument doesnt hold up well. Hes just a natural creator for himself and others who manufactures offence in a variety of ways. Manage Settings He has also shed some of the selfishness and force-it plays that could frustrate me and others at lower levels (hes making better decisions onshot selection, overhanding less, utilizing his linemates better, etc. NHL. - The Western Hockey League announced today the Spokane Chiefs will select first overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft following the completion of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery. I believe Michkov could still easily be the second overall pick even though hes playing in Russia and has a contract that will keep him playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for three full seasons following the draft. Scott has written for the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, The Toronto Sun, the National Post, SB Nation and several other outlets in the past. Matvei Michkov might just be the smartest player in this draft class, with an incredible ability to manipulate opposing defenses. When you package all of that skill with a dogged work ethic that keeps him around pucks all the time, and youve gota tremendous player. 2022 NHL Draft Tracker: Matthew Seminoff Matthew Seminoff has made quite the name for himself on a talented Kamloops Blazers roster that boasts three potential draft picks at the 2022 NHL draft. Wood is 6-foot-3 so his ability to make plays in tight to his skates at speed while maintaining control is very impressive for his size. NHL Entry Draft -3005 - full list of selections with facts and stats. Calum Ritchie has great puck skills and sometimes it looks like he has glued the puck to his stick while carving through defenders or when hes on a breakaway. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: Bedard can do things with the puck that nobody else in the sport can replicate. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. Michkov wasnt earning regular minutes in the KHL earlier this year, so he was loaned to HK Sochi which is one of the KHLs bottom feeders so that he could get substantial ice time. He also hunts pucks and applies pressure with the best of them, and his motor doesnt stop, bouncing from one won battle to the next. Yager has been on the radar in Western Canada for some time now, and hes got some real pedigree to his profile and cache to his game to support it. Hes a first-round talent. Roman Kantserov, LW/C, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL_, 53. The real question will be if he can make a difference in his own end as his defending has been a bit too relaxed for my liking. He can get a little ahead of the play, and hes got work to do on his game defensively if he doesnt want to get hemmed in at the next level, but those are things you live with with a talent as singular as his. Early results are extremely positive with Wood being one of the top rookie point scorers and one of the top scorers on his team despite being the youngest player in all of mens NCAA hockey. Hes a strong, pro-built, physically mature winger (some of which is a benefit of his 2004 birthday, but some of which is obviously a credit to the work he has put into filling out his frame he really does look sturdy) who likes to shoot the puck and shoots it hard, but also regularly beats defenders and goalies one-on-one with a slick set of hands across his body so that they cant plan for the shot. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Adam Gajan, G, Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), 55. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He doesnt have any one skill that really pops out at you, but I find that hes good at pretty much everything. This had many drawbacks including the need for extensive scouting systems along with the related expense, as well the added pressure on peewee-aged players (12-13 year-olds). Honourable mentions (sorted alphabetically): Beau Akey, RHD (Barrie) 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. The raw potential is there in spades and the production is starting to catch up to it. And while he shines in moments, those short moments and the consistency of his execution within them (despite being freakishly talented, he makes very few mistakes with the puck) create a uniquely high-reward, somehow low-risk game. Cam Squires, RW (Cape Bretton) Gavin McCarthy, RHD (Muskegon) And he just always seems to play well, no matter the role/usage/stage. He passes the eye test. 2023 NHL Draft: Baracchini's Top 64 January Rankings January 13, 2023 by Peter Baracchini Welcome back to my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. This season, after noticeably adding some needed muscle and rounding out his game nicely, I think he has shown folks that hell be able to stick down the middle. Last season, I didnt start viewing the 2022 WHL Draft class closely until after Christmas time and Ive thought about that quite a bit when getting used to viewing this 2023 class of players in comparison. Problem-solving. I think theres a small chance he becomes a star or close with the right development, too. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) cares about your privacy. When he plays with pace and intention, hes both effective and flashes his skill in all three zones. Once he refines his game some more and adds more muscle as he ages, watch out. It will be followed by my midseason top 64 (released in February), an updated top 32 following U18 Worlds. Wood is a rangy, goal-scoring forward who has silky hands for his size (considering the long stick he uses, hes got great control on the toe of his blade out wide and the heel in tight to his feet), a marksmans shot inside the offensive zone (both through a natural shooting motion and his one-timer), and a sixth sense for arriving around the net/slot at the right time. 2023 Whl Bantam Draft - Elite Prospects 2023 Whl Bantam Draft Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. Just a couple of weeks away from having been eligible for the 2022 draft, Danielson, who was an MVP of Albertas U15 AAA circuit and the No. However, his offensive production has left much to be desired, leaving many questions about if he will have much offense to provide in the NHL someday. To say he has met those expectations would be a profound understatement. Though hes currently still nursing a lower-body injury he suffered in early January, before that, it didnt take long watching this years Kelowna Rockets to realize just how much offence he creates for himself and his teammates. Everett, by virtue of finishing with the third-best overall record in the 2021-22 regular season, will select 20th overall in the first round. He too often looks like the third guy on his line. Related: The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update. Name. He skates quite well for his size, hes got good hands and dexterity, hes got great feel and sense for the pressures that exist on the ice, and hes by all accounts a great teammate and kid who is coachable and pays attention to the details of the game. That is, of course . (other than Brad Lambert who's half Sask) but we'll see how the kids develop. Slick. Dvorsky is a highly-talented and intelligent playmaker who can threaten defenders and coverage in a variety of ways, whether thats carving them up in control and finishing cleanly from the home plate area, or sliding off of coverage to find pockets of space to get open into. In order to get away from scouting peewees, the WHL instituted a bantam draft. Not Logan Cooley. Nicknamed Big Rig when he was at the program, Stramel is a heavy but not doughy kid whoseathletic, muscular build jumps out at you right away. He has gone from point-per-game U17 season (the only player on that team to do so) to nearly two points per game in his U18 campaign. Continue with Recommended Cookies. 33. Still, I would argue hes been a more consistent offensive player for Moose Jaw this season than Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus has been, while playing an off-puck game that is inarguably stronger than Firkus (he has also been a dangerous penalty killer and is decently-strong in the faceoff circle). As always, Ive broken down the full ranking into tiers to give you a better sense for the fluidity within groupings and the drop-offs between them. Tyler Bertuzzi (F) NHL. One of my favourites in the 2005 age group, Wood is the youngest player in college hockey this season (he was, for a moment, its only 17-year-old) and has stepped right in to become an impactful player on a good UConn team (albeit as a winger after playing mostly centre at the Jr. A level). Hes got an impressive one-timer from the right flank and can really lean into and rip his catch-and-release or in-stride wrister. 2 in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft with the pick between Bedard and Yager (he and Yager were actually teammates in minor hockey), is a talented and hardworking playmaker who keeps himself involved in the play off the puck and then makes plays between battles in possession of the puck. He credited the Mintos for helping prepare him to make the jump to Major Junior hockey. Ondrej Molnar, LW (Erie) Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, Pelicans (Liiga), 36. Aiden Fink, RW, Brooks Bandits (AJHL), HM: Ian Scherzer, C, Rgle BK J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Gracyn Sawchyn, C, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), HM: Isac Born, C, Frlunda J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: David Edstrom, C, Frlunda J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Noel Nordh, LW/RW, Bryns IF J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Zeb Forsfjll, C, Skellefte AIK J20 (J20 Nationell), HM: Jakub Dvorak, LD, Bl Tygri Liberec (Czechia). But after looking like one of the most talented players in Germany for U18 worlds, and then in Red Deer for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and now producing in the Czech Extraliga, he looks closer to a special Czech talent with real top-10 aspirations than he does to interesting prospect-who-torched-a-bad-league. It will be followed by an updated top 32 after U18 Worlds (new this year in May), and my final top 100 (released in June). The 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Pre-Show begins with co-hosts Chris Wahl and Taylor Rocca at 8:30 a.m. PDT, with live draft coverage beginning at 9 a.m. PDT. Yager plays a threatening, attacking, puck-dominant game with skill in straight lines and in cutting sequences in transition. The U18 teams first line of Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault has been piling up points and attention (deservedly so) this year, but Ive been as impressed by Moore and the offence he has created as the focal point of its second line. Welcome to Draft Prospects Hockey's introduction to the 2023 NHL Draft Class series. Western Hockey League. 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. And after how good he looked as an underager at U18 worlds in Germany last April, nobody has been surprised by his near goal-per-game breakout this season (in fact, I wrote I wont be surprised if he challenges Smith and Moore on the stat sheet this year while providing all of the energy that he does in my preseason ranking). He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up to make their jobs easier. Now that the 2023 World Juniors are firmly in the rearview mirror, its time to take another deep-dive into the top prospects for the 2023 Draft. The biggest arguments against him are his size and skating, since a 5-foot-10 winger often needs to be an above average skater to make an impact in the NHL and Cristall is not quite there. His statistical profile is really strong and continued progress in his skating (which has also noticeably improved this year) will keep it that way into the NHL. Its not just his dominant, record-breaking performance at the World Juniors, dragging an underperforming Canada team to the gold medal, and its not just his 12 goals and 16 points in five games since returning to the WHL. - The Western Hockey League announced today the results of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery will be broadcast in a free WHL Live event Thursday, April 21 at 2 p.m. MT. His average SHL TOI is around 4:30, so this should be a confidence boost for the 2023 top prospect.In the J20 Nationell, Stenberg has 20pts (8G, 12A) through 23 games.pic.twitter.com/H36RVcNC4H. He has added a ton of strength since arriving at the program so that he can overwhelm junior level players with his power and speed. 2023 Whl Draft Projected Rankings - Elite Prospects 2023 Whl Draft Projected Rankings Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. But even when things arent going his way and the points arent falling, Ive always liked his involvement level, so its hard to get too down on him. League. One of three draft eligibles on this list playing college hockey this season, Brindley hasnt just settled in at the University of Michigan, he has looked anywhere from comfortable to impactful in every game, including at centre and on the wing. Hes got quick hands one-on-one, he drops pucks back into his shooting stance effortlessly, and hes got a beautiful curl-and-drag motion. Hes got poise and patience on the puck. Hes also a dexterous player who has good size (which will fill out). Once the true cream of the crop in this class are gone, hes the kind of talent Id swing on in the second round. Eventually, when the points pile up like they have, and they happen making the kinds of plays that he does, you cant ignore them. with the Wolverines). There have been Lane Hutson (2022 Draft), Olen Zellweger (2021 Draft), Logan Stankoven (2020 Draft), and Cole Caufield (2019 Draft), to name a few. But for now, here are my top-64 prospects for the 2022 Draft. Adam Gajan, G (Chippewa/Green Bay) He has scored some highlight-reel goals in the WHL but he also excels at finding pockets of space off of coverage and remaining involved on offence and defence. Hes not just the energy guy though either. Gauthier, the No. His consistency, effort, speed, and skill make him a coachs dream even though he doesnt have the dynamic offensive qualities of some of his peers. Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! Sign up for premium. He can beat you flying out wide. Caden Price, LD, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 35. Hes got everything else you look for in a dynamic play creator, too. Four 2005-born standout defenders in the CHL, Breaking down four top 2005 forwards in the WHL, Six WHL Players from the 2021 Draft selected outside of the Top-10 whove had early success, The Five Star Hockey Show: 2023 Canada Winter Games Preview, Western Canada Ramblings: NHL and WHL Draft, The Checklist: 2008-born Manitoba players in the WAAA U15, January 2023 WHL Draft Ranking update | Top-80, January Top-80 2023 OHL Draft Ranking Update, Final Thoughts: John Reid Memorial Tournament 2023, 10 Puck Touches: Day Three and Four 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament, 10 Puck Touches: Day Two, 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament, 10 Puck Touches: Day One 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament, The Checklist: Seven 2008-born Western Canadian Players to Watch, 14 2008-born Defensemen profiles from Sask First Top-160, 2022 WHL Draft Review: From Prince George to Winnipeg, 2023 NHL Draft: Breaking down the WHL Defensemen in the CHL Top Prospects game. This year, wearing an A as a 17-year-old with the Generals, hes been arguably their most consistent forward while playing a key role on the penalty kill and late in games in the faceoff circle (where he is really strong). Not Clayton Keller. Add in the strength and power that comes with his physically mature frame, an ability to drive and shed contact when he gets bumped, and a defensive conscience, and theres more than just a hands-shot-worker skill set. Team management chose the name "Rebels". Hes a rare kind of player where hes got A-grade tools across the board, and star talent in spades, but hes also got an efficiency to his game that is incrediblyrare for a skilled player (especially one his age). But thats what the Austrian has done in Switzerlands top flight this season, where he plays over 20 minutes in a game more often than he plays under it. Welcome to my March ranking of the top 64 prospects eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft. It was tricky evaluating and contextualizing Sale last season, when he was above two points per game (99 in 44) in Czechias top junior league, doing things that had never been done and smashing (and even doubling in some cases) the production of recent top Czech players at the same age (including first-rounders like Jakub Voracek and Tomas Hertl). He looks like he could be a hard-working top-six winger who complements your top guys really well while providing real offensive value on his own. Hes a player who has earned the respect of those around the USHL amongst both rival players and staff. He profiles similarly to David Jiricek physically, but with a more defensive tilt to his game. Without further ado, lets get into the January edition of my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. Its not that he plays poorly (he rarely does) but I dont see enough playmaking to warrant a top-20 slotting and hes a little sluggishfrom a standstill through his first few strides (once he gets moving, his stride actually has good power and hes a decent skater for his size on the whole). He buzzes around the ice and does such a good job releasing from one battle or chance to hunting or getting open for the next one.