Max Brown Scouting Department: 2023 NHL Entry Draft Rankings
Jun 8, 2022 17:52:08 GMT -5
Minnesota Wild GM, San Jose Sharks GM, and 2 more like this
Post by New Jersey Devils GM on Jun 8, 2022 17:52:08 GMT -5
MBSD: 2023 Prospect Rankings
The 2023 NHL Entry Draft has been being hyped as the strongest draft since the Connor McDavid draft of 2015, and let me say... Hooooo boy it does not disappoint! Our scouts have been working tirelessly ever since the conclusion of the WJC Tournament, and we have deduced that this draft IS STRONGER THAN NORMAL, with high end prospects CONNOR BEDARD and MATVEI MICHKOV, the comparisons have been drawn to the two biggest superstars of the 2010s Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin - while we believe those comparisons are a little bit too high, that's not meant to detract from Bedard and Michkov, who still project as stars in this league. High end talent is not where the comparisons to the 2015 Entry Draft end though, as this draft is projected to have a VERY DEEP FORWARD CLASS led by the aforementioned Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov, as well as the skilled Canadian winger ZACHARY BENSON, and the top center of this class, the top swiss prospect since Nico Hischier was drafted 1st overall in the 2017 Entry Draft, KIMO GRUBER. It even includes an elite potential goalie we project to go within the Top 10 in DAMIEN CLARA. If there was any knock against this class though is that it's LIGHT ON HIGH END TALENT DEFENCEMAN, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEFT SIDE, with the only LD projected to go withing the top 25 being the top swede in this class, THEO LINDSTEIN - So if you're looking at selecting a defenceman in this draft, you'll definitely want to do it sooner rather than later.
Here are the final Prospect Rankings:
1. C Connor Bedard - PLY - 6'2 187lbs (R) (CAN) - Regina Pats (WHL) (-)
2. RW Matvei Michkov - SNP - 5’10 159lbs (L) (RUS) - St Petersburg (MHL) (-)
3. LW/C Zach Benson - PLY - 6’1 175lbs (L) (CAN) - Winnipeg Ice (WHL) (+5)
4. C Kimo Gruber - PLY - 6’1 192lbs (L) (SUI) - Kloten U20 (U20-Elit) (+10)
5. RW/LW Alex Ciernik - PLY - 5'10 172lbs (L) (SVK) - Södertälje SK (SHL) (+7)
6. RW Daniil But - PWF 6’4 198lbs (R) (RUS) - Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) (-)
7. LW Quentin Musty - PWF - 6'2 203lbs (L) (USA) - Sudbury Wolves (OHL) (+6)
8. RD Niklas Talvikunnas - DFD - 6’4 203lbs (R) (FIN) - HPK (Liiga) (-3)
9. LD Theo Lindstein - TWD - 6’0 176lbs (L) (SWE) - Brynas IF (SHL) (-6)
10. G Damian Clara - HYB - 6'5 207lbs (L) (ITL) - EC Salzburg (ICEHL) (+16)
11. C Leo Carlsson - PLY - 6’2 185lbs (L) (SWE) - Orebo HK (SHL) (-7)
12. LW Ethan Miedema - PWF - 6'3 18lbs (L) (CAN) - Windsor Spitfires (OHL) (+35)
13. RW Kasper Halttunen - SNP - 6'3 192lbs (R) (FIN) - Jokerit (Liiga) (+8)
14. C Connor Levis - TWF - 6’3 192lbs (R) (CAN) - Kamloops Blazers (WHL) (+6)
15. C Otto Stenberg - PLY - 5'11 172lbs (L) (SWE) - Frolunda HC (SHL) (+3)
16. C Dalibor Dvorsky - PLY - 5’11 181lbs (L) (SVK) - ZSC Lions (NLA) (-9)
17. RD Maxim Strbak - TWD - 6'2 183lbs (R) (SVK) - Jokerit (Liiga) (+25)
18. C Brayden Yager - TWF - 6'0 161lbs (R) (CAN) - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) (-8)
19. C Patrick Gabriel - PLY - 5'11 175lbs (L) (SVK) - HC Olomouc (ELH) 19** (+41)
20. LW Ondrej Molnar - SNP - 5'11 165lbs (L) (SVK) - HK Nitra (Tipos) (+18)
21. RW Gavin Brindley - SNP - 5'9 163lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-5)
22. RD Hunter Brzustewicz - OFD - 5’11 187lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-7)
23. C Adam Fantilli - PLY - 6’2 190lbs (L) (CAN) - Chicago Steel (USHL) (-14)
24. RD Cameron Allen - TWD - 5'11 190lbs (R) (CAN) - Guelph Storm (OHL) (-5)
25. LW Noel Nordh - PWF - 6'3 187lbs (L) (SWE) - Brynäs IF (SHL) (-3)
26. G Kristers Steinbergs - HYB - 6'4 190lbs (L) (LAT) - HC Davos (NLA) (-9)
27. LD Mikhail Gulyayev - OFD - 5’10 170lbs (L) (RUS) - Omskie Yastreby (MHL) (-16)
28. C Will Smith - TWF - 6'0 172lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-5)
29. LD Arttu Karki - TWD - 6’2 176lbs (L) (FIN) - Tappara (Liiga) (-4)
30. RD Mazden Leslie - TWD - 6'1 181lbs (R) (CAN) - Vancouver Giants (WHL) (-3)
31. LW Samuel Sisik - SNP - 5'8 160lbs (L) (SVK) - TPS (Liiga) (+20)
32. LW Eduard Sale - SNP - 6’1 189lbs (L) (CZE) - HC Kometa Brno (Czech) (-8)
The 2023 NHL Entry Draft has been being hyped as the strongest draft since the Connor McDavid draft of 2015, and let me say... Hooooo boy it does not disappoint! Our scouts have been working tirelessly ever since the conclusion of the WJC Tournament, and we have deduced that this draft IS STRONGER THAN NORMAL, with high end prospects CONNOR BEDARD and MATVEI MICHKOV, the comparisons have been drawn to the two biggest superstars of the 2010s Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin - while we believe those comparisons are a little bit too high, that's not meant to detract from Bedard and Michkov, who still project as stars in this league. High end talent is not where the comparisons to the 2015 Entry Draft end though, as this draft is projected to have a VERY DEEP FORWARD CLASS led by the aforementioned Connor Bedard and Matvei Michkov, as well as the skilled Canadian winger ZACHARY BENSON, and the top center of this class, the top swiss prospect since Nico Hischier was drafted 1st overall in the 2017 Entry Draft, KIMO GRUBER. It even includes an elite potential goalie we project to go within the Top 10 in DAMIEN CLARA. If there was any knock against this class though is that it's LIGHT ON HIGH END TALENT DEFENCEMAN, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEFT SIDE, with the only LD projected to go withing the top 25 being the top swede in this class, THEO LINDSTEIN - So if you're looking at selecting a defenceman in this draft, you'll definitely want to do it sooner rather than later.
Here are the final Prospect Rankings:
1. C Connor Bedard - PLY - 6'2 187lbs (R) (CAN) - Regina Pats (WHL) (-)
2. RW Matvei Michkov - SNP - 5’10 159lbs (L) (RUS) - St Petersburg (MHL) (-)
3. LW/C Zach Benson - PLY - 6’1 175lbs (L) (CAN) - Winnipeg Ice (WHL) (+5)
4. C Kimo Gruber - PLY - 6’1 192lbs (L) (SUI) - Kloten U20 (U20-Elit) (+10)
5. RW/LW Alex Ciernik - PLY - 5'10 172lbs (L) (SVK) - Södertälje SK (SHL) (+7)
6. RW Daniil But - PWF 6’4 198lbs (R) (RUS) - Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL) (-)
7. LW Quentin Musty - PWF - 6'2 203lbs (L) (USA) - Sudbury Wolves (OHL) (+6)
8. RD Niklas Talvikunnas - DFD - 6’4 203lbs (R) (FIN) - HPK (Liiga) (-3)
9. LD Theo Lindstein - TWD - 6’0 176lbs (L) (SWE) - Brynas IF (SHL) (-6)
10. G Damian Clara - HYB - 6'5 207lbs (L) (ITL) - EC Salzburg (ICEHL) (+16)
11. C Leo Carlsson - PLY - 6’2 185lbs (L) (SWE) - Orebo HK (SHL) (-7)
12. LW Ethan Miedema - PWF - 6'3 18lbs (L) (CAN) - Windsor Spitfires (OHL) (+35)
13. RW Kasper Halttunen - SNP - 6'3 192lbs (R) (FIN) - Jokerit (Liiga) (+8)
14. C Connor Levis - TWF - 6’3 192lbs (R) (CAN) - Kamloops Blazers (WHL) (+6)
15. C Otto Stenberg - PLY - 5'11 172lbs (L) (SWE) - Frolunda HC (SHL) (+3)
16. C Dalibor Dvorsky - PLY - 5’11 181lbs (L) (SVK) - ZSC Lions (NLA) (-9)
17. RD Maxim Strbak - TWD - 6'2 183lbs (R) (SVK) - Jokerit (Liiga) (+25)
18. C Brayden Yager - TWF - 6'0 161lbs (R) (CAN) - Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) (-8)
19. C Patrick Gabriel - PLY - 5'11 175lbs (L) (SVK) - HC Olomouc (ELH) 19** (+41)
20. LW Ondrej Molnar - SNP - 5'11 165lbs (L) (SVK) - HK Nitra (Tipos) (+18)
21. RW Gavin Brindley - SNP - 5'9 163lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-5)
22. RD Hunter Brzustewicz - OFD - 5’11 187lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-7)
23. C Adam Fantilli - PLY - 6’2 190lbs (L) (CAN) - Chicago Steel (USHL) (-14)
24. RD Cameron Allen - TWD - 5'11 190lbs (R) (CAN) - Guelph Storm (OHL) (-5)
25. LW Noel Nordh - PWF - 6'3 187lbs (L) (SWE) - Brynäs IF (SHL) (-3)
26. G Kristers Steinbergs - HYB - 6'4 190lbs (L) (LAT) - HC Davos (NLA) (-9)
27. LD Mikhail Gulyayev - OFD - 5’10 170lbs (L) (RUS) - Omskie Yastreby (MHL) (-16)
28. C Will Smith - TWF - 6'0 172lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-5)
29. LD Arttu Karki - TWD - 6’2 176lbs (L) (FIN) - Tappara (Liiga) (-4)
30. RD Mazden Leslie - TWD - 6'1 181lbs (R) (CAN) - Vancouver Giants (WHL) (-3)
31. LW Samuel Sisik - SNP - 5'8 160lbs (L) (SVK) - TPS (Liiga) (+20)
32. LW Eduard Sale - SNP - 6’1 189lbs (L) (CZE) - HC Kometa Brno (Czech) (-8)
