I have questions about his talent level, though. 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 Alexa Potack (@alexa_potack) January 24, 2023, Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! Danielson is great at attacking the middle of the ice which makes up for his lack of a finishing touch because it leads to a plethora of chances that good line mates could finish at a solid clip. Scott Ratzlaff, G (Seattle) Hes not the hardest-working working player defensively, nor the fastest skater, but he always seems to be lurking around the play (and the puck) anyways and his skill level pops from there. Finesse. He has a good shot but hasnt been encouraged to use it much in Liiga yet. His playmaking skills either at full speed or after settling in the offensive zone are impressive and make him a very mobile and skilled threat whenever he has the puck. There were a lot of nights last season, on an Ice team that boasted half a dozen of the better forwards and two of the top defencemen in the WHL, where this kid was the best player on the ice (which included himleadingthem in scoring in the playoffs with 23 points in 15 games) as a 16-year-old. My best guess at a player who has great skill but might slide on draft day due to his height is Gavin Brindley. Dmitri Simashev is a very intriguing prospect with the size/skating combo (6-foot-4) that is so coveted in the modern NHL. 2 pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection and an OHL First All-Rookie Team member. He can unload from his hip into a heavy snapshot (which hes probably owed a few more goals off of this year) or drop and drive the net into a tuck play in tight. 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. Its powerful when it needs to be and light and adjustable when it needs to be. The original owner of the team was Terry Simpson, the original . Scouts are fascinated by his power forward package and size down the middle (following a move to centre from the wing as a 16-year-old). Hes great along the wall on the cycle, but he can also occasionally make a play that pulls you out of your seat. The draft's top player this season is a borderline generational talent. Hes also got some of the quicker hands and better touch on this list. I think its only a matter of time until he starts to produce more consistently. Hes a classic example of a jack of all trades, master of none, with solid scores across the board when it comes to defensive play, playmaking, skating and shooting, with none of those individual skills popping off the page at you. Wins it in OT for !!! His strength complements a competitive, physical, forechecking, middle-lane style that makes good use of his length and hard wrister from midrange. Evasive. 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. If he were a little bigger, hed be a scouts dream. Hes the kind of player who fills the stat sheet andelevates his linemates in subtle ways. Riley Heidts excellent acceleration and edge work make him a natural choice as the lead puck carrier for zone entries and he has excelled in that role. 2023-2024 relegation player stats for Erste Liga, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. 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. This draft class marks a decade of me doing this work, and I still believe this 2023 group is rivalled only by 2015 among the talent pools Ive scouted to date. He has a great shot, but more often than not he scores goals because he slipped his defender and managed to find the space and time necessary to score a goal. 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 - Elite Prospects 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha Lancers (USHL), 61. He regularly makes difficult plays as a passer, demonstrating high-end spatial awareness and often finding second or even third options (constantly pre-scanning and shoulder-checking). Michael Hrabal, G (Omaha) Leschyshyn played junior hockey for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League, serving as . I expect hell be the first defenceman picked when all is said and done, and he may be my top-ranked one too even though Gulyayev excites me a little more and remains there for now. Paul Fischer, LHD (NTDP) After conversations with scouts or folks at the national program about Stramel last year, I always felt I wasnt quite where they were in terms of their belief in the player and his upside. We sometimes see draft-eligible D play their full draft year in a professional league. 2002 Rankings. He passes the eye test. But youll also see him make the heady escape play out of his own zone under pressure at five-on-five, or slide into a passing line to intercept a pass, or disrupt an opposing carrier with a tight gap and active stick. Sign up for premium. Hes got quick hands and instincts, with standout puck control and shading. Though hes not big, he plays hard and engages in battles in the defensive zone with some sneaky strength. Arttu Karki, LD, Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 49. 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. Hes one of the older players on this list (October 2004) but was also one of the most productive under-18 players at the J20 level last year, a top performer on the second line (with Dvorsky) as one of the younger players at his Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and Slovakias leading scorer in their promotion win in the Division 1A U18 world championship (his 12 points were one more than Dvorsky). Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Tuomas Uronen, RW (HIFK), (Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Jamie Crawford, Minas Panagiotakis, Dennis Pajot / Getty Images). Martin Misiak, RW/LW (Youngstown) The 2023 draft is led by three maybe four A-plus (or close) prospects at the very top, a superb collection of high-end talents at forward behind them that will run deep into the first round and produce additional stars, and better depth on defence and in net than I anticipated when the year started. Oliver Bonk, RD, London Knights (OHL), 48. He can beat you carrying the puck in rotations around the perimeter of the offensive zone. Hes got really good edges and mobility, though he doesnt have the speed in straight lines to pull away from faster chasers. He could suffer from the Russian factor, but the lack of top-end defensive prospects and his impressive offensive toolset leads me to believe hes got a good shot at being drafted in the top-20. He just has a unique ability to impose his will on the game. Hes a very responsible defender who shuts down tons of rush attempts with an active stick and stellar positioning.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. Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. 1 or No. He goes to the front of the net and will bail out to make effort plays. And despite suffering a lower-body injury in a KHL preseason game, Michkov (who played to a goal a game last year in the MHL) played to a goal a game in Russias second-tier VHL and has been very productive for his age since the move to Sochi in the KHL. Zach Benson is one of the most skilled and creative players in this draft, and the only things holding him back from being a true top-five contender is his size and his underwhelming speed. Hes a treat to watch in possession and processes the game at such an advanced and rapid level. However, first-year bantams had been playing at the peewee level the previous year, and in order to list first-year bantams, WHL Clubs needed to scout the peewee ranks. Good luck taking the puck away from him because he can easily move around you with his excellent skating or truck through you with his solid 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame. With the World Junior Hockey Championship coming. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. Hes a crafty handler who hangs onto pucks to spin away from pressure, attacks in and out of crowds, makes plays into space for himself, and can comfortably make plays through layers to others. His June birthday makes him one of the younger players on this list and he has already accomplished a lot, including leading a Slovak Hlinka Gretzky Cup team that featured Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar in scoring as an underager, producing well above a point per game in Swedens J20 level last year, and now producing in his draft year in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan (while clicking at two points per game in stints back down at J20). 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). I wondered if my thoughts were altered by the late start and had an effect on how I viewed. Moore has identified himself as the second best prospect out of the NTDP this season, behind only Will Smith (and the gap isnt that big in my mind). Hell make plays through seams. Within his movement patterns, he can handle the puck on a string. As in, you could put him on the icewith the worlds best shooters (say, Auston Matthews, Nikita Kucherov, Patrik Laine, Alex Ovechkinand Steven Stamkos) and they wouldnt be able to load up just off of their lead skate and fire it off balance like he does. 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. "The Mintos program was great. Luke Hughes3-50 (plus full evaluations, 55 honourable mentions, player tiers, and more at @TheAthletic): https://t.co/JpsFEKs7Ax, Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 13, 2023. NHL Entry Draft -3005 - full list of selections with facts and stats. He takes smart routes with and without the puck, he has become a reliable three-zone player, and the skill is there (hes got superb puck control skill). You can also find an additional 32 honourable mentions below. 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). 2023-2024 playoffs qc player stats for Poland, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. He has been dominating the Swedish J20 league this year and is scoring at a higher pace right now than both Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Noah Ostlund did last year (who were drafted 15th and 16th respectively in the 2022 NHL Draft). Bedards statistical profile speaks for itself: 28 points in 15 games as a 15-year-old in the WHL, two points per game at U18 worlds as a double underager, 51 goals and 100 points on a dreadful team at 16, six goals in four games at U18 Worlds as an underager this time (in what wasnt even his best hockey), 13 goals and 31 points in 14 world juniors games (after forcing his way onto the first of those three teams by torching the selection camp), and now, as a 17-year-old who wont turn 18 until July (we can almost forget that! The following WHL stars were not selected in the WHL Bantam Draft but were added to a WHL Club PPL at a later date: Jarome Iginla, Darcy Tucker, Dan Hamhuis, Scottie Upshall, Joffrey Lupul, Jeff Woywitka, and Shane Doan, just to name a few. 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). The midseason ranking divides into six tiers. Not Phil Kessel. Arttu Karki, LHD (Tappara) Welcome to Draft Prospects Hockey's introduction to the 2023 NHL Draft Class series. Hes scoring roughly half a point per game there and has spent a few games in the J20 Nationell as well, Swedens top junior league, where he has shown that he is clearly a step above his age group, scoring nearly two points per game there. Hes got good tools all around with solid speed, stick skills, and defensive play. Hes got some of the quickest hands in the draft. Dower Nilsson doesnt have Lekkerimakis shot or Ostlunds passing ability, but his offensive IQ is terrific and he has shown the ability to produce at an incredible pace without any other high-end scorers around him to help him pick up a few points here and there. He currently leads the Giants in scoring and is among the top scorers in the WHL at large. Go Premium for Elite Prospects Support. Leonard is a prospect thateveryonelikes. NHL. There has been a lot of hockey since my last rankings and tons of prospects are on the move as a result. 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. Sports Apr 22, 2020 Winnipeg Ice select B.C. Hes also a very selfless player for his age who is quick to change in the offensive zone and will sooner make the right play than trying to overdo it. This ranking follows my way-too-early top 26, my preseason top 32 (released in August), and my preliminary top 64 (released in November). For all the talk about how strong the 2022 draft class was for Slovakia, Dvorsky leads another excellent group into 2023. ), but he has shown that his timing and puck protection skills are strong enough for him to succeed in college.