He was theNo. 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. His performance at the 2023 World Juniors helped his draft stock a bit, though Austria was dominated by every team they played against. forward. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Updated: Feb 16/2023 - Welcome to the Top 500 Prospect Rankings List plus Additions/Watch List/Players To Be Evaluated list. 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. 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. 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. Though he doesnt play the game with some of the shine of the three players in front of him, Carlsson, the top Swede in the draft, has emerged as my clear No. 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. 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. 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. 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. 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - Elite Prospects 2023 WHL Draft Rankings Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. Hedid that after notching five points in five games at lastyears Hlinka Gretzky Cup as a young 16-year-old, too. Check out his skating and awareness! We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Ive said it before and Ill say it again: Bedard can do things with the puck that nobody else in the sport can replicate. Hes an entry machine driving play through the neutral zone and across the line in control. He loves attacking defenders and beating them in one-on-one skill battles. 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 has the potential to make a real impact in the NHL as soon as next year considering his success on both ends of the ice in Sweden thus far. 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. It often takes two to take the puck off of him when hes twisting and turning, too. Martin Misiak, RW/LW (Youngstown) After being selected 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft by the Vancouver Giants, Samuel Honzek has done nothing but impress in his first season in North America. Beckett Hendrickson, C (NTDP) He can beat you flying out wide. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. 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. He does a good job maintaining gaps and matching opposing forwards step-for-step skating backwards. I dont think hes going to become the kind of star that youre hoping to get when you draft him in the 5-7 range that some expected him to land in this year, but hes got 2C, PP1 upside if he can fill out his game and continue to add dimension. Before the season began, many people saw Otto Stenberg as a top-10 prospect for this draft following his incredible performance for Team Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Tyler Bertuzzi (F) NHL. Evasive. Scott Wheeler. 7 overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and he made his debut in 2019-20 playing in four games. He has produced solid offense so far this year for the USA U-18 team which is made more impressive by the fact that he is usually playing on the second line behind the Smith, Moore, Perreault trio. His skills make him very well suited as a center at the next level with good size, a coveted right-handed shot, good defensive habits (kills penalties quite well), and solid faceoff results. 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 I have questions about his talent level, though. Get the inside scoop on the top prospects in the world with our comprehensive grading system and access to career stats, data, and news stories . Reinbachers got pro size, desired handedness, and a really strong foundation of tools that all but guarantee hell become an NHLer. Hes got gallops, cutbacks, crossovers, all of it. 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. 22-Mason Fauser F Swift Current Broncos 5-8 23-Cash Lanigan F Regina Aces 5-8 24-Dane Mansuy D Regina Monarchs 5-8 25-Charlie Kay F Saskatoon Outlaws 5-8 26-Dryden Deobold D Regina Monarchs 5-8 27-Keaton Lesperance F Regina Aces 5-8 28-Cameron Jacobson D Humboldt Broncos 5-8 29-Ethan Dundas F Regina Monarchs 5-8 WHL Network Tigers sign Gavin McKenna, first overall selection in 2022 WHL Prospects Draft 9 months ago Barlow was also named Captain of the Owen Sound Attack at just 17 which speaks to his maturity and leadership abilities. Last season was certainly a strange one for WHL scouts as they anticipated the task of two drafts in one calendar year. Priority Draft 10 months ago 44 players were selected by the 22 WHL member Clubs in Wednesday's U.S. Hes got unbelievably quick hands and the loose grip that all great handlers have. Related: Early Look at the 2024 NHL Draft. 1 pick in the 2021 QMJHL draft and son of former 10-year NHLer Denis Gauthier, followed up a strong showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (where he scored six goals in five games) with a strong start to his draft year at the top of a stacked Sherbrooke lineup, before seeing his production taper off some as they added more talent ahead of the deadline. It has been a few rough age groups for Russian defencemen but Gulyayevs got a chance to flip the script. Viewed as a mid-round pick by most, Ciernik is a player I diverge from the public and private scouting communities on. Reinbachers a solid forward and backwards skater (though he can look a little stilted at times) who gaps well and defends the rush effectively with a noticeably long stick. Related: The NHLs Top 100 Prospects Midseason Update. Hes gotdecent hands when he pushes through the middle. Gauthier brings a lot to the table. 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. Yager is a prospect that I fully expect to still be drafted very early on draft day, I just havent been that impressed with his game this year. 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. 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. Hes great along the wall on the cycle, but he can also occasionally make a play that pulls you out of your seat. 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. 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, 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, 2022 WHL Draft Review: From Prince George to Winnipeg, 2023 NHL Draft: Breaking down the WHL Defensemen in the CHL Top Prospects game, Rocky Mountain Classic 2022: Rambling Part Two, 9 forwards who impressed at the Graham Tuer U15 Challenge, Preliminary Top 25 2023 WHL Draft Rankings Released. 2020 All rights reserved to Puck Preps. Hes just a natural creator for himself and others who manufactures offence in a variety of ways. Hes a smooth skater. After the 1st round, the Clubs select in order from fewest to most regular season points. One of the more impressive 2005s in the CHL last season, Barlow scored 35 goals in 66 combined regular-season and playoff games as a rookie in the OHL and was named captain of the Attack for his draft year (both rare goal scoring for a player his age, and a rare honour for a player his age). Ive seen him create breakaways with ease, win races he should, and send defenders sliding when he stops up on them with a head of steam. 4 and has had a tremendous age-adjusted season between his play with Orebro in the SHL and at the world juniors (where he was one of Swedens top forwards despite playing sick), even considering his December 2004 birthday and a year after playing to virtually two points per game at the J20 level (he looked good in an important role as a top-nine centre for Sweden at U18 worlds before an injury kept him out of their medal round run to a gold medal, too). Without further ado, lets get into the January edition of my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. Hes eager physically. 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. Slick. I think hell stick at centre, too (nice to see him at 53 percent in the circle so far this year). 2023 NHL Draft: Baracchini's Top 64 January Rankings January 13, 2023 by Peter Baracchini Welcome back to my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. Ive liked the progress Ive seen in how strong he is over pucks and getting up and under sticks to take them back in pursuit, or go to the net for tips (which hes actually quite dexterous on) instead of always trying to free himself for his shot. He uses his body to gain inside positioning on defenders and shields pucks effectively. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. Hes got superb vision and ranks among the best in the class at dissecting coverage as a passer. He uses his speed and skill to blow by defenders in the neutral zone and pressure in-zone defenders who struggle to anticipate his next move. Max Domi (F) Holding steady at about two points per game, Cristall has already shown improvements following his impressive 69-point WHL rookie season last year. 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. For some, it will be. 3 pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft. 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. Hes also got some of the quicker hands and better touch on this list. pic.twitter.com/ZNwH9wYcC0. 3 in advance of any draft and the best Russian prospect since Alex Ovechkin. Hes a good skater and should pick up another step as he gets stronger. 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. He credited the Mintos for helping prepare him to make the jump to Major Junior hockey. Arttu Karki, LD, Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 49. Cameron Allen, RD, Guelph Storm (OHL), 62. After the season, the WHL holds a draft specifically to allow teams to add bantam players in an orderly manner to their protected lists. WHL Network. Hes the go-to center for the Cougars in the faceoff circle. 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. 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. Some scorers tunnel-vision the net and even though the goalie is his focus, theres a lot to his game between the offensive-zone blue line and the shot he takes thats inventive. Publishing date 2023-01-18 User Anonymous Views 922 Favorited 0 Share Embed 2023 Whl Bantam Draft He hasnt looked out of place against men and has scored points at an excellent rate so far for a draft eligible player. The combination of his skating, shot, and playmaking skills makes him a true offensive weapon. Id like to see him go past effective and really take over more, but he makes his fair share of plays, hes a sub-.500 teams leading scorer, and it does feel like he has middle-six centre written all over him. Database: 1 002 208 players . Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. He can push into space. If this werent a draft that also featured Bedard and Benson, he was in the midst of one of the most productive draft-eligible seasons in recent WHL history (pacing to outproduce, for example, the 106 in 69 that 2011 No. 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. The Clubs that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the 1st round only. They are: 1, 2-4, 5-6, 7-22, 23-33, 34-64+. Carlssons one of the smartest players in the draft, a very heady player who understands spacing and timing on and off the puck at an advanced level for his age. After the draft is completed, all the remaining bantams become eligible to be listed by teams, and many will be added as spots become available on Clubs PPLs, or as a players talents improve or are more noticeable at a later date or at a higher level of hockey. Hes the kind of player who fills the stat sheet andelevates his linemates in subtle ways. Good habits away from the puck lead me to believe he will be a reliable NHLer with top-six forward upside. His playmaking vision is solid but will likely never be his calling card. 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). Gavin McCarthy, RHD (Muskegon) Scott Wheeler covers the NHL draft and prospects nationally for The Athletic. This year, he has been pretty clearly one of the most talented players in J20 whenever he has been there, has shown some really positive signs in spurts in HockeyAllsvenskan (he has actually been equally as productive on a rate basis as Dvrosky), and I liked him at the world juniors before a quiet quarterfinal against Team Canada. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. I expect him to become a top point producer in college at the University of North Dakota, too. He has also taken a step forward in terms of production, placing him firmly as one of the top-20 scorers in the WHL. The way he wheels across the top of the circles and then play-makes from the high slot is special. Publishing date 2022-11-14 User Ryan Crawford Views 1955 Favorited 1 Share Embed 2023 Whl Draft Projected Rankings 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. (Maksim Konstantinov / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images), how strong the 2022 draft class was for Slovakia. Musty is an athletic winger who can beat goalies with his hard shot or by crashing the net and scoring in tight. He projects as a pass-first playmaking centre with a middle-six floor, first-line potential, and clear PP value (in multiple roles, too, because hes great around the net and below the goal line but can also run it from the flank). Hes as fun to watch with the puck on his stick as almost anyone in this draft. Tyler Peddle, LW (Drummondville) Trending Players. The WHL Bantam Draft is only one step in this process. Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! Dylan McLaughlin (F) AHL. Reinbacher has fallen slightly on my list through no fault of his own, but because of the excellent play of prospects around him. This is a multi-part series which we will be releasing over the next couple weeks to give you the readers some insight on whom we feel is the cream of the crop for 2023. The raw potential is there in spades and the production is starting to catch up to it. Expectations were unfairly high for Connor Bedard coming into his draft year, with the generational talent label floating around in many draft conversations. Noel Nordh, LW (Brynas) Scouts are having a tough time slotting him due primarily to so-so production this season (though staff with Frolunda insist he has been better than his numbers at the J20 level and that has been reflected in several stints with the SHL. To say he has met those expectations would be a profound understatement. 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. Im not talking about him compared to other prospects in this draft. He is so difficult for defenders to pin down because of the way he manipulates defenders movements (like waiting for them to turn their skates in one direction before darting in the other), and him being a right-handed centerman doesnt hurt either. 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 WHL Prospects Draft - First Round Order of Selection 1) Medicine Hat Tigers 2) Tri-City Americans 3) Victoria Royals 4) Calgary Hitmen 5) Swift Current Broncos 6) Regina Pats 7) Vancouver Giants 8) Spokane Chiefs 9) Prince George Cougars 10) Prince Albert Raiders 11) Lethbridge Hurricanes 12) Brandon Wheat Kings 13) Saskatoon Blades 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. He has regularly blown me away in viewings these last couple of years (at Hockey Canadas showcase two summers ago, in games where he looked like a man among boys in the USHL, and now again at various points throughout his historic freshman year at Michigan, where he was the best player in college hockey from the jump andseems to have found another level of late). 2023 WHL Draft Ranking Update: . Ill be shocked if he doesnt become a playmaking top-six centre and PP1 creator. Fantilli is currently averaging about one and a half points per game on a University of Michigan team filled to the brim with talent. Wins it in OT for !!! Connor McDavid (F) His skating is average in my eyes and so is his defending, but his offensive skill and smarts package could get him a look even higher on draft day as theres not a single NHL team who wouldnt love an offensive defender as dynamic as Dragicevic. And while he creates a lot off the rush, he also has the finer skills to play the flank on the power play, create inside the offensive zone, finish from mid-range (hes got a nifty release) and dice up coverage. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) cares about your privacy. Last year, he led Prince George in goals (30) and finished second in points (57, one back of Heidt). Hes a multi-dimensional forward who has quick acceleration, can handle the puck at speed and change tempos in control, can shape play by opening up his hips to go heel-to-heel, thrives in traffic, is a dual shot-pass threat, plays one step ahead of the game in possession, supports the play effectively, problem-solves as well as anyone in this class (in an age group that is full of intelligent playmakers), works his tail off off the puck to keep his energy up (he plays heavier and scrappier than he looks, too), and sets the pace for his line (whether by picking it up or slowing it down to use his creativity). I love the way he shields pucks and waits for his opportunities to attack. He started to come on before the world juniors, though, and then he was good in a bottom-six role for Team USA and he has played quite well in his return to college hockey. 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). Its not often we see players his size who can move like him. Try a week on us. Eduard Sale is a great offensive winger who currently leads all U20 players in scoring as a 17-year-old in the top Czechian professional league. Problem-solving. Hes also outscoring most of the WHL for that matter, dominating the opposition when he has possession. For the 2010 bantam draft, players born in 1995 may be selected. 2023 NHL Draft top 64 prospects: Scott Wheeler's March ranking. I think the former outcome is the more likely, which is why Id probably steer clear of him in the teens (where some believe he belongs). After scoring 30 goals as a rookie in the OHL last season, Colby Barlow has been on my radar as a pro-sized winger with a legit NHL-caliber shot. 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). And while we dont often see smaller defenceman taken as high as I have him ranked here, he doesnt play small and I like his game at both ends of the ice because of his mobility and the confidence with which he reads the play.
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