Five 2023 NHL Draft prospects to know not named Connor Bedard
We are six weeks away from the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, and the 28 teams not competing for the Stanley Cup are wrapped up in scouting meetings and draft preparation.
The Chicago Blackhawks own the No. 1 pick after winning the draft lottery and they’re expected to take 17-year-old phenom Connor Bedard. Labeled a generational prospect and the best draft-eligible player since Connor McDavid in 2015, Bedard scored 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games with the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League.
Bedard has long been the presumed No. 1 pick in this draft for the better part of a year now. So here is a look at five other NHL Draft prospects you should know:
1. Adam Fantilli, C, University of Michigan
2022-23 stats: 36 games, 30 goals, 35 assists, 65 points
Fantilli’s freshman season with the Wolverines couldn’t have gone any better. He led the NCAA in scoring, was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team and he won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in college hockey.
In most non-Bedard drafts, Fantilli would be the consensus No. 1 pick. Whichever team drafts him is getting a near-NHL ready player. Fantilli could make the jump to the NHL next season or he could return to Michigan for his sophomore year.
2. Matvei Michkov, C, HK Sochi (KHL)
2022-23 stats: 27 games, nine goals, 11 assists, 20 points
Playing on a bad Sochi team that won just six times in the 27 games he played, Michkov finished fourth on the team in scoring despite playing 28 fewer games than the three players ahead of him, and his 0.74 points-per-game pace topped current NHLers Kirill Kaprizov, Vladimir Tarasenko, Eeli Tolvanen and Artemi Panarin as the best of any U-19 player in KHL history.
Michkov is under contract in the KHL through the 2025-26 season, so whichever team drafts him will have to be alright with him not suiting up for them for at least three seasons. Based on talent and potential, Michkov should be a top-three pick, however he could slide down the top 10 due to his KHL contract status.
3. Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro (SHL)
2022-23 stats: 44 games, 10 goals, 15 assists, 25 points
At 6-foot-3 and 194 pounds, Carlsson has ideal size for a top-six center. He’s an offensively gifted forward who, at 18, held his own in the Swedish Hockey League playing against professionals. Scouts rave about Carlsson’s high hockey IQ, which helps him excel as a playmaking center and a defensively responsible strong two-way forward. Carlsson should be a top-five pick.
4. David Reinbacher, D, ECH Kloten (NL)
2022-23 stats: 46 games, three goals, 19 assists, 22 points
While there’s not a consensus No. 1 defenseman in the 2023 draft, Reinbacher seems to be who most draft experts believe will be the first blue liner off the board. He could be picked as high as No. 5 overall, or he could also fall to the 10-to-12 range.
A mobile defenseman with powerful skating and a heavy shot, Reinbacher reads plays well and has sharp reaction time. He’s strong playing in transition and is a shutdown player in the defensive end where some of his strengths include sealing off gaps and winning puck battles.
5. Ryan Leonard, RW, USNTDP
2022-23 stats: 57 games, 51 goals, 43 assists, 94 points
Leonard’s stock has been on the rise lately and scouts rave about his blend of speed, skill and tenacity. A physical two-way power forward, Leonard lays hits just as frequently as he crashes the front of the net. He’s great at creating space and he’s willing to go to mix it up in the high-danger areas. Leonard is projected to be a top-10 pick, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he went in the top five.
More must-reads: