Every once in a while, there’s a heated debate over who should be the first pick in an NHL draft. That’s not the case this year, as Connor Bédard is on track to finish first overall. Chicago Blackhawks.
Theater lovers need not worry, however. Although the debate over choice #1 is non-existent, many other fascinating questions bubble up around the topic. 2023 NHL Draftwhich takes place Wednesday and Thursday.
Will there be any other big trades involving players already in the NHL?
This appears to be the case. There has already been a lot of action before the draft, with the arrival of the Kings Pierre-Luc Dubois in a blockbusterflames shipping Tyler Toffoli in New Jersey and the Blackhawks acquire Taylor Room, just to name a few. If activity continues, this could be one of the busiest NHL drafts in ages.
When big trades happen at draft time, they can sometimes be big lies that distract from the picks themselves (especially in the second round and beyond).
Who goes second, third, fourth?
University of Michigan forward Adam Fantilli emerged as the second most likely pick, something you’ll notice if you go through most of the points. mock drafts And prospect rankings.
There is, however, room for intrigue.
Russian prospect Matvei Michkov, who we’ll talk about in more detail soon, is a big wild card. For this section, note how TSN’s Craig Button speculated that Anaheim Ducks General manager Pat Verbeek isn’t afraid to shake up conventions, which makes it plausible that Michkov could move to second pick over Fantilli.
This consensus-defying nature could also tempt the Ducks to roll with Leo Carlsson or even Will Smith at No. 2 overall.
Much of the hype surrounding the 2023 NHL Draft revolves around Bédard and a few other high-end prospects. The number of special players may vary depending on which teams you ask. Anyway, after Bédard leaves first, it’s time to “get your popcorn.”
Bonus points if, for example, the to winnow Blue jackets boldly traded the third overall pick for an immediate solution or a large number of picks. It seems more likely that a team will be closer to the 10-15 range, but there could be some real fireworks in the first round.
How will the Matvei Michkov mystery unfold?
According to most people, Michkov finishing second overall would be a bit difficult. Since at least 2021, scouts and hockey executives have been grappling with Michkov’s special talent in the face of factors such as a KHL contract that runs through 2025-26. However you want to label the actions of a group of mercenariesrecent events only highlight the uncertainty over how world events might affect the availability and development of Russian hockey prospects.
As far as we know, the latest iteration of “The Russian Postman» could lead to bigger positioning moves for prospects such as Daniil But and Dmitri Simashev. Yet these players are not spoken of in the same hushed tone as Michkov, and a wide range of fans dream of the downfall of a potential star. to a team like the Capitals (eighth overall) or even further.
But in reality, Mishkov is fascinating for this mix of unknown availability and high-end comparisons ranging from Alex Ovechkin has Nikita Koucherov or just” Vladimir Tarasenko.
Michkov remains a litmus test for how you approach team building in different ways. Do you cite the mixture of Kirill Kaprizov: a hyper-steal superstar, but that didn’t happen for the GM who drafted him with the Wild? Instead, perhaps you realize that many prospects don’t jump straight to the NHL and that some high-profile picks that arrived right away might have been better served by waiting a few years.
Will defenders be overvalued?
Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff put it bluntly: this is not the year to “reach” for a defender in the first round.
This isn’t to say that defenders shouldn’t be in the top 32. However, a team with less vision might go with the best defender available due to a perceived shallow pipeline, leaving a high-scoring forward instead. range on the chart. The 2023 NHL Draft is one of those years where such decisions might seem shaky in the moment and embarrassing in retrospect.
Will the size be too large?
Besides looking for defenders, another draft trope is teams obsessed with size, whether that means going overboard for future players (who are tall) or passing up impact players because they won’t be perhaps not capable of riding the most extreme roller coasters.
Remember extreme examples like Martin Saint-Louis, who won two scoring titles, a Hart Trophy and became a Hall of Famer after going undrafted. We’re also littered with more recent stories, such as Alex DeBrincat falling in the first round due to his size. The Lightning mocked other scouting departments by underestimating undersized skills.
Could this happen again in 2023?
Depending on who you ask, Zach Benson could be selected near the top five Or closer to the middle of the first round. Although Benson is perhaps the most important Cole Caufield If you enter this year’s draft, there are other undersized prospects to watch, from Gavin Brindley to Jayden Perron and Andrew Cristall. (Of course, Bédard and Michkov also lean towards the small side.)
One might even wonder if there could be another Juuse Saros/Devon Levi type outlier in the netas Trey Augustine can be completely ignored as “merely” measuring in the 6’1″ range.
How long will it take a team to sign a goalie?
Speaking of goaltenders, the consensus is that there may not be a goalie that goes in the first round. In fact, some wonder if a goalie can be called late in the second.
There’s really nothing to sweat about. While a Andrei Vasilevsky happens from time to time, many elite goalkeepers have been selected outside the top 32. For example, Connor Hellebuyck was a fifth round and Igor Shesterkin And Saros were in the fourth round.
Debate between executives, scouts and experts Michael Hrabal and Adam Gajan among the top picks, although there is also room for Augustine and Carson Bjarnason. Of course, the position is volatile, even for goalies with a significant NHL resume, so it’s much harder to predict how a teenage goalie will develop. That said, if you make one or more of these choices, you could be lining up valuable years of elite goaltending at team-friendly rates.
Frankly, teams might benefit from taking plenty of shots at potential guards outside of the first round over the years, especially if they’re rebuilding franchises with a glut of picks. Perhaps the 2023 NHL Draft will produce another hidden gem in the net.
