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Today I highlight the players who excel at particular traits in the 2023 NHL Draft class. I will discuss the best skaters, puckhandlers, shooters, the smartest players, the hardest workers, and the freakiest pure athletes.
I’m going to do this slightly differently from past years. When there’s a group of players who clearly stand out from the pack, I will list those. I’ve done straight rankings of top 10-20 in a given trait before, but practically speaking, so many of those players are interchangeable.
Best skaters
1. Oliver Moore, C, U.S. NTDP
2. Tom Willander, RHD, Rogle
3. Tanner Molendyk, LHD, Saskatoon
4. Alexis Daviault, LHD, Erie
5. Timur Mukhanov, RW, Avangard
The next group (alphabetical order):
Joseph Connor, LW, Avon Old Farms
Luke Coughlin, LHD, Rimouski
Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD, Avangard
Bogdan Konyushkov, RHD, Torpedo
Emil Jarventie, LW, Ilves
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Ondrej Molnar, LW, Erie
Bradly Nadeau, RW, Penticton
Nikita Nedopyokin, C, SKA
Jesse Nurmi, LW, Kookoo
Benjamin Poitras, C, Sioux City
Austin Roest, C, Everett
Teddy Townsend, C, Eden Prarie
Read more: 2023 NHL Draft current comparables: Why Connor Bedard is similar to David Pastrnak
Oliver Moore is the clear best skater in this draft. He’s got dynamic edge work and explosiveness and a skating stride that reminds me in part of Tim Stützle. From Moore, there is a drop to Tom Willander and Tanner Molendyk. Willander is a very powerful skater for a 6-foot-1 defenseman, and Molendyk as well has some of the best edge work in the draft in a way that reminds me of Alexander Romanov’s skating stride at the same age. Alexis Daviault is an interesting prospect. He’s a 5-11 defenseman with average hockey sense and competitiveness, but he can absolutely fly. It’ll be interesting if someone takes a stab at him. Timur Mukhanov is a tiny winger, but he can fly around the rink due to his speed and compete level.
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Best puck skills
1. Connor Bedard, C, Regina
2. Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA
3. Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan
4. Leo Carlsson, C, Orebo
5. Will Smith, C, U.S. NTDP
The next group (alphabetical order):
Zachary Benson, LW, Winnipeg
Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna
Nate Danielson, C, Brandon
Dalibor Dvorsky, C, AIK
Ethan Gauthier, RW, Sherbrooke
Riley Heidt, C, Prince George
Ryan Leonard, RW, U.S. NTDP
Andrei Loshko, C, Chicoutimi
Gabe Perreault, LW, U.S. NTDP
Eduard Sale, LW, Brno
Matthew Wood, RW, UConn
Tuomas Uronen, RW, HIFK
Koehn Ziemmer, C, Prince George
The top five in pure skill should be a familiar group of names. The 2023 NHL Draft is led by a star-studded group of forwards at the top. Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov, Will Smith and Leo Carlsson all have game-breaking potential with their offensive skills and project to have a lot of offense as pros. Bedard and Michkov in particular have bring-you-out-of-your-seat type of hands and creativity with the puck.
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Best hockey sense
1. Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA
2. Gabe Perreault, LW, U.S. NTDP
The next group (alphabetical order):
Trey Augustine, G, U.S. NTDP
Connor Bedard, C, Regina
Zachary Benson, LW, Winnipeg
Tristan Bertucci, LHD, Flint
Hunter Brzustewicz, RHD, Kitchener
Luca Cagnoni, LHD, Portland
Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro
Lukas Dragicevic, RHD, Tri-City (WHL)
Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown
Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD, Avangard
Riley Heidt, C, Prince George
Theo Lindstein, LHD, Brynas
Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury
David Reinbacher, RHD, Kloten
Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD, Skelleftea
Jayson Shaugabay, RW, Warroad
Will Smith, C, U.S. NTDP
Felix Unger Sorum, Leksands
While there are a lot of highly intelligent players worth highlighting in this draft, there are two players whose hockey sense stands out from the pack in a distinct way, those being Michkov and Gabe Perreault. There’s a reason some NHL execs have referred to Michkov as a “hockey genius” or having “off-the-charts hockey sense.” You don’t have the ridiculous offensive success he’s had — often playing way up his age level, with average speed and physicality at 5-10 — without some special traits. The way he sees the ice and understands how to create offense is truly special. Perreault broke the single-season U.S. NTDP points record in part because of his elite brain. He is an extremely creative forward who makes unique plays with the puck at a high rate and reminds me a lot of Cole Perfetti at the same age.
Best compete level
1. Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan
2. Kalan Lind, C, Red Deer
3. Ryan Leonard, RW, U.S. NTDP
4. Gavin Brindley, C, Michigan
5. Charlie Stramel, C, Wisconsin
6. Cameron Allen, RHD, Guelph
7. Quinton Burns, LHD, Kingston
8. Brady Cleveland, LHD, U.S. NTDP
Fantilli is a special player. His offense is elite; you don’t lead college hockey in scoring without a ton of skill. But when you add in the fact he’s 6-2, skates quite well, and is a high-end competitor who is extremely physical, it makes him such a unique pro prospect.
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I highlighted Tyler Boucher in this category the year he was picked at No. 10 a few drafts ago. I think players like Charlie Stramel and Kalan Lind have a lot of rhymes to Boucher in terms of how they skate, their level of offense and the high degree of physicality in their games. Don’t be surprised if a team gets aggressive for a rare playstyle like theirs.
Ryan Leonard is often discussed as a top-10 pick in part because of his great skill and goal-scoring ability, but mostly because of his motor. Scouts love his compete and physicality, often citing him as a player you win in the playoffs with.
Best shot
1. Connor Bedard, C, Regina
2. Kasper Halttunen, RW, HIFK
3. Bradly Nadeau, RW, Penticton
4. Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA
5. Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw
6. Carson Rehkopf, C, Kitchener
7. Colby Barlow, LW, Owen Sound
8. Etienne Morin, LHD, Moncton
9. Noah Dower Nilsson, LW, Frolunda
10. Ryan Conmy, RW, Sioux City
11. Casper Nassen, RW, Vasteras
12. Kai Uchacz, RW, Red Deer
The best shot in this draft belongs to Bedard with a bullet, and bullet is a good way to describe how he shoots the puck. He has a lethal wrist shot that has both accuracy and velocity behind it and can pick corners from almost anywhere in the offensive zone.
The rest of the players listed here are closely grouped. Kasper Halttunen, Bradly Nadeau and Michkov are all lethal goal scorers who can rip a puck. Halttunen and Nadeau especially have elite shots from the faceoff dots that project to be able to score on an NHL power play from that range.
Best athletes
1. Daniil But, RW, Lokomotiv
2. Adam Gajan, G, Chippewa
3. Artyom Kashtanov, C, Yekaterinburg
4. Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha
5. Damian Clara, G, Farjestad
6. Brady Cleveland, LHD, U.S. NTDP
7. Matteo Fabrizi, LHD, Red Deer
8. Matteo Mann, RHD, Chicoutimi
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The next group (alphabetical order):
Frantisek Dej, C, Slovan Bratislava
Jakub Dvorak, LHD, Liberec
Andrew Gibson, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie
Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver
Larry Keenan, LHD, Culver Academy
Sean Keohane, LHD, Dexter School
Ryan Koering, LHD, Eden Prarie
Rasmus Larsson, LHD, Vasteras
Samuel Mayer, LHD, Peterborough
Danny Nelson, C, U.S. NTDP
Milton Oscarson, C, Orebro
Janne Peltonen, LHD, Karpat
Alex Pharand, C, Sudbury
Dmitri Simashev, LHD, Lokomotiv
Konnor Smith, LHD, Peterborough
Carter Sotheran, RHD, Portland
Charlie Stramel, C, U.S. NTDP
Kristers Steinbergs, G, Valbo
Brandon Svoboda, C, Youngstown
Nicholas Vantassell, RW, Green Bay
Anton Wahlberg, C, Malmo
I’m sure every fan has the experience of seeing a big guy get drafted to their favorite team who didn’t put up huge numbers that season. This list is your reference as to why that player is getting drafted high. These are the big guys who can skate; the players who look like NHL athletes.
Daniil But is the prototype of that kind of player. He’s a player with no real flaws in his game and a ton of natural athleticism, which tends to be highly valued in the NHL Draft. There aren’t many 6-5 guys who can skate like him and have legit offensive skills. He is valued quite highly in the league and despite his KHL contract, I think he will be a very early draft pick.
Adam Gajan is average-sized for an NHL goalie but has some freak athleticism in his game. His side-to-side play in net is high end and can make some spectacular saves. As one NHL executive put it to me, he has the athleticism of top NHL goaltenders.
Artyom Kashtanov and Damian Clara aren’t high-profile names, but they are both 6-6 and move well. Michael Hrabal is the same way and could be the first goalie picked. Damian Clara is well thought of in the NHL. I have concerns about his sense/tracking, but I think he’ll be picked in a fairly high spot.
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This is the second time Cleveland is highlighted. There aren’t many 6-5 defensemen who can skate like him, and that he’s mean as hell helps a lot too. He has next to no offense, making him an extremely tough evaluation given how good and how poor he is at various parts of the game.
(Top photo of Connor Bedard: Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today)