Im not all that worried about either (5-foot-9, 160 pounds) because he has the tenacity and elusiveness that smaller players need to have to make a difference at the NHL level these days. 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. Related: The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update. Calgary, Alta. - The Western Hockey League announced today the results of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery will be broadcast in a free WHL Live event Thursday, April 21 at 2 p.m. MT. Paul Fischer, LHD (NTDP) Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. In fact, its not even the only element of his shooting arsenal that is one of one. He has struggled in spurts with the pace required of centres at higher levels (whether that be last summers world juniors, or the pro game, he could stand to get and play a little quicker) and some scouts worry about his consistency at five-on-five, but he has shown important progress on that front and showed well at this winters world juniors at evens. 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. Jacob Fowler, G (Youngstown) This past season, he played for the Chicago Cougars of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL) and scored 11 points (two goals, nine assists) 10 games. 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 He can push into space. Shane Wright, C, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) 2. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. 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. Catton is the early front runner for 1st overall in next years WHL bantam draft and has recently been granted exceptional player status to play up in Midget AAA next year for the Saskatoon Contacts as a underage player. 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. This top 64 is made up of 46 forwards, 17 defencemen and one goaltender. Database: 1 002 208 players . Hameenaho has the strength and stick skills to not just battle well, but win puck battles and keep possession alive for his team. 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - Elite Prospects To say he has met those expectations would be a profound understatement. Ethan Miedema, LW (Kingston) Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Without further ado, lets get into the January edition of my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. 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. Hes eager physically. The WHL Bantam Draft is only one step in this process. But getting around it consistently enough at higher paces has proven to be a bit of a challenge and his decision-making can look a little slow. 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). Without further ado, let's get to the 2023 draft board. Denver Barkey, C, London Knights (OHL), 63. Smith is an incredibly shifty playmaker who can create high danger plays at will by threading passes through traffic, stickhandling around pressure, or taking a shot of his own. NHL Entry Draft -3005 - full list of selections with facts and stats. WHL Network Tigers sign Gavin McKenna, first overall selection in 2022 WHL Prospects Draft 9 months ago Sports Apr 22, 2020 Winnipeg Ice select B.C. He doesnt have any one skill that really pops out at you, but I find that hes good at pretty much everything. Hes also outscoring most of the WHL for that matter, dominating the opposition when he has possession. Wood is 6-foot-3 so his ability to make plays in tight to his skates at speed while maintaining control is very impressive for his size. 2022-2023 regular season player stats for CSDHL 13U, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. Go Premium for Elite Prospects Support. Auston Matthews had Patrik Laine, Jack Hughes had Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere had Quinton Byfiled, its hard for top prospects to separate themselves from the pack but Bedard has done just that.WELCOME TO THE BEDARD SHOW! Melker Karlsson (F) SHL. Western Hockey League completes 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Hes got poise and patience on the puck. 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). Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! 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. He works hard when hes on the ice, making high effort plays without the puck that give me more confidence that he will continue to play as a center in the NHL. One of three draft eligibles on this list playing college hockey this season, Brindley hasnt just settled in at the University of Michigan, he has looked anywhere from comfortable to impactful in every game, including at centre and on the wing. Hes got some poise and processing under pressure, even if his play with the puck on his stick isnt dynamic per se. He currently leads the Giants in scoring and is among the top scorers in the WHL at large. It often takes two to take the puck off of him when hes twisting and turning, too. He walks the line and bends coverage as an impressive and tactical power-play quarterback. He can beat you along the wall on the cycle. Id be quite surprised if he slid all the way to 16 (where I have him ranked), because a right-handed centre with his shot has a ton of value to NHL teams. 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. 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. His size is obviously a talking point, and theres a boom or bust element to his projection, but hes a first-round talent and a clear play creator on a team with a few of them in Chicago this year. He is on the younger side of the draft class with a July birthday so he has plenty of time to grow into the potential that he has shown thus far and increase his draft stock. Scott Wheeler. 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. Red Deer Rebels - Wikipedia 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. One of the most surprising junior players so far this year is Lukas Dragicevic who has put up points at well above a point per game rate in the WHL from the back end, making him the highest scoring defender in the league as of writing. Birch Hills' Ravndahl enjoying WHL experience That will limit concerns about his height (he certainly hasnt played small in his freshman year so far). pic.twitter.com/OOjR1KDavy Thibaud Chatel (@Thibaud_Chatel) January 24, 2023, 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. 1. 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. He looks like he could be a hard-working top-six winger who complements your top guys really well while providing real offensive value on his own. 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. His gifts in control of the puck are undeniable. The bantam draft allows for the orderly transfer of players to WHL Protected Player Lists (PPL) from the bantam ranks (13-14 year-olds). Ryan Leonard is a high energy winger who never takes his foot off the gas in terms of both speed and effort. Although he is just 5-foot-9, Perron is earning more and more buzz as a potential first rounder due to his excellent skating, playmaking, and offensive awareness. 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 . 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. 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. Tristan Bertucci, LHD (Flint) Beckett Hendrickson, C (NTDP) Mikhail Gulyayev is an intelligent offensively minded defenseman who has found moderate success in the top Russian pro leagues this year while dominating the Russian junior circuit whenever he plays against his peers. I love him on the half-wall/point on the PP with his ability to hit east-west seams (he just seems to see every lane and opening). Hes just a rock-solid, projectable two-way defenceman. 2022 NHL Draft: WHL Players to Watch - FCHockey Leonard is a prospect thateveryonelikes. 2023-2024 playoffs qc player stats for Poland, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. Narrowly my top-ranked defenceman in the draft at this stage, Gulyayev put together the most productive 16-year-old season by a defenceman in the MHLs modern history (13 seasons dating back to 2009) when he posted 35 points in 54 games last year, regularly playing 20 minutes per game in a league famous for typically relying on older players. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 2023-2024 relegation player stats for Erste Liga, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. Ravndahl was selected by Portland in the fourth round, 83 rd overall in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft. WHL Bantam Draft: December Top 22 - #5 - #1 January 1, 2021 | In General, WHL Draft | By Ashley It's The Final Countdown!!!! 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. Im not sure hes got the soft skill to become the true No. Viewed as a mid-round pick by most, Ciernik is a player I diverge from the public and private scouting communities on. ), a quick move into a pass, a sudden stop-up, or an attacking cut. 2 pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection and an OHL First All-Rookie Team member. 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. Name. Hes got an impressive one-timer from the right flank and can really lean into and rip his catch-and-release or in-stride wrister. While hes got some work to do to get a little quicker from the jump in the games 10-foot races, he does have some power and balance through his stride to build upon and skates pretty well for his size and age. WHL Club Protected Player Lists - WHL Prospects He was theNo. Its not often we see players his size who can move like him. WHL Network. The BCHLs leading scorer while playing on a line with his older brother Josh (a playerI vouched for as a worthy late-round flier ahead of last years draft), Nadeau is a multi-dimensional forward whose hands, skating, and shooting all get very high grades. 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. 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. Not Phil Kessel. While his game doesnt have the dynamism of the other kids in this loaded WHL class, most scouts project Danielson as an everyday top-nine NHL center. Watch out for Stenberg in the last months of the season, hes been playing better and better and I think hell go in the first round despite his lack of production in the SHL this year. Hes unafraid to try things and has the skill to execute difficult plays. Michkovs brilliance comes primarily from his ability to read and process the play at an extremely advanced level, make his decisions quickly, and execute on them with incredible proficiency, whether thats ripping a patterned shot (his one-timer, his standstill wrister, his curl-and-drag, etc. I think theres a small chance he becomes a star or close with the right development, too. 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. Hes going to be an NHLer. I believe Austrian defender David Reinbacher is the best defenseman in the 2023 Draft class right now and an argument could be made that he could be ranked as high as the top-10. Hes the kind of player who can beat you with a pass, a dangerous wrister (in fact, while he has played facilitator so often in games this year, hes got an excellent wrister while moving), or a deke. The combination of his skating, shot, and playmaking skills makes him a true offensive weapon. When he tries things and he often does hes never trying them out of desperation but rather intention. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. . 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. 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. 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. Ritchie is the complete package. During every draft cycle there are a handful of prospects who are 5-foot-10 or shorter who get a ton of praise in public scouting circles before unceremoniously sliding on draft day. 2023 Whl Draft Projected Rankings - Elite Prospects 2023 Whl Draft Projected Rankings Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) cares about your privacy. The drafts order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the League standings. . 2023 WHL bantam draft prospects - Toptin.org The top pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Musty is one the focal points of the Wolves offence and would be their leader in shots on goal, assists and points were it not for a few weeks lost in January to a hand injury (following up on a strong showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer). Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. 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. The best way to define Fantilli is the way one USHL source once described him to me: Hes a horse.. Id eagerly bet on him. Hes got time to put it all together given his summer birthday, too. He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up to make their jobs easier. Wheeler: Ranking the top 64 prospects at the 2023 NHL Draft Expectations were unfairly high for Connor Bedard coming into his draft year, with the generational talent label floating around in many draft conversations. Western Hockey League makes changes to upcoming draft Hes excellent on the wall in puck protection and also has some outside-in skill so that he can attack off of holds into the middle third. Despite his diminutive size, hes also a smart player off of the puck and Ive been struck by how often hes in the right position above the puck to hold play inside the offensive zone (I absolutely get why he was named an alternate captain). Hes got everything else you look for in a dynamic play creator, too. And while he played exclusively as a winger in the SHL the last two seasons, Carlsson came up as a centre and I like the way his game might fit there long term because of his combination of size, detail, and awareness. He profiles similarly to David Jiricek physically, but with a more defensive tilt to his game. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. 17, is one of the top prospects for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft , even though he was denied exceptional status by the WHL in 2019. 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. Then he got back in late February and after a pointless return put up two goals on six shots in his second game back. record-breaking performance at the World Juniors, be the smartest player in this draft class, The NHLs Top 100 Prospects Midseason Update, The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update, 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft, Every NHL Teams Top Prospect Midseason Update, Canucks Acquire Beauvillier & Raty From Islanders For Horvat, Bruins 3-Game Losing Streak Highlights Trade Deadline Needs, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker Live Updates, NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, NHL Rumors: Bruins, Coyotes, Senators, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Ken Holland Improved the Oilers at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Predators Poile Pulls Off Masterclass in Final Trade Deadline, Oilers Outperform Division Rivals at 2023 Trade Deadline, Will Smith 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Time for JT Miller to Prove Himself with the Canucks, Connor Bedard 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Murray, Zohorna, OReilly & Woll, Lightning Greatly Overpaid for Tanner Jeannot, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Was a Wildly Lopsided Arms Race, Devils Didnt Need Flashy Move After Adding Meier, NHL Rumors: Canucks, Penguins, Flyers, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Canucks Forgotten Ones: Mathieu Schneider, Bruins All-Time Best and Worst Trade Deadlines. Luca Cagnoni, LD, Portland Winterhawks (WHL), 38. The six lowest-place teams involved in the lottery include the Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors,. 2008 Born for the 2023 WHL Draft | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Riley Heidt C, Prince George Cougars, 5-foot-11. There was a time when folks thought Musty was the best American-born 2005 prospect and while thats no longer the case theres still a lot to get excited about.