My Big Winners From Round 1 Of The 2023 NHL Entry Draft
Picking out the teams and the selections that really impressed me from Day 1...
Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville is in the books and it could prove to be a franchise-altering night for a slew of different teams.
In what was one of the deepest and talent-laden Draft classes we’ve seen in a while, we witnessed a plethora of franchises make the idea of tomorrow a lot brighter by drafting blue-chip prospects who could be set to dominate for years to come.
We were treated to a bounty of surprises as certain teams flipped the script and went off the board with their selections, while there were no Draft Day trades completed during Round 1 for the first time since 2007.
Now, while it is tradition for media outlets to reveal their list of winners and losers from Day 1, I’m not going to do that. I don’t believe in writing off any pick this early so I’m going to scrap the losers part.
Instead, I’m going to focus on the positives and take a look at the teams who, for me, were the real big winners of a compelling First Round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Let’s dive right in…
Chicago Blackhawks
This is the most obvious entry. Any team lucky enough to draft a pure generational talent in Connor Bedard was always going to be at the top of this list, and the Chicago Blackhawks take that honor.
The Hawks have known since early May when they won the NHL Draft Lottery that they were going to take Bedard with the No. 1 overall pick. It was the very definition of a no-brainer selection.
Blue-chip prospects like Bedard only come around once in a lifetime and the forward is built to be a star in the National Hockey League. After shattering records in the WHL in 2022-23 with a staggering 143 points (71 G, 72 A) in 57 games, and lighting it up on the world stage with nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in seven games for Canada at the World Junior Championships, Bedard was entering the 2023 NHL Draft with the same kind of hype as Connor McDavid.
Now officially a member of the Blackhawks, Bedard will be looked upon to help put this Chicago rebuild in turbocharge mode and he figures to be a huge focal point from Day One. The 17-year-old phenom is now the new face of the Chicago Blackhawks, the leading man for what is hoped will be an exciting new era at United Center, and he’ll be looking to follow the same path as fellow No. 1 overall pick Patrick Kane by stockpiling both points and Stanley Cups during his time with the Hawks.
While landing Bedard was more than good enough, the Blackhawks also made another very high-value selection later in the First Round by taking USNTDP forward Oliver Moore with the No. 19 overall pick. Considered somewhat of a steal, Moore has speed to burn and he could be a real problem for the rest of the NHL with his elite skating ability. After putting up 25 points (8 G, 17 A) in 23 games in the USHL last season, Moore is committed to play for the University of Minnesota in 2023-24 but he’s another potential cornerstone player for the Blackhawks to build around.
Given where the Blackhawks are in terms of tearing the whole thing down and starting over, this is exactly the kind of First Round front offices dream of.
Columbus Blue Jackets
In my opinion, and outside of Connor Bedard, the Columbus Blue Jackets made the best pick of the entire First Round and they didn’t have to move out of the No. 3 spot to do it.
While the names involved stayed consistent, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the order in which certain prospects would go between picks No. 2 through to No. 7. For me, Michigan center Adam Fantilli was a lock to go to the Anaheim Ducks at No. 2 given he would have been the First Overall Selection in any other Draft.
Instead, the Ducks opted to take Swedish forward Leo Carlsson with the second pick and the Blue Jackets were left thanking the Hockey Gods as they took the stage to announce Fantilli as their selection at No. 3.
I watched a load of Fantilli tape in the buildup to the Draft and, outside of Bedard, he was my favorite prospect. A big body at 6-foot-2 and 194 lbs - and still filling out - the 18-year-old is a real two-way player who will be able to impact the game at both ends of the ice and in all three zones.
Able to dominate the puck, Fantilli boasts a lot of skill, a lot of speed, a lot of power, an insane motor, a hockey IQ that is off the charts and he plays a real hard-nosed type of game. He’ll crash hard to the net every opportunity he gets, he’ll get to the dirty areas, he’ll finish his checks, he’ll be reliable in his own zone and he’ll put up a lot of points too.
In his first season with the University of Michigan in 2022-23, Fantilli was almost unstoppable as he recorded 65 points (30 G, 35 A) in 36 games on his way to winning the Hobey Baker Award and the Big Ten Tournament MVP. The Blue Jackets were able to pick so high in this year’s Draft despite having some real talent already on their NHL roster, including elite playmaker Jonny Gaudreau, and now they have their franchise center in Adam Fantilli, who is set to become an absolute dominant two-way force in the NHL.
I absolutely LOVED this pick.
Philadelphia Flyers
Other than the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets, I don’t think there’s a team jumping out of bed with an almighty spring in their step today as much as the Flyers will be.
Talk about a hell of a week.
After continuing what is becoming a mass teardown of the current roster by dealing veteran forward Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues earlier in the week, the new management team of President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones and General Manager Daniel Brière were able to get their man.
Matvei Michkov.
The Russian stud was widely considered the most naturally talented player in this year’s Draft outside of Connor Bedard, but the fact he has a three-year contract in the KHL, not to mention the current political situation with Russia, muddied the waters somewhat for a lot of teams.
In-fact, there was real concern that Michkov would be unable to play in the National Hockey League.
However, Brière and the rest of the Flyers’ top brass met with Michkov and clearly heard enough to make them comfortable to take the Russian phenom with the No. 7 overall pick. There was even talk that the Flyers were willing to move up to get their man.
Instead, they didn’t have to and they have now added a legit game-breaker to the organization. This was the grandest of grand slams and, while there is still a lot of risk involved, the upside to this selection was far too irresistible and franchise-altering to ignore.
Michkov is an absolute electrifying talent that could help this rebuild take a giant leap forward. Players of that ilk don’t come around all that often so, when they do, the only thing to do is to take one giant swing for the fences. This is exactly the type of game-changer Philadelphia needed. Plus, you can make a strong argument that the Flyers are the best-equipped team to wait out the full three-years of Michkov’s KHL contract if that’s what it takes. After all, they are in the very early stages of what is going to be a long rebuild with plenty of hurt ahead, so why not let Michkov develop in Russia and then bring him over when the team is in a better place to compete.
Also, Michkov said all the right things once he was drafted, including declaring that he was “glad to be a Flyer” and that “this was my dream, and my dream is to win a Stanley Cup.” Flyers fans would have loved that response from a player who could help deliver them the good times they have long craved.
Finally, Brière has had a really busy start to life as the General Manager of the Flyers, and he’s off to a very good start in his first Draft. Aside from taking Michkov, Philadelphia also selected Oliver Bonk - son of former NHL’er Radek Bonk - with the No. 22 overall pick. Bonk is a shutdown defenseman and the type of piece the Flyers need to build around. Day 1 was just a really productive and important step in Philly’s overall teardown and reconstruction of this roster, and they now have two potential franchise cornerstones to build around.
Washington Capitals
The Caps were clearly all in on the aforementioned Matvei Michkov but, after missing out on their guy, they were able to get a pretty good consolation prize with the No. 8 overall pick.
While forward Ryan Leonard perhaps doesn’t have the same upside as Michkov, he does tick a lot of boxes for the Capitals and he is what they need.
Leonard plays with grit and a whole load of energy and he’s drawn comparisons to Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, as well as the Caps’ own Tom Wilson. However, Leonard can produce too having scored 51 goals in 57 games for the U.S. National U18 Team in 2022-23. He also scored the game-winning goal for United States in the Under-18 World Championships to secure the Gold Medal.
With a big motor, a love for the physical side of the game and an ability to finish his checks, Leonard is a perfect fit for the Capitals and, if he can add some more size, he could morph into a really dangerous power forward in the NHL. Especially come Playoff time.
San Jose Sharks
Like every other team picking inside the Top 5, the Sharks are trying to navigate a rebuild and it is likely they will trade Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson at some point this offseason.
To that end, San Jose enjoyed a productive First Day of the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday, adding two high-end talents to their organization to bolster the prospect pipeline.
General Manager Mike Grier took USNTDP center Will Smith with the No. 4 overall pick, before selecting Sudbury Wolves winger Quentin Musty at No. 26 overall.
Smith, while small at 6-feet and 181 lbs, plays with a lot of fire and he put up 127 points (51 G, 76 A) in 60 games for the U.S. National U18 Team last season. The center is also known as a human highlight-reel who can make things happen with ease and he was considered as one of the most naturally-gifted puck-handlers in the Draft.
Musty, on the other hand, was considered a steal given he slipped down the board a lot lower than a lot of Draft experts predicted. The 6-foot-2, 201 lbs left-wing tallied 78 points (26 G, 52 A) in 53 games in the OHL in 2022-23 and he boasts a perfect package to go along with a lot of size.
When you are in the position the Sharks are in, you need to be looking at improving every single area of your team and they used their two picks in the First Round to add two high-end prospects who could develop into productive NHL players in the not-so-distant future.
Detroit Red Wings
I really love what General Manager Steve Yzerman is building in Motor City, trying to replicate the same blueprint he benefitted from as an icon in Detroit.
I also love the fact that Yzerman sticks to his beliefs and doesn’t sway away from his plan, leaning on his scouting department to unearth gems from every corner of Europe.
Many mocked him for taking German defenseman Moritz Seider with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Just look how that turned out. Seider won the Calder Trophy in 2021-22 and is developing into an elite NHL top-pair defenseman.
Well, Yzerman was at it again on Wednesday as he made two selections that really addressed two key areas of need for the Red Wings. With the No. 9 overall pick they took Brandon Wheat Kings center Nate Danielson, who put up 78 points (33 G, 45 A) in 68 games in the WHL last year. Oh, and by the way, No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard made it clear that Danielson was one of the toughest players he’s played against. That’s a pretty good endorsement.
Then, with their second pick at No. 17, the Red Wings selected Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka. This, for me at least, was a really high value pick by Yzerman because Sandin Pellikka is an offensive defenseman who boasts playmaking ability, outstanding mobility and an elite shot. He’s exactly the type of prospect this Detroit team needs and, and will add provide Seider with some support on the backend.
New York Rangers
There is no doubt that the New York Rangers lucked out on Wednesday. But that doesn’t mean they won’t still wake up feeling pretty damn happy with themselves today.
Picking at No. 23 overall, the Blueshirts were in a position where they could pick the best player available given how deep this Draft class was. Luckily for them, they were handed a true gift from The Hockey Gods.
That luxury gift came in the form of winger Gabriel Perreault, who should never have fallen that low in the First Round.
However, other teams’ loss is to the gain of the Rangers who arguably haven’t got a good recent reputation of drafting and then developing prospects. I mean, just look at the lack of progress made by Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko, the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 and the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, respectively.
In saying that, though, Perreault automatically becomes the most talented prospect in the Rangers’ farm system. The left-shooting right-wing broke Auston Matthews’ USNTDP’s all-time single-season scoring record this past season with a staggering 132 points (53 G, 79 A) in just 63 games. Perreault formed one part of an all-time dominating line with Will Smith and Ryan Leonard - both of whom were Top 10 picks on Wednesday.
Perreault boasts a high hockey IQ, slick hands, elite playmaking ability and he has the skillset needed to become a potent and productive top-six winger in the NHL one day. The Rangers lucked out big time by having Perreault fall into their laps, and it was the kind of boost this franchise needed after a tough year. And, if they can develop him the right way, the Blueshirts will have one hell of a player on their hands.
Buffalo Sabres
Let me just say this first - the Buffalo Sabres are putting together an absolute juggernaut and they are going to be a force in the Eastern Conference for a long, long time.
With an already loaded prospect pipeline that has helped to produce a competitive roster, the Sabres are now finally able to compete while being able to continue to build for tomorrow.
And they had a very good First Round on Wednesday.
Sitting in the middle of the opening round with the No. 13 overall pick, the Sabres were able to stand pat and take the best possible player available with forward Zach Benson falling to them.
Benson was projected to go higher in the First Round but fell a little bit arguably due to his size. However, while he’s just 5-foot-10 and 170 lbs, Benson makes up for that lack of size with a lot of battle, a high compete level, he can play a two-way game, he’s got amazing instincts and is an elite playmaker. Benson has consistently been the best player on the ice and he comes with tremendous upside.
The left-shot left-wing put up a whopping 98 points (36 G, 62 A) in 60 games for the Winnipeg Ice in the WHL last season, forming a lethal one-two offensive punch with fellow Sabres prospect Matt Savoie. Benson was a really high-value pick for Buffalo and he adds to what is an absurd collection of young studs aged 26 or younger:
Tage Thompson
Rasmus Dahlin
Dylan Cozens
Casey Mittelstadt
Jack Quin
JJ Peterka
Mattias Samuelsson
Owen Power
Devon Levi
Noah Ostlund
Jiri Kulich
Matt Savoie
Isak Rosén
Zach Benson
That is just an insane list and it should give all Sabres fans hopes that the good times are finally, finally on the horizon.
In order to be successful in a hard cap sport, you need to really hit on your First Round picks especially, while unearthing the odd gem in the later rounds, and Zach Benson has a real chance to develop into a really elite NHL player for the Sabres.
Colorado Avalanche
I’ll finish with the Avs who were really, really clever with their two selections in the First Round.
Now, it isn’t exactly common for a recent Stanley Cup Champion (2022) to come into a Draft armed with two First Round selections, but the Avalanche were able to acquire an extra pick from the Florida Panthers via the Montreal Canadiens.
And the Avs spent those two selections incredibly wisely.
With their own original pick - No. 27 overall - they took center Calum Ritchie from the OHL. Ritchie was once projected to be a Top 10 pick but he battled through the 2022-23 season with a shoulder injury, although he still managed to put up 59 points (24 G, 35 A) in 59 games.
Ritchie stands out because of his high Hockey IQ, which helps him to be reliable in his own zone as well being able to be used in all situations. The right-shot center isn’t a sexy pick, but he projects to be a solid bottom-six role player and when you are right up against the salary cap you need to be able to draft depth pieces that can help you down the road.
More sexy of a selection was the one Colorado made with its No. 31 overall pick, taking a swing by selecting defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev. The left-shot blueliner, who is under contract in the KHL until 2025, is undersized at 5-foot-10 and 172 lbs. However, he’s incredibly dynamic and is known for an elite skating ability. He’ll be able to absolutely fly through the neutral zone in order to join the rush and that elite skillset will make him a top-four defenseman in the NHL.
This was an incredibly high-value pick by the Avalanche, who were able to add two future NHL’er’s to their organization and really bolster the prospect pipeline with two players who should be able to eventually make a real impact at the NHL level.
