Wins it in OT for !!! WHL Draft Territory Alberta - British Columbia - Manitoba - Northwest Territories - Saskatchewan - Yukon Alaska - Arizona - California - Colorado - Hawaii - Idaho - Kansas - Minnesota - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Mexico - North Dakota - Oklahoma - Oregon - South Dakota - Texas - Utah - Washington - Wyoming Emil Jarventie, LW, Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja, 64. And he always seems to be around it. The biggest arguments against him are his size and skating, since a 5-foot-10 winger often needs to be an above average skater to make an impact in the NHL and Cristall is not quite there. Bedard has crushed all expectations this year and has firmly planted himself in the first overall position. My best guess at a player who has great skill but might slide on draft day due to his height is Gavin Brindley. He has been dominating the Swedish J20 league this year and is scoring at a higher pace right now than both Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Noah Ostlund did last year (who were drafted 15th and 16th respectively in the 2022 NHL Draft). Last season was certainly a strange one for WHL scouts as they anticipated the task of two drafts in one calendar year. I think its only a matter of time until he starts to produce more consistently. But even when things arent going his way and the points arent falling, Ive always liked his involvement level, so its hard to get too down on him. Calgary, Alta. Hes got quick hands one-on-one, he drops pucks back into his shooting stance effortlessly, and hes got a beautiful curl-and-drag motion. The real question will be if he can make a difference in his own end as his defending has been a bit too relaxed for my liking. Hes got everything else you look for in a dynamic play creator, too. Check out his skating and awareness! Hes not the hardest-working working player defensively, nor the fastest skater, but he always seems to be lurking around the play (and the puck) anyways and his skill level pops from there. Welcome to Draft Prospects Hockey's introduction to the 2023 NHL Draft Class series. He does a good job maintaining gaps and matching opposing forwards step-for-step skating backwards. Fantilli is a big, strong, powerful kid who takes pucks from the wall to the interior with force, and ease, and speed. Maxim Strbak, RD, Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL), 40. Publishing date 2022-12-21 User Anonymous Views 12926 Favorited 2 Share Embed 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 Priority Draft 10 months ago 44 players were selected by the 22 WHL member Clubs in Wednesday's U.S. David Edstrom, C (Frolunda) Hell make plays to the inside from the perimeter on one shift, and then go right to the guts of the ice to make something happen in a congested area the next. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. This year, he has been pretty clearly one of the most talented players in J20 whenever he has been there, has shown some really positive signs in spurts in HockeyAllsvenskan (he has actually been equally as productive on a rate basis as Dvrosky), and I liked him at the world juniors before a quiet quarterfinal against Team Canada. And he likes to try to take D one-on-one, which can result in some high-end plays but also some turnovers. Expectations were unfairly high for Connor Bedard coming into his draft year, with the generational talent label floating around in many draft conversations. He can definitely drift a little at five-on-five but his eyes light up and his head swivels when the puck lands on his stick, and skill plays against the grain usually follow. I think the bigger question is whether hes going to be more of a middle-six or a top-six one? During the bantam draft (typically held in early May), players from the four Western Provinces and the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible to be selected. He also hunts pucks and applies pressure with the best of them, and his motor doesnt stop, bouncing from one won battle to the next. I dont think hes going to become the kind of star that youre hoping to get when you draft him in the 5-7 range that some expected him to land in this year, but hes got 2C, PP1 upside if he can fill out his game and continue to add dimension. The combination of his skating, shot, and playmaking skills makes him a true offensive weapon. When you think youve got him trapped, you usually dont. 2023 Whl Bantam Draft - Elite Prospects 2023 Whl Bantam Draft Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. His ability to make plays offensively both off the rush and inside the zone (where hes got slick skill in traffic, great instincts off of the puck, and a lunch-pale approach) also gives me a lot of confidence that hell continue to progress. Sports Apr 22, 2020 Winnipeg Ice select B.C. The Kamloops Blazers drafted the former Burnaby Winter Club star No. Hes a natural scorer and creator, but hes also got plus vision and deft touch (though I wouldnt say his creativity is necessarily a strength). Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. This had many drawbacks including the need for extensive scouting systems along with the related expense, as well the added pressure on peewee-aged players (12-13 year-olds). Dvorsky has shown solid defensive play so far against men and his vision and puck skills have looked right at home, especially on the power play. He projects as a pass-first playmaking centre with a middle-six floor, first-line potential, and clear PP value (in multiple roles, too, because hes great around the net and below the goal line but can also run it from the flank). Go Premium for Elite Prospects Support. 2002 Rankings. Then he got back in late February and after a pointless return put up two goals on six shots in his second game back. He credited the Mintos for helping prepare him to make the jump to Major Junior hockey. He is a mobile defenseman who fits the mold of the modern puck-moving defender and power play quarterback. Sweden's best prospect for the 2023 draft, Carlsson dominated the J20 level with his size and skill last season, playing at nearly two points per game (35 in 18) and adding nine points in 35. Alex Ciernik, LW/RW, Sdertlje SK J20 (J20 Nationell), 37. 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. He has added a ton of strength since arriving at the program so that he can overwhelm junior level players with his power and speed. His near point-per-game production at the top of the Huskies stat sheet comes a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades, besting Alex Newhook(1.47), Kyle Turris (1.26), Tyson Jost (0.98), and Kent Johnson (0.81) while being four months younger than Johnson was at the time. Fantilli is currently authoring one of the most impressive draft eligible NCAA seasons in recent memory with the only competition being Jack Eichels dominant 2014-15 season where he put up 71 points in 40 games. That will limit concerns about his height (he certainly hasnt played small in his freshman year so far). His release is lightning-quick. On talent, and upside, and pedigree, his game checks all three boxes. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. While there are some great prospects in the top-five of the draft, theres no doubt that Bedard is the reason teams are tanking. 2 in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft with the pick between Bedard and Yager (he and Yager were actually teammates in minor hockey), is a talented and hardworking playmaker who keeps himself involved in the play off the puck and then makes plays between battles in possession of the puck. Still, I would argue hes been a more consistent offensive player for Moose Jaw this season than Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus has been, while playing an off-puck game that is inarguably stronger than Firkus (he has also been a dangerous penalty killer and is decently-strong in the faceoff circle). he wants the puck in the offensive zone and has the skill and shot to make things happen when teammates find him off the point or as the trailer off the rush. DraftPro's #1 prospect for the 2023 NHL entry draft, Connor Bedard finished the 2021/22 . Hes just a rock-solid, projectable two-way defenceman. 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). Finesse. Theres just this elusiveness to his game where you never know where hes going with the puck. Just a couple of weeks away from having been eligible for the 2022 draft, Danielson, who was an MVP of Albertas U15 AAA circuit and the No. For all the talk about how strong the 2022 draft class was for Slovakia, Dvorsky leads another excellent group into 2023. League. Michael Hrabal, G (Omaha) Arttu Karki, LD, Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 49. 7 overall in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and he made his debut in 2019-20 playing in four games. While that bent-sideways cannon that he has off of his right hip is his defining quality, its not the only tool he has that is singular, either. Martin Misiak, RW/LW (Youngstown) Hes a smooth skater who is noticeable in transition for both his ability to weave up ice and facilitate and also his ability to create breakaways for himself and beat goalies one-on-one. Matvei Michkov might just be the smartest player in this draft class, with an incredible ability to manipulate opposing defenses. Hes also a dexterous player who has good size (which will fill out). Max Domi (F) This season, after noticeably adding some needed muscle and rounding out his game nicely, I think he has shown folks that hell be able to stick down the middle. Hes a multi-dimensional forward who has quick acceleration, can handle the puck at speed and change tempos in control, can shape play by opening up his hips to go heel-to-heel, thrives in traffic, is a dual shot-pass threat, plays one step ahead of the game in possession, supports the play effectively, problem-solves as well as anyone in this class (in an age group that is full of intelligent playmakers), works his tail off off the puck to keep his energy up (he plays heavier and scrappier than he looks, too), and sets the pace for his line (whether by picking it up or slowing it down to use his creativity). Team management chose the name "Rebels". . Gauthier has cooled off following an incredibly hot start to the QMJHL season production-wise, but his smart and reliable habits have not changed. He can pick apart opposing defenses with pin-point passes and sly fakes, and his effort level is admirable. 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. Hes just a natural creator for himself and others who manufactures offence in a variety of ways. Related: Early Look at the 2024 NHL Draft. The Bantam Draft Lottery will determine the order of selection for the first six picks. 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. Now that the 2023 World Juniors are firmly in the rearview mirror, it's time to take another deep-dive into the top prospects for the 2023 Draft. 33. This draft class marks a decade of me doing this work, and I still believe this 2023 group is rivalled only by 2015 among the talent pools Ive scouted to date. He thrives in the small-area game, using light passes and rapid movements to play in and out of coverage. 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. Hes eager physically. Theres his variety of shooting stances above and beyond that pop off of his hip (right down to his curl-and-drag, his one-timer, and his feel off of his backhand). But thats what the Austrian has done in Switzerlands top flight this season, where he plays over 20 minutes in a game more often than he plays under it. Musty is an athletic winger who can beat goalies with his hard shot or by crashing the net and scoring in tight. In the 2021-22 season, Gulyayev set a new MHL (the top Russian junior league) record for points by a 16-year-old defenseman with 35 points in 54 games. And after how good he looked as an underager at U18 worlds in Germany last April, nobody has been surprised by his near goal-per-game breakout this season (in fact, I wrote I wont be surprised if he challenges Smith and Moore on the stat sheet this year while providing all of the energy that he does in my preseason ranking). He can slow it down and pick things apart or hurry up his passes through holes. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Ravndahl spent parts of three seasons with the Prince Albert Mintos program, recording 25 points in 50 games played. The 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Pre-Show begins with co-hosts Chris Wahl and Taylor Rocca at 8:30 a.m. PDT, with live draft coverage beginning at 9 a.m. PDT. - The Western Hockey League announced today the Spokane Chiefs will select first overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft following the completion of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club's of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. When he plays with pace and intention, hes both effective and flashes his skill in all three zones. 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 - Elite Prospects 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. He has been impressive thus far, scoring six points in 14 games with Sochi, with four of those points being goals. Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, Pelicans (Liiga), 36.