With the world juniors finally finished, we can officially look ahead to the 2023 NHL draft - and it's going to be a fun one. Not only will the festivities be held in Nashville, but the crop of players available looks to be an incredibly strong one, with several phenoms at the top. So yeah, it's a tank year if your team is rebuilding. Now, it is of course very early and things will no doubt change as the 2022-23 campaign takes hold, but we do have some recent info on these kids thanks to the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament and in a couple of cases, the world juniors. At first blush, it looks like a great year for the WHL and the player at the top is indeed Connor Bedard. With Matvei Michkov locked into a KHL contract until 2026, it's very hard to see Bedard getting dethroned. There doesn't appear to be a ton of high-end defensemen right now, but of course that could change over time. In terms of goaltenders, I don't see anyone elite right now, but there are options that look like at least second-rounders. I've slotted in Scott Ratzlaff here, but Carson Bjarnason and Carsen Musser are two intriguing names as well. And to be honest, there's still a lot to learn about this draft class (it's August, people).
The Hockey Writers
The Athletic