Bleacher Report

Nashville will host the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena. The first round will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with rounds two through seven on Thursday, June 29. Like the 2022 draft, it will be an ongoing return to normalcy from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The management and scouting staff from all 32 NHL clubs will be in attendance, as will many of 2023's top prospects and their families. It also means another full season for draft-eligible players in North America and Europe to be evaluated by NHL scouts. Central Scouting has not released their early evaluations of this season's prospects, but the early buzz has Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as the favorite to become the top prospect for 2022-23.