NHL Mock Draft 2023: Bedard, Fantilli, Smith lead Wheeler’s final prediction of rounds 1-2

NHL Mock Draft 2023: Bedard, Fantilli, Smith lead Wheeler’s final prediction of rounds 1-2

Scott Wheeler
Jun 27, 2023

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story failed to include Brayden Yager. The order of the mock draft has been updated.

Welcome to my second and final mock for the 2023 NHL Draft.

I’ve spent recent weeks gathering info about team leanings and specific interest, and considering organizational needs, each club’s amateur scouting preferences, and the consensus around these players. This is my educated best guess for where things stand. Throughout, I’ll also make note of likely team contingencies and other considerations.

Round 1

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard, C, Regina Pats

No mystery. No conspiracies. No hypotheticals. Bedard will be the next face of the Blackhawks.

2. Anaheim Ducks: Adam Fantilli, C, University of Michigan

I don’t think Matvei Michkov or Will Smith are seriously in the conversation here. The belief is that Fantilli remains the frontrunner to go second to the Ducks, with Leo Carlsson a bigger part of the conversation than the rest of their peers. But almost all of what I’ve turned up, combined with what the Ducks have drafted in recent years and are trying to build, has still brought me back to Fantilli. The speed. The competitiveness. The athleticism and physical frame. Those all advantage Fantilli and there are pieces of each of them in recent first-round picks used on centres Mason McTavish and Nathan Gaucher. Building around that identity down the middle and adding a player in Fantilli who also has first-line potential offensively with that mix, just makes a lot of sense.

3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Will Smith, C, U.S. NTDP

I think the Blue Jackets like all of Fantilli, Smith and Leo Carlsson, and they will strongly consider Fantilli here if the Ducks don’t take him. But if it comes down to Smith and Carlsson, I still like them to take Smith and bet on his unique skill level on the puck as their potential game-breaking centre of the future.

Advertisement

4. San Jose Sharks: Leo Carlsson, C, Örebro HK

The Sharks are the team that the folks I’ve talked to believe are the most likely of the top five to take Michkov. They could stand to add a premium talent on the wing, whereas the Blue Jackets and Canadiens are more well-positioned there. They have a recent history of recruiting and signing Russian players. Mike Grier and Co. seem like they’re willing to play the long game in their process, if the payoff is right. And they just need a star. I think had the Sharks picked one spot lower in the draft and the Canadiens one spot higher, the choices for both teams would have been simpler. Where they are, though, I still think the Sharks are more likely, push comes to shove, to take whoever of the other consensus top four guys the Blue Jackets don’t take, especially if Carlsson is left to them. After taking Filip Bystedt, likely to offset all of the 5-foot-11ish kids in their pool, last year, Carlsson would continue to add a little more size to a system that could use it, while still providing top-of-the-lineup skill and playmaking sense.

5. Montreal Canadiens: David Reinbacher, RHD, EHC Kloten

The sense around the league is that the Canadiens aren’t comfortable taking Michkov. So unless there has been some professional-level smoke screening happening, my expectation is that it’s going to be Reinbacher or Leonard here. I think Reinbacher’s a safer bet as a projectable No. 2/3 D who could sooner make an impact, but there are ties to Leonard (through Kent Hughes to Massachusetts minor hockey, etc.) and his competitiveness and scoring are both things the Canadiens could benefit from adding. This feels close to a coin flip between these two for me, although I have spoken to some who believe it’ll be Leonard.

6. Arizona Coyotes: Dalibor Dvorsky, C, AIK

There has been, for a while, this widespread belief that the Coyotes, after having repeatedly used premium draft capital on forwards, are going to take Reinbacher. Don’t be surprised if they take Dvorsky though either — especially if the Canadiens take Reinbacher, but maybe even if they don’t. Suddenly, Cooley-Dvorsky-Geekie/Hayton would look pretty strong as a 1-2-3 down the middle long term.

7. Philadelphia Flyers: Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg

I could see the Flyers taking Leonard here. He’d certainly fit the classical identity of the organization and add another scoring threat after they targeted one in Cutter Gauthier last year (he and Gauthier are about to be teammates at Boston College and then the world juniors, and played with the U18s at the same time for a time at the NTDP, too). I could see them taking one of the top defencemen here after Keith Jones’ talk of building through the blue line (Reinbacher if he’s there, and consideration to a guy like Willander if he’s not). But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve come back to Michkov. I think the Provorov move, and the chatter around Carter Hart and some of the other things they’re considering right now, are strong indicators that Danny Briere is serious about this process. And what do they need more than a potential top-of-the-league, game-breaking point producer?

Advertisement

8. Washington Capitals: Ryan Leonard, RW, U.S. NTDP

Outside of presumed interest in Michkov, the Capitals’ mediocre pool doesn’t have a natural strength to consider or a hole to fill. They’ve used their last three first-round picks on forwards (Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko) but have also used their last two second-round picks on defencemen (Ryan Chesley and Vincent Iorio). Though two of those forwards are natural centres, they may both play wing in the NHL. I’m sure they’d love to add Reinbacher here, both for his proximity to the NHL for their timeline and because they don’t really have a blue-chipper on the backend. In Reinbacher’s absence, I expect they’d consider defencemen Tom Willander and Dmitri Simashev. But Leonard would be viewed as the consensus top prospect here, and I like them to take him if he is.

9. Detroit Red Wings: Tom Willander, RHD, Rögle BK

The more time I’ve spent thinking about the Red Wings’ plays at No. 9 and No. 17, the more often I’ve come back to the likelihood that they take a defenceman first and a forward second in order to avoid the risk that comes with hoping that one of the top D (of which there are only a few) is still available when it’s their turn again. If they do go forward here, I could see them taking Giants forward Samuel Honzek, who told reporters at the combine that his best interview was with the Red Wings. If they’re hellbent on a natural centre (Honzek told teams he’d play both but is viewed more as a winger), Nate Danielson and Oliver Moore could enter the discussion. If they want to take a swing on skill, Gabe Perreault and Zach Benson would fit the bill. But one or two of those guys will still be available when the draft comes back around to them, and the same can’t be said for the smooth-skating, right-handed Willander.

10. St. Louis Blues: Oliver Moore, C, U.S. NTDP

The expectation is that the Blues are going to take a centre or a defenceman here. And with Willander off the board, I think a centre is more likely. If that’s the case, there are likely three candidates: Moore, Danielson and Brayden Yager. I think I’d place the likelihood of them taking each in that order, as well. Though Moore and Danielson would be really close in a consensus, and the consensus may actually favour Danielson slightly, they’ve had success drafting speed (see: Jordan Kyrou) and University of Minnesota commits (see: Jimmy Snuggerud) and Moore checks both boxes.

11. Vancouver Canucks: Nate Danielson, C, Brandon Wheat Kings

If Willander’s here, I think the Canucks take him. If he’s not, I expect they’ll pivot away from the defencemen and take a forward (Axel Sandin Pellikka doesn’t strike me as a fit, and they don’t strike me as the team that’s going to take Simashev). I believe the most likely candidates are Danielson, Benson, and Owen Sound captain Colby Barlow. There are also local ties to two players who fit in their range in Nanaimo native Matthew Wood and Vancouver Giants forward Samuel Honzek (who profiles in line with what they’ve tended to like). Five of those six players (Honzek excluded) have been linked to dinners with the Canucks at the combine. I’d take Benson. If I had to bet on who they’d take? I think it’s more likely that position wins out and it’s Danielson, the only surefire centre of the bunch, if the Blues don’t take him with pick No. 10.

12. Arizona Coyotes: Zach Benson, LW, Winnipeg Ice

With Reinbacher gone before No. 6 and Willander gone before No. 12 in this scenario, and after already having taken a forward in Dvorsky in Reinbacher’s absence, this decision could get really interesting for the Coyotes. Do they take another forward and double down for the second year in a row? Can they afford to take a Simashev, given the uncertainty around their team and the recruitment that may be required? Do they like Sandin Pellikka, after the way things have gone with another 5-foot-11 Swedish defenceman they drafted in Victor Soderstrom? As much as it might sting to not walk away with a defenceman with either of their two picks, I’d still guess they take another forward considering all of that. I also know they had dinner with Benson and Yager at the combine (as well as Willander, Dvorsky, Leonard and one other player that I haven’t been able to confirm). With Cooley, Dvorsky, and Geekie down the middle within the pool, and Guenther as a right-shot winger, Benson wins out as a lefty (it doesn’t hurt that he’s Geekie’s teammate in Winnipeg, either).

 Axel Sandin Pellikka. (Jari Pestelacci / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images)

13. Buffalo Sabres: Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD, Skellefteå AIK

Ultimately, I think this pick comes down to Sandin Pellikka and Simashev. The Sabres’ pool is loaded up front, and while they’re committed long term to a young core on their blue line in the NHL, their system could use a bit of a boost there. I’ve written before that I believe their group will like wingers Matthew Wood and Barlow, who could add a little size to their smallish group of forward prospects (they’ve obviously had success with Tage Thompson out of UConn, where Wood plays, as well). But they don’t lack shooters and Sandin Pellikka and Simashev just make too much sense. The 5-foot-11 Sandin Pellikka could be a great foil to the size of Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Rasmus Dahlin (though there’s only so much power play time to go around) and Simashev would add more of a good thing with his length and skating, plus they’re among the teams that have shown no aversion to drafting Russians and getting them over here. A combine interview with Pellikka and more certainty around getting him over here won out, but it could go either way for me.

Advertisement

14. Pittsburgh Penguins: Matthew Wood, RW, UConn

With Kyle Dubas at the helm and the Penguins pool in desperate need of an injection of talent, I think there are five names to hone in on here: Perreault, Honzek, Wood, Yager, and Barlow. Perreault would represent the biggest swing and a bet on the player’s offensive IQ, but I wonder if they lean toward someone who is a little further down their development path because of Sid and Gino’s window. Barlow’s got a pro-style game and shot, but I wonder if lessons learned from the challenge Samuel Poulin’s lack of pace has posed make them pause. That would leave Wood, who has already been a point-per-game player in college and could conceivably factor in as a scoring top-nine winger before the Crosby-Malkin era finishes, Honzek, whose projectability and size may be appealing, and Yager, a natural centre who plays the game with the smarts and three-zone commitment that Duabs covets, while also having legit skill.

15. Nashville Predators: Gabe Perreault, LW, U.S. NTDP

The Predators’ pool is deeper at the wing than at centre or on defence, and I think they’d give strong consideration to Yager here as a result. But if Perreault is still available, there would be no player left on the board who would fit into Barry Trotz’s self-proclaimed “take some swings” approach more than Perreault. They could use a true point-producing, offensive talent about as much as any team in the league, and Perreault, one of the most gifted and intelligent forwards in the draft, gives them a real chance at that if they play their cards right with his development.

16. Calgary Flames: Colby Barlow, RW, Owen Sound Attack

I’m sure the Flames would love to take a D here (it’s the thinnest part of their pool) but with three of the four big names gone, I’m not sure Craig Conroy is going to be comfortable using his first selection as general manager on the Russian Simashev. In that case, Barlow and Honzek are the two most likely considerations, I’d think, with Barlow’s goal-scoring as the premium for a team that needs more of it (Barlow, like top Flames prospect Matthew Coronato, is also a real competitor).

17. Detroit Red Wings: Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver Giants

The Red Wings’ gamble pays off and they close out a win-win scenario with Willander and Honzek. If a team like the Canucks, Penguins or Flames takes Honzek, I could see them being interested in the scoring appeal of guys like a Barlow or a Wood here, too (with Barlow closer to their type). I’ll probably hear from scouts about him going too low here, but I think I’d hear that about any of the forwards who went in front of him here and one of them is going to linger (maybe two or three of them if either of the next two names go higher, which is also possible).

18. Winnipeg Jets: Dmitri Simashev, LHD, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

The Jets have used their last four first-round picks on forwards in Rutger McGroarty, Brad Lambert, Chaz Lucius and Cole Perfetti. If one of the top D is available here, I think they pounce. They’ve also successfully signed 2021 second-round pick Nikita Chibrikov and I’m sure will make efforts to get 2021 fifth-round pick Dmitri Rashevsky to North America when the time comes. Where things could get interesting is if the four big D prospects are gone, because there is a gap in expected range between them and the next group. I wonder if they’d consider moving back and taking a D later, but if they don’t I wouldn’t be shocked to see them go forward again. Forwards Eduard Sale and Quentin Musty would make sense if there’s an apprehension to take Simashev or the other D here and they want to add more talent up front in an effort to eventually replace what they’re going to lose if their current core is broken up.

19. Chicago Blackhawks: Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw Warriors

The Blackhawks are well-positioned to take a cut here, including on a winger. They’ve added Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and Ryan Greene to the pool down the middle. They added defencemen Kevin Korchinski and Sam Rinzel to a pool that already included Ethan Del Mastro, Wyatt Kaiser, Alex Vlasic, Nolan Allan and others last year. I expect if all of the above names are gone, this decision will come down to Yager, the 6-foot-5 Daniil But and Oshawa Generals centre Calum Ritchie (who has also successfully played the wing internationally. Ritchie is fresh off of shoulder surgery, though, and while they can afford to play the waiting game with But and his KHL contract given their timeline, I think Yager wins out on position if he’s available here.

Note: It feels like the above names are the perceived true cream of the crop. That 19 may not be the top 19, but they aren’t going to linger much past it. And once they’re gone, the draft should really open up into a much larger second tier. At forward, Calum Ritchie, Quentin Musty, Eduard Sale, Otto Stenberg, Andrew Cristall, Bradly Nadeau, Charlie Stramel, Ethan Gauthier, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, David Edstrom, Gavin Brindley, Riley Heidt, Carson Rehkopf, Danny Nelson and Kasper Halttunen are all names I’ve heard in different conversations about the first-round (more or less in that order). On defence, attention will turn to Oliver Bonk, Mikhail Gulyayev, Tanner Molendyk, and Etienne Morin for most teams, as well as Lukas Dragicevic for a minority.

20. Seattle Kraken: Oliver Bonk, RHD, London Knights

I expect the Kraken to look to add a defenceman (they’ve only used two of their 10 picks in the first three rounds of the last two drafts on defencemen) or a little bit of size up front to their pool (after having used high picks on smaller guys like Jagger Firkus and David Goyette). Musty, Goyette’s Sudbury teammate, would make some sense on multiple fronts. I could see them taking a swing on Sale’s skill level in an effort to add more talent to the organization (as well as their everyone’s-a-40-point-guy team has worked, they’re going to need to find players who can add dimension eventually). The need is greater on defence, though, and I wonder if Bonk makes more sense than the alternatives because his game is more complete (they’ve already got a power-play quarterback type in Nelson).

Advertisement

21. Minnesota Wild: Eduard Sale, LW, HC Kometa Brno

The Wild’s pool is well-positioned across positions in large part because they haven’t focused on patching positional holes from year to year and have consistently made talent their modus operandi. I don’t see why this year will be any different and expect the better prospects available to be forwards here. That probably zeroes in on names like Ritchie, Musty, Sale and Stenberg. If all else were equal, they’d probably rather have a centre. Ritchie is the most likely of that group to be one in the NHL, but because he projects more as a middle-six C and they’re in need of a true top-six one, I settled on the skill of Sale, which definitely grades the highest (even if it comes with questions about his drive and competitiveness).

22. Philadelphia Flyers: Tanner Molendyk, LHD, Saskatoon Blades

If it’s Michkov at No. 7, I’d expect the Flyers to take a centre or a defenceman here, with preference towards a blueliner and strong consideration given to Bonk if he’s still around. If it’s a centre, Ritchie feels like the most likely, though there are a lot of names (Heidt, Brindley, Stenberg, Stramel, Edstrom, Nelson, etc. have all played it to varying degrees). Push comes to shove, though, if they take a forward with their first pick, I’d expect them to strongly consider Molendyk and Morin here. Molendyk’s skating wins out. Sounds like he impressed folks at the combine, too.

23. New York Rangers: Calum Ritchie, C, Oshawa Generals

As with the Flyers, I expect the Rangers to go C or D here (their pool is deeper on the wing with Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora, Will Cuylle and Brett Berard all near the top of their system). But with Bonk and Molendyk both gone, and several centres in the conversation in this range, it does feel like a pivot is more likely. Ritchie, Edstrom and Stramel feel more likely than a Heidt or a Brindley if only because their pool could stand to add a little more size. All three play well-rounded games but Ritchie wins out with a little more finesse, something their system could use.

24. Nashville Predators: Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD, Avangard Omsk

I believe the Preds would consider forwards Musty, Cristall and Nadeau within Trotz’s “take some swings” approach here. I’ve heard rumblings about Cristall and Nashville, in particular. He would represent that kind of a cut, and there are connections between some of the folks in Kelowna and members of the Nashville front office. I do wonder if that’s less likely if it’s Perreault at 15, though, especially because it would mean taking two wingers — an area of the pool that’s already deeper than centre or defence. As a result, I kept coming back to Gulyayev, Morin and Dragicevic, three D who call come with some risk but plenty of talent (they might be the three top offensive D in the draft, in fact). Gulyayev would be the biggest swing of the bunch and he and Perreault would certainly inject some skill into the Preds org.

25. St. Louis Blues: Charlie Stramel, C, University of Wisconsin

I’m sure the Blues would consider Bonk and Molendyk if they’re around here, but in their absence, I think they double down on restocking their centre depth after adding Moore at the top of the draft, and stick with the NTDP-to-NCAA pipeline once more with a little more emphasis on size here (they’d probably also consider David Edstrom in this scenario). If they do go D, and Bonk and Molendyk are both gone, Morin and Dragicevic could go here.

26. San Jose Sharks: Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury Wolves

I’m not sure Musty will be here but in the event that he is, I think the Sharks would jump at the opportunity to add a left-shot winger with his size and upside to their mix as a complement to all of the 5-foot-11ish prospects they have up front.

27. Colorado Avalanche: Otto Stenberg, C, Frölunda HC

Because of how thin the Avalanche’s pool is across the board, they’re not in a position to be picky about position and should just take the best player available. In a consensus poll, that’s probably Stenberg here, though I could see them taking a David Edstrom for his position-size-skill combo, or a Bradly Nadeau for a skill play, too.

Advertisement

28. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ethan Gauthier, RW, Sherbrooke Phoenix

If it’s status quo and Brad Treliving is going to leave the Leafs staff to complete this draft process in Dubas’ vision, there are a number of players I expect they’d like in this range: defencemen Morin and maybe Dragicevic, and forwards Nadeau, Fisker Molgaard, Heidt, Gauthier, and maybe Brindley. Gauthier feels like the one who is most likely for crossover between the Leafs’ scouts and what Treliving may be bringing with him from Calgary, though. If they decide to prioritize adding a little more size to the pool up front with this pick, which feels like a possibility, Edstrom and Rehkopf could be in the mix here as well.

29. St. Louis Blues: Etienne Morin, LHD, Moncton Wildcats

If the Blues take a pair of centres with their first two picks, I think it’s only natural that they’ll turn their attention to the defencemen here. As with a couple of the teams in front of them, I expect they’d strongly consider Oliver Bonk and/or Tanner Molendyk here (a sign that more defencemen are going to go in the first round than I think people realize). Without them, Morin makes more sense than Dragicevic both in consensus and in fit within the Blues organization and its system.

30. Carolina Hurricanes: Daniil But, LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

The Hurricanes are among the teams with the most clear “type” and there are going to be a few in this range who fit it. I could see them having interest in both Brindley and Nadeau. I could see them being among the teams willing to consider Dragicevic in the first round. I could see them liking Heidt and the similarities between his playmaking game and those of Seth Jarvis and Ryan Suzuki (for different reasons). With But available, though, they take the swing on the towering Russian winger.

31. Montreal Canadiens: Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna Rockets

If it’s not Reinbacher and the Canadiens take a forward at No. 5, I think this pick becomes less likely. If it is Reinbacher, though, I won’t be surprised if the Canadiens are the team to take a chance on Cristall’s skill and playmaking (and no, not because of Martin St. Louis, but for a myriad of other reasons) and then use pick No. 37 to add a little more size. It could go vice-versa, using this selection to add some size up front and No. 37 to try to nab Cristall if he lingers, but that feels like playing with fire.

32. Vegas Golden Knights: Carson Rehkopf, LW, Kitchener Rangers

The Golden Knights have shown an affinity to athletic, straight-line players and Rehkopf’s rangy speed-shot game checks both of those boxes with emphasis, while also providing positional versatility as a player who has played all three forward positions successfully.

Round 2

33. Anaheim Ducks: Gavin Brindley, C, University of Michigan

The Ducks took two teammates last year when they drafted Tristan Luneau and Noah Warren from the Gatineau Olympiques. After taking Fantilli in the first, they now go back to the Wolverines to take Brindley, a competitor and high-end skater who Fantilli has called the best teammate he’s ever had.

34. Columbus Blue Jackets: David Edstrom, C, Frölunda HC

There’s a real chance that Edstrom’s a late-first, so the Blue Jackets are thrilled to bolster their depth down the middle with another centre.

Advertisement

35. Chicago Blackhawks: Bradly Nadeau, LW, Penticton Vees

The Blackhawks have placed a premium on skating in the forwards they’ve drafted, and they add speed and skill with Nadeau, one of the only players left who could play in their top-six someday.

36. San Jose Sharks: Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha Lancers

Happy with Smith and Musty, the Sharks are the first team to dip their toes into the goaltending waters, taking the 6-foot-6.75 Hrabal, the consensus top goalie prospect in the draft.

37. Montreal Canadiens: Danny Nelson, C, U.S. NTDP

After taking Reinbacher and Cristall in the first, the Habs look to add a little size to the pipeline with Nelson, who has played both the centre and the wing and has some legit tools to work with it.

38. Arizona Coyotes: Lukas Dragicevic, RHD, Tri-City Americans

If the Coyotes take forwards with both of their firsts, look for them to draft a defenceman here. Dragicevic is the most talented of the bunch left, and the most likely to fall because of concerns about his skating.

I could see the Canadiens, Sharks and Coyotes liking the incredibly smart Luca Cagnoni as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he went in that 36-38 range despite being 5-foot-10, either.

39. Buffalo Sabres: Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, C, HV71

After taking a D with their first-round pick, the Sabres add one of the draft’s more well-rounded centres in a play for a potential middle-six pivot who could work well with their many talented wingers.

40. Washington Capitals: Theo Lindstein, LHD, Brynäs IF

If the Capitals go forward at No. 8, look for them to add to their pool’s blue line depth here, Beau Akey and Hunter Brzustewicz are likely also in the conversation but Lindstein’s solid two-way game aligns better with how they’ve drafted in the past.

41. Detroit Red Wings: Hunter Brzustewicz, RHD, Kitchener Rangers

The Red Wings double-down on right-shot defenceman and take the heady and athletic Brzustewicz, a Michigan native.

Advertisement

If a player like Andrew Cristall lingers here, I believe the Red Wings would use one of these three consecutive second-round picks to take a swing on his skill, so that’s something else to keep in mind.

42. Detroit Red Wings: Beau Akey, RHD, Barrie Colts

The Red Wings triple-down on right-shot defencemen and take the smooth-skating transition game of Akey. Aram Minnetian, Maxim Strbak, and Gavin McCarthy are all competitive right-shot D who could be in the conversation here, too.

43. Detroit Red Wings: Riley Heidt, C, Prince George Cougars

The Red Wings continue to add at premium positions and take the falling Heidt, a centre with skill and feel offensively who also fits the Wings’ work ethic mould.

44. Chicago Blackhawks: Nico Myatovic, LW, Seattle Thunderbirds

It might feel odd to take four straight forwards, but it makes sense for the Blackhawks to make it a priority with their high picks this year and significantly upgrade their pool up front in one fell swoop. Myatovic gives them a toolsy, versatile piece who could factor in nicely behind the Bedards, Nadeaus, Nazars and Reichels.

45. Buffalo Sabres: Andrew Gibson, RHD, Soo Greyhounds

After a steady rise was punctuated with a strong U18 Worlds, Gibson climbs all the way to the middle of the second round and lands with the Sabres, adding length that they passed on when they took Sandin Pellikka while continuing to fill out their system where it needs it most: on the backend.

46. Nashville Predators: Koehn Ziemmer, RW, Prince George Cougars

Concerns about his skating and fitness push Ziemmer into the second round, but his game is well-liked in other regards, he’s skilled, and he’s the most productive CHL player left.

47. Nashville Predators: Nick Lardis, LW, Hamilton Bulldogs

Lardis exploded after a mid-season trade from Peterborough to Hamilton, and his speed-shot combo is too much for the Predators to pass up. If they take a defenceman with one of these two, I wonder if they’d look at Caden Price, his summer birthday, and his vision, and see the appeal. The Preds also took two Finns high last year and have recently graduated Juuso Parssinen, so I could see them taking Finnish U18 captain Kasper Halttunen here.

Advertisement

48. Calgary Flames: Kasper Halttunen, RW, HIFK

After the Preds pass on Halttunen, the Flames pounce and, with Barlow, secure two of the strongest, most physically-mature, hardest-shooting players in the draft.

49. New York Islanders: Jakub Dvorak, LHD, Bílí Tygri Liberec

It’s hard to gauge where Dvorak will go because of the differing opinions around the 6-foot-5 defender, whose skating is a major issue and has an injury history, but has pro experience and international cache. The Islanders feel like a team that could be drawn to him, though. I could see them liking Slovak defenceman Maxim Strbak, too.

50. Seattle Kraken: Trey Augustine, G, U.S. NTDP

The Kraken have taken a goalie in each of their first two drafts, but Semyon Vyazovoy and Niklas Kokko aren’t reason to not take a third. In Augustine, they get the smartest and soundest goalie in the draft.

51. Chicago Blackhawks: Adam Gajan, G, Green Bay Gamblers

Goalies go back-to-back as the Blackhawks take Gajan, a re-entry goalie whose play in the NAHL, USHL and at the world juniors this season have made him one of the top goalies in the draft.

52. Seattle Kraken: Anton Wahlberg, C, Malmö Redhawks

After adding a defenceman and a goalie, the Kraken get a player from a third premium position by taking Wahlberg, a big Swedish centre who impressed down the stretch and into U18 Worlds this season.

53. Minnesota Wild: Aram Minnetian, RHD, U.S. NTDP

The Wild have had multiple prospects go through Boston College and they add another in Minnetian, who made huge progress in his decision-making this year and has always had a ton of desirable qualities as a player. I could see them liking speedy Slovak winger Juraj Pekarcik, as well.

54. Los Angeles Kings: Luca Cagnoni, LHD, Portland Winterhawks

The Kings hit when they bet on Jordan Spence’s smarts, and that’s reason enough to take the closest thing in this draft in Cagnoni.

Advertisement

55. Chicago Blackhawks: Mathieu Cataford, C, Halifax Mooseheads

The Blackhawks add more versatile skill, athleticism and competitiveness with Cataford, a player who checks a lot of boxes and can play all three forward positions.

56. Edmonton Oilers: Carson Bjarnason, G, Brandon Wheat Kings

The Oilers make goaltending a priority and take Bjarnason, whose tools are well-liked by scouts. Youngstown’s Jacob Fowler could be another option if they take a netminder as well. If they don’t feel comfortable taking a goalie with their first pick of the draft, I’d look for them to take a defenceman (they haven’t used a pick in the first two rounds on one in the last three drafts). Strbak and Price could be an option in that scenario, but so could Minnetian if he’s not taken.

57. Seattle Kraken: Juraj Pekarcik, LW, HK Nitra

They’ve got a defenceman, a goalie and a centre, now the Kraken add a winger who rose up boards and fits with the player type they like in Pekarcik, whose speed and skill intrigue.

58. New Jersey Devils: Coulson Pitre, RW, Flint Firebirds

After using all sorts of draft capital on defencemen in recent drafts, I expect the Devils will take a forward with their first pick this year. Pitre would fit with how they’ve drafted in the past, but Liiga forward Lenni Hameenaho is another one that came to mind for me here.

59. Anaheim Ducks: Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown Phantoms

Fowler makes it five goalies taken in the second round, as the Ducks get in on the action and look to strengthen their pool between the pipes. I don’t know that it’ll be Fowler here, but he’s the consensus top goalie prospect left and these back-to-back picks feel like an opportunity for the Ducks to add there.

60. Anaheim Ducks: Maxim Strbak, RHD, Sioux Falls Stampede

After taking two forwards and a goalie with their first three picks, the Ducks take Strbak, a staunch defender who could maybe complement an Olen Zellweger, or a Jamie Drysdale, or a Pavel Mintyukov someday.

61. Dallas Stars: Jaden Lipinski, C, Vancouver Giants

The Stars used their first four picks on defencemen last year and their pool could use a little more size at forward. In the 6-foot-4 Lipinski, they get a player who could fit in nicely behind the Stankovens, Bourques and Johnstons.

Advertisement

62. Carolina Hurricanes: Caden Price, LHD, Kelowna Rockets

The Hurricanes covet heady players and Price’s vision and sense, combined with his summer birthday, are intriguing enough to warrant second-round consideration, especially if they take a forward with their first-rounder.

63. Florida Panthers: Lenni Hämeenaho, RW, Ässät

The Panthers have used four of their last five picks in the first four rounds of the draft on defencemen. They use their first in 2023 on a forward in Hameenaho, who has a pro track record already and brings a lot of B-plus level tools to the table without being dynamic in any one area.

64. Minnesota Wild: Noah Dower Nilsson, LW, Frölunda HC

The Wild add Dower Nilsson, who torched Sweden’s J20 level this season and who is in the conversation with countryman Russian Roman Kantserov and Thunderbirds forward Gracyn Sawchyn as the most talented forward left.

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Matthias Hangst, Chase Agnello-Dean, Jari Pestelacci / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Scott Wheeler

Scott Wheeler covers the NHL draft and prospects nationally for The Athletic. Scott has written for the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, The Toronto Sun, the National Post, SB Nation and several other outlets in the past. Follow Scott on Twitter @scottcwheeler