Hamhuis2
Registered User
- Aug 21, 2014
- 211
- 145
Hi all,
Posting my rankings for the 1st round of the 2023 draft for feedback and discussion.
I'm curious to see what HFBoards thinks about the 2023 first round. In my estimation, the first-round projection is one of the best I can remember, with absolute franchise/elite players at the top, and first-line players available well into the middle of the round. It's a good year to have a 1st!
Brief stylistic comparisons and projections included here:
Posting my rankings for the 1st round of the 2023 draft for feedback and discussion.
I'm curious to see what HFBoards thinks about the 2023 first round. In my estimation, the first-round projection is one of the best I can remember, with absolute franchise/elite players at the top, and first-line players available well into the middle of the round. It's a good year to have a 1st!
Brief stylistic comparisons and projections included here:
Player - Position - Potential - Point Projection - Stylistic Comparable - Notes
1. Bedard - C - Top-5 player - 100+ points - Joe Sakic mixed with Patty Kane - Dynamic sniper, sneaky edgework, elite skill.
2. Michkov - RW - Top-5 goalscoer - 100+ points - Nikita Kucherov - Intelligent, high-skilled player who excels at darting into space in the offensive zone. Can score from anywhere. Potential 50 goal scorer.
3. Fantilli - C - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Jonathan Toews - High-end physical tools + aggressive + solid hockey sense.
4. Carlsson - C/LW - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Filip Forsberg - High degree of drive + skill. Uses his body to protect the puck very well.
5. Smith - C - #1 centre - 80+ points - Trevor Zegras - Creative, controls the pace of the game, which can sometimes cause him to look slow. Can lack on defensive effort, but is an offensive wizard.
6. Benson - LW/RW - Play-driving 1st line winger - 80+ points - Brayden Point - Workhorse with high-end skill. Above average straight-line speed, but elite edges. Small, but tenacious.
7. Reinbacher - RD - Top-pair defenceman - 40 points - Alex Pietrangelo - Above-average puck skills. Very good distance passer and decision maker. Above average skater with room to improve pivots. Great reach and overall defensive play.
8. Leonard - RW/C - Complementary 1st line winer - 70 points - Zach Parise - Elite motor, high-end shot and puck skills. Good two-way player who plays like a smaller power forward.
9. Moore - C - High-end #2 centre - 65 points - Dylan Larkin - Best skater in the draft, with a willingness to play inside the dots. Good puck skills and passing. Above average hockey IQ.
10. Dvorsky - C - High-end #2 centre - 60 points - Anze Kopitar - Advanced defensive game, great shot, but needs time to get it off. Above average puck skills. Heavy feet, but ok speed once he gets going.
11. Cristell - LW - Complementary 1st line winger or bust - 75+ points or bust - Claude Giroux - Elite puck skills, highly creative. Fantastic passer with a great shot. One of the best players in the offensive zone, though he can force plays. Good edges but average separation and top speed.
12. Sandin-Pellikka - RD - Offensive #3 defenceman - 50+ points - Quinn Hughes - Elite skater, including great four-way mobility. Play-driver from the backend, with good vision and passing. Typically good decision-making; prone to some lapses. Average defensively.
13. Barlow - LW - 1st/2nd line power forward - 60 points - Mason McTavish - High-end shot and physical tools. Plays a direct game with above-average skating. Above-average hockey IQ, but probably won't be the primary creator on his line.
14. Wood - 1st line power forward or bust - 75+ points or bust - Jason Robertson - High-end tools, including shot, size, and puck skills. Incredibly intelligent player. Below-average acceleration and average top speed. Skating could limit his upside, or he could become the next Jason Robertson.
15. Perrault - Complimentary 1st line winger - 60 points - Jake Guentzel - Not the biggest or the fastest, but the hockey IQ is near the top of the class, and he has good skill. Wide spread on this player, but he's too smart to fail.
16. Yager - 1st/2nd line sniper - 60 points - Mike Hoffman - Great shot and good skating, but plays a bit too much on the perimeter, leading to inconsistencies in creating. Average/above-average hockey IQ.
17. Danielson - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Anthony Cirelli - Prototypical two-way #2C. Very responsible player who is a jack of all trades. Good, but not great at everything.
18. Sale - RW - 1st line offensive winger or bust - 65+ points or bust - Taylor Hall - Great individual puck skills and speed. More of a playmaker, but has a good shot - needs to use it more. Very inconsistent - can disappear for games at a time and then look like the best player on the ice.
19. Heidt - LW/C - 2nd line playmaker - 55 points - Nick Schmaltz - Great passer and playdriver from the centre or wing. Good mobility, especially carrying the puck in transition. He has high-end hockey IQ, and should play C at the next level. Despite low goal totals, he is a good one-timer option on the PP.
20. Simashev - LD - #3-4 shutdown defenceman - 25 points - Jonas Siegenthaler - Big shutdown defenceman with a good stick, above average skating & physicality, and some offensive upside. Potential the best defensive player in the draft.
21. Brindley - 2nd line pest - 50 points - Brad Marchand - Tenacious player with a high-end motor and good puck skills. Great at puck retrievals and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone.
22. Honzek - C/LW - 2nd line powerforward - 50 points - Danius Zubrus - Plus size and above-average skating. Doesn't shy away from the middle of the ice, especially the front of the net. Can be inconsistent and needs to work on his defensive play.
23. Willander - RD - #3-4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Anton Stralman - Very efficient player with good mobility, decision-making, and passing. Isn't flashy, but always seems to make the right play. Could improve his
24. Ritchie - C - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Ryan O'Reilly - Above average in everything except average skating.
25. Stenburg - C - #2 two-way centre - 50+ points - Philip Danault - Good two-way player with above-average skating and hands. Likes the puck on his stick and excels in transition. Plus shot from range.
26. Gulyayev - LD - #4 offensive defenceman - 50+ points - Tyson Barrie - Elite skater with high-end offensive tools, including stickhandling and passing in the offensive zone. Loves to join the rush, and can get back due to his elite speed. In-zone defending and strength need improvement.
27. Sawchyn - C - Middle-six energy forward - 45 points - JG Pageau - High-end motor and good passing, especially in tight spaces. He's a tenacious forechecker who can play higher in the lineup due to his hockey IQ and good skill base, though may be limited by his size.
28. Musty - LW - Top-6 playmaker or bust - 55+ points or bust - Benoit Pouliot - Above-average individual skill, creativity, and vision. Struggles with inconsistency, physicality, and skating - especially his acceleration.
29. Ziemmer - RW - Top-6 power forward - 50 points - Timo Meier - Excellent at using his size to protect the puck and drive the net. Has a great shot, good IQ and passing ability, but can lack explosiveness.
30. Lindstein - LD - #4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Henri Jokiharju - Smooth skating defender with a big shot, but can struggle under pressure with his decision-making.
31. But - LW - Top-6 power forward or bust - 50+ points or bust - Evgeni Malkin - Massive physical player with good puck skills and a hard, but inaccurate shot. He's very raw, and has an awkward stride that doesn't generate much power, leading to poor acceleration but decent top speed. Honestly could go anywhere from 10-50.
32. Gauthier - RW - Middle-six pest - 40 points - Mike Richards - Good motor, especially on the forecheck. He is relentless, and an intelligent two-way player. Average skating and skills limit upside, but he's hard to play against.
1. Bedard - C - Top-5 player - 100+ points - Joe Sakic mixed with Patty Kane - Dynamic sniper, sneaky edgework, elite skill.
2. Michkov - RW - Top-5 goalscoer - 100+ points - Nikita Kucherov - Intelligent, high-skilled player who excels at darting into space in the offensive zone. Can score from anywhere. Potential 50 goal scorer.
3. Fantilli - C - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Jonathan Toews - High-end physical tools + aggressive + solid hockey sense.
4. Carlsson - C/LW - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Filip Forsberg - High degree of drive + skill. Uses his body to protect the puck very well.
5. Smith - C - #1 centre - 80+ points - Trevor Zegras - Creative, controls the pace of the game, which can sometimes cause him to look slow. Can lack on defensive effort, but is an offensive wizard.
6. Benson - LW/RW - Play-driving 1st line winger - 80+ points - Brayden Point - Workhorse with high-end skill. Above average straight-line speed, but elite edges. Small, but tenacious.
7. Reinbacher - RD - Top-pair defenceman - 40 points - Alex Pietrangelo - Above-average puck skills. Very good distance passer and decision maker. Above average skater with room to improve pivots. Great reach and overall defensive play.
8. Leonard - RW/C - Complementary 1st line winer - 70 points - Zach Parise - Elite motor, high-end shot and puck skills. Good two-way player who plays like a smaller power forward.
9. Moore - C - High-end #2 centre - 65 points - Dylan Larkin - Best skater in the draft, with a willingness to play inside the dots. Good puck skills and passing. Above average hockey IQ.
10. Dvorsky - C - High-end #2 centre - 60 points - Anze Kopitar - Advanced defensive game, great shot, but needs time to get it off. Above average puck skills. Heavy feet, but ok speed once he gets going.
11. Cristell - LW - Complementary 1st line winger or bust - 75+ points or bust - Claude Giroux - Elite puck skills, highly creative. Fantastic passer with a great shot. One of the best players in the offensive zone, though he can force plays. Good edges but average separation and top speed.
12. Sandin-Pellikka - RD - Offensive #3 defenceman - 50+ points - Quinn Hughes - Elite skater, including great four-way mobility. Play-driver from the backend, with good vision and passing. Typically good decision-making; prone to some lapses. Average defensively.
13. Barlow - LW - 1st/2nd line power forward - 60 points - Mason McTavish - High-end shot and physical tools. Plays a direct game with above-average skating. Above-average hockey IQ, but probably won't be the primary creator on his line.
14. Wood - 1st line power forward or bust - 75+ points or bust - Jason Robertson - High-end tools, including shot, size, and puck skills. Incredibly intelligent player. Below-average acceleration and average top speed. Skating could limit his upside, or he could become the next Jason Robertson.
15. Perrault - Complimentary 1st line winger - 60 points - Jake Guentzel - Not the biggest or the fastest, but the hockey IQ is near the top of the class, and he has good skill. Wide spread on this player, but he's too smart to fail.
16. Yager - 1st/2nd line sniper - 60 points - Mike Hoffman - Great shot and good skating, but plays a bit too much on the perimeter, leading to inconsistencies in creating. Average/above-average hockey IQ.
17. Danielson - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Anthony Cirelli - Prototypical two-way #2C. Very responsible player who is a jack of all trades. Good, but not great at everything.
18. Sale - RW - 1st line offensive winger or bust - 65+ points or bust - Taylor Hall - Great individual puck skills and speed. More of a playmaker, but has a good shot - needs to use it more. Very inconsistent - can disappear for games at a time and then look like the best player on the ice.
19. Heidt - LW/C - 2nd line playmaker - 55 points - Nick Schmaltz - Great passer and playdriver from the centre or wing. Good mobility, especially carrying the puck in transition. He has high-end hockey IQ, and should play C at the next level. Despite low goal totals, he is a good one-timer option on the PP.
20. Simashev - LD - #3-4 shutdown defenceman - 25 points - Jonas Siegenthaler - Big shutdown defenceman with a good stick, above average skating & physicality, and some offensive upside. Potential the best defensive player in the draft.
21. Brindley - 2nd line pest - 50 points - Brad Marchand - Tenacious player with a high-end motor and good puck skills. Great at puck retrievals and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone.
22. Honzek - C/LW - 2nd line powerforward - 50 points - Danius Zubrus - Plus size and above-average skating. Doesn't shy away from the middle of the ice, especially the front of the net. Can be inconsistent and needs to work on his defensive play.
23. Willander - RD - #3-4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Anton Stralman - Very efficient player with good mobility, decision-making, and passing. Isn't flashy, but always seems to make the right play. Could improve his
24. Ritchie - C - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Ryan O'Reilly - Above average in everything except average skating.
25. Stenburg - C - #2 two-way centre - 50+ points - Philip Danault - Good two-way player with above-average skating and hands. Likes the puck on his stick and excels in transition. Plus shot from range.
26. Gulyayev - LD - #4 offensive defenceman - 50+ points - Tyson Barrie - Elite skater with high-end offensive tools, including stickhandling and passing in the offensive zone. Loves to join the rush, and can get back due to his elite speed. In-zone defending and strength need improvement.
27. Sawchyn - C - Middle-six energy forward - 45 points - JG Pageau - High-end motor and good passing, especially in tight spaces. He's a tenacious forechecker who can play higher in the lineup due to his hockey IQ and good skill base, though may be limited by his size.
28. Musty - LW - Top-6 playmaker or bust - 55+ points or bust - Benoit Pouliot - Above-average individual skill, creativity, and vision. Struggles with inconsistency, physicality, and skating - especially his acceleration.
29. Ziemmer - RW - Top-6 power forward - 50 points - Timo Meier - Excellent at using his size to protect the puck and drive the net. Has a great shot, good IQ and passing ability, but can lack explosiveness.
30. Lindstein - LD - #4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Henri Jokiharju - Smooth skating defender with a big shot, but can struggle under pressure with his decision-making.
31. But - LW - Top-6 power forward or bust - 50+ points or bust - Evgeni Malkin - Massive physical player with good puck skills and a hard, but inaccurate shot. He's very raw, and has an awkward stride that doesn't generate much power, leading to poor acceleration but decent top speed. Honestly could go anywhere from 10-50.
32. Gauthier - RW - Middle-six pest - 40 points - Mike Richards - Good motor, especially on the forecheck. He is relentless, and an intelligent two-way player. Average skating and skills limit upside, but he's hard to play against.
