I like it.
I will quibble about Hameenaho. He’s definitely B tier, imo.
You couldn’t trade 2 Ethan Edwards or 2 Cheslocks for 1 Hameenaho.
Hameenaho is getting the Muhkmadullin treatment. Some strong initial takes has tainted him in some general fan takes, imo. Even the poll and your list put a 6th round pick ahead of Hameenaho which is a bit crazy, imo.
I would easily rank Karpovich over Hameenaho.
They're different positions, so it's tough to compare traditionally, but if we put it simply in chances of carving out a regular role in the NHL? Right now, I'd have to say Karpovich has the significant edge.
Quite simply, in order for Karpovich to progress into an effective NHL defender, all he must do is continue his current progression for 3-5 more years. Karpovich is 6'3-210, defends well, handles the puck well, skates quite well, is willing to play physically and has a bomb of a shot. All the tools are there, and no "red flags" cloud the picture. Though he lacks the singular elite tool which can lead us to project him as a top-pairing type, I'd have to say that his combination of plus tools and qualities give him legit second-pairing upside at the highest levels.
Hameenaho has two elite qualities which give him legit NHL upside, but it's important to note neither are *physical skills* -- but rather, the intangible qualities of hockey IQ and compete level. This is truly a kid who thinks and reacts to the game at an uncommon level, especially given his age. Hameenaho does possesses two plus skills physically, as his shooting is quite good and he has good size and strength. However, unlike Karpovich, Hameenaho also comes with a couple of *red flags* -- which is to say his skating is well below average and his puck-handling is a bit of a concern -- he bobbles pucks with some regularity and can display difficulty in receiving passes.
Thus, as opposed to Karpovich's projection arc -- in which (as stated above) his professional future simply requiress a consistency of current development trends -- Hameenaho needs to significantly improve multiple areas in order to even make it to the big show. This, by definition, makes Hameenaho a less likely future NHLer. We could still ignore these facts and rank Hameenaho higher were he some boom/bust sky-high-upside type, but that's also not the case. If Hameenaho overcomes the odds and significantly improves his skating and stick skills enough to make it, we're still not talking an elite shooter or passer or physical monster -- we're talking a likely bottom 6 type with some scoring pop due to the combination of smarts and a very good shot.
In conclusion, I'd say it's probably misleading to rank prospects simply based on the order they were drafted by a team. Right after the 2020 draft, I ranked Dawson Mercer ahead of Alexander Holtz with great confidence and oft-stated opinions. Before the dust had cleared on the 2021 draft I was ranking 7th rounder Zakhar Bardakov well ahead of 3rd rounder Samu Salminen. This year, I feel it's pretty much a no-brainer when I rank Karpovich ahead of Hameenaho for the reasons stated above.
The fact is, the Devils have yet to perfect "the art of the draft" under Tom Fitzgerald, but they've shown great skill in drafting out of Russia and, significantly, the MHL. These are probably the least-scouted top prospects annually in the draft, and as such the Devils know they can "wait a bit" on these prospects and draft them late. They've succeeded at this with Gritsyuk in the 2019 5th round, Orlov and Barabosha in 2022 (4th & 7th rounds) and with Karpovich in the 2023 6th round.
Ultimately, I'd say my highlight of the 2023 draft was that NJ grabbed a 2nd round talent in the 6th round with Karpovich. Hameenaho was a stretch to me in the 2nd round, but due to his extremely impressive intangibles he's a guy I would've really liked from the 4th round on.