He has the tools to be a top-16 player in the draft easily, but I want to see some more offense from him in the OHL before I increase his ranking that much. He profiles similarly to David Jiricek physically, but with a more defensive tilt to his game. WHL Draft - WHL Prospects Hes got unbelievably quick hands and the loose grip that all great handlers have. His production has been disappointing so far this year, but his talent as a high-skill puck carrier is still clear.Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! Good habits away from the puck lead me to believe he will be a reliable NHLer with top-six forward upside. Auston Matthews had Patrik Laine, Jack Hughes had Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere had Quinton Byfiled, its hard for top prospects to separate themselves from the pack but Bedard has done just that.WELCOME TO THE BEDARD SHOW! He can push into space. Mazden Leslie, RHD (Vancouver) 4 and has had a tremendous age-adjusted season between his play with Orebro in the SHL and at the world juniors (where he was one of Swedens top forwards despite playing sick), even considering his December 2004 birthday and a year after playing to virtually two points per game at the J20 level (he looked good in an important role as a top-nine centre for Sweden at U18 worlds before an injury kept him out of their medal round run to a gold medal, too). The 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Pre-Show begins with co-hosts Chris Wahl and Taylor Rocca at 9:30 a.m. MT, with live draft coverage beginning at 10 a.m. MT. Publishing date 2023-01-18 User Anonymous Views 922 Favorited 0 Share Embed 2023 Whl Bantam Draft He skates quite well for his size, hes got good hands and dexterity, hes got great feel and sense for the pressures that exist on the ice, and hes by all accounts a great teammate and kid who is coachable and pays attention to the details of the game. 2023 NHL Draft: Baracchini's Top 64 January Rankings He could use a bit more speed (who couldnt? It was tricky evaluating and contextualizing Sale last season, when he was above two points per game (99 in 44) in Czechias top junior league, doing things that had never been done and smashing (and even doubling in some cases) the production of recent top Czech players at the same age (including first-rounders like Jakub Voracek and Tomas Hertl). Connor Bedard has made the competition for first overall a one horse race, absolutely dominating at the World Juniors where he clearly looked several steps ahead of his competitors Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson. He regularly makes difficult plays as a passer, demonstrating high-end spatial awareness and often finding second or even third options (constantly pre-scanning and shoulder-checking). Stenberg was, coming into this season, viewed by many as the second-best Swedish prospect in this class to Carlsson after he played to nearly a point per game at the J20 level last year, looked like he belonged as an underager on the national team at U18 worlds, and impressed as Swedens leading scorer captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (he also scored two Michigan goals last season and has continued to wear the C for Sweden this season at events like the falls Five Nations in Plymouth, and the World Jr. A Challenge). He gets shots off extremely fast and without bobbles in catch-and-release sequences. 2022 NHL Entry Draft Rankings First Round 1. He hasnt looked out of place against men and looks very comfortable dictating play from the flanks at even strength and on the power play. The way he dodges checks and evades pressure is impressive, but the way he attacks the middle of the ice is what I like most about him. This may be a little low given that, but also underscores the strength of this draft. Hes consistent shift-to-shift and game-to-game and while he might lack the dynamism of some of the players in front of him here, he can make plays in a variety of ways on and off the puck and the ice usually tilts in his teams favor when hes out there. There are many whove settled on Perreault as more of a mid-to-late-round first because of the combination of his skinny frame and the linemates he plays with. Name. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. There has been a lot of hockey since my last rankings and tons of prospects are on the move as a result. While hes got some work to do to get a little quicker from the jump in the games 10-foot races, he does have some power and balance through his stride to build upon and skates pretty well for his size and age. Caden Price, LD, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 35. There have been Lane Hutson (2022 Draft), Olen Zellweger (2021 Draft), Logan Stankoven (2020 Draft), and Cole Caufield (2019 Draft), to name a few. Hes excellent in puck protection twisting away from coverage to make things happen along the boards. Viewed as a mid-round pick by most, Ciernik is a player I diverge from the public and private scouting communities on. Evasive. Elite Prospects - Erste Liga Stats 2023-2024 Roman Kantserov, LW/C, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL_, 53. As always, Ive broken down the full ranking into tiers to give you a better sense for the fluidity within groupings and the drop-offs between them. A brilliant handler and manipulator of the puck, including at full speed, Smith is a tantalizing and slippery talent who blends deception, baits and fakes (with his eyes, shoulders and head) into his movements to not just make opposing players miss but often send them the wrong way. Hameenaho has the strength and stick skills to not just battle well, but win puck battles and keep possession alive for his team. While his game doesnt have the dynamism of the other kids in this loaded WHL class, most scouts project Danielson as an everyday top-nine NHL center. Cameron Allen, RD, Guelph Storm (OHL), 62. Id eagerly bet on him. Jake Leschyshyn - Wikipedia Spokane Chiefs to select first overall in 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Arttu Karki, LHD (Tappara) Holding steady at about two points per game, Cristall has already shown improvements following his impressive 69-point WHL rookie season last year. Timur Mukhanov, LW (Omsk) Only time will tell if they can do the same for him as a pro. Hes not just the energy guy though either. A slow start to the OHL season saw his draft stock swing way down, but his production has leveled up significantly of late, and hes beginning to rise again. Last season was certainly a strange one for WHL scouts as they anticipated the task of two drafts in one calendar year. Hes got excellent touch and weight on his passes (hes a great saucer passer off of his forehand and backhand, in particular), and does a beautiful job waiting for lanes to open. His average SHL TOI is around 4:30, so this should be a confidence boost for the 2023 top prospect.In the J20 Nationell, Stenberg has 20pts (8G, 12A) through 23 games.pic.twitter.com/H36RVcNC4H Alexa Potack (@alexa_potack) January 24, 2023, Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! Ferrari's 2023 NHL Draft Rankings: Mid-Season Top 50 Elite Prospects - NHL Entry Draft -2998 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Results - First Round #1 - Medicine Hat Tigers Name: Gavin McKenna Position: Forward Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon Team: Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 Prep Stats: 35 GP - 23G-42A-65 points #2 - Tri-City Americans Name: Jackson Smith Position: Defence Hometown: Calgary, Alta. NHL. When he does go there, too, Ive seen him show that dexterity he has getting sticks on tips and redirects. Hes not the hardest-working working player defensively, nor the fastest skater, but he always seems to be lurking around the play (and the puck) anyways and his skill level pops from there. 2023 Whl Draft Projected Rankings - Elite Prospects Carlssons ability to find and make space off the puck is also impressive for such a young player playing against grown men. Hes got a great release. He has also begun to fill out his frame, which has helped turn him into a diligent, relied-upon two-way player off the puck. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. He looks to take instead of give in the neutral zone, regularly stepping up to try to bump puck carriers off possession and force dumps (though there are times when that style can leave him chasing if his timings off or hes flatfooted). He has now impressed me wherever Ive watched him (NCAA, USHL, Five Nations, U18 Worlds, world juniors, etc.) 2023 WHL Draft Ranking Update: . Yager has been on the radar in Western Canada for some time now, and hes got some real pedigree to his profile and cache to his game to support it. Priority Draft 10 months ago 44 players were selected by the 22 WHL member Clubs in Wednesday's U.S. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. His skating is balanced. pic.twitter.com/OOjR1KDavy. Carson Bjarnasson, G, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), 47. Nicknamed Big Rig when he was at the program, Stramel is a heavy but not doughy kid whoseathletic, muscular build jumps out at you right away. Ondrej Molnar, LW (Erie) Ethan Gauthier is one of the most consistent players in this draft class in terms of effort and habits, not just production. After conversations with scouts or folks at the national program about Stramel last year, I always felt I wasnt quite where they were in terms of their belief in the player and his upside. Its impossible not to. And despite suffering a lower-body injury in a KHL preseason game, Michkov (who played to a goal a game last year in the MHL) played to a goal a game in Russias second-tier VHL and has been very productive for his age since the move to Sochi in the KHL. Hunter Brzustewicz, RD, Kitchener Rangers (OHL), 43. He has a high floor and should safely become a strong third-line player but also has the upside to become more if things really click in his north-south game at the next level. Lenni Hameenaho has been an early riser this year, establishing himself as a prospect to watch while playing in the Finnish Liiga where he has scored at roughly a half point per game pace as a draft year player. Ziemmer is a December 2004 who was selected with the No. Red Deer Rebels - Wikipedia Ill be shocked if he doesnt become a playmaking top-six centre and PP1 creator. I love the way he slows down the game, adjusts and maneuvers his frame and shades pucks. The Bantam Draft Lottery will determine the order of selection for the first six picks. The Clubs that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the 1st round only. Im not sure hes got the soft skill to become the true No. Hes also dangerous inside the offensive zone from the top of the circles in, with a quick-release wrister (one of the faster releases in the draft) that comes off of his blade hard and with a slight, goalie-fooling adjustment pre-shot, impressive puck skill in congested areas, an ability to attack in bursts and make something happen out of dead plays, and an equal ability to play off of coverage and make himself available for his linemates. Sandin Pellikka had a great showing for Sweden at the World Juniors, and is now probably the favourite to be the first defenseman drafted in 2023. Catton is the early front runner for 1st overall in next years WHL bantam draft and has recently been granted exceptional player status to play up in Midget AAA next year for the Saskatoon Contacts as a underage player. The SHL demands a lot of players when it comes to physicality and defensive effort, both of which Carlsson has excelled at. And while hell fade in stretches, the talent level is clear. Tomas Suchanek, G, Tri-City Americans (WHL), 59. If he can keep up that pace then he could very well lock himself in as the second best prospect in the draft. Theres just this elusiveness to his game where you never know where hes going with the puck. Bedard has crushed all expectations this year and has firmly planted himself in the first overall position. I like the way he supports the puck defensively as a centreman, too, though hell need to get stronger to be reliable defensively at the NHL level. Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, Pelicans (Liiga), 36. There are the little delays and stutters he uses to create separation and get to his spots. Hes also a strong skater who is light on his edges, builds speed quickly into flight to put defenders on their heels and/or create separation, leads a lot of neutral-zone carries into entries, and makes plays into space for himself or his linemates at pace. Noah Dower Nilsson is purely an offensive player at this point, but hes a very skilled one.