2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Nave]

These are my favourite players so far:

Conor Bedard
Matvei Michkov
Will Smith 

Dalibor Dvorsky
Axel Sandin-Pellika
Ryan Leonard
Matthew Wood
Oliver Moore

This is not a list of who I think will be the best players--just who I like the most stylistically and positionally (valuing centers especially). The top tier is who I think will go at the top of the draft; the second tier is who I hope will be there when the Canucks pick. 

 

[Seannnp]

2 hours ago, hammertime said:

We have early 3rds. 

 

Statistically speaking 

 

It's a bad idea.

a few spots between a late 2nd and early 3rd could be the difference between who you covet and who you would settle for 

[Alflives]

9 minutes ago, Seannnp said:

a few spots between a late 2nd and early 3rd could be the difference between who you covet and who you would settle for 

Dubascat? 

[Bure_Pavel]

1 hour ago, Herberts Vasiljevs said:

I like that he has some bite to his game ad well. On the surface he looks to be a premium asset. I guess the question is whether he has top-4 upside. If he has that "stalwart" factor then he wouldn't necessarily be a reach at 11. 

He is just a more risky pick because he doesn't have the long track record the other top 10 prospects have, he has only played three pro games and had 0 points in 12 U20 regular season games last year. On the other hand if you are looking at his development on a curve it is very vertical. In my opinion there is still a gap from ASP and Reinbacher to Willander but who knows if the Canucks see it that way. Also interesting note: the team he plays for Rögle BK is essentially the Detroit Red Wings farm team, so they likely have got a really good look at him.   

Edited May 17, 2023 by Bure_Pavel

[hammertime]

1 hour ago, Seannnp said:

a few spots between a late 2nd and early 3rd could be the difference between who you covet and who you would settle for 

Sure It depends on our board if there's low hanging fruit like a guy our scouts have at 20 OA available at 45 move up n get him. But in most cases I don't think it's a good idea. If our scouts have done their homework there will be diamonds in the rough in the 3rd where having more bullets in the clip will be advantageous.

[Herberts Vasiljevs]

1 hour ago, Bure_Pavel said:

He is just a more risky pick because he doesn't have the long track record the other top 10 prospects have, he has only played three pro games and had 0 points in 12 U20 regular season games last year. On the other hand if you are looking at his development on a curve it is very vertical. In my opinion there is still a gap from ASP and Reinbacher to Willander but who knows if the Canucks see it that way. Also interesting note: the team he plays for Rögle BK is essentially the Detroit Red Wings farm team, so they likely have got a really good look at him.   

Maybe Orebro is our farm team now.  

 

 

[Phat Fingers]

6 hours ago, stawns said:

Juulsen will likely be on the roster this coming season.  He's a solid two way dman, who brings a physical component that no one else brings to the table.

 

Johansson will also almost surely be in Van for 23-24 and looked very good in the short AHL sample size.  

 

There will also be roster moves to free up cap space and likely sone depth d signings

Still no person near the level of Hronek on the right side.

 

and it’s such a high value position, unless he Myers this up, or OEL’s his way into this dog house, or slips by the Pool-man, he will not be a declining asset.  

[R3aL]

7 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

Yeah for as long as I've known it LWOS has always been a pretty mediocre source. To me, the best you can ask for from fan/journalist/blogger scouts, is just give an accurate description of the player. I don't care if you're right about your rankings and predicting who's gonna be better than who, but you should at least be able to give an accurate assessment and be able to say why a player might fail and why they might succeed. For all the data they use and seemingly in-depth scouting reports, I find all too often LWOS just plain gets players wrong. The two that stood out to me were their write-ups on Cole Sillinger and Carson Lambos in 2021. They tried to call Cole Sillinger a one-dimensional goal-scorer when in reality he was also one of the best defensive forwards in the draft. They also tried to portray Lambos as a low-upside, stay-at-home defensive D, when actually he's a complex, flawed, but immensely skilled puck-moving defenseman.

 

I saw Benson play twice in person, for games three and four of the WHL Eastern Finals. I was not blown away. Saskatoon was playing a very tight-checking defensive game and there wasn't a lot of room to work with, and Benson didn't create a lot. The one thing I did like to see was that he also didn't hurt his team. He wasn't trying to force anything that wasn't there, just made the simple plays, tried to advance the puck into dangerous areas when possible. I don't think he'll be in my final top 10. I wouldn't be disappointed with him at 11, but there are some other players I'm more hopeful might be there.

 

I wouldn't take Cristall until near the end of the first round. Sure, he could turn out to be a very good player, but I'm not convinced the ceiling is high enough to justify the low floor.

i didn’t see those games at all the ones you saw in person but did it look like they gameplanned to shut Benson down really targeting him? 

Ya honestly I just flipped through a few of the scouting reports they have on past drafts and this.. I mean they are fun to read but if you dig into them they are kinda fluff pieces and not that accurate.

 

i can’t disagree I feel the same way about both right now.

 

im not wanting cristall I really think his skating is a serious risk on top of his size, and benson I agree I won’t be upset if we take him at 11 but I will be worried and I can see a world he drops a little. I do think he could fit in here in a line with JT-Mikehyev  
 

I do think Benson is a better prospect and safer player to select than Cristall though.

ans if we pass and they end up being the BPA I won’t be super upset we really do need some high end skilled size it would be great if we could get a player with a decent frame.

 

6 hours ago, Warhippy said:

People gonna be hating me for this but

 

I have seen Cristall play a number of times in kelowna this year and have now seen a fair amount of tape detailing both positives and negatives of Benson and both kinda give me Schroeder vibes.

 

Sorry not sorry.

 

I expect long detailed reports of how I couldn't be any more wrong, but the same types of things I saw in schroeder are prominent in both of these players who are unquestionably skilled but both missing something that may not be teachable or translatable in to the pro game

Ya I’ve not been that high on cristall all year. I see what you see and I agree I don’t think his game will translate and if he gets picked high and rushed to the nhl even less likely. I’ve not seen him play live but I’ve spoken to some local kids who have seen him or played with him and they think he’s unbelievable but I’m just not seeing it. And I will happily pass. (If he ends up being the next Marty St. Louis please don’t quote me anyone I get lots wrong! Nikita scherbak still haunts me )

[R3aL]

7 hours ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

 

Complete opposite scouting reports wonder if that was on dvorsky and they watched different leagues or games cause he looked very different on different teams 

[R3aL]

3 hours ago, Bure_Pavel said:

Tom Willander is probably the biggest wild card of this draft, he came out of no where ranked in the second round in most rankings to now being in some top 10's. Add the fact he is a RD and who knows whats going to happen. I still have him ranked second half of the first round due to the small sample size, but he looked really good at u18 tourney and has shown flashes of a solid NHL Dman in video.  

I’m on the Willander train right now. 
 

Leonard

Wood

Reinbacher

Willander

 

honestly Willander going to NCAA next year too and then AHL eligible quick he has  an awesome North American development path in front of him and he shown so much this season.

 

Those four are kinda my wishlist for our spot unless a super obvious guy falls to us. 
 

And I like Willander over ASP officially now.

[R3aL]

4 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

I'm becoming more and more convinced that Carlsson and But are both centers in the NHL.

 

I think it's also likely Smith, Leonard, Moore will all be centers.

 

Wood, Honzek, Perreault, Benson I'm less convinced about.

But a Centre! Tell me more.

 

I really only have seen some highlights 

[R.Dahlin26]

Tom Willander is the best dman of this class. The fact he’ll likely be available at 11 is crazy. He has to be the pick. Perfect partner for Quinn Hughes as well. Need to trade Miller for Penguins 1st which is 14th overall. Would grab Simashev there.

 

Hughes - Willander

Simashev - Hronek

Pettersson - Hirose

 

———————————-

 

2023 Draft list: Top 15

 

Bedard

Michkov

Carlsson

Smith

Fantilli

Willander

Reinbacher

Wood

Benson

Simashev

Leonard

Dvorsky

Moore

Honzek

Perreault

 

 

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, R.Dahlin26 said:

Tom Willander is the best dman of this class. The fact he’ll likely be available at 11 is crazy. He has to be the pick. Perfect partner for Quinn Hughes as well. Need to trade Miller for Penguins 1st which is 14th overall. Would grab Simashev there.

 

Hughes - Willander

Simashev - Hronek

Pettersson - Hirose

 

———————————-

 

2023 Draft list: Top 15

 

Bedard

Michkov

Carlsson

Smith

Fantilli

Willander

Reinbacher

Wood

Benson

Simashev

Leonard

Dvorsky

Moore

Honzek

Perreault

 

 

Who plays 2C for us if we trade Miller? Do we take back Jeff Carter with the 14OA? 

[R.Dahlin26]

2024 has hometown kid and superfan of the Canucks Macklin Celebrini. Next year should be our last tank year while most of the bad money comes off the books.

 

Kuzmenko - Pettersson - Lekkerimaki

Hoglander - Celebrini - Mikheyev 

Podkolzin - Raty - Klimovich

[Nucker 67]

My "realistic" Top Choices, but they could be gone

 

(C) Dvorsky

(C/LW) Leonard

(RD) ASP

(RD) Reinbacher

 

After that...

 

(C) Danielson

(LW/RW) Wood

(LD) Simashev

 

 

Simashev - Hughes

 

[Petey Castiglione]

7 hours ago, stawns said:

Juulsen will likely be on the roster this coming season.  He's a solid two way dman, who brings a physical component that no one else brings to the table.

 

Johansson will also almost surely be in Van for 23-24 and looked very good in the short AHL sample size.  

 

There will also be roster moves to free up cap space and likely sone depth d signings

I hope so, Stawns.  As you said, he brings something not many on the back end bring and solving that spot internally would be a huge boon for our club. 

 

If it's between a C or a RHD at the draft, all things being equal, I'd lean towards the D.   Can never have enough RHD and an abundance can be traded for a premium.  

[stawns]

6 minutes ago, Petey Castiglione said:

I hope so, Stawns.  As you said, he brings something not many on the back end bring and solving that spot internally would be a huge boon for our club. 

 

If it's between a C or a RHD at the draft, all things being equal, I'd lean towards the D.   Can never have enough RHD and an abundance can be traded for a premium.  

I won't be upset if they take DR or ASP, but it's much riskier, imo.

[vancan2233]

The Hockey Writers

11. Vancouver Canucks, Axel Sandin Pellikka, RD, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

With most of the top center prospects all off the board already, I’ve got the Vancouver Canucks building out their right side with Axel Sandin Pellikka (ASP), a Swedish defender with tons of offensive skill. Although Reinbacher would likely fit their needs a bit better, ASP would give them a remarkable one-two punch of slightly undersized, incredibly skilled, offensive defensemen with Quinn Hughes. Adding ASP and Filip Hronek in a matter of months would go a long way in shoring up their right-side depth for the foreseeable future. 

 

My NHL

Nate Danielson's Player Profile

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - Dec. 19th: "Danielson is a stud in transition, effectively moving the puck from the defensive side of the ice to the offensive side of the ice. He sees the ice well, passing east to west or through layers towards the net front."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - Dec. 14th: "A steady-eddie type of player who doesn’t jump off the page in any one element. Is consistently playing against the opposition’s best, which limits his ability to produce at elite levels."

Matthew Somma - Smaht Scouting - Nov. 25th: "Danielson is a complete player that can defend, carry the puck, stickhandle through defenses and score. Danielson is still coming into his own offensively and as of right now, that’s what’s holding him back in our rankings."

Corey Pronman - The Athletic - Nov. 15th: "He has the skill and hockey sense to make a lot of plays inside the offensive zone, while also having the NHL body and skating ability to make you think he will be able to make those kinds of plays at higher levels. Danielson can drive the play due to his brain, feet and compete down the middle."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - Nov. 1st: "While his game doesn’t have the dynamism of the other kids in this loaded WHL class, and his production hasn’t taken the step early on this season that you might hope for out of a player his age playing the kind of minutes that he’s playing, most scouts project Danielson as an everyday top-nine NHL center."

Nick Richard - Dobber Prospects - Oct. 20th: "Danielson is a well-rounded center with good size and mobility in the middle of the ice. He can set up his teammates with slick feeds through traffic or finish scoring plays on his own with his heavy release, but he is more efficient than he is flashy in the way that he generates offense."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - Oct. 19th: "Versatile player who was given a ton of responsibility as a 16-year-old for Brandon. Plays both ends and wins faceoffs."

Steven - Daily FaceOff - Oct. 3rd: "The team isn’t as strong this year, so a lot of focus will be placed on Danielson to keep this team in the playoff picture. He’s back, healthy, and ready to cause some damage."

Peter Baracchini - The Hockey Writers - Sept. 27th: "He’s always at the centre of the play as it unfolds. He provides great support for his teammates but has the vision to open things up quickly."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - August 8th: "He’s a pro-sized, hardworking pivot who can skate and excels in driving through the middle of the ice and pushing tempo with his energy. And while he’s not a natural scorer, he’s a better shooter than his goal totals last season (a still-respectable 23 in 53) indicate."

Andrew Forbes - The Hockey Writers - August 7th: "He’s a player that can make the perfect passes in tight areas and uses his speed to get around opposing defensemen. While he comes in as one of the more underrated top prospects in this draft, he has a deceptive release that makes him a dangerous player from any area in the offensive zone."

 

NHL.COM

 

Kimelman -- Eduard Sale: Finding depth at left wing is an organizational need for the Canucks, whose recent top draft selections have played on the right side: Jonathan Lekkerimaki (2022, No. 15), Danila Klimovich (2021, No. 41) and Vasily Podkolzin (2019, No. 10). Sale, who has high-end puck skills and is a smooth skater, has two seasons of experience playing against older competition in the top Czech league.

Morreale -- Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw (WHL): The Canucks need to add depth down the middle after the trade of Bo Horvat, and Yager (5-11, 166) is a good start. He improved his playmaking ability to complement his powerful shot this season, is responsible in all three zones and effective on face-offs. Yager had 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists) in 67 regular-season games and had 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 10 WHL playoff games.

 

The Score

 

Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, Skelleftea (SHL)

The Canucks would've loved it if Reinbacher fell to them here, but Sandin Pellikka is an excellent consolation prize for an organization in dire need of defensemen - especially right-shooting ones. The 5-foot-11, 181-pounder lacks size, but his offensive creativity and puck-moving ability could make him a special player.

Craig Button

Vancouver Canucks – Axel Sandin-Pellikka

Tankathon 

Eduard Sale 

Daily Faceoff

11. Vancouver Canucks: Axel Sandin Pellikka, D (Skelleftea, SHL)

Sandin Pellikka was one of the best players at the U-18s, further cementing himself as one of the must-watch defensive prospects. There are very few high-end blueliners, so a team like Vancouver might be willing to take a chance on someone who can become a first-pairing defenseman. The Nucks have some decent blueline prospects, but Pellikka would be the best.

 

 

[TopChed]

[Pure961089]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

My "realistic" Top Choices, but they could be gone

 

(C) Dvorsky

(C/LW) Leonard

(RD) ASP

(RD) Reinbacher

 

After that...

 

(C) Danielson

(LW/RW) Wood

(LD) Simashev

 

 

Simashev - Hughes

 

My wishlist was similar but after watching the playoffs I think the Canucks need Wood or Barlow. I wouldn't complain if we picked Benson, Reinbacher or ASP but big physical forwards is what we need.  

 

Reinbacher

Benson

Wood

Barlow

ASP

Moore

Dvorsky

Danielson

Simashev 

 

I doubt Leonard's available at 11.