NHL Draft 2023 Ranking: Who are the players to look out for?

The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is almost upon us with everyone eagerly anticipating just who the Chicago Blackhawks will pick with their first-overall selection on Wednesday.

Whilst not accustomed to picking this early in the draft, the Blackhawks are likely to bring in one of the most talented center prospects since Conor McDavid, in the form of Connor Bedard, although by no means is he anywhere near the quality of prospect the Edmonton Oilers' star was.

Bedard is the pick of the available talents in Nashville, but at just 17 he still has a lot of time to grow and develop.

The Canadian is the consensus no.1 talent on the board, and he will not drop beyond the Blackhawks' pick here, unless there is a blockbuster trade that is yet to be made.

However, as is often the case with NHL draft classes, there is elite talent up front and then a significant drop.

Whilst there are surprise picks in other North American sports, in ice hockey it is far easier to judge intangibles and core skills at this point in the process.

But, after Bedard just who are the talents to look out for in the 2023 NHL Draft?

• Adam Fantilli (Center) - Fantilli was the best player in college hockey this past season, but he had to put up impressive numbers to follow Bedard's trail. Also a center, he is a much more powerful figure, utilizing his 6'2" frame on the ice and he could develop into the league's premier power-center.
• Leo Carlsson (Center) - Another center... think of it like the quarterback of the NHL, Carlsson is a highly-rated prospect from Sweden who could have been selected first-overall had he been in another year's class. He is also a power-focused player and could usher in a new era of physical hockey with Fantilli.
• Matvei Michkov (Right Winger) - Having already turned professional in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, NHL teams will have to wait a year for the Russian to be eligible to make the move stateside. However, his NHL entry rights can be secured by a team in Nashville, and he will be worth the weight. A dynamically skillful right winger, perhaps the closest technical player to Bedard in the class, Michkov is going to score goals aplenty and create chances for his teammates.
• David Reinbacher (Defender) - Widely seen as the best defender in the class, the Austrian-born Reinbacher is as reliable as they come. Whilst succeeding in keeping the puck out of his own net, his performances in Switzerland have shown him to be the ultimate two-way defender, scoring three goals to go with his 19 assists.
• Michael Hrabal (Goalie) - It wouldn't be an NHL draft class without a serviceable goaltender and Hrabal is the best of the bunch in 2023. He will play another year in junior hockey, but he has the skill set to be a franchise net-minder in the NHL in a few years. Whilst not generational like Martin Brodeur, he is big enough to be effective and his mobility across the crease is eye-catching. Good luck surprising Hrabal with a one-timer.