NHL draft simulation. What could the Top 10 look like?

The NHL season is over, the Stanley Cup has been lifted by the Vegas Golden Knights. The off-season is about to begin, which traditionally offers a very interesting spectacle. What could the top ten draft picks look like?

The top ten draft picks were compiled by expert Bob McKenzie, who compiles his rankings based on conversations with scouts and has hit the number one pick for 10 years in a row.

1. Connor Bedard (Canada) – Chicago Blackhawks, center

Best of the best. Absolutely no question, perhaps no hockey fan or expert thinks the number one position will change. Connor Bedard has the potential to be better than Connor McDavid according to some. The draft lottery, and by extension Bedard, was won by Chicago.

2. Adam Fantili (Canada) – Anaheim Ducks, center/winger

The number two pick is pretty clear as well. Adam Fantilli won gold with Canada at both the World Junior Championships and the World Adult Championships. He had a fantastic season for Michigan in the NCAA.

3. Leo Carlsson (Sweden) – Columbus Blue Jackets, center

Another great talent who is projected to have a future in the NHL starting next season. Carlsson was the first Swedish center at the recent World Championships and his good physical parameters (190 cm, 88 kg) should help him acclimate overseas.

4. Matvey Michkov (Russia) – San Jose Sharks, right wing

One of the big question marks of the 2023 draft, Mickov is a top prospect who was supposed to battle with Bedard for the #1 pick. But nationality has hurt him a lot, as he has to stay in the KHL until 2026 due to his contract, and it’s unclear if he’ll even be able to leave Russia after that. San Jose won’t have a “contenders” team in the next couple of years, so they can wait a few years for their elite pick.

5. Zach Benson (Canada) – Montreal Canadiens, left wing

A very productive forward, a goal scorer, but one who also excels in his versatility. Benson has 98 points (36+62) in the WHL.

6. Will Smith (USA) – Arizona Coyotes, center

No, it’s not the famous actor who decided to try his luck in the NHL. The 18-year-old center has amassed 127 points in 60 USNTDP games.

7. Brayden Yager (Canada) – Philadelphia Flyers, center

A very fast forward who specializes in scoring goals from difficult angles. He also racked up 50 assists in the WHL. He could be an interesting player for Philadeplhia in the future.

8. Colby Barlow (Canada) – Washington Capitals, left wing

An era in Washington is slowly coming to an end around Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov. And the fantastic scorer Ovechkin could be replaced by another great scorer, Colby Barlow, who missed the 50-goal mark by just four goals. A forward with an extremely hard shot.

9. Dalibor Dvorsky (Slovakia) – Detroit Red Wings, center/left wing

After last year’s draft pick winner Juraj Slafkovsky and number two pick Simon Nemec, Slovakia has a great draft hope this year as well, with Dalibor Dvorsky being considered between the 6th and 9th overall pick. He could be in the NHL within a year or two.

10. Ryan Leonard (USA) – St. Louis Blues, center/winger

The second highest ranked American in the draft. Leonard, like Will Smith, also played for the USA U18’s in the NTDP where he collected 94 points on 51+43 shooting.

Czechs:

12. Eduard Šalé – Arizona Coyotes, right wing
32. Michael Hrabal – Vegas Golden Knights, goaltender

Source: NHL, TSN, Bob McKenzie