Prospect Info: 2023 Draft Thread (Yotes picking #6 & #12)

[Jagged Ice]

interesting

2023 NHL Draft Ranking Top 32 – January - HockeyProspect.com

With the 2023 CHL Top Prospects Game fast approaching, we have released our updated 2023 NHL Draft Ranking. Our latest list is a top 75 ranking of our top

hockeyprospect.com

Same top six. Michkov, Carlsson and Fantilli just keep trading places and will continue to until Gary takes the mic on draft day. I see Michkov is listed at 172 lbs. Wasn't he just 145 lbs? Russia must have reopened McDonalds.

 

[Freddy Sjostrom]

Same top six. Michkov, Carlsson and Fantilli just keep trading places and will continue to until Gary takes the mic on draft day. I see Michkov is listed at 172 lbs. Wasn't he just 145 lbs? Russia must have reopened McDonalds.

Michkov is definitely not 145. Since the WJC’s, I see this list and some others have Sale at the bottom of the first round. He put up 100 points (47g in 44gp) in his U20 league last year as a 16 year old. He was a force at the Hlinka Gretzky. What do you expect him to do on the 4th line in Extraliga? He has 8 in 32 as a 17 year old playing against men and one 50 yo superman. And then there is the WJC. He’s 17 in a 19 yo tourney. Started out on the 4th line and worked his way up to the first. Skating and size not an issue. I think McKenzie’s list has it right.

 

[Freddy Sjostrom]

Lines with accurate heights and weights for TP game

 

[rt]

Lines with accurate heights and weights for TP game

Benson, Barlow, Rehkopf, and Ritchie are all 1in shorter than I’d have guessed.

 

[hbk]

Benson, Barlow, Rehkopf, and Ritchie are all 1in shorter than I’d have guessed.

Barlow looks cross eyed. But he can score and has a lumberjack beard.

 

[rt]

I’m excited to watch the CHLTPG tonight. Always a fun event.

Barlow looks cross eyed. But he can score and has a lumberjack beard.

Looks like Evan Bouchard’s beefy cousin.

 

[lanky]

Seems like _most_ independent scouts have the same top 4. Benson and Smith seem to be solidly in the next to go, but are these the type of players Coyotes scouting staff would lobby for? Still a lot of hockey to play, maybe Leo quiets down and Benson, Smith, or someone else rise.

I see that hockeyprospect.com has the same top 6 as everyone else and then 7-9 goes

6'4 LD Simashev
6'3 LW Honzek
6'5 RW But

I could see Bill having interest in that kind of size but that's probably with an acquired pick instead of our own 1st.

 

[Freddy Sjostrom]

I’m excited to watch the CHLTPG tonight. Always a fun event.

Who won the Pharand/Lind fight? I’m sure that got BA’s attention. He wants guys that will “cross the line.”

 

[rt]

Who won the Pharand/Lind fight? I’m sure that got BA’s attention. He wants guys that will “cross the line.”

I can’t watch until tomorrow because they only have live or archive. Can’t turn it on and then start from beginning. Annoying.

 

[hbk]

Who won the Pharand/Lind fight? I’m sure that got BA’s attention. He wants guys that will “cross the line.”

Lots of flailing. Draw? Lind may not have landed as many but the ones he landed were good.

Lind has been noticeable. Big hits and lots of them.

 

[hbk]

Ritchie had strong game in terms of playmaking. I remembered his skillset from u18’s.

Heidt should be in top 15-20 range

 

[Freddy Sjostrom]

Big kid with some nice hands on this play, projected second rounder.

 

[rt]

I watched the Winnipeg/Moose Jaw game from Saturday. I will watch Sunday's tomorrow.

Great game with a ton of talent on display. Savoie, Geekie, Mateychuk, Lambos, Yager, Ostapchuk, Korczak, Firkus, etc. A ton of top draft picks and future NHL talent. None of them are in the same league as Zach Benson. He's so much better than the rest, and it's not even close. He was already extremely impressive last season, but he's improved so much I can't believe it.

He's got a relentless motor, never stops hounding pucks and generating turnovers, he's all over the ice all the time, he's great defensively, and is probably the best penalty killer in the entire CHL. He rolls off of contact so well, is supremely aggressive, has an elite stick, his edges, and crossovers, and lateral/backward/short area mobility is insane. Really an elite skater, if you forget about straight lines. Positioning, IQ, vision, passing, and shot are all elite. He never gets tired. I watched him kill about 3:30 of a 4min power play in the 3rd period of a close game and he made it look like a PP.

Yager had some flashes but was mostly quiet. I'm impressed the progression in Savoie's overall game. Geekie showed some flashes of elite talent and of rounding things out (I'm still happy with this selection). Mateychuk was impressive, as always. Two extremely talented teams with a ton of talent.

Again, Benson is in a different league. I wasn't ready for how much he's improved. I can't believe nobody is talking about it. He's one of the most impressive draft eligibles I've seen that's not in his class's top three conversation.

 

[rt]

Lots of flailing. Draw? Lind may not have landed as many but the ones he landed were good.

Lind has been noticeable. Big hits and lots of them.

I was a fan of Lind last season. Haven't seen him yet this season.

Big kid with some nice hands on this play, projected second rounder.

Rehkopf really stood out to me last weekend when I was watching Kitchener. I can't believe he measured in at only 6'2. He really looks bigger out there. His teammate Brzustewicz can really skate. Not sure he stands out in really any other way, but he's a RD who's already almost 200lbs at 17 years old, and is a jaw dropping skater. That's worth a 2nd just in case. haha.

 

[rt]

Ritchie had strong game in terms of playmaking. I remembered his skillset from u18’s.

Heidt should be in top 15-20 range

I really like the puck hounding, physical element, and two way game Ritchie has added. His production isn't where we all expected/hoped. But I really like his game a lot. I wasn't surprised to see him still ranked really early (13th?) in the McKenzie poll, despite how much media scouts online think it's cool to drop him into the 20s. I can't see that. He's big and skilled and he's a gamer and he's a real-deal center. He won't drop further than mid-teens, at worst. If he was in last year's draft, he'd have been seen as about equal to Cutter Gauthier, I think. Or Kasper, at worst.

 

[rt]

He’s going to end up 3rd on my list. Haha.



He looks like Kostya Tszu.

 

[Jakey53]

He’s going to end up 3rd on my list. Haha.



He looks like Kostya Tszu.

I might be a tad biased, but these young hockey players seem so down to earth, such nice young men.

 

[Dead Coyote]

I think our defense is honestly pretty good. I really didn't like the Moser pick when it was made but he's blown me out of the water, and we have like 5 guys who are all pretty decent picks in our system.

Moser
Lamoreaux
Langlois
Soderstrom
Kolyachonok
Duda
Morden

These guys could all definitely be NHL d-men. Nothing special, but we have a ton of depth and I believe in BA.

I really like Benson. He's squarely at #5 for me I think. Have Sale at #6 now I think.

 

[hbk]

I think our defense is honestly pretty good. I really didn't like the Moser pick when it was made but he's blown me out of the water, and we have like 5 guys who are all pretty decent picks in our system.

Moser
Lamoreaux
Langlois
Soderstrom
Kolyachonok
Duda
Morden

These guys could all definitely be NHL d-men. Nothing special, but we have a ton of depth and I believe in BA.

There's some russians that are getting a ton of love recently. Something to look at with our 2nd/3rd (we have 3 with the Ladd extra pick for not playing this year) rounders this year.

Langlois has quietly been putting up a near ppg since his trade.

 

[Dead Coyote]

There's some russians that are getting a ton of love recently. Something to look at with our 2nd/3rd (we have 3 with the Ladd extra pick for not playing this year) rounders this year.

Langlois has quietly been putting up a near ppg since his trade.

I agree. Big fan of the Russians in this draft. There are 5ish d-man who could go anywhere from late 1st to mid 2nd depending on how GM's feel. Completely possible we could get Simashev, ASP, Dragicivec, or Allen with one of our later picks.

 

[MIGs Dog]

I think our defense is honestly pretty good.

Are you talking about our current defensive corps? I know defense is a team sport, and you can't put the blame only on those with a "D" after their name, but we are near the bottom of the league in shots against, goals against, and PK. Overall, team D is not good.

 

[Jagged Ice]

I really like Benson. He's squarely at #5 for me I think. Have Sale at #6 now I think.

I wish I could see more Ice games but I've read he's Mitch Marner Version II several times. He's #5 for me too. Let's finish no worse than #3.

 

[Dead Coyote]

Are you talking about our current defensive corps? I know defense is a team sport, and you can't put the blame only on those with a "D" after their name, but we are near the bottom of the league in shots against, goals against, and PK. Overall, team D is not good.

I'm talking about our prospect depth at D. Our current D sucks, as we have 3 good defenseman and otherwise mostly a bunch of shitters, which is probably by design. But as Moser grows into our new Chychrun esque defender and we continue to develop and draft new defenders I expect that to change.

I wish I could see more Ice games but I've read he's Mitch Marner Version II several times. He's #5 for me too. Let's finish no worse than #3.

He's better than Marner in many ways, IMO. And I watched a ton of both.

 

[rt]

I wish I could see more Ice games but I've read he's Mitch Marner Version II several times. He's #5 for me too. Let's finish no worse than #3.

A lot more Marchand in there. Like Marner mixed with Marchand. He’s got the best motor I’ve seen years. He’s constantly hounding pucks and generating turnovers. He never stops moving. He’s absolutely elite on the PK. Fantastic defensive player.

I mean Marner is an excellent PK threat and has become a very good defensive winger. So I could we that. And Benson isn’t anywhere near as mean and nasty as Marchand. But he’s much more than Marner. Maybe he’s a Marchand/Marner hybrid.

The way he spins off of guys and bounces off of contact reminds me of Garland and to some extent Yanni Gourde, a little. With the puck there’s some Marner in there and maybe some Gaudreau, perhaps.

I wish I could put together a shift by shift or highlight package that only shows shifts and highlights where he didn’t register a point. I would bet $100 he’d have easily the best 0g 0a highlight package in this class.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

I like Bensons motor, just not his size...and we've already got Keller, Schmaltz, Maccelli in the top 6. I don't want to add another midget into the top 6.

Pick this year has to be: Bedard (midget aside, he'll score 50/yr), Fantilli, Carlsson, Smith