Prospect Info: 2023 NHL Draft Thread

[Guttersniped]

It pleases me that Montreal’s 2nd 1st tanked and the Detroit’s run on 2nds is very eye pleasing. (I’m sure they’ll make some sort of trade but that’s fun.)

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Trade Severson and Graves rights if a team comes calling for them. Get whatever you can for them. Extra picks can't hurt.

 

[Blackjack]

Trade Severson and Graves rights if a team comes calling for them. Get whatever you can for them. Extra picks can't hurt.

UFA rights usually don’t return anything unless it’s for a premiere talent

 

[Nubmer6]

Trade Severson and Graves rights if a team comes calling for them. Get whatever you can for them. Extra picks can't hurt.

Hey, the more 5th and 6th rounders, the better. It seems to be our sweet spot.

 

[Hinterland]

I saw he was discussed on this board already even dating back to last years draft (where he was overlooked for good reasons) but Rodwin Dionicio would be a nice pick for New Jersey.

Overager who could go as early as the 4th round I think. Born in Newark, still has family in the area. For example, his father lives there I think so NJ drafting him would be a cool story.

Played almost all of his junior career as a Center and was then moved to defense where his game is now taking off. Still played a couple of games as a forward in the OHL as well. Complete player who can do it all. Dynamic skater with soft hands and a hard, accurate shot. He's big and hits big...he fights as well. His only problem is discipline (does a lot of stupid stuff leading to penalties and even suspensions) and consistency. Nobody knows if he'll ever put it together on a daily basis but if he does he's gonna be an impact player at NHL level. Boom or bust type of pick. There's a good chance he's gonna be a bust but he played a really strong and consistent WJC20 tournament and had good stretches in the OHL as well so there's hope.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I saw he was discussed on this board already even dating back to last years draft (where he was overlooked for good reasons) but Rodwin Dionicio would be a nice pick for New Jersey.

Overager who could go as early as the 4th round I think. Born in Newark, still has family in the area. For example, his father lives there I think so NJ drafting him would be a cool story.

Played almost all of his junior career as a Center and was then moved to defense where his game is now taking off. Still played a couple of games as a forward in the OHL as well. Complete player who can do it all. Dynamic skater with soft hands and a hard, accurate shot. He's big and hits big...he fights as well. His only problem is discipline (does a lot of stupid stuff leading to penalties and even suspensions) and consistency. Nobody knows if he'll ever put it together on a daily basis but if he does he's gonna be an impact player at NHL level. Boom or bust type of pick. There's a good chance he's gonna be a bust but he played a really strong and consistent WJC20 tournament and had good stretches in the OHL as well so there's hope.

 

[Hinterland]

Yeah, on plays like these the ex Centerman comes through I guess.

 

[Devs3cups]

I want him here for the celly alone lmfao

 

[Guadana]

I don't think that draft will go this way, but

1a 1b Bedard and Michkov
3 Leo Carlsson
4 Fantilli

 

[forceten]

All about the Jersey blog suggested Jesse Kiiskinen for our first selection :

Jesse Kiiskinen: 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile; Relentless Scoring Winger With a High-Compete Level

The Devils likely got a good look at 6’0 RW prospect Jesse Kiiskinen this past year while keeping tabs on teammate LHD Topias Vilen in the Liiga. Could Kiiskinen still be on the board when the Devils make their 2nd round selection?

www.allaboutthejersey.com

 

[Nico Hischier]

I don't think that draft will go this way, but

1a 1b Bedard and Michkov
3 Leo Carlsson
4 Fantilli

Yeah most have fantilli penciled in at 2. After years of never drafting any Russians, the ducks finally drafted one last year with their first pick. So it’s possible they could draft michkov but I think he will slip because of his contract

 

[Guadana]

Yeah most have fantilli penciled in at 2. After years of never drafting any Russians, the ducks finally drafted one last year with their first pick. So it’s possible they could draft michkov but I think he will slip because of his contract

He will. Mintyukov played in NA and he is prototypical big dude for Ducks. They don't like to draft small players too. Jackets already said the will draft center.
And everywhere I saw both Carlsson and Fantilli on the same tournament, Leo was better. I didn't saw a lot of ncaa games this year, Leo was very good in his SHL games and more impressive on my taste. I can't pencil out skating of Fantilli, but Carlsson is much better positionalli, and I think he has smarter 200-foot player. But physical talents of Fantilli are impressive.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Just starting to reason up about the Draft this year. Anyone we can realistically get around our pick that might be a slept on player or has some issues that have lowered their rank for some reason ?

 

[Xirik]

Just starting to reason up about the Draft this year. Anyone we can realistically get around our pick that might be a slept on player or has some issues that have lowered their rank for some reason ?

Michael Hrabel is a 6'6 goalie and probably the best one in this draft. Probably will be picked around our pick.
Charlie Stramel RW 6'3 power forward was in the 1st round conversation early this year don't know what happened to him but looks like he fell in the ranking
Kalan Lind 6'0 C Pesty Center that has skill and will do anything to get the puck
Anton Wahlberg 6'3 LW Powerforward that is perhaps better then Stramel but is very Raw

Thats just my not very well informed take, Some other Devils fans probably have a better list.

 

[evnted]

Just starting to reason up about the Draft this year. Anyone we can realistically get around our pick that might be a slept on player or has some issues that have lowered their rank for some reason ?

so hard to project down to 58 but ill give a couple targets who i think have a shot of making it there:

Alexander Rykov (RW) - tremendous two-way player. great ability to follow play and involve himself defensively. little bit limited skill-wise but there are flashes of a pretty high end shot and some solid playmaking habits both of which could really come to life with more consistency. deceptively good production this year (even if it slowed down a little) playing a hard assignment in the VHL

Aydar Suniev (LW) - possession focused, interior driven, sniper winger. impressive stickwork and forechecking ability allows him to strip defenders with ease. great vision and 200ft game. two major drawbacks are gonna be his skating (it's not a complete disaster but a clear concern) and the strength of competition (playing in the BCHL)

Carey Terrance (C/LW) - speedy, hard working center who scored at an impressive rate for an awful erie otters team. great compete, has a little edge to him. was trusted to play 2nd line duties and top PP for the US during the U18s which is a pretty notable assignment since an overwhelming majority of that team is USNTDP based. not the highest upside nor is his playmaking game particularly great, but a very Cirelli-esque player

Felix Unger-Sorum (LW/RW) - get your Odd Couple jokes out of the way now. he's a near 2024 eligible who plays an extremely mature defensive game. forechecks hard, and combines a high level of intelligence with a great playmaking ability to facilitate a ton of plays. there's a bit of concern over just how much offense will translate and he lacks real high end skating for what is already a fairly light frame

Gavin Brindley (RW) - alright, this one's a complete pipe dream at our pick but he's like 5'8" at best and we all know how GM's are. UMich product and lifelong friend of Seamus Casey is borderline tiny Fantilli. massive compete, high end skating, he plays so much bigger than his size. regularly outworks guys much bigger than him. sometimes gets a bit of tunnel vision and top to bottom really isn't the most skilled guy on the ice, but he feels destined to hit

Jesse Kiiskinen (RW) - i'll preface and say he's probably my lowest preference of this grouping but i do see how the pick could work. good pace, good motor, excellent shot. shows a willingness to dangle through defenders and drive the net. can have some pretty poor judgment at times and also give up on plays going the other way, so i'd be a little cautious, but to his credit the template of a competitive, shooting winger who could keep pace with our centers does have merit

Juraj Pekarcik (LW) - another Nitra product who has an explosive presence on the ice. relentless forechecker with a ton of pace to his game. competes hard in his own end as well. heavy shot which he uses a lot to pressure goalies. probably plays a little too intense for his own good at times as he's prone to losing pucks and rushing his decision making. another near 2024 eligible and we're rumored to be looking at him. gained a ton of traction from the U18s

Martin Misiak (LW/C) - speedy, high energy, multi-zone power forward. more of a playmaker but can score some greasy goals. great compete. loves to push the pace of play and catch defenders off guard. jumped over to the USHL mid-season and centered a championship winning team. outside of skating there's nothing that elite about his game, and there were some production concerns being one of the older players in this draft and not really excelling in the USHL (though his playoff run might've helped alleviate some of that)

Oskar Fisker-Molgaard (C/LW) - feels a little less likely to make it to our pick but he's from a less represented country (DEN) and doesn't score a ton, so maybe. in the simplest possible terms, he's like Marco Kasper-lite if you remember from last year. non-stop motor, great puck carrier, drives the middle, actively seeks out dirty areas on the ice. will do whatever it takes to drive play

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

I don't feel safe drafting a player with the last name "Rykov" lol. Im sure you know why haha

 

[evnted]

I don't feel safe drafting a player with the last name "Rykov" lol. Im sure you know why haha

as long as we dont trade this one for a rental who couldnt do the one thing he was brought in for, we should be golden lol

 

[RyGuy]

I don't feel safe drafting a player with the last name "Rykov" lol. Im sure you know why haha

I dont feel safe even having marginal interactions with anyone possessing a "Ry" prefix.

 

[Guadana]

its interesting how every year I have some specific guy from usntdp over consensus guy.
In 2019 I liked Boldy more than Turcotte. In 2020 I had Sanderson over Drysdale(I know he is from OHL, but was higher as consensus pick. In 2021 I had… I had Edvinsson over Hughes as potential two way D, but Hughes was my number one American player over Johnsson. Edvinsson was my number 3, Mctavish was 4 and Hughes number five or something like that. I wasnt a fan of Power actually, at least as potential number one pick. Need to read my different thoughts, may be I fueled differently in the moment. In 2022 I liked Gauthier more than Cooley not as potential point producer, but as a player with better tool set for his role.
This year it’s Leonard. I like his tool set more than what Smith has. I think Smith is a better playmaker and point producer potentially, but I like overall game of Leonard more. I think he is faster, has better shot, he is much better without the puck. Better on the boards, better backchecker, I think he cover the zone better. Smith has the specific touch you can see from Jack Hughes, but he doesn’t make all the work Jack did to protect the space and prevent the breakaway. I like how Leonard is finding the open space for the shot.

 

[Devs3cups]

I'm actually pretty excited to see who we snag with our 2nd. Maybe we even end up with a 1st.

 

[Brodeur]

 

[Guadana]

People asked about players for our second-third round pick. I remebered another one. Daniil Karpovich. Big belorussian defenseman with skating, hands and vision. Daniil Karpovich at eliteprospects.com
He is very talented player, but I think he will be picked earlier.

 

[PelotonFunk]

so hard to project down to 58 but ill give a couple targets who i think have a shot of making it there:

Alexander Rykov (RW) - tremendous two-way player. great ability to follow play and involve himself defensively. little bit limited skill-wise but there are flashes of a pretty high end shot and some solid playmaking habits both of which could really come to life with more consistency. deceptively good production this year (even if it slowed down a little) playing a hard assignment in the VHL

Aydar Suniev (LW) - possession focused, interior driven, sniper winger. impressive stickwork and forechecking ability allows him to strip defenders with ease. great vision and 200ft game. two major drawbacks are gonna be his skating (it's not a complete disaster but a clear concern) and the strength of competition (playing in the BCHL)

Carey Terrance (C/LW) - speedy, hard working center who scored at an impressive rate for an awful erie otters team. great compete, has a little edge to him. was trusted to play 2nd line duties and top PP for the US during the U18s which is a pretty notable assignment since an overwhelming majority of that team is USNTDP based. not the highest upside nor is his playmaking game particularly great, but a very Cirelli-esque player

Felix Unger-Sorum (LW/RW) - get your Odd Couple jokes out of the way now. he's a near 2024 eligible who plays an extremely mature defensive game. forechecks hard, and combines a high level of intelligence with a great playmaking ability to facilitate a ton of plays. there's a bit of concern over just how much offense will translate and he lacks real high end skating for what is already a fairly light frame

Gavin Brindley (RW) - alright, this one's a complete pipe dream at our pick but he's like 5'8" at best and we all know how GM's are. UMich product and lifelong friend of Seamus Casey is borderline tiny Fantilli. massive compete, high end skating, he plays so much bigger than his size. regularly outworks guys much bigger than him. sometimes gets a bit of tunnel vision and top to bottom really isn't the most skilled guy on the ice, but he feels destined to hit

Jesse Kiiskinen (RW) - i'll preface and say he's probably my lowest preference of this grouping but i do see how the pick could work. good pace, good motor, excellent shot. shows a willingness to dangle through defenders and drive the net. can have some pretty poor judgment at times and also give up on plays going the other way, so i'd be a little cautious, but to his credit the template of a competitive, shooting winger who could keep pace with our centers does have merit

Juraj Pekarcik (LW) - another Nitra product who has an explosive presence on the ice. relentless forechecker with a ton of pace to his game. competes hard in his own end as well. heavy shot which he uses a lot to pressure goalies. probably plays a little too intense for his own good at times as he's prone to losing pucks and rushing his decision making. another near 2024 eligible and we're rumored to be looking at him. gained a ton of traction from the U18s

Martin Misiak (LW/C) - speedy, high energy, multi-zone power forward. more of a playmaker but can score some greasy goals. great compete. loves to push the pace of play and catch defenders off guard. jumped over to the USHL mid-season and centered a championship winning team. outside of skating there's nothing that elite about his game, and there were some production concerns being one of the older players in this draft and not really excelling in the USHL (though his playoff run might've helped alleviate some of that)

Oskar Fisker-Molgaard (C/LW) - feels a little less likely to make it to our pick but he's from a less represented country (DEN) and doesn't score a ton, so maybe. in the simplest possible terms, he's like Marco Kasper-lite if you remember from last year. non-stop motor, great puck carrier, drives the middle, actively seeks out dirty areas on the ice. will do whatever it takes to drive play

Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did a 2 round mock draft. They had Oscar Fisker Molgaard going 28th, Brindley 32nd and Pekarchik 34th. The rest did not make their 2 round mock. They have the Devils taking Lenni Hameenaho.

 

[evnted]

Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did a 2 round mock draft. They had Oscar Fisker Molgaard going 28th, Brindley 32nd and Pekarchik 34th. The rest did not make their 2 round mock. They have the Devils taking Lenni Hameenaho.

hed be fine. wouldnt be the most exciting pick but i think its pretty fair value. the positives are: hes a solid shooter, is excellent at establishing positioning outside the crease and jumping on loose pucks, has had some decent liiga success, and has a pretty nice compete level. the downsides would be: while the compete level itself is good i think he can look weak on the puck and get stripped of it too easily, i dont love his skating, and i think hes destined to be a complimentary piece at best lacking a real defined playmaking game or any sort of high end vision. he has a safe, low-upside, but pretty translatable game. dont think hed feel too dissimilar to the zetterlund pick

 

[Jack Be Quick]

I saw he was discussed on this board already even dating back to last years draft (where he was overlooked for good reasons) but Rodwin Dionicio would be a nice pick for New Jersey.

Overager who could go as early as the 4th round I think. Born in Newark, still has family in the area. For example, his father lives there I think so NJ drafting him would be a cool story.

Played almost all of his junior career as a Center and was then moved to defense where his game is now taking off. Still played a couple of games as a forward in the OHL as well. Complete player who can do it all. Dynamic skater with soft hands and a hard, accurate shot. He's big and hits big...he fights as well. His only problem is discipline (does a lot of stupid stuff leading to penalties and even suspensions) and consistency. Nobody knows if he'll ever put it together on a daily basis but if he does he's gonna be an impact player at NHL level. Boom or bust type of pick. There's a good chance he's gonna be a bust but he played a really strong and consistent WJC20 tournament and had good stretches in the OHL as well so there's hope.

If he's available in a reasonable round you pick this kid no matter what.

I don't care if there's a swede or Canadian who is 3% more likely to be the bpa, you take him.

It's good for hockey in NJ and it's great for hockey in Newark.