2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Frank JT]

Sportsnet's 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: February Edition

In his latest draft rankings, Sam Cosentino starts with a familiar name on top, but there continues to be plenty of movement through the rest of the top 32.

www.sportsnet.ca

Scout's Analysis: Top 40 prospects in 2023 and how to build a draft list

Jason Bukala presents his first draft list of the season, a top 40 ranking of players he's scouted, and explains how scouts develop and refine their lists through a season.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[le_sean]

I'm not excited for Barlow and they've seen him a lot cause Guindon is down there.

2023 draft and we get a 20 goal scorer.. that'd be so Habs/

Can’t we just sign him as a free agent? He’s 35 years old

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Stumble upon Lardis' statline this morning. 32 pts in 19 games lmfao, how is his skating?

Peterborough seems to be where offense goes to die

 

[MON4NHLTOR4MLB]

Can this team just lose all the games they’re supposed to lose already?

 

[WeThreeKings]

don't know why I post clips of guys we can't get.

 

[SlafySZN]

don't know why I post clips of guys we can't get.

I have a feeling he could drop a little.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I have a feeling he could drop a little.

A little but not to 9-10.

 

[SlafySZN]

A little but not to 9-10.

I don't think we'll draft 9 or 10 lol you're pessimistic


I'd say we'll have a surprise and he'll be there at 6 or 7. Will the habs draft a ''smallish'' player, no idea but i would hope so he would be definitely the BPA.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't think we'll draft 9 or 10 lol you're pessimistic


I'd say we'll have a surprise and he'll be there at 6 or 7. Will the habs draft a ''smallish'' player, no idea but i would hope so he would be definitely the BPA.

We just beat NYI, EDM and NJD. We play the shitty Flyers on the weekend, we win that and we are 2 pts behind with 2 games in hand. Once we pass Philadelphia, we won't get ahead of them again. Blues are scorching everything down and sucking worse than most other teams.

Really dire spot. If we had played as we should have, we'd be at 47 pts tied with SJS and 1 game in hand.

f***ing idiots.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

View attachment 654828

We just beat NYI, EDM and NJD. We play the shitty Flyers on the weekend, we win that and we are 2 pts behind with 2 games in hand. Once we pass Philadelphia, we won't get ahead of them again. Blues are scorching everything down and sucking worse than most other teams.

Really dire spot. If we had played as we should have, we'd be at 47 pts tied with SJS and 1 game in hand.

f***ing idiots.

I have faith that the lottery portion of it is rigged either way so I don't much care about the odds, and unless we're top-3 I don't think it really matters since we won't be taking Michkov.

Pick 4-9 the Habs are probably reaching for Reinbacher, with the confidence that they have the Florida pick to use on a forward or in a trade for PLD. Don't see us taking Michkov, Smith is too close to Hughes, Benson and Cristall are too small, another Slovak would be egregious, Barlow is too old, and Leonard or Moore don't move the needle for us as we have similar players in our system. Sale is the only other guy I could see our management fall in love with, he fits the profile of what they're trying to build -- but I would take the gamble that he's there with the next pick

The Kotkaniemi lotto win after we traded for John Scott was probably fair compensation from the league, and the 1st overall win was a great narrative with the draft hosted in Montreal and we had the best odds.

Not sure if the narrative is there for us this year, unless the NHL thinks it's a good idea to put the next superstar in Montreal

 

[Michelangelo]

Let's just draft Sale or Leonard at 10 and some other 2nd liner at 14 and call it a rebuild

 

[Mrb1p]

Let's just draft Sale or Leonard at 10 and some other 2nd liner at 14 and call it a rebuild

Lmao thats whats up.

Sale/Leonard
Moore/Barlow

On s'en lave les mains

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

An excellent 1st OV is Lemieux, Crosby and Mcdavid.

Hahahaha there is no way you are serious with this post right

 

[An0n]

Hahahaha there is no way you are serious with this post right

They’re not excellent 1st oa players?

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

They’re not excellent 1st oa players?

More like generational than excellent imo

 

[calder candidate]

Is this draft really has good has it was hype up to be? The top of the draft is crazy but after that it seem that there a lot of guys in the same tier…

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Is this draft really has good has it was hype up to be? The top of the draft is crazy but after that it seem that there a lot of guys in the same tier…

I think it's an above average draft but not tracking to be 2015 or 2003 in my opinion. The top 4 is legit great (and is worthy of the hype) and there are some interesting prospects going into the second round....I just find some players haven't lived up to their billing, the class isn't as amazing as I initially contemplated.

 

[morhilane]

Is this draft really has good has it was hype up to be? The top of the draft is crazy but after that it seem that there a lot of guys in the same tier…

There are already scouts musing it being mostly middle 6 quality players ceiling like last season minus the top 4 who are stronger. Basically, last year draft would start to slot in around rank 5-6 and the drop in quality is slow like last year too. It's too bad the Habs only have one 2nd and 3rd round pick, that's where the steals will happen again this year.

And I wouldn't be surprised if there was more NHLers in last year draft than in this one, but this draft year will have the better point producer.

On another note, I watched Benson yesterday and I really wish that he "falls" to the Habs pick...

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is this draft really has good has it was hype up to be? The top of the draft is crazy but after that it seem that there a lot of guys in the same tier…

It is for me.

There's 13 prospects I have a top 6/top 4 grade. Last year, that was 5.

From 14-30 I've got a 1st round grade on them.

31-70 in a 2nd round grade.

It's pretty unheard of.

It is possibly the best goalie draft in a long time as well. Hrabal, Bjarnason, Fowler, and Gajan all have true blue #1 upside. Then there's interesting options like Augustine, Milic, Ratzlaff, Clara.

 

[le_sean]

Is this draft really has good has it was hype up to be? The top of the draft is crazy but after that it seem that there a lot of guys in the same tier…

A lot of guys in the same tier, but it’s still a tier above last year, particularly with the forwards, which is what the Habs desperately need.

 

[morhilane]

A lot of guys in the same tier, but it’s still a tier above last year, particularly with the forwards, which is what the Habs desperately need.

Habs desperately need RHDs prospects (of any kind, they have zero RHD depth) and starter potential goaltender prospects. Forwards are easy to trade for in comparison and develop faster as well.

The Habs path to become a contender will last as long as it takes to fill those two positions with mature NHL players. Regardless of the forwards group they have in front of them...

 

[Mrb1p]

Is this draft really has good has it was hype up to be? The top of the draft is crazy but after that it seem that there a lot of guys in the same tier…

Yes it is. At least for forwards. Theres players comparable to Cooley and Wright up to 12.

 

[le_sean]

Habs desperately need RHDs prospects (of any kind, they have zero RHD depth) and starter potential goaltender prospects. Forwards are easy to trade for in comparison and develop faster as well.

The Habs path to become a contender will last as long as it takes to fill those two positions with mature NHL players. Regardless of the forwards group they have in front of them...

They need everything, but high end forwards is the biggest need. Anyone with promise in the system is middle-6. Only Cole and Juraj have top line potential. There’s a real lack of creativity too, other than Farrell.

RD is a need, but it’s not as desperate as you make it out to be (zero depth?). The emergence of Barron, the potential of Mailloux and the ability of LDs to play on the right side mitigate that need.

Goalie isn’t a position that any team should be focusing on. Especially since right now we are talking about the high picks. Goalies should be taken late 1st at the earliest.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Whichever player is similar to Geekie let's pass on..

 

[WinterLion]

They need everything, but high end forwards is the biggest need. Anyone with promise in the system is middle-6. Only Cole and Juraj have top line potential. There’s a real lack of creativity too, other than Farrell.

RD is a need, but it’s not as desperate as you make it out to be (zero depth?). The emergence of Barron, the potential of Mailloux and the ability of LDs to play on the right side mitigate that need.

Goalie isn’t a position that any team should be focusing on. Especially since right now we are talking about the high picks. Goalies should be taken late 1st at the earliest.

Habs desperately need RHDs prospects (of any kind, they have zero RHD depth) and starter potential goaltender prospects. Forwards are easy to trade for in comparison and develop faster as well.

The Habs path to become a contender will last as long as it takes to fill those two positions with mature NHL players. Regardless of the forwards group they have in front of them...

I would say the most important thing would be to find a true top line player at any position. There is decent depth everywhere finally... but getting a star... that would be nice!