Bob McKenzie's 2023 mid-season draft rankings

[blindpass]

Something about this list that bothers me a bit is that it’s really going for safety over upside outside of the top six guys. Yager, Barlow, Dvorsky, Leonard, Moore, Ritchie, and Danielson all safely project to be middle-six forwards in some capacity, but none of them have first line upside.

Which players are missing that you see having first line upside?

 

[arider1990]

I am working on my mid-season rankings, and spoiler alert: I have him at #6.

Glad me and a good portion of Habs fans can agree on something. That doesn’t happen too often

I did a mock draft for fun last week and had him going 5. So I'm right there on the train with you.

 

[ponder]

Which players are missing that you see having first line upside?

I’m not the guy you quoted, but IMO some “high risk/high reward” types that are outside the top 10 in Bob’s list:
- Sale (12)
- Cristall (18)
- Gulyayev (24)
- Musty (26)
- Dragicevic (27)

 

[57special]

ASP is the first defenseman on the board, at 17.

Obviously teams will draft dmen earlier than that, but interesting to note.

Normally I'm the guy who rants about how the Dmen are ranked unrealistically low, and am proven right come draft time, but this year seems to be different. There really aren't any great D prospects, and seem to be a lot of really good forwards. I can see only two dmen picked in the top 20, and that has happened...ever?
This can all change if someone tears it up in the last half of the season, though.

 

[rt]

Musty at 26 ? Way more potential than Calum Ritchie at 13. Time will tell…

I like Ritchie better.

 

[rt]

Cristall at 18 is the biggest surprise for me, a lot lower than I expected.

I wonder what the reservations are about his game? He is small, and is a “slow the game down” type, vs. someone who plays with a lot of pace, maybe scouts don’t like that combo? I suppose there’s an argument that he doesn’t play with enough pace to get separation at the NHL level, and won’t have the size/strength to fend off defenders when they do get close.

Maybe they see more Petan than Jarvis?

 

[Juxtaposer]

Which players are missing that you see having first line upside?

Said earlier in the thread, my upside picks are Cristall, Šalé, Gulyayev, Wood, and Musty.

 

[SlafySZN]

Cristall at 18 is the biggest surprise for me, a lot lower than I expected.

I wonder what the reservations are about his game? He is small, and is a “slow the game down” type, vs. someone who plays with a lot of pace, maybe scouts don’t like that combo? I suppose there’s an argument that he doesn’t play with enough pace to get separation at the NHL level, and won’t have the size/strength to fend off defenders when they do get close.

I have never seen Cristall play but Button compares him to Suzuki, do you think it’s accurate?

 

[FourQuarters]

I have never seen Cristall play but Button compares him to Suzuki, do you think it’s accurate?

View attachment 640389

"No fanfare, no flash and dash"
No, a lot of people knew him because of his lacrosse goal, even earlier than Zegras'. He likes to try something unconventional.

 

[Panthaz89]

ASP is the first defenseman on the board, at 17.

Obviously teams will draft dmen earlier than that, but interesting to note.

sounds like good news for the Sabres they need Dman pretty bad.

 

[KevSkillz4]

To me Dvorsky is easily a top 5 player in this draft. Smith have top 5 talent, for sure. Benson is really good aswell. In my ranking, I have Dvorsky at 5, Smith at 6 and Benson at 7. They all 3 really good prospect and teams will be happy to grab one of them at 5-7 range. They are easily top 2-3 talent on another draft.

 

[WeThreeKings]

To me Dvorsky is easily a top 5 player in this draft. Smith have top 5 talent, for sure. Benson is really good aswell. In my ranking, I have Dvorsky at 5, Smith at 6 and Benson at 7. They all 3 really good prospect and teams will be happy to grab one of them at 5-7 range. They are easily top 2-3 talent on another draft.

Sorry buddy.. Dvorsky had the profile coming in to maybe push for the top 5 but he has not taken a step at all offensively. Bob McKenzie said it from scouts as well.

He could go much higher if they see his offensive game grow but even scaling down to teenagers at the WJC he lacked the decision making, smoothness with the puck, creativity and zone entry/exit skills that you'd need out of a top 5 pick.

He's a 2 and you'll need to support him with playdriving wingers.

 

[badfish]

I have never seen Cristall play but Button compares him to Suzuki, do you think it’s accurate?

View attachment 640392

I've seen him and disagree. I thought there was a lot of flash and dash to Cristall's game.

 

[Frk It]

Sorry buddy.. Dvorsky had the profile coming in to maybe push for the top 5 but he has not taken a step at all offensively. Bob McKenzie said it from scouts as well.

He could go much higher if they see his offensive game grow but even scaling down to teenagers at the WJC he lacked the decision making, smoothness with the puck, creativity and zone entry/exit skills that you'd need out of a top 5 pick.

He's a 2 and you'll need to support him with playdriving wingers.

You see him at the Hlinka?

 

[WeThreeKings]

You see him at the Hlinka?

I did yeah. Good inside game and a good shot.

 

[Favin]

Just an observation.

BCHL players, by McKenize mid-term rank (ppg in year)

2023-36. Bradly Nadeau (1.97 in 2022-23)
2023-HM. Aydar Suniev (1.81 in 2022-23)
2023-14. Matthew Wood (1.85 in 2021-22)
2021-7. Kent Johnson (1.94 in 2019-20)
2019-20. Alex Newhook (1.92 in 2018-19)
2016-13. Tyson Jost (2.17 in 2015-16)

Obviously Wood and Johnson did in the D-1 years, but otherwise, appears Nadeau and Suniev are a bit low just based on their production. Its not like McKenize has dinged BCHL in the past.

Whats the story here?

 

[jfhabs]

I’m not the guy you quoted, but IMO some “high risk/high reward” types that are outside the top 10 in Bob’s list:
- Sale (12)
- Cristall (18)
- Gulyayev (24)
- Musty (26)
- Dragicevic (27)

I'd take a flyer on Dragicevic, specially if I have another 1st

Sorry buddy.. Dvorsky had the profile coming in to maybe push for the top 5 but he has not taken a step at all offensively. Bob McKenzie said it from scouts as well.

He could go much higher if they see his offensive game grow but even scaling down to teenagers at the WJC he lacked the decision making, smoothness with the puck, creativity and zone entry/exit skills that you'd need out of a top 5 pick.

He's a 2 and you'll need to support him with playdriving wingers.

I haven't seen him outside of the WJCs, but it's a 19yo tournament. It's normal for him to look like that there. Even then I thought he was a very projectable guy at the NHL level. Not for top 5, but after that, in the 7 to 12 range, all guys have 'issues'.

 

[Doublechin]

If we mixed in last year's draft core and this year's who'd be the highest picked player from last year?

I think I'd have Cooley first but overall he might be 7-9th

 

[ponder]

I have never seen Cristall play but Button compares him to Suzuki, do you think it’s accurate?

View attachment 640392

Button is a WAY better talent evaluator than me (or basically any of us), but no, personally I don’t see Suzuki. IMO:
- Same age Suzuki was more fundamentally sound, physically stronger, played with more pace, and had a better/more technically sound skating stride (Cristall has great edges but isn't as speedy as Suzuki is/was)
- Cristall has better hands, more creativity, is a better passer, and is more deceptive/elusive

I personally see Cristall as more similar to same-age Giroux.

 

[WayneGretzky]

Just an observation.

BCHL players, by McKenize mid-term rank (ppg in year)

2023-36. Bradly Nadeau (1.97 in 2022-23)
2023-HM. Aydar Suniev (1.81 in 2022-23)
2023-14. Matthew Wood (1.85 in 2021-22)
2021-7. Kent Johnson (1.94 in 2019-20)
2019-20. Alex Newhook (1.92 in 2018-19)
2016-13. Tyson Jost (2.17 in 2015-16)

Obviously Wood and Johnson did in the D-1 years, but otherwise, appears Nadeau and Suniev are a bit low just based on their production. Its not like McKenize has dinged BCHL in the past.

Whats the story here?

Simple…There’s much more to the game of hockey than just points.

 

[ponder]

Maybe they see more Petan than Jarvis?

Yeah, something like that. I personally quite like his game, but he’s a risky pick with plenty of bust potential. But IMO it’s worth betting on his combo of hockey IQ/vision, hands and elusiveness/deceptiveness. If he can get stronger, more explosive, and learn to play with more pace, he has really high potential.

 

[stastny12]

Well I cant speak for Dvorsky, because I have never seen him play.

So you are posting about the tenth post about the fact that it bothers you that Dvorsky is in front of Sale, but at the end of the day you have never seen Dvorsky play. Dear posters, I think nothing more need to be said.

 

[shotvalley]

So you are posting about the tenth post about the fact that it bothers you that Dvorsky is in front of Sale, but at the end of the day you have never seen Dvorsky play. Dear posters, I think nothing more need to be said.

This is hfboards in a nutshell.

 

[SwedishFire]

the real ranking is Bedard, Michkov, Fantelli, Carlsson...

 

[bsu]

This draft is absolutely stacked. Stoked the Ducks chose this year to suck extra hard.