Rank teams 1 to 5 considering only the prospects listed
Anaheim: Pavel Mintyukov, Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke
Chicago: Kevin Korchinski, Connor Bedard, Artyom Levshunov
Columbus: David Jiříček, Adam Fantilli, Cayden Lindstrom
Montréal: Juraj Slafkovský, David Reinbacher, Ivan Demidov
Utah: Logan Cooley, Dmitri Simashev, Tij Iginla
1.
San Jose: Not sure why you omitted the team with the highest three prospects (I guess cause they didn't have a high pick in '22?). Celebrini and Smith down the middle won't quite be McDavid-Draisaitl or Crosby-Malkin but will be pretty darn close. Throw in Dickinson who is a stud (would have been #2 OA if he shot right) and they've got the most solid 3 of the bunch.
2.
Columbus: They may not produce the points down the middle that San Jose might but man will you know you went through a war after you played them. Teams win down the middle and they will be stacked. Jiricek will be a great #1 RD.
3.
Chicago: The best player (quasi-generational) on this list, but unlike others I don't think his exceptional talent is alone to have Chicago first. I am not as high on Levshunov (would have had him third off the board) and Korchinski
at this stage of his career is not well-rounded enough. I'm guessing they'll make a great duo though in a few years. Had they taken Demidov I'd have had them 1st with just those players alone.
4.
Montreal: Trying to check myself from being a homer. Slaf and Demidov will be uniquely exceptional players and I can't wait to see them in the future. Slaf will be the guy you want in the last minute when you need a goal. To me he will scream clutch with his ability to cycle and impose his will down low and drive the net. Demidov will have that game breaking ability and have fans standing when he's on the ice. What neither are, however, is a center and you win down the middle. Reinbacher may be a #1RD but while he does many things well, I just don't think he'll be elite. I'd have them higher but for those reasons.
5.
Anaheim: I love Leo and think he'll be a stud. I also love Sennecke, but I'm just not sure he'll hit that ceiling. Mintyukov is a driver of offence, but plays the left side and needs to polish his defensive play (in my limited view of his play).
6.
Utah: Great prospects but none of them will be that true superstar imho. I like Cooley's game (I was on his bandwagon for #1 in 22) and really hope he hits his ceiling. He just seems a little undersized for that role as a #1. I'd love to see Tij moved to center as his game looks like it will translate well. I haven't seen Simashev at all so I can't comment.
I went through this a number of times playing with the rankings. For me Utah was solidly 6th but had a really difficult time with the others, especially 2-4.
