Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. We believe in fully disclosing the methods to which we collect and use your personal information. Mazden Leslie, RHD (Vancouver) And while he played exclusively as a winger in the SHL the last two seasons, Carlsson came up as a centre and I like the way his game might fit there long term because of his combination of size, detail, and awareness. WHL Bantam Draft: December Top 22 - #5 - #1 January 1, 2021 | In General, WHL Draft | By Ashley It's The Final Countdown!!!! Connor Levis, RW (Kamloops) Hes a big winger whose game really fit right from the get-go on North American ice, quickly establishing himself as a a go-to player in all-situations for the Giants (even though he was an underager, Slovakia was playing him a ton early on in the world juniors, too). NHL Draft History 2021 Draft Rankings: Final 65-96 (May) Enter Player 2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Final 65-96 (May) Steve Kournianos | 5/25/2021 | [hupso] 1-32 | 33-64 | 65-96 | 97-128 | 129-160 | 0 replies Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1 Notebook (East and Central Divisions) 2021 Draft Rankings: Final 97-128 (May) Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. Without further ado, lets get into the January edition of my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. Calgary, Alta. January 2023 WHL Draft Ranking update | Top-80 Joel Henderson Final Thoughts: John Reid Memorial Tournament 2023 Joel Henderson 10 Puck Touches: Day Three and Four - 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament Joel Henderson 10 Puck Touches: Day Two, 2023 John Reid Memorial Tournament Joel Henderson Hes great at changing speeds in transition to separate himself from defenders before either making a move around them or passing to an open teammate. Shane Wright, C, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) 2. And he always seems to be around it. Im prepared to stick my neck out on Perreault at this point. Related: Early Look at the 2024 NHL Draft. Max Domi (F) Hes a versatile, hard-working player who excels in pretty much every facet of the game, gets to the middle of the ice, and makes plays around the net through skill and timing. His release is lightning-quick. About 2023 Draft Nhl Prospects . Hes a natural scorer and creator, but hes also got plus vision and deft touch (though I wouldnt say his creativity is necessarily a strength). Go Premium for Elite Prospects Support. A number of years ago, WHL Clubs were allowed to list first-year bantam players as of a set date in September. 2023 Whl Bantam Draft - Elite Prospects 2023 Whl Bantam Draft Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. His long stick can limit him catching and handling pucks in his feet at times, and he doesnt have a great shot, but those things should come and hes got great dexterity and reflexes. Hes also well-regarded as a great kid who is easy to coach and understands whats required of a centre. Oliver Bonk, RD, London Knights (OHL), 48. One of the most skilled and slippery players in this draft is Andrew Cristall, the only draft eligible player in the WHL who has been able to roughly keep pace with Bedard in terms of production this year. Gauthier, the No. Oscar Fisker Molgaard, C (HV71) Charlie Stramel, C, University of Wisconsin (NCAA), 34. Ethan Gauthier is one of the most consistent players in this draft class in terms of effort and habits, not just production. But even when things arent going his way and the points arent falling, Ive always liked his involvement level, so its hard to get too down on him. He has now impressed me wherever Ive watched him (NCAA, USHL, Five Nations, U18 Worlds, world juniors, etc.) His June birthday makes him one of the younger players on this list and he has already accomplished a lot, including leading a Slovak Hlinka Gretzky Cup team that featured Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar in scoring as an underager, producing well above a point per game in Swedens J20 level last year, and now producing in his draft year in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan (while clicking at two points per game in stints back down at J20). Finally, Barlow has been one of the best goal scorers in junior hockey so far this year, scoring 36 goals in just 42 Ontario Hockey League (OHL), a 56-goal pace over the rest of the season. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club's of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. He was an alternate captain and second-leading scorer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and isan alternate captain and leading scorer with Moose Jaw. 1. 33. Updated: Feb 16/2023 - Welcome to the Top 500 Prospect Rankings List plus Additions/Watch List/Players To Be Evaluated list. Jakub Vrna (F) NHL. NHL Entry Draft -3004 - full list of selections with facts and stats. After the draft is completed, all the remaining bantams become eligible to be listed by teams, and many will be added as spots become available on Clubs PPLs, or as a players talents improve or are more noticeable at a later date or at a higher level of hockey. He has also shown a little more fire. Hes also not fast despite his strength, although he has made progress in his skating and does at times look powerful in straight lines. The original owner of the team was Terry Simpson, the original . So far, his offense has only improved, even considering the increased competition. As always, Ive broken down the full ranking into tiers to give you a better sense for the fluidity within groupings and the drop-offs between them. There are times when he can wait too long to make his decisions and I wouldnt call him creative, but he makes good choices more often than hes careless with it and he has progressed really rapidly for a kid who doesnt turn 18 until a couple of weeks from now. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; The 2023 NHL draft will be held June 28 (Round 1) and June 29 (Rounds 2-7) at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Continue with Recommended Cookies. His average SHL TOI is around 4:30, so this should be a confidence boost for the 2023 top prospect.In the J20 Nationell, Stenberg has 20pts (8G, 12A) through 23 games.pic.twitter.com/H36RVcNC4H. I love the way he slows down the game, adjusts and maneuvers his frame and shades pucks. I like the way he has learned to hunt and come up with pucks, too. January 2023 WHL Draft Ranking update | Top-80 Joel Henderson. And after how good he looked as an underager at U18 worlds in Germany last April, nobody has been surprised by his near goal-per-game breakout this season (in fact, I wrote I wont be surprised if he challenges Smith and Moore on the stat sheet this year while providing all of the energy that he does in my preseason ranking). Hes the kind of player who fills the stat sheet andelevates his linemates in subtle ways. However, his real calling card is his shot which ranks near the top of the draft class in terms of deception and power. I see clear, projectable top-six tools as a play-creating winger and Im not the least bit worried about him doing it against NHL defences because of how hard he is to pin down. He thrives in the small-area game, using light passes and rapid movements to play in and out of coverage. He has also shed some of the selfishness and force-it plays that could frustrate me and others at lower levels (hes making better decisions onshot selection, overhanding less, utilizing his linemates better, etc. Once the true cream of the crop in this class are gone, hes the kind of talent Id swing on in the second round. This may be a little low given that, but also underscores the strength of this draft. The Chiefs hold the first-overall selection, as determined by the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery on June 2, 2021. The biggest arguments against him are his size and skating, since a 5-foot-10 winger often needs to be an above average skater to make an impact in the NHL and Cristall is not quite there. When he tries things and he often does hes never trying them out of desperation but rather intention. His skating is average in my eyes and so is his defending, but his offensive skill and smarts package could get him a look even higher on draft day as theres not a single NHL team who wouldnt love an offensive defender as dynamic as Dragicevic. Hell of a performance from Slovakia especially their Tendy! I like the way he supports the puck defensively as a centreman, too, though hell need to get stronger to be reliable defensively at the NHL level. Early results are extremely positive with Wood being one of the top rookie point scorers and one of the top scorers on his team despite being the youngest player in all of mens NCAA hockey. We seldom see them play big minutes in a good league, though even when theyre on the older side, like Reinbacher is with his October birthday. Honourable mentions (sorted alphabetically): Beau Akey, RHD (Barrie) WHL Network Tigers sign Gavin McKenna, first overall selection in 2022 WHL Prospects Draft 9 months ago When you package all of that skill with a dogged work ethic that keeps him around pucks all the time, and youve gota tremendous player. Name. 2002 Rankings. Chloe Primarano is the first ever female to be selected in a WHL Bantam Draft. Hes excellent on the wall in puck protection and also has some outside-in skill so that he can attack off of holds into the middle third. The six lowest-place teams involved in the lottery include the Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors,. When he does go there, too, Ive seen him show that dexterity he has getting sticks on tips and redirects. After a solid showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, Quentin Musty was considered by many to be the best U.S. born prospect in this draft class. His skills make him very well suited as a center at the next level with good size, a coveted right-handed shot, good defensive habits (kills penalties quite well), and solid faceoff results. He skates quite well for his size, hes got good hands and dexterity, hes got great feel and sense for the pressures that exist on the ice, and hes by all accounts a great teammate and kid who is coachable and pays attention to the details of the game. Crafty is the best word to describe his game. Western Hockey League completes 2022 WHL U.S. He can pick apart opposing defenses with pin-point passes and sly fakes, and his effort level is admirable. While Bedard scores by trying to shoot a wrister as hard as possible, trying to punch a hole through the goalie, Michkov will outsmart the defense and score by finding holes in coverage. Im not sure he has the star power of the names in front of him here, but hes got some unique attributes in this class and hes going to make a heck of an NHL player. Now that the 2023 World Juniors are firmly in the rearview mirror, it's time to take another deep-dive into the top prospects for the 2023 Draft. Ondrej Molnar, LW (Erie) Catton is the early front runner for 1st overall in next years WHL bantam draft and has recently been granted exceptional player status to play up in Midget AAA next year for the Saskatoon Contacts as a underage player. 2022-2023 regular season player stats for CSDHL 13U, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. When hes on, he can completely take over a game. Sweden's best prospect for the 2023 draft, Carlsson dominated the J20 level with his size and skill last season, playing at nearly two points per game (35 in 18) and adding nine points in 35. He has been utterly dominant at the J20 level, played big minutes when things mattered most as an underager at the world juniors (including in three overtimes) and looked himself in spot usage in the SHL. Tristan Bertucci, LHD (Flint) His playmaking skills either at full speed or after settling in the offensive zone are impressive and make him a very mobile and skilled threat whenever he has the puck. He provides a ton of offense in transition as well as in the offensive zone where he seems to create scoring chances at will. One of the most surprising junior players so far this year is Lukas Dragicevic who has put up points at well above a point per game rate in the WHL from the back end, making him the highest scoring defender in the league as of writing. Hes got smooth skating mechanics. He was the CHL Rookie of the Year (on 34 goals). Scouts are drawn to him because of his size-skill combo and while he can look a little uncoordinated out there at times, that draw is real and theres some definite tools there. I have questions about his talent level, though. You can also find an additional 32 honourable mentions below. There were a lot of nights last season, on an Ice team that boasted half a dozen of the better forwards and two of the top defencemen in the WHL, where this kid was the best player on the ice (which included himleadingthem in scoring in the playoffs with 23 points in 15 games) as a 16-year-old. WHL Bantam Draft 2023 - full list of selections with facts and stats. But after looking like one of the most talented players in Germany for U18 worlds, and then in Red Deer for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and now producing in the Czech Extraliga, he looks closer to a special Czech talent with real top-10 aspirations than he does to interesting prospect-who-torched-a-bad-league. Id be quite surprised if he slid all the way to 16 (where I have him ranked), because a right-handed centre with his shot has a ton of value to NHL teams. On the puck, hes a multi-faceted playmaker who often looks like the player who was the No. But youll also see him make the heady escape play out of his own zone under pressure at five-on-five, or slide into a passing line to intercept a pass, or disrupt an opposing carrier with a tight gap and active stick. Luke Hughes3-50 (plus full evaluations, 55 honourable mentions, player tiers, and more at @TheAthletic): https://t.co/JpsFEKs7Ax, Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) February 13, 2023. The 18-year-old has accumulated 54 points (25 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games so far this season. Name. Everywhere he plays, Bedard just oozes poise and talent unlike any other player on the ice. Theres work to do to get a little quicker from a standstill, and that leaves some believing hes more of a mid-to-late first than an upper-half-of-the-first guy, but hes better suited as a playmaker and finisher than a power forward type anyways. Publishing date 2023-01-18 User Anonymous Views 922 Favorited 0 Share Embed 2023 Whl Bantam Draft Hes got unbelievably quick hands and the loose grip that all great handlers have. Reinbachers got pro size, desired handedness, and a really strong foundation of tools that all but guarantee hell become an NHLer. Related: Every NHL Teams Top Prospect Midseason Update. 2022 NHL Entry Draft Rankings First Round 1. Hes a rare kind of player where hes got A-grade tools across the board, and star talent in spades, but hes also got an efficiency to his game that is incrediblyrare for a skilled player (especially one his age).