2023 NHL draft rankings

[Flashsabre]

5 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

  I'm really hoping that they're focusing on making the playoffs next year not worrying about a prospect that's gonna be here in 4 years 

If he's there at 13 draft him  But keep the assets to move for a D 

Last time I checked there isn’t a limit on the amount of moves a team can make. The Sabres have tons of assets. Why not both. Maybe they will sign the dman in free agency.

[dudacek]

46 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

 I have a feeling if Michkov makes it to number 7 that the Sabres trade up to get him. Just the perfect storm of a chance to get a franchise player. You have to think the Sabres are all over it. Some may not like it but it lines up for their organization.

Feels like Arizona at 6 might also be a viable target

[irregularly irregular]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Feels like Arizona at 6 might also be a viable target

Coyotes need bodies. Sabres have some bodies to spare. KA extracts his revenge over the Cychryn (sp?) incident.

[Carmel Corn]

15 minutes ago, irregularly irregular said:

Coyotes need bodies. Sabres have some bodies to spare. KA extracts his revenge over the Cychryn (sp?) incident.

Arizona will buyout Kassian and Nemeth, so yes their cupboard is getting a little bare!

[Brawndo]

Pronman’s 7 round mock for the Sabres from this AM

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Brawndo

[Curt]

Been trying to listen to a lot of draft stuff recently.  Seems like Simishev and Willander are really moving up draft boards.  Those two along with Reinbacher all probably go in the top 15.

Seems like Sandin-Pellikka is dropping a bit because he is viewed as a smallish D with limited upside on defense, and while it looks like he will be a good NHL PP QB, that offensive ability from a defenseman isn’t as rare as it was in the past, and he lacks the truly dynamic offensive ability of the elite offensive defensemen in the NHL.  Looks like he will fall outside of the top 15.

How would people feel about Simishev or Willander at 13?

I feel like they would both be good additions and probably future top-4 defenders but it just feels a little lack luster and I think there will probably be higher upside forwards on the board.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Curt

[LGR4GM]

13 minutes ago, Curt said:

Been trying to listen to a lot of draft stuff recently.  Seems like Simishev and Willander are really moving up draft boards.  Those two along with Reinbacher all probably go in the top 15.

Seems like Sandin-Pellikka is dropping a bit because he is viewed as a smallish D with limited upside on defense, and while it looks like he will be a good NHL PP QB, that offensive ability from a defenseman isn’t as rare as it was in the past, and he lacks the truly dynamic offensive ability of the elite offensive defensemen in the NHL.  Looks like he will fall outside of the top 15.

How would people feel about Simishev or Willander at 13?

I feel like they would both be good additions and probably future top-4 defenders but it just feels a little lack luster and I think there will probably be higher upside forwards on the board.

Simashev is bigger but Willander is probably more polished and shoots right. I would say that Simashev has a higher ceiling but Willander's floor is a #5 defender like Joker all day every day. His skating is very good. Actually I am about to do my next tier and he is in it. 

[Archie Lee]

15 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Pronman’s 7 round mock for the Sabres from this AM

 

He has Benson falling to 14. I know we have drafted many smaller scoring forwards the last two years, but passing on Benson at 13 might be one that haunts a team. 
 

Cristall at 45 would be amazing. 

[LGR4GM]

21 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Ranking Name Position Height/Weight

14 Colby Barlow 6'1" 195lbs

- A bunch of ppl say that his peak is basically where he sits now, that of a hardnosed middle forward with a good shot who is sound defensively. There supposedly isn't much room for growth because for the most part you are getting a physical mature player but I tend to disagree. I think Barlow can add more things to his toolbox and not having to worry about his physical maturity as much might help him do that. His shot is good, his IQ is really good, he works hard, and he is physical. Basically he is a poor man's Cozens. The catch here is that Barlow might not have as high of ceiling, certainly it is lower than my next player but his floor is exceedingly high and if he can work on a bit more deception and some softer hands, I think you could get a really good mini-tuch/cozens type of player. His drive to the net and his quick and heavy release make you hope the rest will come. 

15 Lukas Dragicevic RHD 6'1" 194lbs

- He has some skating issues and that almost meant he was in the late 20's but I can't ignore the rest of the package and I think a lot of players manage to fix their skating. You want offense? Oh man does he have offense, the converted forward is a all about attacking you with the puck. He has handling moves and solid passing. Really that the jr level he is a blast to watch in transition and the offensive zone. Now the defense is... a work in progress but it isn't that he doesn't try more that he is just not as developed as others. You want a solid defender draft Willander. I think Lukas can get there but this is a higher risk higher reward type of player. The skating needs upgraded and the defensive zone work needs to be ironed out. If you manage that, you might have a #2 or at least a #3 defender who can run a pp. I think the rewards outweigh the risks which is why I rank him higher than most. 

16 Calum Ritchie C/RW 6'2" 187lbs

- Quick name a player that played their entire draft year injured. Seriously at the Hlinka he injured his shoulder and then just played the entire year anyway... because idk badassery? For me I think this limited him a bit this year but when I watch him I see a decent handler, with good ideas, effective passing, and a very well rounded 2 way game. I think he has really good offensive and defensive zone awareness and he uses that to his advantage, finding open ice or teammates with passes. He really does a good job of creating space for himself and others which will be a big help in the NHL. I think his skating is averagish but I do see where others have critiqued his posture and his pop. I think some refinement will really allow him to access even more things that he is already good at. My final comment is watch him battle for a puck, he might be one of the best at it. I didn't pay that much attention to it when I was watching him (because I am an amateur blogger looking at this stuff for fun) but a scouting report talked about it so I went back and looked. Ritchie really is great at separating opponents from the puck and he has multiple tools for the job, stick lifts, checks, body positioning. In a few ways I was reminded of Lidstrom and how he would just always emerge with the puck. No I am not saying he will be as good as one of the very best defenders ever, mainly because he plays forward, but it just made me think of that. 

17 Axel Sandin Pellikka RHD 5'11" 181lbs

- I went back and worth with Peillikka. At first I didn't care for him because he reminded me a little of Pilut and that was bad. But he is actually really good at the small stuff and I think has enough skill to be effective even if he isn't over 6' tall (this will shock you all but I actually want defenders to be 6'1" or taller if possible). He has good skating and nice hands, his reads are fairly solid. There just isn't that many issues with his game other than his size. That said he engages defensively and has pro level habits down low. You do see his lack of physical stature at times but I think with more maturity and refinement to his game he can handle it. My issue really is that I don't have some high end trait to point to as a game breaker and that is the concern for me. He's good at everything with very good skating but I think you are probably getting a 2nd pairing defender who can run your pp. At this point in the draft players will have limits that you have to think about and decide what you are comfortable with. I think he will get drafted after Willander. 

18 Samuel Honzek C 6'3" 195lbs

- I like Honzek quite a bit. In a lot of ways he has similarities to Ritchie. Both use their bodies well and win a lot of battle. Where the difference is, comes from Honzek being less of a distributor and more of a shooter. He played on a bad WHL team so maybe that had to do with him shooting more. I really enjoy his shot and would compare it to Barlow's but maybe just a touch below him. His skating his good and if you watch him you will see pretty good finesse from the 6'3" forward as he makes some nice cuts and has good speed. His defensive game needs some work because he doesn't always get in the correct position and get pucks up ice fast enough. I wonder if some of that was a weak team but I think his hockey IQ isn't as good as a guy like Ritchie so that is why he is a bit below him. Still, this is a solid NHL player and will be a middle 6 guy in all likelihood. Could become a 50-60pt player because he has the size and skills to be pretty good. He is another in that Tuch/Cozens mold. 

19 Nate Danielson C/RW 6'2" 186lbs

- First thing first, he's old. In fact he is 350 days older than Juraj Pekarcik but they are in the same draft. Okay with that out of the way he is another in the Barlow, Ritchie, Honzek mold of bigger guy with certain skills but a few limitations (if you haven't see the pattern yet, there it is). So why is he ranked here? I think he has the lowest hockey IQ of the 4 guys just mentioned and that worries me more than someone skating. He has skills, his shooting and passing are solid. He physically engages and his skating is good but there is just always a "but why not do that instead" feel to watching him. I just want to see him really flow better with his linemates and I think sometimes if you watch him, he has simple solutions to complex problems that that don't always work. Still at worst you get a 3rd line center with some scoring and a sound defensive game. At best, you might have a 2nd line center. His age and his IQ though put him a bit lower IMPO. 

20 Gracyn Sawchyn RW 5'11" 155lbs

- Dude needs to eat some burgers. He isn't small but he is light (kinda the same thing) and that is the issue. He can be pushed off of pucks at times and sometimes will lose battles to bigger players. So... why do I have a guy who's consensus ranking is 35 and his lowest is 80 or 90 at 20? Go watch him play. Holy crapballz does he do everything you want. His puckhandling is great, not good, great. He has handles, dangles, dekes, fakes, humdingers, and hornwanglers... wait this is turning into Dr. Seuss. His manipulation tactics and ability to execute them at speed are top 10 in this class. If he were built like Barlow, I would tell the Sabres to kick the shins of all the other gms as they ran to the stage to take him. Now you look at this point totals and probably think, ummm that isn't that impressive with 58pts in 58games but he played on a team with Lambert, Korchinski, Schaefer, and Guenther so ice time was little hard to come by. Also I think he needs to improve his shot which is fine but nothing special. He has a high motor and the skills needed to turn that into effective game play. His playmaking is the highlight and he can make just about any pass you need. Also, take the puck the from him, I hope you outskate him or pass quick because if not that little ball of hate will becoming for your ass. I love Sawchyn but his skating isn't elite and his size will hold him back a bit. I think if he adds muscle the skating with ramp up to be more explosive and also his ability to facilitate plays will really shine when you put him with shooters. This simply isn't a smaller player with good skating and high energy. He is a manipulative stickhandler with high end skills who is pretty good at attacking and defending. This is a high risk high reward guy who can be a 2nd line player in the NHL if all the breaks go right... the concern is I am not sure if he makes a good 3rd or 4th liner if he can't quite make the top 6, his motor might allow him too though. 

^ Tier 4 ^ it is a bigger tier and I almost went another 2 players but really after Sawchyn I think there is less certainty so I cut it off. 

21 Daniil But LW 6'5" 203lbs

- Let's talk about the 200lb gorilla in the room, But. Last name jokes aside he is big and every once in a while if you watch some highlights, he looks a little like Tage. His got dangles and dekes, his shot is pretty good, and his motor is high-ish. The issue is that his skating, particularly his first 3 steps and some of his agility are what you would expect from a 6'5" 17yr old. He also isn't really a power forward like Tuch and is bit more in the mold of Tage Thompson where he can use his size but doesn't always, preferring to use his hands. I have seen a little of him, hard to find stuff, and I think you have a guy that with good development could be an absolute nightmare to defend in 3-5 years. His consolidted is 28 but there is a small (10%) chance he slides to 39 because the russian factor and the skating. Most likely though he goes somewhere in the early 20's. 

22 Tom Willander RHD 6'1" 179lbs

- There is a good chance Willander ends up better than ASP but I think his ceiling is a little lower hence why he slid a tier. Honestly though, you could convince me to flip them. Willander discussions need to start with his skating, it is great. His skating is what you want Simashev's to get to (and I think it will) where he has quick edges, powerful starts and stops, and just agility for days. He rarely gets beat and his recovery is pretty solid. He played in the J20 most of the year and put up good numbers, his WJC18 numbers are only 3pts less than ASP so there is offense there. I think his lacks some of the creativity of a guy like Dragicevic but he also plays defense as well as Reinbacher or Simashev, perhaps better. To be blunt, he is probably the perfect draft eligible player to pair with Power in 2-3 years which is why his consolidated is 23 and I think he will go in the top 15. He will be at Bostin Univ in the fall which is an unusual path for a Swedish prospect but again, you are getting a solid at worst #4 defender who has enough size and more than enough skating to shut down plays and start breakouts at the next level. 

23 Matthew Wood LW 6'4" 197lbs

- A lot of Sabres fans have wood for Wood. I don't. I do however like him and at 13, I think you are overdrafting him but I wouldn't react the way I did to the Leinonen pick. So why do I rank him so low when his consolidated is #13. The issue I have comes down to skating and how he puckhandles because of that skating. His skating is meh, his feet look heavy, his agility is mediocre, he isn't explosive, and overall it just doesn't look NHL quality for a top 6 player. That in and of itself though isn't always an issue, a lot of big guys have some things to work on but my issue is that because he skates poorly he tends to glide when he makes his puckhandling moves. I don't see a lot of ability to make moves while skating and because he already isn't fast that means at the NHL level ppl will catch him and strip him of the puck. I also think his offensive creativity it lacking, he really comes off more like a straight ahead, obvious play type and that is fine but I want a little more dynamism in my first rounders. Basically I worry you get a nice big 3rd line guy instead of a really solid 2nd line guy when this is all done, or even worse you get a 4th liner. Others like Wood more but for me, right now, I just wish he had shown a little more variety this year. With all that said, Wood has good puckhandling, a nice shot, he sees the ice well even if he doesn't always come up with creative ways to solve problems and he works hard all over the ice. 

24 Brayden Yager C/RW 5'11" 170lbs

- You're a shooter who scored fewer goals this season compared to last in the same league... hmm. I really was excited for Yager going into the season and thought he might be a top 10 pick. Now I feel like I am unsure if he will have enough to be an NHL guy. Unlike Wood who still will always have the size and checking skills to fall back on, Yager really has his shot and his skating. So he has this great shot and pretty good skating but yet he only scores 28goals and his team has 2 40g scorers on it. His assists went up but I have watched the highlights of those and some of that is the fact Firkus has a major shot. He is one of these guys where you see the skill but how it all comes together seems a little unrefined. That said he has a lot of potential with the right linemates and if he can refine his game even a little, he could be a good top 6 player. He does fine defensively and is attentive in that end of the rink so there are good things but the overall package just concerns me. 

25 Riley Heidt C 5'11" 179lbs

- There are a lot of pp points there adding to his totals but boy does he have a lot of points (97) for the WHL. He gets point by handling and manipulating defenses with excellent feints and cuts. He could use more explosiveness in his stride but that's fairly normal. He has an edge to him as well, watch him in the offensive zone retrieve pucks or check in general. He is somewhat of a little *****-stirrer out there. His shot is solid but his passing, due to the manipulation, is really great. He finds players all the over and when he has space that is lethal. He can create his own space but as we say often needs to get stronger. He is a little undersized for the physical game he plays but I've always believed the in size of the fight in the dog so to speak. Why isn't he ranked higher? He doesn't play defense. I mean he does but not in an effective way. It is Olofsson-esque IMPO. I also think sometimes his hands are way ahead of his brain, he will make a great handle and then not really do much with it. Where Yager is solid defensively with some questionable passing, Heidt is not solid defensively and has questionable passing. Really all depends on which you feel more confident about. He's a boom or bust guy, ceiling is top 6, floor is pp specialist that you don't want out against other teams top 6. 

26 Oscar Fisker Mølgaard C 6' 166lbs

- His consolidated is #43 so there is a fair chance he will be there at 39. The reason he is ranked behind the last 2 guys is because he doesn't have a standout offensive trait like a shot or handling. Instead you are getting a guy who is just solid. His skating is probably his best skill followed by his brain, if you watch his WC tape from a little bit ago, he just uses his excellent skating to stay in position, extend plays, shut opponents down, or otherwise be a net positive on the ice. I am actually really curious to see him play with more skilled linemates. For example if I put him between Savoie and Kulich what would he look like? Now his shot could use work but other than that he's a middle 6 center all day. He reminds me a bit of a ROR type where you know he can shutdown opponents but also he should get 50pts a year because he is smart and the skating will allow him to counterattack. He will be back in the SHL next season (played half of this season there and recorded 7 points) so he also might be a guy only 1 year away, depends on if he has an NHL out as he is signed for SHL until 2025. 

27 Eduard Šalé RW 6'2" 175lbs

- Fine, I will rank him. I have said it before I dislike Sale. His consolidated is 14th btw so I am way lower on him than most. Why? Well, everyone everywhere talks about his high end tools, which I agree he has. The issue for me is that he uses them when and if he feels like it. You gotta watch a shift by shift of this guy. One shift he will engage, separate someone from the puck and attack up ice. The next shift he will passively wave his stick in the passing lane and glide back on a backcheck. Make up your mind dude. His skating, puck skills, and shot are all good. Better or equal to everyone else in this tier for sure but his motor is an inconsistent mess and it just really sours me on him. That said, he is still in the "wouldn't be mad if we took him" tier. He was linemates with Kulich and they worked well together, Sale can make excellent passes and setup teammates really well. If he fixes his motor, he's better than just about everyone in the previous 2 tiers. Again, for me that motor really bothers me and that is probably because of years of watching guys try when they felt like it. I like the high motor, constantly churning, players. Final thought here is that if Kulich vouches for him and Adams feels good after talking to him at the combine, I am not going to Leinonen after this pick. 

^ Tier 5 ^ here ends the last of the "I wouldn't freak if we picked this player at 13" guys. I hope we take someone from my 4th tier but tier 5 has some high end guys with just a couple more risk factors and some slightly lower end guys with solid floors. Next up is tier 6, guys that I would expect to have a chance at at 39. 

[LGR4GM]

When the Sabres overdraft McCarthy in the 2nd round I am going to laugh but also cry a little. 

[Curt]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

When the Sabres overdraft McCarthy in the 2nd round I am going to laugh but also cry a little. 

When would you be comfortable taking him?  In the 3rd?

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Curt said:

When would you be comfortable taking him?  In the 3rd?

About 60, late 2nd. It won't be the worst pick at 45 but I fully expect that to be the pick. I think there will be a bunch of better guys at 45 such as Carter Southeran another RHD. I think that he is not only bigger but smarter with more skills than McCarthy. 

[Curt]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

About 60, late 2nd. It won't be the worst pick at 45 but I fully expect that to be the pick. I think there will be a bunch of better guys at 45 such as Carter Southeran another RHD. I think that he is not only bigger but smarter with more skills than McCarthy. 

Maybe they move around a little too.  Either trading back, or packaging a couple picks for a later 2nd/very early 3rd, maybe they get a late 2nd/early 3rd for Olofsson.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Curt said:

Maybe they move around a little too.  Either trading back, or packaging a couple picks for a later 2nd/very early 3rd, maybe they get a late 2nd/early 3rd for Olofsson.

If they get anything after 55 and take McCarthy, I would be fine. I just think that he has limits and grades out as a possible bottom pairing defender kinda like Boosh. In the 2nd I would want to find a higher upside guy because I can find those types of low floor low ceiling defenders in the 3rd and 4th round. 

[LGR4GM]

I really do feel with that after you get into the 20's this draft really becomes standard. That said there are about 20ish guys that are really quite good and I think when all is said and done, this draft will see a few more high end guys than other drafts. In the end though, I think there are only about 50ish NHL players here just like most years. This draft has high end talent for sure but instead of calling it deep, I would call it top heavy with a return to a normal distribution by the time you reach day 2. Bedard, Fantilli, Mitchkov, Carlsson, Smith really push a lot of talent down. I would take all 5 of them before Juraj Slavskovsky for example. I might take most of them before Power and Beniers too. Either way, if Buffalo keeps 13, they should get a top 10 talent. I have a suspicion that defense will get overdrafted because it is so limited and that might push a couple of guys down the list like Dvorsky, Moore, Barlow, and Musty. 

[Brawndo]

3 minutes ago, Curt said:

Been trying to listen to a lot of draft stuff recently.  Seems like Simishev and Willander are really moving up draft boards.  Those two along with Reinbacher all probably go in the top 15.

Seems like Sandin-Pellikka is dropping a bit because he is viewed as a smallish D with limited upside on defense, and while it looks like he will be a good NHL PP QB, that offensive ability from a defenseman isn’t as rare as it was in the past, and he lacks the truly dynamic offensive ability of the elite offensive defensemen in the NHL.  Looks like he will fall outside of the top 15.

How would people feel about Simishev or Willander at 13?  

Sign me up for either. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I'm still waiting on McKenzie's final rankings, but with 16 published final rankings here is the consensus.

1. Bedard, 2-Fantilli, 3&4 Michkov and Carlsson

5-7, Smith, Benson, Leonard

8-11, Dvorsky, Moore, Pelikka and Reinbacher

12-18, Wood, Barlow, Perreault, Sale, Simashev, Danielson, Yager

19-23, Musty, Willander, Honzek, Cristall, Brindley,

24-28, Stenberg, Ritchie, But, Gulyaev, Heidt

There is a huge cliff after Heidt.  No one has consistent 1st rd grades after 28

29-32, Nadeau Dragicevic, Gauthier, Edstrom

2nd Round

33-39, Molgaard, Hrabel, Perron, Bonk, Haltunnen, Molendyk, Stramel

40-42, Sawchyn, Augustine, Ziemmer

43-50, Hameenaho, Cagnoni, Brzustewicz, Lindstein, Akey, Morin, Minnetian, Price

51-55, Whitelaw, Wahlberg, Strbak, Lardis, Nelson

56-59, Ceirnik, Rehkopf, Kantserov, Brarnason

60-63, Cataford, Dvorak, Dower-Nilsson, Barkey

Other names of note: Lind, Pinelli, Suniev, Strathmann, Pitre, Cam Allen, Cowan.  

Sabres Mock draft

1. Moore or Wood and maybe Willander

39. Bonk

45. Lindstein

86. McCarthy

109. Ratzlaff

[SDBillsfan]

I'd love that draft, although I don't see any way that Bonk lasts to #39. I'd also include Simashev in that group with Willander, Moore and Wood. I'd be pleased with any of those four, and I believe that at least one or two of them will be available at #13.

[Brawndo]

 

[Brawndo]

McKenzie’s List should be out sometime around 11:30am this morning (6/22) 

[LGR4GM]

44 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

Honestly if the Sabres did that at 13 I would be very concerned for their evaluation criteria. Morin was force fed lots of minutes, is average size, has average skating, and plays weak defensively. 

[French Collection]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Honestly if the Sabres did that at 13 I would be very concerned for their evaluation criteria. Morin was force fed lots of minutes, is average size, has average skating, and plays weak defensively. 

I don’t like this idea at all. He could be there at 39.

I had one live viewing of this guy last November, he didn’t stand out.

[Zamboni]

I am on team: Simishev or Willander

Full stop.

unless someone better than either one slips to 13.

[Curt]

14 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Honestly if the Sabres did that at 13 I would be very concerned for their evaluation criteria. Morin was force fed lots of minutes, is average size, has average skating, and plays weak defensively. 

I know they have sometimes reached slightly but just can’t imagine them taking a guy ranked in the 40-60 range at #13.  I just can’t.  They better not.

2nd round pick, fine.  Not exactly what I would do, but I kind of trust their judgment, so ok.

[Curt]

4 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

I am on team: Simishev or Willander

Full stop.

unless someone better than either one slips to 13.

This would be ok, but I get nervous about taking defense 1st D so high.  I just feel like you can find those guys later in the draft.

Don't get me wrong, either of those guys could develop more offensive ability, but that’s the the question with them.  Simishev more so than Wallinder.

I feel like there will probably be better, higher upside forwards available at 13.