whl bantam draft rankings 2023 whl bantam draft rankings 2023

"The Mintos program was great. Oscar Fisker Molgaard, C (HV71) He has a high floor and should safely become a strong third-line player but also has the upside to become more if things really click in his north-south game at the next level. Hes got an impressive one-timer from the right flank and can really lean into and rip his catch-and-release or in-stride wrister. Roman Kantserov, LW/C, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL_, 53. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. 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. A number of years ago, WHL Clubs were allowed to list first-year bantam players as of a set date in September. He was the CHL Rookie of the Year (on 34 goals). NHL. He too often looks like the third guy on his line. He goes to the front of the net and will bail out to make effort plays. 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). 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. Kalan Lind, C/LW, Red Deer Rebels (WHL), 46. . Though he doesnt play the game with some of the shine of the three players in front of him, Carlsson, the top Swede in the draft, has emerged as my clear No. That will limit concerns about his height (he certainly hasnt played small in his freshman year so far). 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. Hedid that after notching five points in five games at lastyears Hlinka Gretzky Cup as a young 16-year-old, too. Selected first overall in the WHL bantam draft that year, he played 22 games with the Winnipeg Ice in 2019-20 when he became . He projects as a pass-first playmaking centre with a middle-six floor, first-line potential, and clear PP value (in multiple roles, too, because hes great around the net and below the goal line but can also run it from the flank). And while we dont often see smaller defenceman taken as high as I have him ranked here, he doesnt play small and I like his game at both ends of the ice because of his mobility and the confidence with which he reads the play. You want the play to run through his hands and brain. Finesse. With the World Junior Hockey Championship coming. Hes not the most cerebral player and he can be a little too net-focussed at times, but hes the kind of player who will score, add physicality to a line, and slide up and down a top nine in an NHL lineup while endearing himself to his coaches. Brayden Yager has been talked about in the public scouting sphere for nearly as long as Connor Bedard, being drafted third overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft and winning the CHL Rookie of the Year award last year on the back of a remarkable 34-goal, 59-point rookie season. 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. He has the tools to be a top-16 player in the draft easily, but I want to see some more offense from him in the OHL before I increase his ranking that much. He also hunts pucks and applies pressure with the best of them, and his motor doesnt stop, bouncing from one won battle to the next. He passes the eye test. After no Manitobans were selected in the opening round of the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, five players from the province were picked in round two. Hes different than Bedard in tools and approach. Hes got everything else you look for in a dynamic play creator, too. Hes also well-regarded as a great kid who is easy to coach and understands whats required of a centre. Still, though he is a dominant junior player and could chase down a 50-goal season this year, its also fair to ask if his advanced growth gives him less runway for improvement (he really does look like a man already). Connor Bedard, C, Regina (WHL), 5-foot-10, 187 pounds. Matvei Michkov might just be the smartest player in this draft class, with an incredible ability to manipulate opposing defenses. This is a multi-part series which we will be releasing over the next couple weeks to give you the readers some insight on whom we feel is the cream of the crop for 2023. Despite his diminutive size, hes also a smart player off of the puck and Ive been struck by how often hes in the right position above the puck to hold play inside the offensive zone (I absolutely get why he was named an alternate captain). pic.twitter.com/OOjR1KDavy. His strength complements a competitive, physical, forechecking, middle-lane style that makes good use of his length and hard wrister from midrange. . He works hard when hes on the ice, making high effort plays without the puck that give me more confidence that he will continue to play as a center in the NHL. 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. This year, wearing an A as a 17-year-old with the Generals, hes been arguably their most consistent forward while playing a key role on the penalty kill and late in games in the faceoff circle (where he is really strong). 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. Hes excellent in puck protection twisting away from coverage to make things happen along the boards. He has also taken a step forward in terms of production, placing him firmly as one of the top-20 scorers in the WHL. His near point-per-game production at the top of the Huskies stat sheet comes a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades, besting Alex Newhook(1.47), Kyle Turris (1.26), Tyson Jost (0.98), and Kent Johnson (0.81) while being four months younger than Johnson was at the time. Mix in a multi-dimensional shooting arsenal and I see top-six upside. However, his offensive production has left much to be desired, leaving many questions about if he will have much offense to provide in the NHL someday. Get access to our unique free agency lists and many more premium features. This top 64 is made up of 46 forwards, 17 defencemen and one goaltender. Chloe Primarano is the first ever female to be selected in a WHL Bantam Draft. Still, I would argue hes been a more consistent offensive player for Moose Jaw this season than Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus has been, while playing an off-puck game that is inarguably stronger than Firkus (he has also been a dangerous penalty killer and is decently-strong in the faceoff circle). 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Results - First Round #1 - Medicine Hat Tigers Name: Gavin McKenna Position: Forward Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon Team: Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 Prep Stats: 35 GP - 23G-42A-65 points #2 - Tri-City Americans Name: Jackson Smith Position: Defence Hometown: Calgary, Alta. Reinbacher is looking like a potential top-four mainstay in the NHL with exciting defensive potential. We also invite you to ask us about our policies or feel free to let us know how we can better serve your privacy concerns. He can beat you carrying the puck in rotations around the perimeter of the offensive zone. While this draft is the first opportunity for teams to select bantam players, it is not the last chance for a player to be listed. Wins it in OT for !!! Not Logan Cooley. 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. Theres just this elusiveness to his game where you never know where hes going with the puck. It has been a few rough age groups for Russian defencemen but Gulyayevs got a chance to flip the script. Im not all that worried about either (5-foot-9, 160 pounds) because he has the tenacity and elusiveness that smaller players need to have to make a difference at the NHL level these days. Viewed as a mid-round pick by most, Ciernik is a player I diverge from the public and private scouting communities on. It was tricky evaluating and contextualizing Sale last season, when he was above two points per game (99 in 44) in Czechias top junior league, doing things that had never been done and smashing (and even doubling in some cases) the production of recent top Czech players at the same age (including first-rounders like Jakub Voracek and Tomas Hertl). Barlow plays a direct, intentional game built around great hands, a physically mature pro frame, and an NHL shot (he can cleanly beat goalies from mid-range). No, you haven't accidentally clicked a lyrics page add and been directed to an eighties anthem, it's DubNetwork Scouting's LAST REVEAL for our December Top 22 - WHL Bantam Draft prospect breakdown. Eventually, when the points pile up like they have, and they happen making the kinds of plays that he does, you cant ignore them. The combination of Michkovs position and the uncertainty around Russias invasion of Ukraine and his contract in the KHL with SKA (which is signed through to the end of the 2025-26 season and has been loaned out to Sochi after he reportedly forced his way out in search of greater opportunity) could complicate where he goes on draft day, but he still belongs here. During every draft cycle there are a handful of prospects who are 5-foot-10 or shorter who get a ton of praise in public scouting circles before unceremoniously sliding on draft day. He keeps his head up in the neutral and defensive zones and is a confident puck carrier on exits and entries. 2023 NFL Mock Draft . Hes a very responsible defender who shuts down tons of rush attempts with an active stick and stellar positioning.David Reinbacher (#64 blue) (Draft 2023) just overskating former NHLer Alex Formenton, following up on his shots, winning a puck against Formenton and Former NHler Tim Heed before serving his teammate on a plate. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. Emil Jarventie, LW, Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja, 64. He has a great shot, but more often than not he scores goals because he slipped his defender and managed to find the space and time necessary to score a goal. Im talking nobody. Dalibor Dvorsky is another player who has been impressive this season against men, playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-tier Swedish professional league, for most of this season. Ravndahl was selected by Portland in the fourth round, 83 rd overall in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft. His production has been disappointing so far this year, but his talent as a high-skill puck carrier is still clear.Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! A few of the players who have moved up substantially on this board are Zach Benson, Oliver Moore, and Colby Barlow. Wins it in OT for !!! Check out his skating and awareness! If he can add another gear (or two) to his max speed, Benson would be an absolute force in transition. Sandin Pellikka had a great showing for Sweden at the World Juniors, and is now probably the favourite to be the first defenseman drafted in 2023. Go Premium for Elite Prospects Support. In order to get away from scouting peewees, the WHL instituted a bantam draft. 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. That continued to start this year as he struggled to have a real impact with the Badgers early on as a freshman (albeit it a young one, and albeit on a bad/at-times lost team). WHL News. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Hes just a rock-solid, projectable two-way defenceman. The biggest question following Reinbachers great performance last year in the Swiss League (SL), the second-tier Swiss professional league, was if he had more offense in his game to show. Hes also not fast despite his strength, although he has made progress in his skating and does at times look powerful in straight lines. When you think youve got him trapped, you usually dont. He hasnt looked out of place against men and has scored points at an excellent rate so far for a draft eligible player. He was theCHL Rookie of the Year (on 34 goals). Though hes currently still nursing a lower-body injury he suffered in early January, before that, it didnt take long watching this years Kelowna Rockets to realize just how much offence he creates for himself and his teammates. Carson Rekhopf, C/LW, Kitchener Rangers (OHL), 60. He can score from mid range consistently with his low-kick wrister, hes got an ability to protect the puck and shade in and out of coverage, hes got a dangerous curl-and-drag wrister, and hes comfortable in traffic. Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha Lancers (USHL), 61. Hes a crafty handler who hangs onto pucks to spin away from pressure, attacks in and out of crowds, makes plays into space for himself, and can comfortably make plays through layers to others. I expect hell be the first defenceman picked when all is said and done, and he may be my top-ranked one too even though Gulyayev excites me a little more and remains there for now. There have been Lane Hutson (2022 Draft), Olen Zellweger (2021 Draft), Logan Stankoven (2020 Draft), and Cole Caufield (2019 Draft), to name a few. Jesse Nurmi, LW, KooKoo U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 58. 33. Few centers in junior hockey enter their draft year as well-rounded as Nate Danielson. Perron, who didnt go the popular prep school route in Western Canada, was a terror in Manitobas minor hockey ranks who stepped right into the titanic Steel last season and immediately flashed his skill with the puck, producing 48 points in 63 games to earn USHL All-Rookie Second Team honours. Ziemmer often seems to have the puck on a string and thats part of why he has been one of the leading scorers in the WHL this year as a 17-year-old. The . Carson Bjarnason, G (Brandon) Hes unafraid to try things and has the skill to execute difficult plays. Hes still got room to get stronger, too, so its not as though hes a finished product. The pro build, mentality and scoring tools are very appealing though and there will be teams that fall in love with his game/makeup. Hes also going to be an able penalty killer, which should give him all-situations upside at the next level. Reinbachers a solid forward and backwards skater (though he can look a little stilted at times) who gaps well and defends the rush effectively with a noticeably long stick. Benson has been electric for the Western Hockey Leagues (WHL) Winnipeg Ice this year, and has been the teams best player more often than not even though teammates Conor Geekie and Matthew Savoie were both selected in the top-11 of the 2022 Draft. Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. Hes not the hardest-working working player defensively, nor the fastest skater, but he always seems to be lurking around the play (and the puck) anyways and his skill level pops from there. On talent, and upside, and pedigree, his game checks all three boxes. Moore has identified himself as the second best prospect out of the NTDP this season, behind only Will Smith (and the gap isnt that big in my mind). 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. He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up to make their jobs easier. He has been impressive thus far, scoring six points in 14 games with Sochi, with four of those points being goals. A slow start to the OHL season saw his draft stock swing way down, but his production has leveled up significantly of late, and hes beginning to rise again. He has produced solid offense so far this year for the USA U-18 team which is made more impressive by the fact that he is usually playing on the second line behind the Smith, Moore, Perreault trio. He has added a ton of strength since arriving at the program so that he can overwhelm junior level players with his power and speed. Hes great along the wall on the cycle, but he can also occasionally make a play that pulls you out of your seat. Though hes not big, he plays hard and engages in battles in the defensive zone with some sneaky strength. With the 268th overall selection (Round 13) the Vancouver Giants have selected 2007-born defender Chloe Primerano (North Vancouver, BC) in the 2022 @TheWHL Prospects Draft. 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. hes patient under pressure and can find his way out of trouble weaving and swerving through holes or away from sticks. Brindleys a plus-level skater who gets through his extensions quickly (including from a standstill), excels on his edges, rounds corners sharply, and darts around the ice, hunting pucks and pushing through holes. Its hard to be a true top-of-the-lineup forward at his size, though, and I think he projects more as a complementary scorer who gives a lineup a bit of a different look. Sign up for premium. Hes a treat to watch in possession and processes the game at such an advanced and rapid level. Tristan Bertucci, LHD (Flint) Smith is an incredibly shifty playmaker who can create high danger plays at will by threading passes through traffic, stickhandling around pressure, or taking a shot of his own. When he tries things and he often does hes never trying them out of desperation but rather intention. Danielson plays a well-rounded two-way game, is a proficient penalty killer, wants to make a difference in all areas when hes on the ice and blends good overall skill with his effort. Western Hockey League. Hes got smooth hands. 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. After being selected 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft by the Vancouver Giants, Samuel Honzek has done nothing but impress in his first season in North America. record-breaking performance at the World Juniors, be the smartest player in this draft class, The NHLs Top 100 Prospects Midseason Update, The NHLs Best Farm Systems Ranked Midseason Update, 10th overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft, Every NHL Teams Top Prospect Midseason Update, Canucks Acquire Beauvillier & Raty From Islanders For Horvat, Bruins 3-Game Losing Streak Highlights Trade Deadline Needs, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker Live Updates, NHL Trade Bait List for the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, NHL Rumors: Bruins, Coyotes, Senators, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Ken Holland Improved the Oilers at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Predators Poile Pulls Off Masterclass in Final Trade Deadline, Oilers Outperform Division Rivals at 2023 Trade Deadline, Will Smith 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Time for JT Miller to Prove Himself with the Canucks, Connor Bedard 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Murray, Zohorna, OReilly & Woll, Lightning Greatly Overpaid for Tanner Jeannot, 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Was a Wildly Lopsided Arms Race, Devils Didnt Need Flashy Move After Adding Meier, NHL Rumors: Canucks, Penguins, Flyers, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Canucks Forgotten Ones: Mathieu Schneider, Bruins All-Time Best and Worst Trade Deadlines. He credited the Mintos for helping prepare him to make the jump to Major Junior hockey. He can beat you along the wall on the cycle. Michkovs brilliance comes primarily from his ability to read and process the play at an extremely advanced level, make his decisions quickly, and execute on them with incredible proficiency, whether thats ripping a patterned shot (his one-timer, his standstill wrister, his curl-and-drag, etc. Timur Mukhanov, LW (Omsk) Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, Pelicans (Liiga), 36. 2023 is obviously way far out but 8 Sask . This year, he has been pretty clearly one of the most talented players in J20 whenever he has been there, has shown some really positive signs in spurts in HockeyAllsvenskan (he has actually been equally as productive on a rate basis as Dvrosky), and I liked him at the world juniors before a quiet quarterfinal against Team Canada. We believe in fully disclosing the methods to which we collect and use your personal information. Fantilli is currently authoring one of the most impressive draft eligible NCAA seasons in recent memory with the only competition being Jack Eichels dominant 2014-15 season where he put up 71 points in 40 games. Calgary, Alta. Team management chose the name "Rebels". He provides a ton of offense in transition as well as in the offensive zone where he seems to create scoring chances at will. He has been dominating the Swedish J20 league this year and is scoring at a higher pace right now than both Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Noah Ostlund did last year (who were drafted 15th and 16th respectively in the 2022 NHL Draft).