The top 10 prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft.

With the 2023 NHL Draft just eight months away, the top draftable players are starting to make their way out of the woodwork. Teams are putting in the work now to find their ideal matches and the backroom deals are being signed and dotted so coaches and general managers can start working on acquiring top talent for their teams. Here is a list we’ve compiled of the top picks for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Conor Bedard currently plays for the Regina Pats and was selected as their first-overall draft pick in 2020. During the 2021-2022 season, Bedard became the youngest player in WHL history to score 50 goals or more in a season and was one of seven sixteen-year-olds selected by Team Canada to join the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Shot accuracy seems to be Bedard's most deadly trait. He can build offensive plays out of nothing and create deadly scoring opportunities when he finds gaps in his opponent's defense. Maybe that's why the New York Times called Bedard “the most exciting future NHL player” to attend the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

Matvei Michkov is a professional Russian player currently under contract with SKA-Neva in the Supreme Hockey League. Michkov first raised eyebrows in 2014 when he set scoring records for his age group, racking up 109 points in 26 games. 

In terms of talent, Michkov is on the same level as Bedard. His ability to create scoring opportunities is unrivaled and his endurance is something rarely seen in a player of his caliber. Unfortunately, his current contract obligations will keep him out of the NHL for years. Will a team in need of talent be willing to wait for him?

Adam Fantilli is a Canadian player that has consistently topped the draft charts since he began playing professionally. In 2021, he made his college debut with the Michigan Wolverines and stunned the crowd when he won 15 of 19 faceoffs. Fantilli would net 15 points within his first six games, breaking a program record that had stood since 1979.

Fantilli is a big player at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, and he uses his stature to dominate his opponents. In combination with his speed, Fantilli has proven to be a powerful force on the ice, despite being one of the younger players in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Brayden Yager is a highly-skilled player who has grown into a top scorer for the Moose Jaw Warriors. Notching 34 goals in 63 regular seasons game put him on the short list of top six scorers in the league and his solid defensive value has made him a top prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Photo: Facebook @ Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club

According to Ryan Kennedy of Hockey News, Yager is “a wicked shooter with a hard, accurate release… and has also added to his playmaking arsenal in recent years."

Photo: Facebook @ Moose Jaw Warriors Hockey Club

Matthew Wood is currently playing with the University of Connecticut after spending two years with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Victoria Grizzlies. In his two years with the Grizzlies, Wood was a rookie of the year, first-team all-star, and top sorcerer. Wood was the top rookie of his year, scoring more goals and racking up more points than anyone else in the league, earning him a roster spot on Team Canada for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Photo: Facebook @ UConn Men's Ice Hockey

Matthew Wood is an amazing goal-scorer, it's just that simple. While his mobility may need improvement, he is on the NHL’s shortlist for top prospects because of his ability to put the puck in the net.

Photo: Facebook @ UConn Men's Ice Hockey

Dalibor Dvorsky is a well-rounded player known for his quick hands and offensive ability. Currently, Dvorsky plays in Slovakia, but a fantastic performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2022 put him on the radar of NHL scouts.

Dvorsky has a sense for creating effective plays and a skill for building out a path to the net. His play style is much less about taking points and scoring goals than it is about creating opportunities to break his opponents defense. 

Cam Allen is the first defenseman to make this list and for good reason. Allen had an impressive season in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm. He really impressed scouts with his defensive abilities and was named captain for Team Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Allen performed well during the cup and showed why he is considered the top defender of choice in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Photo: Facebook @ Guelph Storm Hockey Club

Few other defensemen can carry the puck in transition and force turnovers as well as Allen. He is everything a team would want in an all-star blueliner. 

Photo: Facebook @ Guelph Storm Hockey Club

Although he missed much of the last season because of an injury, Charlie Stramel has earned his place among the top draft picks of 2023. This American player is currently with the University of Wisconsin’s Badgers and has revealed his abilities as a powerful force on the ice.

Photo: Facebook @ Wisconsin’s Badgers Hockey

Simply put, Stramel is a large player that is both powerful and skilled. He’s young enough to still have some growth left in him but old enough to play with NHL veterans.

Photo: Facebook @ Wisconsin’s Badgers Hockey

Drafted eighth overall in the 2021 Priority Draft, Colby Barlow is the definition of a goal-scorer. He scored 30 goals in his first season with the Owen Sound Attack, a more impressive feat for a 17-year-old when you consider that 25 of those goals were at even strength.

Photo: Facebook @ Owen Sound Attack

Barlow is young and has room to grow, but that isn’t a bad thing. He’s already one of the top scorers in the Ontario Hockey League, which means that his growth path will only lead to bigger and better things.

Photo: Facebook @ Owen Sound Attack

Cal Ritchie was Canada's leading scorer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He earned 10 points in five games and really impressed NHL scouts. Ritchie also had a stellar season with the Oshawa Generals. Playing more like a veteran than a first-year rookie, Ritchie was able to combine his size and speed that might make him one of the first players drafted in 2023.

Size, speed, and smart plays. Ritchie is very good at taking the puck to the net as well as creating opportunities in the opposing endzone. What potential scouts will really like about him, however, is his ability to execute quick passes in tight situations without threatening a turnover. 

While there are at least 40 other players that could have easily made this list, these ten represent some of the most impressive talent hockey has seen in years. With the 2023 draft just around the corner, and with so many teams trading to get more first-round picks, it's shaping up to be one of the most interesting drafts in recent years