Today is my first estimate of how I think the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft will play out. It’s very early in the process, so information about which teams are linked to which players is limited right now as teams haven’t even had their draft meetings yet to formalize their lists. A lot of the predictions in this first mock are based on the rough range I think players will go in, plus making connections to organizations I think would make sense.
The draft order isn’t final yet due to the potential of certain teams moving around based on playoff results. I am using the projected draft order on CapFriendly as of May 10. It won’t be the actual draft order on June 28.
Bedard is the consensus No. 1 for good reason. There is no need to overthink this one; Bedard will be in Chicago.
2. Anaheim Ducks: Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan (BIG10)
The Ducks finished 32nd in the NHL and thus have had a good idea of the small pool of players they would be picking from. I think they will have to entertain the ideas of Leo Carlsson or Will Smith here, and I don’t think this pick being Fantilli is a gimme yet, but ultimately I do think this is where they will land.
The top two picks of the 2023 NHL Draft are thought to be relatively solidified.
The draft starts at No. 3 with Columbus.
Who could each lottery team select? The Athletic’s beat writers weigh in:https://t.co/A82tOomvOS
Smith’s stock has been on the rise throughout the draft season and I do think no matter who picked here, he would be the slight betting favorite to be the No. 3 pick. Leo Carlsson obviously should strongly be in the mix here as well.
In our staff mock draft, Corey Masisak took Matvei Michkov at No. 4 here. I have the Sharks going in a somewhat different direction taking Carlsson. I’m doubtful currently that any NHL team will take Michkov over the consensus premium names in this draft.
In the staff mock, Michkov going No. 4 led to Reinbacher getting to Arizona at No. 6. In this scenario, I think Montreal jumps at the top defense prospect in the class. Either way, I don’t think Reinbacher lasts very long on draft day.
After getting Logan Cooley and Conor Geekie with high picks last season, I’m sure Arizona would love to add Reinbacher to their mix. In this situation, though, a forward becomes the best player available. It could be Michkov here, but I think Dvorsky is considered a premium name by enough people in the league that he could go ahead of him.
Leonard’s stock is high right now with NHL teams. It’s not uncommon to hear team sources discuss him in the same light as teammate Will Smith, and I suspect he will be gone quite early. Michkov is still part of the consideration here, but my lean is that Leonard goes over him if the draft were held today. Boston College teammates Leonard and Cutter Gauthier could form a line one day.
I think this is the alleyway where a Michkov pick becomes realistic, plus or minus one or two picks. In very early discussions with people around the league on him, Washington or Detroit are considered the betting favorites for his landing spot. Does anyone really have a clue though? No. He could be long gone by this pick, or possibly he could drop further.
9. Detroit Red Wings: Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver (WHL)
This is the point where the draft opens up and a lot of different options present themselves. Honzek checks a lot of the boxes the Wings look for in a prospect while also being a player who is highly thought of around the league.
10. St. Louis Blues: Tom Willander, D, Rogle Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
I have a hard time seeing St. Louis walk away from the No. 10 pick without getting a center or defenseman, something their system desperately needs. Willander’s stock is way up right now and he could be a top-four defenseman in the league for a while.
I think the Canucks ideally would like to add a defenseman, but if Willander goes at 10 it becomes tougher. Axel Sandin Pellikka is very good, but is he what a team with Quinn Hughes needs right now? There is an organizational need for centers as well and Danielson is a very good center to get at 11.
Wood’s stock has ticked up in the second half and after a strong U18 worlds. I’m sure Arizona would like to leave this draft with a defenseman; I can see Willander here if available, Sandin Pellikka or Dmitri Simashev. I think Wood just goes higher in the draft order, though, and he would provide a lot of scoring and size to Arizona.
This is a tough pick to mock. I think the Sabres would prefer a player with size, especially a defenseman. I don’t know if there’s an obvious choice based on the board though. This organization values skill high in the draft and Benson is full of it — especially at 13 it could be too much to pass up.
I think Perreault could go higher than this based on what I’m hearing from teams right now, but I have to slot him somewhere, and he ends up at 14 to Pittsburgh in Mock 1.0. He adds an elite skill type to the wing that hopefully can get to the NHL in time to help out Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
15. Nashville Predators: Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, Skelleftea Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
Once known as a defensemen factory, Nashville hasn’t invested a premium pick in a blueliner in a while. That trend ends now with the addition of the highly skilled and intelligent Sandin Pellikka.
Barlow hurt his stock a little with his play down the stretch and into the U18 worlds, but he’s still well thought of around the league. He would add a scoring and two-way forward element into the Calgary system.
17. Montreal Canadiens (via Florida Panthers): David Edstrom, C, Frolunda Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
Edstrom’s name has been buzzing since the U18 worlds. Some scouts think he could even go higher than this slot. Montreal lacks center depth in the organization and he would be a very good add, especially if they go Reinbacher at No. 5.
18. Detroit Red Wings (via New York Islanders): Dmitriy Simashev, D, Yaroslavl Jr. (RUSSIA-JR.)
Most scouts I talk to in the league love Simashev and think on pure ability he would be a premium name in the draft. The common train of thought with the KHL-signed players is look for teams with many high-round picks, or with a history of acquiring Russians. Detroit ticks those requirements and Simashev is the kind of player they tend to covet.
19. Winnipeg Jets: Oliver Moore, C, Usa U-18 (NTDP)
Moore may end up going higher than I have him projected. I know some team sources who love him, but the sense I’ve gotten is his stock has slid slightly over the second half of the season as someone who is more likely to go 15-20. Winnipeg tends to draft USA players and Moore would provide a dynamic skating element that isn’t overly present in their farm system.
20. Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay Lightning): Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw (WHL)
Yager had a huge postseason for Moose Jaw and that may end up getting him higher than 20 when it’s all said and done, but I got the sense there were upside concerns around the league on this player as the year progressed. But he’s a good all-around player albeit undersized, and I still expect him to be a solid first-round pick.
There are some in the league who think Musty could be gone by this pick, but right around 20 is the range I expect him to go. He’s a highly skilled forward with size and should be right in the mix for Seattle.
Ritchie’s stock was sliding prior to the U18s but scouts were impressed by his play there and he should still be a firm first-round pick. He’s a big center who can skate and has legit skill, and this pick gives Minnesota more center depth.
23. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Los Angeles): Danil But, LW, Yaroslavl Jr. (RUSSIA-JR.)
Like Simashev, most evaluators in the league I talk to have But rated a lot higher than this as a hockey player, but that doesn’t mean it’s where he actually goes. Columbus has multiple picks and a history of drafting and bringing over Russian players.
I struggle to see Sale go as high as some expect him to after his lackluster performances at the February and April U18 tournaments despite having a ton of natural talent. In the 20s it starts becoming a much more tantalizing risk for teams such as the Rangers.
25. St. Louis Blues (via Dallas Stars): Charlie Stramel, C, Wisconsin (BIG TEN)
Stramel had a down season, but I still believe he will go Day 1. He would be a swing pick by St. Louis with their second pick as a big center who, as a junior player, showed snarl and skill but struggled as a college freshman.
Colorado has had a lot of success drafting exceptional skaters and Molendyk fits that bill to go with strong compete and secondary puck moving. He was a big part of Saskatoon’s WHL playoff run taking out Red Deer and helped himself in the eyes of evaluators down the stretch.
27. Nashville Predators (via Edmonton Oilers): Otto Stenberg, C, Frolunda Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
I had wondered if Stenberg would go Day 1 during portions of this season, but his U18 World Championships was a strong closing argument to be a late first type of selection. Joakim Kemell is a similar type of player to Stenberg, but you can’t have too much skill and goal-scoring ability.
Morin had a great season in the QMJHL and an even better playoffs. There are mild concerns on his pro projection but he’s emerging as potentially the first QMJHL player off the board, and he has a chance to be a late first-rounder. He fits a lot of what Toronto tends to value in defensemen.
Rehkopf ended his season well, including a good postseason in Kitchener’s sweep of No. 1-seed Windsor. There are a lot of scouts enticed by his size/speed/skill combination and I think he could be a late first selection to a team like Vegas.
30. St. Louis Blues (via Toronto Maple Leafs): Oliver Bonk, D, London (OHL)
When I started this process I figured Bonk would end up somewhere in the top 20, but as I kept going through names he worked his way closer to 30. He’s well thought of in the league but has a “boring” skill set for a first-round pick in that he’s a big, mobile defender who can move pucks but isn’t high-end at anything. Getting him and Willander in the same draft adds massive depth to the Blues’ blue line though.
31. San Jose Sharks (via New Jersey Devils): Lukas Dragicevic, D, Tri-City (WHL)
Dragicevic had a great WHL season but is slotted closer to 30 due to scouts’ concerns about his pro projection with his iffy mobility. In a lighter defense class, especially on high-end puck-movers, I still think he finds a way to sneak in there and would make a lot of sense for the Sharks, who need some quality blue line prospects.
Nadeau has been a tough player to gauge for scouts because Penticton runs over everyone in the BCHL. He’s been a big reason for that though, and I expect him to be a late first/early second candidate in the draft because of his skating, skill and big-time shot, even if he’s undersized.
(Illustration: Sean Reilly/ The Athletic; photos: Minas Panagiotakis, Jari Pestelacci / Eurasia Sport Images, Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract Monday, completing a deal with one of their best young players less than 72 hours before training camp begins.
Raymond will count $8.075 million against the salary cap through 2032. The 22-year-old was a restricted free agent without a contract for the upcoming NHL season and was coming off setting career highs with 31 goals, 41 assists and 72 points.
The Red Wings have another one of those in defenceman Moritz Seider, who won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2021-22.
Detroit is looking to end an eight-year playoff drought dating to the Original Six franchise’s last appearance in 2016.
Raymond, a Swede who was the fourth pick in 2020, has 174 points in 238 games since breaking into the league.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.
Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive took just 65 seconds.
Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.
The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.
And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.
Cousins finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.
Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.
Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles. His 28-yarder with 1:39 left made it 21-15.
Atlanta kept stalling in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo, before Cousins fired over the middle to Mooney, who shook loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before he somersaulted into the end zone with 1:21 left in the third quarter for a 15-10 lead. Cousins failed on the 2-point conversion pass.
Hurts had some juice in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays much like he did in the 2022 season. He spiked the ball in a rare, raw show of emotion on a 23-yard run, earning a delay-of-game penalty. He shrugged off the 5-yard setback and scrambled for 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles to Atlanta’s 19.
With comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the back of the end zone for a 7-yard TD that made it 7-3.
Under new defensive coordinator Vince Fangio, the Eagles have established an early knack for allowing long drives that end with three points instead of seven. Koo kicked field goals of 39, 22 and 34 yards, the last one enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter. In their opener, the Eagles held the Packers to just three field goals when they drove inside the 20.
Questionable call
Rather than take a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-4 gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.
Elliott kicked a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter for a 10-9 lead.
Running wild
Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stuffed him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.
Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after he rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the opening drive of the game ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive 9-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had 40 yards rushing in the first half.
Foles honored
Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as an honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
Injuries
The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).
Up next
Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.
TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.
The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.
Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.
Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.
“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.
“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”
Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.
Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.
Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.
Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.
Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.
Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
