Which 2023 NHL Draft prospects have the best skills? Ranking 6 different tools and traits

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Today I highlight the players who excel at particular traits in the 2023 NHL Draft class. I will discuss the best skaters, puckhandlers, shooters, the smartest players, the hardest workers, and the freakiest pure athletes.

I’m going to do this slightly differently from past years. When there’s a group of players who clearly stand out from the pack, I will list those. I’ve done straight rankings of top 10-20 in a given trait before, but practically speaking, so many of those players are interchangeable.

Best skaters

1. Oliver Moore, C, U.S. NTDP

2. Tom Willander, RHD, Rogle

3. Tanner Molendyk, LHD, Saskatoon

4. Alexis Daviault, LHD, Erie

5. Timur Mukhanov, RW, Avangard

The next group (alphabetical order):

Joseph Connor, LW, Avon Old Farms

Luke Coughlin, LHD, Rimouski

Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD, Avangard

Bogdan Konyushkov, RHD, Torpedo

Emil Jarventie, LW, Ilves

Ondrej Molnar, LW, Erie

Bradly Nadeau, RW, Penticton

Nikita Nedopyokin, C, SKA

Jesse Nurmi, LW, Kookoo

Benjamin Poitras, C, Sioux City

Austin Roest, C, Everett

Teddy Townsend, C, Eden Prarie

Oliver Moore is the clear best skater in this draft. He’s got dynamic edge work and explosiveness and a skating stride that reminds me in part of Tim Stützle. From Moore, there is a drop to Tom Willander and Tanner Molendyk. Willander is a very powerful skater for a 6-foot-1 defenseman, and Molendyk as well has some of the best edge work in the draft in a way that reminds me of Alexander Romanov’s skating stride at the same age. Alexis Daviault is an interesting prospect. He’s a 5-11 defenseman with average hockey sense and competitiveness, but he can absolutely fly. It’ll be interesting if someone takes a stab at him. Timur Mukhanov is a tiny winger, but he can fly around the rink due to his speed and compete level.

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Best puck skills

1. Connor Bedard, C, Regina

2. Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA

3. Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan

4. Leo Carlsson, C, Orebo

5. Will Smith, C, U.S. NTDP

The next group (alphabetical order):

Zachary Benson, LW, Winnipeg

Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna

Nate Danielson, C, Brandon

Dalibor Dvorsky, C, AIK

Ethan Gauthier, RW, Sherbrooke

Riley Heidt, C, Prince George

Ryan Leonard, RW, U.S. NTDP

Andrei Loshko, C, Chicoutimi

Gabe Perreault, LW, U.S. NTDP

Eduard Sale, LW, Brno

Matthew Wood, RW, UConn

Tuomas Uronen, RW, HIFK

Koehn Ziemmer, C, Prince George

The top five in pure skill should be a familiar group of names. The 2023 NHL Draft is led by a star-studded group of forwards at the top. Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov, Will Smith and Leo Carlsson all have game-breaking potential with their offensive skills and project to have a lot of offense as pros. Bedard and Michkov in particular have bring-you-out-of-your-seat type of hands and creativity with the puck.

Best hockey sense

1. Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA

2. Gabe Perreault, LW, U.S. NTDP

The next group (alphabetical order):

Trey Augustine, G, U.S. NTDP

Connor Bedard, C, Regina

Zachary Benson, LW, Winnipeg

Tristan Bertucci, LHD, Flint

Hunter Brzustewicz, RHD, Kitchener

Luca Cagnoni, LHD, Portland

Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro

Lukas Dragicevic, RHD, Tri-City (WHL)

Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown

Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD, Avangard

Riley Heidt, C, Prince George

Theo Lindstein, LHD, Brynas

Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury

David Reinbacher, RHD, Kloten

Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD, Skelleftea

Jayson Shaugabay, RW, Warroad

Will Smith, C, U.S. NTDP

Felix Unger Sorum, Leksands

While there are a lot of highly intelligent players worth highlighting in this draft, there are two players whose hockey sense stands out from the pack in a distinct way, those being Michkov and Gabe Perreault. There’s a reason some NHL execs have referred to Michkov as a “hockey genius” or having “off-the-charts hockey sense.” You don’t have the ridiculous offensive success he’s had — often playing way up his age level, with average speed and physicality at 5-10 — without some special traits. The way he sees the ice and understands how to create offense is truly special. Perreault broke the single-season U.S. NTDP points record in part because of his elite brain. He is an extremely creative forward who makes unique plays with the puck at a high rate and reminds me a lot of Cole Perfetti at the same age.

Best compete level

1. Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan

2. Kalan Lind, C, Red Deer

3. Ryan Leonard, RW, U.S. NTDP

4. Gavin Brindley, C, Michigan

5. Charlie Stramel, C, Wisconsin

6. Cameron Allen, RHD, Guelph

7. Quinton Burns, LHD, Kingston

8. Brady Cleveland, LHD, U.S. NTDP

Fantilli is a special player. His offense is elite; you don’t lead college hockey in scoring without a ton of skill. But when you add in the fact he’s 6-2, skates quite well, and is a high-end competitor who is extremely physical, it makes him such a unique pro prospect.

I highlighted Tyler Boucher in this category the year he was picked at No. 10 a few drafts ago. I think players like Charlie Stramel and Kalan Lind have a lot of rhymes to Boucher in terms of how they skate, their level of offense and the high degree of physicality in their games. Don’t be surprised if a team gets aggressive for a rare playstyle like theirs.

Ryan Leonard is often discussed as a top-10 pick in part because of his great skill and goal-scoring ability, but mostly because of his motor. Scouts love his compete and physicality, often citing him as a player you win in the playoffs with.

Best shot

1. Connor Bedard, C, Regina

2. Kasper Halttunen, RW, HIFK

3. Bradly Nadeau, RW, Penticton

4. Matvei Michkov, RW, SKA

5. Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw

6. Carson Rehkopf, C, Kitchener

7. Colby Barlow, LW, Owen Sound

8. Etienne Morin, LHD, Moncton

9. Noah Dower Nilsson, LW, Frolunda

10. Ryan Conmy, RW, Sioux City

11. Casper Nassen, RW, Vasteras

12. Kai Uchacz, RW, Red Deer

The best shot in this draft belongs to Bedard with a bullet, and bullet is a good way to describe how he shoots the puck. He has a lethal wrist shot that has both accuracy and velocity behind it and can pick corners from almost anywhere in the offensive zone.

The rest of the players listed here are closely grouped. Kasper Halttunen, Bradly Nadeau and Michkov are all lethal goal scorers who can rip a puck. Halttunen and Nadeau especially have elite shots from the faceoff dots that project to be able to score on an NHL power play from that range.

Best athletes

1. Daniil But, RW, Lokomotiv

2. Adam Gajan, G, Chippewa

3. Artyom Kashtanov, C, Yekaterinburg

4. Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha

5. Damian Clara, G, Farjestad

6. Brady Cleveland, LHD, U.S. NTDP

7. Matteo Fabrizi, LHD, Red Deer

8. Matteo Mann, RHD, Chicoutimi

The next group (alphabetical order):

Frantisek Dej, C, Slovan Bratislava

Jakub Dvorak, LHD, Liberec

Andrew Gibson, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie

Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver

Larry Keenan, LHD, Culver Academy

Sean Keohane, LHD, Dexter School

Ryan Koering, LHD, Eden Prarie

Rasmus Larsson, LHD, Vasteras

Samuel Mayer, LHD, Peterborough

Danny Nelson, C, U.S. NTDP

Milton Oscarson, C, Orebro

Janne Peltonen, LHD, Karpat

Alex Pharand, C, Sudbury

Dmitri Simashev, LHD, Lokomotiv

Konnor Smith, LHD, Peterborough

Carter Sotheran, RHD, Portland

Charlie Stramel, C, U.S. NTDP

Kristers Steinbergs, G, Valbo

Brandon Svoboda, C, Youngstown

Nicholas Vantassell, RW, Green Bay

Anton Wahlberg, C, Malmo

I’m sure every fan has the experience of seeing a big guy get drafted to their favorite team who didn’t put up huge numbers that season. This list is your reference as to why that player is getting drafted high. These are the big guys who can skate; the players who look like NHL athletes.

Daniil But is the prototype of that kind of player. He’s a player with no real flaws in his game and a ton of natural athleticism, which tends to be highly valued in the NHL Draft. There aren’t many 6-5 guys who can skate like him and have legit offensive skills. He is valued quite highly in the league and despite his KHL contract, I think he will be a very early draft pick.

Adam Gajan is average-sized for an NHL goalie but has some freak athleticism in his game. His side-to-side play in net is high end and can make some spectacular saves. As one NHL executive put it to me, he has the athleticism of top NHL goaltenders.

Artyom Kashtanov and Damian Clara aren’t high-profile names, but they are both 6-6 and move well. Michael Hrabal is the same way and could be the first goalie picked. Damian Clara is well thought of in the NHL. I have concerns about his sense/tracking, but I think he’ll be picked in a fairly high spot.

This is the second time Cleveland is highlighted. There aren’t many 6-5 defensemen who can skate like him, and that he’s mean as hell helps a lot too. He has next to no offense, making him an extremely tough evaluation given how good and how poor he is at various parts of the game.

(Top photo of Connor Bedard: Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today)