2023 NHL Draft by the Numbers

With the 2023 NHL draft in the books, we break down the number of players drafted by position, country and league before comparing them to past years.

The time of year that players, families, scouts, teams, fans and more from around the world have waited for has ended as the 2023 NHL draft is now complete.

Another 224 players heard their names called in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville over the past two days, now taking another step to earn contracts and make it to The Show.

Here are some of the numbers from the NHL draft (courtesy of the NHL) and what they mean in context to past years:

Defense: 69

Center: 63

Right Wing: 34

Left Wing: 32

Goaltender: 26

The 2023 NHL draft saw the most goalies taken since 2018, when 29 netminders were selected.

The first goalie to go this year was Slovakian native Adam Gajan, when he went 35th overall to the Chicago Blackhawks. Michael Hrabal from USHL Omaha went not long later at 38th overall to the Arizona Coyotes, while Trey Augustine from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program went at No. 41 to the Detroit Red Wings.

Compare that to 2018, when the first goalie off the board was Olof Lindblom, who went to the Rangers at No. 39, while Oliver Rodrigue went at pick 62 to the Oilers, and Justus Annunen went 64th to the Colorado Avalanche. Annunen is the only goalie of the three to appear in an NHL game, with four appearances in the past two seasons and holding a 2-1-1 career record. It's actually Akira Schmid who holds the most NHL games played of the 2018 netminder class, with 24 regular-season appearances. The Devils drafted him 136th overall in 2018.

Meanwhile, the number of defenders selected dropped from the 2022 draft, when 73 blueliners were taken, and 2021 when 81 were chosen.

Only 61 defensemen were selected in the 2020 draft, highlighted by Jake Sanderson at No. 5 to the Ottawa Senators and Jamie Drysdale at No. 6 to the Anaheim Ducks. This year also saw two defensemen go at picks Nos. 5 and 6, with the Montreal Canadiens selecting David Reinbacher and the Coyotes going with Dmitri Simashev.

The 2020 draft also matched the 2023 draft with the number centers taken, at 63. Quinton Byfield was the highest center taken then, at No. 2.

Of course, Connor Bedard was the highest-drafted center this year, slotting in at No. 1 overall to the Chicago Blackhawks after a draft year to remember for the 17-year-old. But the next highest center was Leo Carlsson at No. 2 to Anaheim, then Adam Fantilli at third to the Blue Jackets and Will Smith taken fourth by the Sharks. 

The last time four centers were drafted in the first four picks was the memorable 2015 NHL draft, with Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner (played center in the OHL) heading down to the stage.

Players from 16 countries were taken in the 2023 NHL draft, which is the most since the 2004 draft when there were 17 countries represented. That time, 291 players were selected through nine rounds compared to 224 players through seven rounds this year.

Fourteen players born outside of North America were selected in the first round, which tied the 2017 draft as the fourth-highest total in NHL draft history. Last year was the record-setter, with 17 players born outside of North America taken in Round 1.

Reinbacher was one of 2023's first-round players born outside the continent, and he tied Thomas Vanek as the highest-drafted Austrian-born player in NHL history at fifth overall.

Gajan, meanwhile, became the highest-selected Slovakian-born goaltender in NHL draft history at No. 35, edging out Peter Budaj, who went 63rd overall in 2001. And Antoine Keller (206th overall to Washington) became the second and highest-drafted French-born goaltender as well, going eight picks higher than Cristobal Huet in 2001.

But Damian Clara became the first-ever Italian-born netminder to be drafted to the NHL when the Ducks selected him 60th overall. Only three other Italian-born players have been drafted: Thomas Di Pauli (100th overall in 2012), Luca Sbisa (19th overall in 2008) and Victor Posa (137th overall in 1985). 

There were 36 leagues represented in the 2023 NHL draft, so let's focus on the top 10:

Bedard became the first WHL player to be selected first overall since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011. It was a positive two days for the WHL in general, with its highest number of players drafted to the NHL since 2017 when 33 players were also taken. Nolan Patrick (second overall) was the highest WHL pick that year, but new Red Wing Kailer Yamamoto leads 'Dub' alumni from the 2017 draft class in points, with 118 in 244 games.

The USHL – including the NTDP – also had a nice year for draft representation, with 39 players selected. That's the most since the 2019 class when No. 1 pick Jack Hughes was the first of 42 players drafted from the USHL that year.

Out of those 39 players, 13 came from the NTDP, which set its own accomplishment as well. The team became the first amateur club to have a player selected in the first five draft picks in five straight years after Smith went fourth overall to the Sharks.