Which players were surprisingly taken higher or lower than expected in Round 1 of the 2023 NHL draft? From Matvei Michkov to Easton Cowan, Tony Ferrari lists 10 skaters.
The NHL draft is always one of the most unpredictable events on the calendar, and yet, we all try to make out best guesses as to who is going where and at what picks. As per usual, we were all wildly wrong – aside from Bedard going first overall.
The 2023 NHL draft featured a number of players who were picked far higher or lower than expected on Day 1.
The first shock of the night came before the draft. Rumors swirled that the Anaheim Ducks were favoring Leo Carlsson over Adam Fantilli for the second pick. It came to fruition, and while neither rose or fell by more than one draft slot, it set up a night of chaos with a number of players moving up and down the draft board from where they were expected to go.
Let’s take a look at which picks made noise on the draft floor and why some of them may have fallen.
Risers
Dmitri Simashev, D, Arizona Coyotes, sixth overall
Daniil But, W, Arizona Coyotes, 12th overall
The Arizona Coyotes were having some fun in Nashville.
They took two high-upside Russian prospects with their first two picks, and they could come away laughing because of it. With many people questioning whether the ‘Russian Factor’ would play a major role, Arizona decided to buck the trend.
Simashev might be the toolsiest defender in the draft with high-end skating ability and some of the best defensive habits of any defender in the class. There may be some untapped offensive potential as well, with flashes of excellent puck skill and adaptive play in transition.
Daniil But is a big sniper who has a wicked release and improved from start to finish this season. His skating is average as a whole, but he works well in small areas and can get the puck out of trouble. He is an improving transition player, but he brings the goal-scoring element that the Coyotes desperately need.
Check out Ryan Kennedy's piece on these two surprise picks here.
Nate Danielson, C, Detroit Red Wings, ninth overall
The co-captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings is heading to Motor City, but questions remain about his upside. He is a very good skater and has shown decent skill in north-south situations, but he lacks the creativity and dynamism that many others in the draft class possess. He is an excellent transition center who can play in the middle six of an NHL lineup. It just seems to be more of what they already had in Detroit’s system.
Charlie Stramel, C/W, Minnesota Wild, 21st overall
There was so much buzz about Stramel prior to the season, and it picked up again at the World Junior Championship. But every time he played with Wisconsin, his play presented a number of questions from decision-making to skating. Now that Wisconsin has moved on from a coaching staff that had put that program through some tough times, we could see Stramel break out in a big way.
Tanner Molendyk, D, Nashville Predators, 24th overall
Public opinion on Molendyk was a bit all over, with a few lists having him in the late first round and a lot of lists having him in the top half of the second round. Nashville saw the skating, transition game and high IQ at both ends of the ice and decided to go get their guy. Molendyk has a great base to build upon, and he could be one of the more underrated defenders at the NHL level when he makes it.
Easton Cowan, C/W, Toronto Maple Leafs, 28th overall
This was the first pick that seemed like a multi-round reach. Cowan had a huge post-season and helped the London Knights to an OHL final berth, which drove his stock up the board. He plays a smart game and understands how to play a pro-style game, fitting right in on the Hunter-run Knights. He does a lot of the little things well and has some intriguing intelligence, but he projects more as a bottom-six energy guy who lacks the high-end upside. Time will tell, but that’s an interesting pick.
Fallers
Matvei Michkov, RW, Philadelphia Flyers, seventh overall
Although we kind of expected this to happen, a top-four talent – arguably a top-two talent – falling to seventh is still noteworthy. The game-breaking ability that Michkov brings to the ice every night is special. This could be the steal of the draft, and we may very well be looking back at it and questioning why hockey allowed him to fall over things out of his control. The KHL contract is what it is, but waiting three years for a top-end talent like Michkov will prove to be worth it.
Zach Benson, LW, Buffalo Sabres, 13th overall
When you’re a winger who's under 5-foot-10 and has questionable mobility, it’s easy to see how you would fall. With that said, Benson is one of the smartest players in the draft, and his ability to manipulate and pick apart opponents could make him lethal with the firepower developing in the Buffalo pipeline. This feels like a player falling into the perfect spot for him, despite public consensus seeing him as a top-eight player in most regards.
Andrew Cristall, LW, undrafted in Round 1
The skill has never been an issue. He sees the ice extremely well in the offensive zone, blending elite passing with a wicked shot to make him one of the most productive players at the WHL level this year. I’ve described him as Mitch Marner or Kirill Kaprizov without their mobility. The talent is impressive, and he’s got NHL-level skill already. It’s just about figuring out the skating. If he can, he could be a top-15 player in this class in years to come.
Gavin Brindley, RW, undrafted in Round 1
Brindley was one of college hockey’s most productive players from the time he came back from the World Junior Championship. He was always generating chances and playing the game with feist and speed, but the points weren’t coming in the first half of the year. In the second half, they wouldn’t stop coming. Brindley plays with speed, skill, and pugnacity. He isn’t afraid to dig in the corners despite his size, and he isn’t shying away from any battle. He could be a steal on day two.