NHL Draft Top 5

Photo Credit: NHL

TAMPA – In the NHL Draft, lives are changed as young athletes are able to prove their on-ice talents to professional teams and make their dreams of playing in the NHL come true.

The Draft started with the Chicago Blackhawks having the First Round Pick, followed by the Anaheim Ducks, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the San Jose Sharks, and the Montreal Canadiens.

There were many great picks for each team in the league, but the number one pick is the most watched player, as fans sit on the edge of their seats to see who will become the next legend in the NHL.

We talk about the Mark Messiers, the Martin Brodeurs, the Jaromir Jagrs, and the Wayne Gretzkys. It’s time to see who the top five picks of the 2023 NHL Draft were.

The lights are on, and out comes NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to welcome the prospects, family members, friends, and fans in the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. He discusses how Nashville held the NHL Awards in the 2021-2022 season and now hosts the NHL Draft.

As David Poile officially retires from the NHL, thanking the city of Nashville for his 23 years in the league, Gary Bettman begins the draft with the Blackhawks on the clock. The pick is in, and the Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson says, “With the first selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks select from the Regina Pats Connor Bedard.”

#1 Chicago Blackhawks - Connor Bedard - Canada

Connor Bedard is a 17-year-old forward who began his dream of playing in the NHL with the West Van Academy Bantam U-15 Prep team during the 2018-2019 season.

After his first season, he recorded 64 goals and 24 assists for a total of 88 points on the season after 30 games.

Bedard would go on to wear the patch of assistant captain for the Regina Pats of the WHL in the 2021-2022 season, where his offensive prowess reigned supreme. He would score 51 goals with 49 assists in just 62 games.

His offensive firepower didn’t stop there, as this past season he recorded 71 goals with 72 assists in just 57 games. With his strong style of offensive play, it is no surprise that he made it into the NHL, let alone be the first pick of the draft.

“He’s a pretty special player and a very special person. We’ll let him determine how special that first season is,” says Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson.

#2 Anaheim Ducks - Leo Carlsson - Sweden

Leo Carlsson is an 18-year-old forward who has wrapped up his SHL career with Orebro HK in Sweden.

During his time with Orebro, Carlsson recorded 13 goals and 21 assists, resulting in 34 points in 79 games.

Carlsson was also able to play for Sweden in the World Championships this past year, where he scored three goals and had two assists in the eight games he played. The Anaheim Ducks have a skilled sharpshooter on their hands.

“Seeing him play center at the world championships, playing on the number one line for his country, and seeing him play a 200-foot game, I think that was a big thing for us. Not only having potential to dominate the offensive zone, but also being able to dominate in the defensive zone,” says Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek.

#3 Columbus Blue Jackets - Adam Fantilli - United States

Adam Fantilli is an 18-year-old forward who began playing AAA hockey for the Toronto Red Wings during the 2018-2019 season and moved up to the Toronto Junior Canadiens U16 AAA team during the 2019-2020 season.

During his time in Toronto, he scored 28 goals and 16 assists after playing 34 games. After playing AAA hockey, he played for the Chicago Steel in the USHL, where he really began to shine, scoring 18 goals and 18 assists after 49 games.

He would go on to attend the University of Michigan, where he would play for the school’s hockey team. This past season, he put on a showcase of his offensive prowess with tremendous skill and accuracy, scoring 30 goals and 35 assists in just 36 games. The Blue Jackets might have a player that matches the offensive prowess of Patrik Laine.

“I’m very pleased. I think we got a great player, as I said all along, that I think we’re gonna get a great player at number three, and we got Adam. And we are very pleased. He’s exactly what we need, exactly the type of player we’re always looking for: a 200-foot player that plays the game the right way, produces, but not just with skill, with determination and character and will. And those players are rarely available. So we’re very, very pleased to have him,” says Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen.

#4 San Jose Sharks - William Smith - United States

As part of the National Team Development Program of the USHL, 18-year-old William Smith started fresh, scoring 14 goals and 14 assists in 36 games during the 2021-2022 season.

He would then show his hunger and grit as he continued to showcase his offensive prowess for the U.S. National Team for U-17 and U-18, scoring a total of 31 goals and 64 assists in just 63 games.

Before being drafted, Smith would play in 60 games for the U-18 U.S. National Team, finishing strong, scoring 51 goals and 76 assists, ending the season with a whopping 127 points. Logan Couture might not be the only player on the Sharks with strong offensive prowess.

“It’s just all part of the evaluation. I was fortunate enough to watch him play those games against some older prep school kids and excel. But the scouts have been watching him for several years here. He’s been a high-profile kid,” says Sharks GM Mike Grier.

#5 Montreal Canadiens - David Reinbacher -Austria

David Reinbacher finished this past season with EHC Kloten in Austria with three goals and 19 assists. However, he began playing at the age of 15 for Rheintal II U-15 for the 2017-2018 season, only playing in six games, performing well, scoring four goals and five assists for a total of nine points.

Reinbacher would move further towards his goal of reaching the NHL, playing for Kloten’s U-15, U-17, and U-20 teams. Playing for a total of 121 games, he went on to score 35 goals and 45 assists.

As he was moved up to EHC Kloten, Reinbacher became even more of a team player, having more assists than goals throughout his time there. In the 2021-2022 season, he scored one goal and had 10 assists in 27 games.

Passing the puck even more this past season, he finished with 22 points, with three goals and 19 assists at the end of 46 games. Reinbacher is a strong player as well as a strong teammate who looks to make his team better before himself, passing the puck and being on the offensive.

“For us, he was a player that we believe will help the team the most, and we think we have the forwards too that will be able to produce at a good rhythm, whether it be Cole, Suzuki, Dach. We believe they have a lot of potential, much more right now,” says Canadiens GM Kent Hughes.