whl bantam draft rankings 2023

He is agile enough that I expect hell be very successful on zone entries in the NHL some day, giving his team a chance to control play in the offensive zone whenever he touches the puck. He has been utterly dominant at the J20 level, played big minutes when things mattered most as an underager at the world juniors (including in three overtimes) and looked himself in spot usage in the SHL. Though hes currently still nursing a lower-body injury he suffered in early January, before that, it didnt take long watching this years Kelowna Rockets to realize just how much offence he creates for himself and his teammates. as a small but highly-involved forward who plays the game with energy and pace, making little skill plays between coverage. Cameron Allen, RD, Guelph Storm (OHL), 62. Hameenaho has the strength and stick skills to not just battle well, but win puck battles and keep possession alive for his team. NHL Entry Draft -3004 - full list of selections with facts and stats. If he can become a second-pairing offensively-inclined defenceman at even strength, and a PP1 QB, that has value in the middle of the first round. He walks the line and bends coverage as an impressive and tactical power-play quarterback. Danielson plays a well-rounded two-way game, is a proficient penalty killer, wants to make a difference in all areas when hes on the ice and blends good overall skill with his effort. On February 5, 1992, the Rebels selected Mike McBain as their first player in the Bantam Draft. 1 or No. Ondrej Molnar, LW (Erie) Hell make the soft play to the middle of the ice from the perimeter, or go there to get to rebounds or position himself on screens/tips. His skating is excellent, and his high energy level makes him a possession monster. I love him on the half-wall/point on the PP with his ability to hit east-west seams (he just seems to see every lane and opening). Hes got poise and patience on the puck. He was more impressive than his already-impressive 61-points-in-68-games season last year (where he led the Cougars in scoring), and the same is true in his strong production on a middle-of-the-pack Cougars team this year. Hell make plays through seams. Bedard has crushed all expectations this year and has firmly planted himself in the first overall position. Kalan Lind, C/LW, Red Deer Rebels (WHL), 46. He draws tons of attention in the offensive zone and is great at making smart plays under pressure to help open teammates up to make their jobs easier. The draft's top player this season is a borderline generational talent. Hes also not fast despite his strength, although he has made progress in his skating and does at times look powerful in straight lines. This kid is as prolific from long distance as any shooter Ive ever scouted. His average SHL TOI is around 4:30, so this should be a confidence boost for the 2023 top prospect.In the J20 Nationell, Stenberg has 20pts (8G, 12A) through 23 games.pic.twitter.com/H36RVcNC4H Alexa Potack (@alexa_potack) January 24, 2023, Otto Stenberg scores his first SHL goal and point! Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. But at this point in time theres also only one player in the history of the U.S. NTDP who has produced at a higher points per game clip in their draft year than Perreault has this season: Jack Hughes. Noel Nordh, LW (Brynas) Six WHL Players from the 2021 Draft selected outside of the Top-10 who've had early success Joel Henderson The Five Star Hockey Show: 2023 Canada Winter Games Preview Puck Preps Western Canada Ramblings: NHL and WHL Draft Joel Henderson Four 2005-born OHLers trending up Sam McGilligan Thank you for your interest in our network of websites, newsletters, and other services. Within his movement patterns, he can handle the puck on a string. He provides a ton of offense in transition as well as in the offensive zone where he seems to create scoring chances at will. Logan Cooley2. He looks to take instead of give in the neutral zone, regularly stepping up to try to bump puck carriers off possession and force dumps (though there are times when that style can leave him chasing if his timings off or hes flatfooted). There are some whod like to see him get to the guts of the ice and battle a little more (he glides a little too much off of the puck offensively and defensively). Hes got gallops, cutbacks, crossovers, all of it. Adam Fantilli is an absolute monster with the puck, with the skill, skating, and strength to beat defenders no matter how they attack him. Matvei Michkov might just be the smartest player in this draft class, with an incredible ability to manipulate opposing defenses. If he were guaranteed to be coming to the NHL next fall, a centre, and an inch or two taller, hed have a nearly perfect profile for me. Everywhere he plays, Bedard just oozes poise and talent unlike any other player on the ice. Hes going to be a transition monster. . Hes got really good edges and mobility, though he doesnt have the speed in straight lines to pull away from faster chasers. There were a lot of nights last season, on an Ice team that boasted half a dozen of the better forwards and two of the top defencemen in the WHL, where this kid was the best player on the ice (which included himleadingthem in scoring in the playoffs with 23 points in 15 games) as a 16-year-old. Its powerful when it needs to be and light and adjustable when it needs to be. January 2023 WHL Draft Ranking update | Top-80 Joel Henderson. Hes got some poise and processing under pressure, even if his play with the puck on his stick isnt dynamic per se. Trending Players. His near point-per-game production at the top of the Huskies stat sheet comes a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades, besting Alex Newhook(1.47), Kyle Turris (1.26), Tyson Jost (0.98), and Kent Johnson (0.81) while being four months younger than Johnson was at the time. Reinbachers a solid forward and backwards skater (though he can look a little stilted at times) who gaps well and defends the rush effectively with a noticeably long stick. 2023-2024 relegation player stats for Erste Liga, including top goal scorers, most games played, PPG leaders and more. WHL Network Tigers sign Gavin McKenna, first overall selection in 2022 WHL Prospects Draft 9 months ago For some, it will be. Michkovs brilliance comes primarily from his ability to read and process the play at an extremely advanced level, make his decisions quickly, and execute on them with incredible proficiency, whether thats ripping a patterned shot (his one-timer, his standstill wrister, his curl-and-drag, etc. This draft class marks a decade of me doing this work, and I still believe this 2023 group is rivalled only by 2015 among the talent pools Ive scouted to date. Hes got high-end speed with his galloping crossover strides and strong acceleration from a standstill (with continued work to do to take his first two steps up a notch and find an even quicker gear), which help him carry the puck up the ice or join in transition as the trailer whenever he has to play catchup. We also invite you to ask us about our policies or feel free to let us know how we can better serve your privacy concerns. Few centers in junior hockey enter their draft year as well-rounded as Nate Danielson. The way he drops the puck into the middle of his stance and then explodes it off of his blade almost without any forward motion to indicate the shots coming is remarkable. His statistical profile is really strong and continued progress in his skating (which has also noticeably improved this year) will keep it that way into the NHL. Yager is a prospect that I fully expect to still be drafted very early on draft day, I just havent been that impressed with his game this year. Max Domi (F) And while he shines in moments, those short moments and the consistency of his execution within them (despite being freakishly talented, he makes very few mistakes with the puck) create a uniquely high-reward, somehow low-risk game. Hes different than Bedard in tools and approach. Ethan Miedema, LW (Kingston) Hes the kind of player who can beat you with a pass, a dangerous wrister (in fact, while he has played facilitator so often in games this year, hes got an excellent wrister while moving), or a deke. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. For all the talk about how strong the 2022 draft class was for Slovakia, Dvorsky leads another excellent group into 2023. I think the former outcome is the more likely, which is why Id probably steer clear of him in the teens (where some believe he belongs). His playmaking skills either at full speed or after settling in the offensive zone are impressive and make him a very mobile and skilled threat whenever he has the puck. 2022 WHL Prospects Draft Results - First Round #1 - Medicine Hat Tigers Name: Gavin McKenna Position: Forward Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon Team: Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 Prep Stats: 35 GP - 23G-42A-65 points #2 - Tri-City Americans Name: Jackson Smith Position: Defence Hometown: Calgary, Alta. It will be followed by my midseason top 64 (released in February), an updated top 32 following U18 Worlds. Name. Hesa clever beyond belief, maneuverable facilitator and playmaker who plays the game with a light touch and a heady spatial awareness of not only where his teammates are, but where he is in the flow of play (and relative to defenders). A number of years ago, WHL Clubs were allowed to list first-year bantam players as of a set date in September. Nobody can defend his inside-out cut into that low, hard wrister of his at the junior level. Not Logan Cooley. Hes also highly creative despite his goal-scoring tilt. Reinbacher is looking like a potential top-four mainstay in the NHL with exciting defensive potential. Musty is an athletic winger who can beat goalies with his hard shot or by crashing the net and scoring in tight. 22-Mason Fauser F Swift Current Broncos 5-8 23-Cash Lanigan F Regina Aces 5-8 24-Dane Mansuy D Regina Monarchs 5-8 25-Charlie Kay F Saskatoon Outlaws 5-8 26-Dryden Deobold D Regina Monarchs 5-8 27-Keaton Lesperance F Regina Aces 5-8 28-Cameron Jacobson D Humboldt Broncos 5-8 29-Ethan Dundas F Regina Monarchs 5-8 The 18-year-old has accumulated 54 points (25 goals, 29 assists) in 60 games so far this season. Hes got everything else you look for in a dynamic play creator, too. Hes a natural scorer and creator, but hes also got plus vision and deft touch (though I wouldnt say his creativity is necessarily a strength). Viewed as a mid-round pick by most, Ciernik is a player I diverge from the public and private scouting communities on. His consistency, effort, speed, and skill make him a coachs dream even though he doesnt have the dynamic offensive qualities of some of his peers. Leonard is a prospect thateveryonelikes. In the 2021-22 season, Gulyayev set a new MHL (the top Russian junior league) record for points by a 16-year-old defenseman with 35 points in 54 games. After scoring 30 goals as a rookie in the OHL last season, Colby Barlow has been on my radar as a pro-sized winger with a legit NHL-caliber shot. Yager plays a threatening, attacking, puck-dominant game with skill in straight lines and in cutting sequences in transition. And he likes to try to take D one-on-one, which can result in some high-end plays but also some turnovers. His transition play and wicked shot make him the most important player on his team on many nights. Publishing date 2022-12-21 User Anonymous Views 12926 Favorited 2 Share Embed 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 Hes not the most cerebral player and he can be a little too net-focussed at times, but hes the kind of player who will score, add physicality to a line, and slide up and down a top nine in an NHL lineup while endearing himself to his coaches. February 2023 OHL Draft Ranking Update Jordan Malette 2023 Canada Winter Games Recap - Eastern Canada Brayden Olafson 2023 Canada Winter Games: Gold Medal Game Report - Team Saskatchewan Joel Henderson 2023 Canada Winter Games: Gold Medal Game Report - Team Ontario Jordan Malette Four 2005-born standout defenders in the CHL Sam McGilligan The raw potential is there in spades and the production is starting to catch up to it. Hes a strong, pro-built, physically mature winger (some of which is a benefit of his 2004 birthday, but some of which is obviously a credit to the work he has put into filling out his frame he really does look sturdy) who likes to shoot the puck and shoots it hard, but also regularly beats defenders and goalies one-on-one with a slick set of hands across his body so that they cant plan for the shot. He is on the younger side of the draft class with a July birthday so he has plenty of time to grow into the potential that he has shown thus far and increase his draft stock. Im talking nobody. Benson is currently outscoring two of his teammates in Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie who were both drafted in the top-11 of the 2022 Draft. Without further ado, lets get into the January edition of my 2023 NHL Draft Rankings. While he benefits from playing with talented linemates, Bensons a driver in every sense. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. He is a mobile defenseman who fits the mold of the modern puck-moving defender and power play quarterback. Axel Sandin Pellikka is a right-handed offensive defenseman who has put up points at a remarkable rate in J20 Nationell, the top Swedish junior league. Reinbacher is a 6-foot-2 defender with a right-handed shot and great mobility who is playing lots of minutes in the National League (NL), Switzerlands top professional mens league. He passes the eye test. Hes sound positionally defensively. Barlow plays a direct, intentional game built around great hands, a physically mature pro frame, and an NHL shot (he can cleanly beat goalies from mid-range). He has been off to a hot start this season, averaging just under a goal per game. And after how good he looked as an underager at U18 worlds in Germany last April, nobody has been surprised by his near goal-per-game breakout this season (in fact, I wrote I wont be surprised if he challenges Smith and Moore on the stat sheet this year while providing all of the energy that he does in my preseason ranking). Ryan Leonard is a high energy winger who never takes his foot off the gas in terms of both speed and effort. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Hes a slick one-on-one player. Ziemmer often seems to have the puck on a string and thats part of why he has been one of the leading scorers in the WHL this year as a 17-year-old. Hes got quick hands and instincts, with standout puck control and shading. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Clubs of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. Hes got one of the best shooting actions in motion Ive ever seen. As always, Ive broken down the full ranking into tiers to give you a better sense for the fluidity within groupings and the drop-offs between them. Im less and less convinced of that. Sign up for EP Premium to create your own ranking. Charlie Stramel, C, University of Wisconsin (NCAA), 34. There arent many players in this draft class whove come along quite like Sandin Pellikka has in the last year or so. Catton is the early front runner for 1st overall in next years WHL bantam draft and has recently been granted exceptional player status to play up in Midget AAA next year for the Saskatoon Contacts as a underage player. One of the most surprising junior players so far this year is Lukas Dragicevic who has put up points at well above a point per game rate in the WHL from the back end, making him the highest scoring defender in the league as of writing. He has a great release on his shot, and he has a knack for manipulating shooting lanes or goalie positioning in just a split second to give himself a better scoring chance. He loves attacking defenders and beating them in one-on-one skill battles. Im not talking about him compared to other prospects in this draft. He can beat you along the wall on the cycle. The drafts order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the League standings. The real question will be if he can make a difference in his own end as his defending has been a bit too relaxed for my liking. He thrives in transition creating breakaways and putting defenders on their heels with his speed and plays with a ton of confidence and swagger on the puck as a deft handler. 2023 WHL Draft Ranking Update: . He problem-solves his way out of trouble as well as anyone in this age group. I cant think of a first overall pick so far above the rest of the competition since Connor McDavid back in 2015, of course some tried to argue for Jack Eichel (as they do now for Adam Fantilli), but that argument doesnt hold up well.

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