NHL Entry Draft: Top prospects and betting odds

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Connor Bedard is one of the most hyped draft prospects of the last decade and as a result, he is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. But, who goes after Bedard?

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This year’s draft is expected to be one of the deepest in years and there is a lot of strong competition to be selected second overall when the draft goes down June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sports Interaction is covering the top NHL draft prospects after Bedard.

2023 NHL draft order

Final four spots to be determined by conference final, Stanley Cup Final

*pick acquired via trade

1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Arizona Coyotes
7. Philadelphia Flyers
8. Washington Capitals
9. Detroit Red Wings
10. St. Louis Blues
11. Vancouver Canucks
12. Arizona Coyotes* (from Ottawa)
13. Buffalo Sabres
14. Pittsburgh Penguins
15. Nashville Predators
16. Calgary Flames
17. Detroit Red Wings* (from NY Islanders via Vancouver)
18. Winnipeg Jets
19. Chicago Blackhawks* (from Tampa Bay)
20. Seattle Kraken
21. Minnesota Wild
22. Columbus Blue Jackets* (from Los Angeles)
23. New York Rangers
24. Nashville Predators* (from Edmonton)
25. St. Louis Blues* (from Toronto)
26. San Jose Sharks* (from New Jersey)
27. Colorado Avalanche
28. Toronto Maple Leafs* (from Boston)

No. 2 overall draft pick odds

You can visit Sports Interaction for complete NHL game odds, props and futures bets.

Adam Fantilli, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)

Adam Fantilli would likely be the first overall pick most years, but he has the misfortune of being lumped together with generational talent in Bedard.

At just 18 years old, Fantilli was a key piece of the dominant Michigan Wolverines this season. In 36 games, he led Michigan in both goals (30) and points (65) and became just the third freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award, after Paul Kariya in 1993 and Jack Eichel in 2015.

Fantilli finished his freshman season at Michigan averaging 1.81 points per game, a new NCAA record. A lot of that success comes from his skating ability. From his acceleration to his edge work and smooth crossovers, Fantilli is arguably as good a skater, if not better, than Bedard.

If you dig deep you can find weaknesses in Fantilli’s game like any 18-year-old prospect. He still needs to mature defensively and he has a tendency to try to do everything himself. Those are both traits that can be easily identified and worked on at the NHL level.

Overall, Fantilli has everything you look for in a future top-line centre. His combination of size, speed, playmaking ability and elite hockey IQ make him the consensus No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

Matvei Michkov, RW, Sochi (KHL)

There are sky-high expectations for Matvei Michkov as he enters the draft as one the most hyped Russian prospects since Alex Ovechkin in 2004.

Michkov’s offensive upside rivals Bedard. He’s a creative, intelligent player with outstanding puck skills and he is just as accurate passing as he is shooting.

Another attractive quality for Michkov is his experience playing against grown men compared to playing junior hockey. He knows what it’s like to compete against bigger, faster players.

Michkov recorded nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 27 KHL games this past season, despite playing on a weak Sochi team. For comparison, only three other players on the team recorded at least 20 points and they all played over 54 games each.

There are two main concerns for teams thinking about drafting Michkov. First, he’s a smaller player, although stars like Columbus’ Johnny Gaudreau and Montreal’s Cole Caufield have proven size isn’t the drawback it used to be.

The big concern is Michkov’s contractual commitment to stay in Russia through the 2025-26 season. It’s very similar to Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2015, but didn’t make his NHL debut until 2020.

If there is a team willing to spend a first-round pick on a player they won’t see in the lineup for a few years, Michkov offers a lot of potential upside.

Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro (SHL)

Teams looking for an elite two-way player will have Leo Carlsson’s name circled.

Carlsson has played at Sweden’s top level for the last two seasons, which should help his development when he makes the move to the North American professional ranks. He had 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) for Orebro in the Swedish Elite League this season and added another nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 13 playoff games.

Carlsson is a strong playmaker with a lot of confidence. He’s a natural centre, but he has added versatility as a capable winger. He also showed an ability to stay calm under the pressure of the biggest moments, tallying six points in seven games for Sweden at the 2023 World Junior Championship.

Carlsson’s size, puck control, skating ability and versatility easily rank him among the best available prospects. He’s a lock to be a top-five pick in the draft.

Will Smith, C, USNTDP

Another strong centre prospect, Will Smith comes from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.

Smith’s agile skating ability compliments his creative and dynamic offensive mind. He’s deceptive in the offensive zone, often drawing multiple defenders before deftly threading accurate passes to open teammates. It’s that deception and confidence that makes it difficult for defenders to predict where he’ll go next.

Smith has proven to have the confidence and poise to wait for the right play, rather than force things. He has a tendency to prefer the flashier and more dangerous plays, but that is a trait that will likely be addressed when he moves to the NCAA.

Smith is committed to Boston College next year and is likely at least a couple of years away from being ready for the NHL, but he projects to develop into a top-six forward on a good NHL roster.

Zach Benson, LW, Winnipeg Ice (WHL)

Zach Benson plays for the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice and projects to fall somewhere in the latter half of the top 10.

Benson put up huge numbers in the WHL this season, finishing second in points among draft-eligible players behind Bedard. His 98 points (36 goals, 62 assists) likely would have had him projected as a potential top-three pick in any of the last few draft years.

Benson has a drive and motor that will be attractive to every team in the NHL. His draft stock drops a bit because he’s a winger, but he’s a crisp passer with elite vision and he seems to know where the puck will be before it gets there.

Benson’s intelligence offensively and defensively makes him a responsible, reliable player. He’s just as capable creating scoring chances for his team as he is at shutting down scoring opportunities for opponents.

Described by some as a Zach Hyman-type, Benson is expected to be picked somewhere between fifth and seventh overall, making Montreal, Arizona and Philadelphia his most likely destinations.

Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Brayden Yager from the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors is a little bit trickier as he’s been projected to go anywhere from the top 10 to late in the first round.

Yager’s shot isn’t at the level of a player like Bedard, but he still managed to score 60 goals over his last two WHL seasons. If he develops his shot further and adopts more of a shoot-first mentality, he has the potential to become a 30-goal scorer in the NHL.

Yager isn’t an overly creative player, but he is a capable finisher and he remains active all over the ice. He’s one of the more defensively responsible centres available in the draft and has a lot of potential to develop into a dangerous two-way threat at the NHL level.

Yager will need more development time, particularly if he is being played at centre. The plan for some teams could be to start him as a winger when he moves to the NHL in the hopes it will allow him to focus more on developing his offensive potential.

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