Here are the top 5 prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft, a class that promises to be exceptional

PUBLICATION

Jeff Drouin
August 7, 2022 (12:40)

SHARE THIS STORY

With the 2022 NHL Draft now a thing of the past, all hockey fans are wondering what the next draft might look like, including Canadiens fans.

If most experts agreed that the 2022 draft was not a great one, it could be a different story next year with a certain Connor Bedard.

The center is already considered the best prospect since Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, and as reported by Cimon Asselin of Habsolumentfan.com, here are five prospects to watch for in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Unsurprisingly, Connor Bedard is the top prospect in what can only be described as an exceptional draft. The Regina Pats center has scored an impressive 51 goals in 62 games in 2021-2022 and hockey fans across the country will have a chance to follow his exploits at the World Junior Hockey Championship starting August 9. Some pundits compare Bedard to McDavid while others say he has a style of play similar to that of Nikita Kucherov.

Second in line is Russian forward Matvei Michkov. Playing on the right wing, the diminutive player is a quick skater with incredible hands. His puck control is amazing and his execution is impressive.

In third place, we find a center who is more imposing than the two players mentioned above in Adam Fantilli. At 6'3", the young Ontario prospect has excellent hands and is a player who can play both ways of the ice very well.

If Slovak players stole the show at this year's draft, it could very well be a repeat performance in 2023 with a certain Dalibor Dvorsky. The 6 foot 1 inch, 175 pound center is a smart player who is always well positioned because of his excellent reading of the game and he also has an excellent shot that he masters with great precision.

Finally, another center will be one to watch next year in the draft, a certain Zach Benson. Despite his small size, he is a versatile forward who excels at reading the game and is also a skilled puck handler.

That being said, we can already start speculating as to which of these players will become the very first pick of the 2023 auction and since we can expect the Habs to once again finish in the bottom half of the NHL in 2022-2023, fans of the team can start dreaming about a certain Connor Bedard.