If he were a little bigger, hed be a scouts dream. More and more his game has shown dimension inside the offensive zone so that he can make things happen shift after shift out of all of his effort plays up and under sticks. He can beat you along the wall on the cycle. I expect hell be the first defenceman picked when all is said and done, and he may be my top-ranked one too even though Gulyayev excites me a little more and remains there for now. He can run the wall or the point on the PP, effortlessly picking coverage apart and feathering pucks through seams. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Hes got really quick side-to-side hands, a hardshot that rattles off of his stick, and quick crossover patterns that allow him to use those hands to get to places where he can look to shoot. 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 Heidt, taken No. Chloe Primerano was the Giants final selection in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. The best way to define Fantilli is the way one USHL source once described him to me: Hes a horse.. Sign up for premium. Michael Hrabal, G (Omaha) All 22 WHL Clubs participated in the four-phase lottery . He plans things out on the ice at speed and then finds ways to make his desired play. Noah Dower Nilsson is purely an offensive player at this point, but hes a very skilled one. After playing on Russias Hlinka Gretzky team twosummers ago, But played to a point-per-game level in the MHL as one of its top 2005s last season and began his draft year on a tear in the MHL, scoring 11 goals in his first 15 games of the season before earning a mid-October promotion to the KHL for the first time (he has since scored his first two pro goals and has bounced between the KHL and MHL). 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). The midseason ranking divides into six tiers. Tuomas Uronen, RW (HIFK), (Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Jamie Crawford, Minas Panagiotakis, Dennis Pajot / Getty Images). Hes a versatile, hard-working player who excels in pretty much every facet of the game, gets to the middle of the ice, and makes plays around the net through skill and timing. While hes got some work to do to get a little quicker from the jump in the games 10-foot races, he does have some power and balance through his stride to build upon and skates pretty well for his size and age. Hes one of the older players on this list (October 2004) but was also one of the most productive under-18 players at the J20 level last year, a top performer on the second line (with Dvorsky) as one of the younger players at his Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and Slovakias leading scorer in their promotion win in the Division 1A U18 world championship (his 12 points were one more than Dvorsky). Before the season began, many people saw Otto Stenberg as a top-10 prospect for this draft following his incredible performance for Team Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Get the inside scoop on the top prospects in the world with our comprehensive grading system and access to career stats, data, and news stories . We seldom see them play big minutes in a good league, though even when theyre on the older side, like Reinbacher is with his October birthday. For some, it will be. Still, I would argue hes been a more consistent offensive player for Moose Jaw this season than Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus has been, while playing an off-puck game that is inarguably stronger than Firkus (he has also been a dangerous penalty killer and is decently-strong in the faceoff circle). The biggest arguments against him are his size and skating, since a 5-foot-10 winger often needs to be an above average skater to make an impact in the NHL and Cristall is not quite there. The annual Western Hockey League bantam draft coming on May 7 will be full of mixed emotions for hundreds of Grade 9 kids in Western Canada and parts of the United States. 33. When he plays with pace and intention, hes both effective and flashes his skill in all three zones. One of my favourites in the 2005 age group, Wood is the youngest player in college hockey this season (he was, for a moment, its only 17-year-old) and has stepped right in to become an impactful player on a good UConn team (albeit as a winger after playing mostly centre at the Jr. A level). WHL Network. His skating is a bit of a weakness with less-than-ideal speed, but he more than makes up for it with his offensive creativity and hands. Jake Leschyshyn (/ l s n / leh-SIH-shuhn; born March 10, 1999) is an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hes also a very selfless player for his age who is quick to change in the offensive zone and will sooner make the right play than trying to overdo it. Denver Barkey, C (London) Try a week on us. Without further ado, let's get to the 2023 draft board. Barlows size, strength, and maturity as a teenager lead me to believe he could have a real shot at making the NHL out of training camp for whichever team selects him, hes that talented and reliable. Hes got everything else you look for in a dynamic play creator, too. He has been dominating the Swedish J20 league this year and is scoring at a higher pace right now than both Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Noah Ostlund did last year (who were drafted 15th and 16th respectively in the 2022 NHL Draft). WHL Bantam Draft 2023 - full list of selections with facts and stats. He can beat you on the perimeter with his skill (highlighted by excellent one-on-one hands-on defenders). Mix in a multi-dimensional shooting arsenal and I see top-six upside. When hes on, he can completely take over a game. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club's of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. Honzek has played and succeeded on both special teams this year and his size and strength have made him too much for opposing defenders to handle on more than a few occasions. Im not sure hes got the soft skill to become the true No. The top pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Musty is one the focal points of the Wolves offence and would be their leader in shots on goal, assists and points were it not for a few weeks lost in January to a hand injury (following up on a strong showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer). One of three draft eligibles on this list playing college hockey this season, Brindley hasnt just settled in at the University of Michigan, he has looked anywhere from comfortable to impactful in every game, including at centre and on the wing. While there are some great prospects in the top-five of the draft, theres no doubt that Bedard is the reason teams are tanking. The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Clubs of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. The show will also include the unveiling of WHL Divisional Award Winners and All-Star Teams for the 2021-22 WHL season. 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 - Elite Prospects 2023 WHL Draft Rankings - TOP 50 Add to Favorites This is a custom user-submitted ranking. There are times when he can wait too long to make his decisions and I wouldnt call him creative, but he makes good choices more often than hes careless with it and he has progressed really rapidly for a kid who doesnt turn 18 until a couple of weeks from now. If this werent a draft that also featured Bedard and Benson, he was in the midst of one of the most productive draft-eligible seasons in recent WHL history (pacing to outproduce, for example, the 106 in 69 that 2011 No. When he does go there, too, Ive seen him show that dexterity he has getting sticks on tips and redirects. This year, he has been pretty clearly one of the most talented players in J20 whenever he has been there, has shown some really positive signs in spurts in HockeyAllsvenskan (he has actually been equally as productive on a rate basis as Dvrosky), and I liked him at the world juniors before a quiet quarterfinal against Team Canada. And while he played exclusively as a winger in the SHL the last two seasons, Carlsson came up as a centre and I like the way his game might fit there long term because of his combination of size, detail, and awareness. Brindley is a 5-foot-9 forward who has been quite good in the NCAA as an 18-year-old, a very impressive feat. We sometimes see draft-eligible D play their full draft year in a professional league. Denver Barkey, C, London Knights (OHL), 63. No, you haven't accidentally clicked a lyrics page add and been directed to an eighties anthem, it's DubNetwork Scouting's LAST REVEAL for our December Top 22 - WHL Bantam Draft prospect breakdown. He is a very intelligent offensive player and can make these great reads and plays at full speed. He can unload from his hip into a heavy snapshot (which hes probably owed a few more goals off of this year) or drop and drive the net into a tuck play in tight. Hes not just the energy guy though either. Felix Nilsson, C (Rogle) His strength complements a competitive, physical, forechecking, middle-lane style that makes good use of his length and hard wrister from midrange. The way he wheels across the top of the circles and then play-makes from the high slot is special. He has struggled in spurts with the pace required of centres at higher levels (whether that be last summers world juniors, or the pro game, he could stand to get and play a little quicker) and some scouts worry about his consistency at five-on-five, but he has shown important progress on that front and showed well at this winters world juniors at evens. Hunter Brzustewicz, RD, Kitchener Rangers (OHL), 43. His long stick can limit him catching and handling pucks in his feet at times, and he doesnt have a great shot, but those things should come and hes got great dexterity and reflexes. Hes always moving. He is very intentional with his routes, offensively and defensively, which should help him stick at the centre position long term. Then he got back in late February and after a pointless return put up two goals on six shots in his second game back. . Fantilli is currently averaging about one and a half points per game on a University of Michigan team filled to the brim with talent. Dvorsky has shown solid defensive play so far against men and his vision and puck skills have looked right at home, especially on the power play.