At the NHL draft last July, all the talk was on the following year’s draft. While there were some great names being drafted and some excellent finds for those teams doing solid research, the class lacked the star power associated with the 2023 NHL Draft class.
Coming into the year, the obvious name was Connor Bedard. Right behind him were Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov. Following those elite three, another seven players filled out a really solid class.
Not every club will be looking at the top of this draft class. Those clubs will be looking to make a playoff run and potentially add at the trade deadline. Others, however, like Anaheim, San Jose, Chicago, Arizona and Vancouver will definitely be looking to nab one of these top guys.
How is this NHL draft class faring early in the season?
Let’s take a look at 10 of the top draft prospects heading into this season. We will provide a new breakdown each month and re-order the group based on their progression throughout this season. For now, the top 3 are pretty much universally agreed upon and the others could be in nearly any order.
Connor Bedard– Center of the Regina of the WHL
Last year Bedard tallied 51 goals and 49 assists for 100 points in 62 games.
This year, in 13 games, he has 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points.
He has actually increased his point total from 1.62 points per game to 1.69. He has 20 penalty minutes already which is an indication of his willingness to be physical and scrappy. His status is unlikely to change as the top spot in the draft.
Adam Fantilli- Center of the Michigan Wolverines -NCAA (Chicago Steel)
If there is anyone who could knock Bedard from the top spot, it’s Adam Fantilli. Last year with the Chicago Steel, Fantilli notched 37 goals and 37 assists for 74 points in 54 games.
This year, in seven games, Fantilli has six goals and 10 assists for 16 points. Fantilli has increased his scoring to over two points per game. Right now, he is leading the NCAA and outscoring his teammate Frank Nazar, high draft pick who will likely be in Chicago next season.