Three big takeaways from Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft
The 2023 NHL Draft kicked off with a big selection for the Chicago Blackhawks with the first overall pick. The Blackhawks drafted generational talent Connor Bedard, instantly changing the landscape of the Hawks roster for years to come.
The first round of the draft did not go as expected in the sense that it was so quiet. There were no trades during the first round, something that has been a staple in years past as teams juggle positioning to land the player they want most.
That might have something to do with how busy of a week led up to the draft. The Bruins already made some deals clearing up cap space, as did the Lightning, Avalanche and Golden Knights. The first day of the 2023 NHL Draft was relatively smooth sailing, but things could pick up on the second day.
Here is what the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft ended up looking like:
- Chicago Blackhawks – Connor Bedard
- Anaheim Ducks – Leo Carlsson
- Columbus Blue Jackets – Adam Fantilli
- San Jose Sharks – Will Smith
- Montreal Canadiens – David Reinbacher
- Arizona Coyotes – Dmitriy Simashev
- Philadelphia Flyers – Matvei Michkov
- Washington Capitals – Ryan Leonard
- Detroit Red Wings – Nate Danielson
- St. Louis Blues – Dalibor Dvorsky
- Vancouver Canucks – Tom Willander
- Arizona Coyotes (via Senators) – Daniil But
- Buffalo Sabres – Zack Benson
- Pittsburgh Penguins – Brayden Yager
- Nashville Predators – Matthew Wood
- Calgary Flames – Samuel Honzek
- Detroit Red Wings (via Islanders) – Axel Sandin Pellikka
- Winnipeg Jets – Colby Barlow
- Chicago Blackhawks (via Lightning) – Oliver Moore
- Seattle Kraken – Eduard Sale
- Minnesota Wild – Charlie Stramel
- Philadelphia Flyers (via Kings) – Oliver Bonk
- New York Rangers – Gabriel Perreault
- Nashville Predators (via Oilers) – Tanner Molendyk
- St. Louis Blues (via Maple Leafs) – Otto Stenberg
- San Jose Sharks (via Devils) – Quentin Musty
- Colorado Avalanche – Calum Ritchie
- Toronto Maple Leafs (via Bruins) – Easton Cowan
- St. Louis Blues (via Stars) – Theo Lindstein
- Carolina Hurricanes – Bradly Nadeau
- Colorado Avalanche (from Canadiens, via Panthers) – Mikhail Gulyayev
- Vegas Golden Knights – David Edstrom
Before Round 2 of the draft gets underway in a few hours, let’s talk about a few takeaways from the first round of the draft.