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Three big takeaways from Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft

By Jim Lynch

Three big takeaways from Round 1 of the NHL Draft (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Three big takeaways from Round 1 of the NHL Draft (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Three big takeaways from Round 1 of the NHL Draft
Three big takeaways from Round 1 of the NHL Draft (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

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:

  1. Chicago Blackhawks – Connor Bedard
  2. Anaheim Ducks – Leo Carlsson
  3. Columbus Blue Jackets – Adam Fantilli
  4. San Jose Sharks – Will Smith
  5. Montreal Canadiens – David Reinbacher
  6. Arizona Coyotes – Dmitriy Simashev
  7. Philadelphia Flyers – Matvei Michkov
  8. Washington Capitals – Ryan Leonard
  9. Detroit Red Wings – Nate Danielson
  10. St. Louis Blues – Dalibor Dvorsky
  11. Vancouver Canucks – Tom Willander
  12. Arizona Coyotes (via Senators) – Daniil But
  13. Buffalo Sabres – Zack Benson
  14. Pittsburgh Penguins – Brayden Yager
  15. Nashville Predators – Matthew Wood
  16. Calgary Flames – Samuel Honzek
  17. Detroit Red Wings (via Islanders) – Axel Sandin Pellikka
  18. Winnipeg Jets – Colby Barlow
  19. Chicago Blackhawks (via Lightning) – Oliver Moore
  20. Seattle Kraken – Eduard Sale
  21. Minnesota Wild – Charlie Stramel
  22. Philadelphia Flyers (via Kings) –  Oliver Bonk
  23. New York Rangers – Gabriel Perreault
  24. Nashville Predators (via Oilers) – Tanner Molendyk
  25. St. Louis Blues (via Maple Leafs) – Otto Stenberg
  26. San Jose Sharks (via Devils) – Quentin Musty
  27. Colorado Avalanche – Calum Ritchie
  28. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Bruins) – Easton Cowan
  29. St. Louis Blues (via Stars) – Theo Lindstein
  30. Carolina Hurricanes – Bradly Nadeau
  31. Colorado Avalanche (from Canadiens, via Panthers) – Mikhail Gulyayev
  32. 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.

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