Checking in on Every 1st-Round Pick from the 2023 NHL Draft
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It’s been a roller coaster of a year for all the players chosen in the first round in Nashville, Tennessee, in June 2023. With that in mind, we’re not regrading this draft just yet. We are, however, taking a look in on where they’re at after the 2023-24 season and how we feel about where they’re headed during the upcoming campaign.
Here’s a look at those 32 players per their order in that round. Feel free to let us know your thoughts on the year they’ve all had. Except Connor Bedard—we all know how good that kid is.
1. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
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First overall pick. Calder Trophy winner. Obviously Connor Bedard is doing pretty great. Can we skip to the next guy?
On a more serious note: Bedard’s rookie season obviously wasn’t ideal. He missed 14 with a broken jaw—though he was back skating alone a week after his surgery—but despite the challenges of injury and being on an admittedly horrible team, he still went out every night and made it clear why he was picked first overall.
He finished the season with 61 points (22G/39A) in 68 games, and when the regular season ended he represented Canada at the World Championships in Czechia. Next up on his to-do list: Play a full 82-game season and maybe have a better team around him? (The former seems more likely than the latter.)
2. Leo Carlsson, Anaheim Ducks
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Much like the guy selected before him, Leo Carlsson spent the season on a rough team, but he didn’t play the full 82 games. Unlike Bedard, it was on purpose for Carlsson. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek noted from the start that the team was going to manage the rookie’s workload—early on he was playing no more than two games per week—in order to keep him from burning out. It’s not a bad strategy considering the grind of an NHL season.
Carlsson finished the year with 29 points (12G/17A) in 55 games. He’s an intelligent, well-rounded rookie on a bad team. Expect him to take a step forward next season as he grows more comfortable and confident.
3. Adam Fantilli, Columbus Blue Jackets
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All three top picks in the 2023 draft joined their NHL clubs right away, including Adam Fantilli. He left the University of Michigan to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets and played 49 games before missing the rest of his rookie season with a lacerated calf muscle he sustained in January.
Twenty-seven points (12G/15A) in those 49 games might not sound like the kind of offensive production expected from the Hobey Baker winner who tore apart the USHL and NCAA.
However, once again, it’s key to take into account the team he was playing for. The Blue Jackets didn’t exactly have an awe-inspiring year, missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season, and like his team, Fantilli found it difficult to sustain long stretches of offensive production. Don’t be surprised if that changes and he breaks out this year.
4. Will Smith, San Jose Sharks
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After an incredible year at Boston College—71 points (25G/46A) in 41 games—and a World Juniors gold medal, during the 2023-24 season, Will Smith’s future is looking even brighter. Smith just signed his entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks, choosing to leave college hockey and turn pro. Smith was also a finalist for the Hobey Baker award, which was won by none other than his future Sharks teammate Macklin Celebrini.
Chances are good (an understatement) that both of them see significant time with the Sharks this season, and though Celebrini is undoubtedly the centerpiece, Smith is a key cog in the rebuild wheel in San Jose.
Whether he makes the team out of camp this fall or spends some time in the AHL, though, making the move to pro hockey was the right call for Smith’s development, rather than sticking around the NCAA and embarrassing the rest of the league and not learning anything new or refining his game further.
5. David Reinbacher, Montreal Canadiens
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As a fifth overall pick, and in Montreal, no less, David Reinbacher carried extremely high expectations last season—perhaps unfairly so, but it’s the reality of the situation. Reinbacher, who is still 19, split the ’23-24 season between EHC Kloten of the Swiss A league and the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate, where he played 11 games after his season ended in Switzerland. He also had three different head coaches and two significant injuries, one to his knee and one to his hand.
It wasn’t the ideal post-draft season, to say the least. Still, there’s a lot to look forward to about Reinbacher as a player. He’s a smart guy, and he plays a solid defense-first game—but there’s some playmaking potential there as well. If the Rocket play him consistently this season, we should get a better sense of how his skill set can translate to the North American game.
6. Dmitriy Simashev, Utah Hockey Club
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Sixth overall was not necessarily where anyone expected Dmitriy Simashev to go during the 2023 draft. Still, that’s over and done with, and the best we can do by both player and team is evaluate him for the player he is now, rather than the draft spot where he was selected.
And the player he is now had a solid season in the KHL, playing well in limited minutes on a stacked team that made it to the Gagarin Cup final and seeing improvement in the accuracy of his puck-handling.
Simashev has another season on his KHL contract before he could conceivably come to the NHL, and he should see more ice time in ’24-25. At present it’s anyone’s guess, though, whether he chooses to sign his entry-level contract now that the Arizona Coyotes are no more and his rights are owned by the Utah Hockey Club.
7. Matvei Michkov, Philadelphia Flyers
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For once, where there was smoke, there was actually fire.
After months of rumors about Matvei Michkov planning to terminate his KHL contract and head to the NHL, he signed his entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 1. He’s expected to make his North American professional debut this fall, and he’ll provide a high-octane injection to the Flyers’ offense.
This signing comes on the heels of Michkov having the second-best KHL season ever from a 19-year-old (tied with Evgeny Kuznetsov, but in one fewer game), with 41 points in 48 regular-season games.
Michkov has apparently already been in contact with Flyers teammate Erik Johnson, a former first-overall pick who is familiar with the weight of high expectations and so reached out to the rookie to offer support.
8. Ryan Leonard, Washington Capitals
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Ryan Leonard is a fantastic player. Don’t let the spotlight that’s been on Will Smith lately trick you—the success of that Boston College all-freshman line depended on all three members.
Leonard tied linemate Gabe Perreault with 60 points on the season (31G/29A), though his scoring skewed more toward goals, where Perreault leaned assists. Speaking of Leonard’s goals: Those 31 were not only good for the most goals by a freshman in Boston College program history, they were also the third-most in men’s college hockey last season.
He was also a key cog in Team USA’s gold-medal winning World Juniors team. Don’t be surprised to see him and Perreault back on the ice for the USA this December, and taking on more responsibility—something that he’ll also be doing in Boston with the departure of Smith.
Leonard’s decision to return to Boston College is a good one, given that the Washington Capitals aren’t a great team at present, and Leonard continuing to develop in a good environment now will help the Capitals more later.
9. Nate Danielson, Detroit Red Wings
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Nate Danielson had quite a run during the ’23-24 season. While he started out his WHL campaign with the Brandon Wheat Kings, the trade deadline saw him head to the Portland Winterhawks, with whom he would reach the WHL Championship before getting swept by the Moose Jaw Warriors.
All told, he ended up with 67 points in 54 regular-season games. He also fit in a stint with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, and logged two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate, after the end of his WHL season.
Danielson made it to the final round of cuts during training camp with the Red Wings last season. If his performance at the team’s recent development camp is any indication, he clearly intends to come into training camp ready to push the envelope further and ensure he’s in conversation for one of those opening night spots. Whether he can convince general manager Steve Yzerman to take the chance is something we’ll all have to find out together in the fall.
10. Dalibor Dvorsky, St. Louis Blues
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Dalibor Dvorsky only just turned 19, but he’s lived a few different lives since the start of the ’23-24 hockey season. While his season began in the SHL, where he played 10 games for IK Oskarshamn, it didn’t get off to a great start, and from there he headed to the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL.
That was perhaps the best move Dvorsky could’ve made, as he proceeded to tear the league apart, ending the regular season with 88 points (45G/43A) in 52 games. He also made an impression at the 2024 World Junior Championships with Slovakia.
Dvorsky is looking ahead to the Blues’ training camp this fall, where he intends to compete for an NHL roster spot—and where all indications are he’ll be given every opportunity to do so, at least according to general manager Doug Armstrong.
11. Tom Willander, Vancouver Canucks
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Tom Willander, the Swedish defenseman selected by the Canucks at 11th overall in 2023, is returning to Boston University in the fall for his sophomore season rather than going pro. He had a solid freshman year that included a run to the national championship, though the Terriers were shut out by the University of Denver—something that will have Willander returning to the Terriers with a chip on his shoulder, no doubt.
Willander encountered a bit of a learning curve as he moved from the Swedish junior leagues to college hockey in North America, but he handled himself admirably. He finished the regular season with 25 points (4G/21A) in 38 games. With his quick and evasive skating, his game is well-suited to the smaller North American ice, and now that he’s got a full season under his belt and he’s used to the environment, we should expect to see even more growth.
He’s losing a lot of teammates to the pros, and with the departure of Lane Hutson in particular, he should see a larger role next season—likely the top pairing and top special teams units, something the Canucks will no doubt like for his development.
12. Daniil But, Utah Hockey Club
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Though Daniil But was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes, the NHL club that holds his rights is now the Utah Hockey Club (something that’s still odd to write, and that we’re all going to have to get used to). For now, though, he’s playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL, where the 6’7″ winger should have a more significant role next season (and where he plays with fellow Utah prospect Dmitriy Simashev).
Last season saw But, Simashev, and Lokomotiv make it to the Gagarin Cup final, where they were defeated by Metallurg Magnitogorsk. But didn’t see high amounts of ice time this season, as the team was stacked, but he made things happen with the ice time he was given, finishing the season with 21 points in 55 games all while averaging less than 10 minutes per game.
13. Zach Benson, Buffalo Sabres
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Zach Benson is one of the few 2023 first-rounders who spent the entire season in the NHL, surprising everyone when he made the Buffalo Sabres out of training camp. In his 71 games with the Sabres during the 23-24 season, Benson netted 30 points. That doesn’t sound great, but let’s look at it in context: he was 18 years old, playing for a not-great team, and like any rookie adjusting to a new level of competition, he had hot and cold nights. One thing that didn’t falter was his work ethic, and that will serve him well moving forward.
Looking ahead to his sophomore season, Benson will likely showcase more of the forechecking and defensive abilities that made him valuable last season, but we’ll likely also see more of the terrific playmaking and hockey sense we know Benson has. With the departure of Jeff Skinner, in particular, he could see more time on the power play, which alone should bump his offensive production. Regardless, though, it feels likely we’ll see a noticeable step forward this season.
14. Brayden Yager, Pittsburgh Penguins
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Brayden Yager looked great at the Penguins’ recent development camp and will also almost definitely spend next season in the WHL.
That’s not a bad thing; despite consecutive 78 and 95-point WHL seasons, the center still needs to add some muscle to his frame before he is thrown into the fire of a full professional season. He’s also probably got a bit of a chip on his shoulder about the way the Moose Jaw Warriors’ season ended in the Memorial Cup, being eliminated by the host Saginaw Spirit in the semifinal.
The Penguins may choose to give Yager, whose skating is already NHL-quality, a brief look at the beginning of the NHL season, but that depends entirely on how he looks in training camp. One thing is for certain, though—Yager’s development path is tracking exactly as the Penguins need it to, and given the current state of things in Pittsburgh, that’s probably a big relief.
15. Matthew Wood, Nashville Predators
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In his freshman year, Matthew Wood was the youngest player in college hockey—and still led his University of Connecticut team in scoring.
His post-draft sophomore season saw a slight step back in production, but nothing drastic—down from 34 to 28 points—and he finished the season leading the Huskies in scoring once more. He won’t be returning to Connecticut, however; Wood entered the NCAA transfer portal and has moved to the University of Minnesota. He’ll face off against some tough competition in the Big Ten, something that the Predators will be grateful for.
Wood also had a solid showing last season with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. Canada didn’t go far in the tournament, and Wood, who was the second-youngest player on the team, didn’t play a lot, but he made the most of the time he did and finished the tournament with four points in five games. Don’t be surprised if he ends up back on Canada’s roster this year, likely with an increased role—depending, of course, how his season with the Gophers starts.
16. Samuel Honzek, Calgary Flames
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Flames pick Samuel Honzek only appeared in 38 games this season for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, having been limited by an abdomen injury obtained during a preseason game for the Flames against the Oilers that kept him away from Vancouver until November. Add to that a fractured sinus cavity that he sustained shortly after coming back from the World Junior Championships—a horrible-sounding injury that he played through at times—and you don’t exactly have the recipe for a dream post-draft season.
Still, despite his injury woes the Giants’ captain managed to finish those 38 games with 31 points and, after the Giants were eliminated from the playoffs, he got into two games with the Flames’ AHL affiliate the Calgary Wranglers.
Because he’ll be 20 shortly after the start of the regular season there’s a chance he sticks with the Wranglers and plays this season in the AHL, but the Flames may decide to give him another go at putting together a full WHL season. We’ll have to wait for training camp to find out (and hope that the stitches Honzek required at development camp aren’t that injury trend continuing).
17. Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Detroit Red Wings
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The Red Wings drafting a Swedish defenseman? Fork found in kitchen.
All jokes aside, Axel Sandin-Pellikka—who recently signed his entry-level contract, and won an SHL title with Skellefteå AIK—is a smart, engaged offensive defenseman that has the potential to be a key piece of the Red Wings rebuild. Or retooling, or whatever they’re calling it these days. Sandin-Pellikka, whose 10 goals on the season were the most of any under-19 skater in the SHL, also won the Borje Salming Trophy, an award given to the SHL’s top Swedish-born defenseman.
He’s planning to play in the SHL again during the 24-25 season, continuing to refine his game against tough competition. The slower development timeline is another Red Wings hallmark, so this is no surprise. Don’t be shocked if Sandin-Pellikka forces general manager Steve Yzerman’s hand sooner rather than later, though. Those smarts are too high-end to keep out of the NHL for long.
18. Colby Barlow, Winnipeg Jets
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Colby Barlow just feels like a Jets pick. There’s no science there, just vibes, but trust me.
Barlow captained the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL this season, and after they were eliminated from the playoffs by the Saginaw Spirit, he joined the Jets’ AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose. In three appearances with the Moose Barlow netted three points—not too shabby for a first professional appearance, and something the Jets were no doubt pleased to see. It would be a good thing on its own, but after an OHL regular season where Barlow’s production took a step back (from 79 points down to 58), it was likely a relief. Production decreasing in the post-draft year isn’t something you want to see from a prospect, although Barlow did deal with some injury trouble.
Premiere Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty’s current standoff with the Jets opens the door for other prospects to grab the spotlight, and that could include Barlow if he plays his cards right. He’s still firmly on the development path, though. It will be important for him to return to Owen Sound this fall and put together a complete season that shows his brief stint in the AHL was a glimpse of the future, rather than a fluke.
19. Oliver Moore, Chicago Blackhawks
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Forward Oliver Moore’s 23-24 season got off to a slow start with the University of Minnesota, but it’s not how you start—it’s how you finish.
Moore finished the year with a World Junior Championship gold medal, where he was a key member of Team USA, and an NCAA tournament appearance, as well as 33 points (9G/24A) in 39 regular season games. Sure, Moore probably would’ve preferred the Gophers go on a deep run rather than falling to Boston University, but his post-WJC run of 21 points in two months helped them get there in the first place.
Overall, Moore saw a lot of improvement in his game last season, including in his speed and power. This year, he’s looking to continue that growth and ideally see a leap in his offensive production. At the moment, he’s ripping up summer hockey in Da Beauty League in Minnesota—hopefully that’s just a sneak preview of what’s to come.
20. Eduard Sale, Seattle Kraken
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Eduard Sale didn’t have the easiest transition to North American hockey when he made the move from HC Kometa Brno to first the Barrie Colts, then the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. His production wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t where it really should be for a 20th overall pick—and it wasn’t for lack of ice time or opportunity. Still, the first post-draft season is always too early to even begin hinting at the bust label. The move from the larger international ice to the smaller North American ice is in itself a challenge, and when you add to that the fact that Sale was adjusting to a new country and, while on the Colts, had no one around him who spoke his own language, struggles on the ice begin to feel understandable.
He was traded to the Kitchener Rangers at the deadline, after representing Czechia at the World Junior Championships, where he reunited with Czech teammate Filip Mesar. His 18 points in 24 regular season games with Kitchener were respectable, but he really shone in the playoffs, notching 12 points in 10 games before the Rangers were eliminated. A full season with one team, in an environment he is now familiar with, will be valuable in determining whether Sale is going to take that step forward that the Kraken want to see.
21. Charlie Stramel, Minnesota Wild
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Much like Barlow made sense as a Jets pick, Charlie Stramel just feels like he makes sense as a Minnesota Wild pick. Many people didn’t necessarily think he made sense at 21st overall, particularly with the talent still on the board, but that’s over and done with.
This fall, Stramel will have a fresh start as he departs the University of Wisconsin—not for the pros, but for Michigan State University. Seeing his ice time and his production decline for the Badgers last season had Stramel reconsidering his options, and transferring to Michigan State means he’ll be playing for a familiar face in Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale (Stramel’s former coach at the NTDP). Stramel is looking ahead to the 24-25 season where he plans to regain his confidence and work toward his goal of becoming a power forward at the NHL level. After the last two NCAA seasons, we’ll be watching closely in the hopes of seeing the player Stramel looked like he could be on his best nights.
22. Oliver Bonk, Philadelphia Flyers
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Oliver Bonk is a smart player. Though he plays a more shutdown style of defense, over the last year he has clearly found his scoring touch, finishing the 23-24 regular season with 67 (24G/43A) points in 60 games. This boost in scoring was in part due to his move from the point on the power play to the bumper spot. Is that goal scoring surge going to translate to the pros? Probably not. But having the ability to jump in offensively when possible, and having the hockey IQ to make good decisions in these situations, is something that will, along with his ability to break the puck out.
Because he’s 19, Bonk is most likely headed back to the London Knights of the OHL for a third season. There’s always the concern, in an environment like the Knights, of whether a guy is going to face enough adversity to continue to grow as a player. One thing is for certain, though—Bonk is a reliable, consistent shutdown guy already. If he can continue to refine other aspects of his game, like his scoring, then so much the better.
23. Gabe Perreault, New York Rangers
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Like linemate Ryan Leonard, Gabe Perreault chose to return to Boston College this season rather than turn pro. This was the right choice—Perreault is incredibly talented, but he needs to gain (and keep) a bit more muscle on his frame before he’s thrown into the grind of a professional hockey season. Even with that in mind, though, Perreault is already looking like the Rangers made quite the steal by snagging him at 23rd.
Perreault finished the NCAA regular season with 60 points (19G/41A) in 36 games, tied with Leonard for third in points on the team behind Smith and 2022 draft pick Cutter Gauthier, now a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Much like his aforementioned Boston College teammates, Perreault was also a crucial part of Team USA’s gold medal win at the World Junior Championships. With the departure of both Smith and Gauthier to the pros, expect to see Perreault take on even more responsibility—something that will definitely help him get ready for the pros.
24. Tanner Molendyk, Nashville Predators
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Injury derailed Tanner Molendyk’s dreams of representing Canada at the World Junior Championships last season, but it didn’t keep him from putting together an impressive season for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. In addition to wearing an “A” for the team during the 23-24 season, the defenseman ended the year with 56 points in 50 games. On its surface, that sounds like about what you’d expect from a defenseman in his draft+1 season—the green flag with Molendyk is that it’s the third step in a steady increase in production across seasons, and one that he’s accomplished without sacrificing the skill we see in his defensive and transition games.
This doesn’t mean Molendyk is going to be a flashy, offensive scorer at the NHL level. What it does mean is that he’s on the right track developmentally. He’s an exceptional skater, and an evasive one, who is excellent at killing opportunities by opponents, and so far all signs suggest this will translate to the pro game as well. And if he can kick in a little offense here and there, so much the better.
25. Otto Stenberg, St. Louis Blues
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Otto Stenberg, the 25th overall selection in 2023, signed his entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues in May. With two seasons in the Swedish professional leagues under his belt and a silver World Junior Championship medal (he was one of nine Blues prospects at the tournament), he’s still garnering attention—even if he’s getting somewhat overshadowed by fellow prospects like Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud. Stenberg’s game is hallmarked by excellent puck skills; he’s a creative puck handler with the hockey sense to match it, something that will serve him well in the NHL. His SHL production has yet to match up to how he produced at the junior level, something the Blues will no doubt be watching for this season.
Stenberg’s next stop is the World Junior Summer Showcase in Michigan, and after that he’s headed back to the SHL—not to play for Frolunda this time, but for the Malmo Redhawks, where he’s being loaned for the 24-25 season. A new development environment will be a good challenge, as will spending an entire season in the SHL.
26. Quentin Musty, San Jose Sharks
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Quentin Musty is going to annoy the snot out of his OHL opponents next season just like he does every season.
Because he just turned 19 at the beginning of the month, Musty has one more year before he can play in the AHL (per the CHL-NHL agreement), so unless he manages to make the Sharks out of camp it’s back to the OHL for him. He’s one of those cases that make me wish there was an out-clause or an exception to that agreement.
If he doesn’t make the Sharks feel that he’s a key roster piece, Musty might see re-joining the Wolves as an opportunity to push the team further after their second-round playoff loss. In terms of his personal development, however, he doesn’t really have anything to prove at the major-junior level. He finished the 23-24 season with 102 points (43G/59A) in 53 games. The key point here is that any development he needs to do in his game would be better served by playing against older, tougher competition. Still, staying sharp rather than allowing yourself to fall into sloppy habits or taking the lazy option is its own challenge, at least?
27. Calum Ritchie, Colorado Avalanche
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Calum Ritchie clearly impressed at the Avalanche’s development camp, because he just signed his entry-level contract. He’s coming off a great OHL season, especially given that he spent the summer before recovering from shoulder surgery, with 80 points (28G/52A) in 50 regular season games, which made him the Oshawa Generals’ team leader in scoring. The Generals made it all the way to the OHL finals before falling to the OHL powerhouse London Knights, which is nothing at all to be ashamed of. Center Ritchie is a smart guy with high-end hockey sense, and he’s clearly someone the Avalanche consider a valuable piece of the team’s future.
The question is when that future becomes the present. This is one of those prototypical situations where you question whether there’s real value left in a return to the OHL, and wish you could send the player to the AHL instead. Ritchie, for his part, is aiming to make the Avalanche out of camp. Given their cap situation, taking a good long look at him during that nine-game tryout the team is allowed might not be a bad idea.
28. Easton Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs
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This time of year, every prospect is going to say he plans to try to make the NHL roster during training camp. Easton Cowan just might pull it off, at least for the brief stint the CBA allows before teams have to decide whether to burn a year of a player’s entry-level contract. If he doesn’t make the Leafs, he’ll head back to London, where he’ll no doubt have a chip on his shoulder after the way that the 2024 Memorial Cup Final ended.
That Memorial Cup loss was only one point in what has otherwise been a stellar season for Cowan, though. He tore up the OHL in scoring, ending both the regular season and the playoffs close to a two-point-per game pace. His play also netted him the OHL’s Red Tilson Trophy for the Most Outstanding Player. Aside from his creativity and skill, one of those most notable aspects of Cowan’s game is his motor—he never stops. It’s a safe bet that motor will show up in full force during training camp.
29. Theo Lindstein, St. Louis Blues
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Theo Lindstein—the other Swede taken by the Blues in the first round in 2023—signed his entry-level contract in March. He spent last season with Brynas IF, who at the time were in the Allsvenskan, the second-tier Swedish league. As the team got promoted back to Sweden’s top professional league, they—and Lindstein—will be back in the SHL for the 24-25 season.
Lindstein finished last season with 15 points (4G/11A) in 49 games. He also played for Sweden at the 2024 World Junior Championships, where he helped lead the team to a silver medal and was named to the All-Tournament team. While Brynas is his most likely landing spot for next season, there’s always a chance he winds up in the AHL. There’s no way to know until this fall, however, and with Brynas moving up to the top-tier Swedish league the Blues may view that as a good development spot for him, with tougher competition than he faced last season.
30. Bradly Nadeau, Carolina Hurricanes
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Center Bradly Nadeau was one-and-done at the University of Maine, and when you look at his accomplishments, you can understand why. He led the Black Bears in regular-season scoring with 46 (19G/27A) points and made the NCAA All-Rookie Team. Choosing to turn pro and sign with the Hurricanes, where he made his NHL debut at the end of the regular season, was the smart move.
Now that he’s turned pro, Nadeau will likely spend the majority of the 24-25 season with the Chicago Wolves, who are once again the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate. Nadeau has all the makings of an offensive threat and has been steadily moving up in difficulty of competition, going from the BCHL’s Penticton Vees to NCAA hockey with Maine and now to the AHL. His talent has held up in the previous jumps—there’s no reason to believe he won’t continue getting better.
31. Mikhail Gulyayev, Colorado Avalanche
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Avalanche fans shouldn’t expect to see Mikhail Gulyayev make his North American debut any time soon. The 19-year-old recently signed an extension with his KHL team, Avangard Omsk, that runs through the end of the 2026 season.
This is actually a good move for Gulyayev’s development. He wouldn’t make the NHL outright yet, and he’s getting plenty of opportunities against older, stronger players in the KHL—last season he averaged around 15 minutes per game of ice time. That’s much better for his development than being stuck in a logjam in North America and shuttled off to mow down lesser levels of competition.
Gulyayev, a puck-moving defenseman who is a fantastic skater, finished the 23-24 season—his first full season in the KHL—with 12 points (4G/8A) in 64 games. He’s more of a playmaker than a shooter, with excellent puck-handling skills that should serve him well if he’s given more responsibility next season.
32. David Edstrom, Vegas Golden Knights (traded to San Jose Sharks for Tomas Hertl)
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Though he was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights just one year ago, David Edstrom is now a member of the San Jose Sharks organization. Edstrom was part of the trade that sent Tomas Hertl and picks to Vegas, while Edstrom and a 2025 first-round pick went back to San Jose. Edstrom recently attended Sharks development camp, where he told reporters that he plans to return to Sweden to play for Frolunda HC of the SHL during the 24-25 season, before coming to San Jose.
Last season, which he also spent with Frolunda, Edstrom tallied 19 points (7G/12A) in 44 games. The sneaky-good two-way center also remarked at development camp that he plans to spend next season working on improving his skating and getting stronger on the puck. As two of the biggest impediments to translating his game to the professional level have been the technical aspects of his skating and being stronger in board battles, this bodes well for his future.
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