2023 NHL draft preview: The top 32 players on the board, per the experts

It wasn't a season Blue Jackets fans will want to remember, but the good news is the reward is about to be delivered to Columbus.

After finishing second-to-last in the league this past season, Columbus earned the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft when the lottery was held in May. In what is considered a strong draft with multiple players who could be in consideration to be chosen first overall in other seasons, the Blue Jackets now have the chance to add a franchise player to the mix when the picks are made in Nashville on June 28-29.

Who will it be? While most experts agree Canadian wunderkind Connor Bedard will be chosen No. 1 overall by Chicago, there are multiple options on the table for Columbus at No. 3. Many evaluators have tabbed University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli as the likely choice of Anaheim at No. 2, but he's in the mix for the Jackets along with Swedish center Leo Carlsson, American center Will Smith, Russian wing Matvei Michkov, and potentially others.

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In addition to the No. 3 overall pick, the Blue Jackets retain their own picks in rounds two through four (Nos. 34, 66 and 98) as well as the seventh round (No. 194). Columbus also holds Winnipeg's pick in the fourth round (No. 114) and Boston's in the fifth (No. 156).

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With the first round of the draft now just nine days away, today we debut our annual consensus draft poll. This piece should allow CBJ fans a chance to get to know the top players on the board as well as some a little further down that could still end up being Blue Jackets with later picks.

Methodology

The poll in this story combines the NHL draft ratings of 15 different media and scouting experts, all mixed into one to give Blue Jackets fans a look at the players Columbus might select in the first round and perhaps even beyond.

To create the consensus poll, we took each of the 15 rankings and assigned points to the top 32 players listed. The top player in each draft ranking received 32 points, the second 31, and so on until one point was given to the No. 32-ranked player. We then combined all the results to come up with a consensus poll of the top 32 players in the draft.

It's important to note this is not the draft board being used by the Blue Jackets' front office, but merely a way to get a general sense of how the prospects available are viewed by the hockey world at large going into the draft.

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The rankings used include those produced by Chris Peters (The Daily Faceoff), Scott Wheeler (The Athletic), Corey Pronman (The Athletic), Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet), Craig Button (TSN), Tony Ferrari (The Hockey News), Ryan Kennedy (The Hockey News), Peter Baracchini (The Hockey Writers) and Ian Kennedy (Yahoo! Sports) as well as HockeyProspect.com, McKeens Hockey, Smaht Scouting, Elite Prospects, FC Hockey and Dobber Prospects.

In all, 60 players appeared on the different lists, with just 14 players appearing in the top 32 of all 15 rankings.

Takeaways

Breaking down the numbers shows a couple of trends fans should be aware of going into the draft.

Top five stands out: In what is known as a top-heavy draft, the top five prospects have pulled away from the rest of the field. Bedard earned the top spot in all 15 rankings, with Fantilli second in 13 rankings. The general consensus of the rankings then has Carlsson and Michkov battling for third and fourth, Smith listed fifth, and then a gap from there to sixth-place Will Benson.

Goalies up, defensemen down:Clearly, forwards are at a premium in this draft, which is a good thing considering the Blue Jackets took two defensemen in the first round a season ago and are looking for centers this time around. There isn't much agreement on who the first defenseman off the board will be; the top player in the consensus poll is David Reinbacher of Austria, who checks in 10th. Swedish blueliner Axel Sandin Pellikka is next at 11th, then Russian Dmitri Simashev checks in 17th.

And while goaltenders don't often go in the first round, three players received first-round recognition from the rankers, though none ended up in the final 32-player consensus poll. That is a sign that netminders could go off the board late in the first round or early in the second, though, with Czech goalie Michael Hrabal, Canadian Carson Bjarnason and American Trey Augustine ranked as first-rounders by some.

USNTDP shines again:It's a common theme with most drafts and has been especially pronounced in recent years, as players who are part of the United States National Team Development Program are receiving high marks. Smith leads the way with forwards Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore and Gabe Perreault all in the top 14. Last season, four of the top 14 picks and six first rounders overall were USNTDPers.

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Meet the Prospects

Stats and profiles of the top 32 players in our consensus poll follow.

1. C Connor Bedard

5-9¾, 185/Regina (WHL)/No. 1-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

There's little argument Bedard is the top player in the draft after the most productive WHL season since 1996 (71-72-143 in 57 games) as well as a record-setting World Juniors performance (9-14-23 in seven games) for Team Canada. The Vancouver-area native has a shot that scouts already describe as one of the best in the world, not to mention tremendous hockey IQ and a competitive streak. There seems to be little debate that Chicago will take him first overall.

2. C Adam Fantilli

6-2, 195/University of Michigan (NCAA)/No. 2-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Fantilli is coming off a record-setting season at the University of Michigan, where he joined Paul Kariya and Jack Eichel as the only freshmen to win the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player. He posted a 30-35-65 line in 36 games, with his mark of 1.81 points per game the best in college hockey since fellow Wolverine Kyle Connor in 2015. Fantilli has size, speed, scoring ability and a physical side, which is why most observers tab him as the No. 2 player in the draft.

3. C Leo Carlsson

6-3, 198/Orebro (Sweden)/No. 1-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Carlsson has spent the past two seasons playing against men in the Swedish Hockey League and more than held his own, posting 10 goals and 25 points in 44 games this year. That's the fifth-most production ever for a player in the SHL in his draft year, behind only such names as Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Nicklas Backstrom and Elias Lindholm. While he played the wing with Orebro, he's projected as a big center with hockey sense and skill.

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4. RW Matvei Michkov

5-10, 172/SKA St. Petersburg and HK Sochi (KHL)/No. 2-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Michkov might be the most interesting player in the draft, as he entered the season thought to be in the running for the No. 1 pick after posting 12 goals -- five more than Bedard -- at the IIHF Under-18 Worlds in 2021 and debuting with Russian power SKA the next year. But Michkov struggled to find consistent playing time this year and was lent to Sochi, and the geopolitical situation means scouts haven't seen him as much as they'd like. Still, his 9-11-20 line in 27 games with Sochi makes him one of the top-producing draft-eligible players ever in the KHL, and his goal-scoring ability could make him a star down the road. He's signed with SKA through the next three seasons, another complicating factor.

5. C Will Smith

5-11¾, 181/U.S. National Team Development Program/No. 3-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Simply put, the Boston-area native is coming off one of the best seasons ever by a USNTDP player, as his 51-76-127 line in 60 games places him second ever for points in a single season with the U.S. program behind only teammate Gabe Perreault. Smith's 191 points are second all-time in USNTDP career annals after Jack Hughes, and his game can be defined by pure skill, which gives him a tremendously high upside. Smith is committed to Boston College to play NCAA hockey next season.

6. LW Zach Benson

5-9, 163/Winnipeg (WHL)/No. 6-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

There were a lot of players analysts had in the running to follow the top five, and Benson won out thanks to his passing skills, smarts and tenacity. One of the top two-way forwards in the class despite his size, he can nonetheless fill up the score sheet, posting a 36-63-98 line in 60 games this season for the Ice and adding 17 points in 15 playoff games. Benson finished third in the WHL in points.

7. RW Ryan Leonard

5-11½, 192/U.S. National Team Development Program/No. 5-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Leonard is the next USNTDPer on the list, and his offensive bona fides are the reason why. Blessed with one of the top shots in the draft, Leonard finished the season matching linemate Smith with 51 goals on the year and added 43 assists for 94 points. Also one of the more competitive players in the draft, Leonard added an 8-9-17 line in seven games at the World U-18s. He's headed to Boston College next season with Smith and Perreault.

8. C Dalibor Dvorsky

6-1, 201/AIK (Sweden)/No. 3-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Some observers have Dvorsky in the top six, as the Slovak forward follows in the footsteps of countrymen Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, who went 1-2 last year. While he is Slovak, Dvorsky has come up through the Swedish junior ranks, mostly playing against men this past year and posting a 6-8-14 line in 38 games with AIK in the second-tier Allsvenskan. Dvorksy also played in the World Juniors (1-2-3 in five games) and World U-18s (8-5-13 in seven games).

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9. C Oliver Moore

5-11, 188/U.S. National Team Development Program/No. 8-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Widely regarded as the best skater in the draft (or at least the fastest), the Minnesota native posted a 31-44-75 line with the USNTDP this past season and added a 4-5-9 line in seven games at the World U-18s. A solid two-way center, Moore is headed to the University of Minnesota next season.

10. RHD David Reinbacher

6-2, 185/EHC Kloten (Switzerland)/No. 5-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

The top defenseman in the consensus poll, Reinbacher is coming off an impressive campaign with EHC Kloten and with the Austrian national team. Playing against men in the National League in Switzerland, Reinbacher posted a 3-19-22 line in 46 games, plus he skated in both the World Juniors and the World Championships. With size and mobility, he's considered both a safe pick with big upside and should be the third Austrian taken in the first round in the last four years.

11. RHD Axel Sandin Pellikka

5-10¾, 176/Skelleftea AIK (Sweden)/No. 7-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Sandin Pellikka is one of the top risers in the draft this year, dominating the U-20 ranks in Sweden (16-20-36 in 31 games) before moving up to the top-level SHL and posting two goals and five points in 22 games. He also took part in the World U-18s and World Juniors, and while his size is a question mark, he brings offensive ability from the blue line.

12. RW Matthew Wood

6-3½, 193/University of Connecticut (NCAA)/No. 4-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

You can't help but make comparisons between Wood and Tage Thompson, as both are massive forwards with excellent shots who attended UConn. A Lethbridge, Alberta, native via the BCHL, Wood had a great freshman year with the #IceBus with nearly a point per game (11-23-34 in 35 games) despite being the youngest player in college hockey. His combination of size and scoring ability will be hard to ignore.

13. LW Colby Barlow

6-0¼, 190/Owen Sound (OHL)/No. 12-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Barlow was one of the top scorers in the OHL last year, using an excellent shot to place fifth in the league with 46 goals among his 79 points in 59 games. He also played in the World U-18s, and Barlow has a competitiveness to his game that should make him a solid NHLer.

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14. RW Gabe Perreault

5-10¾, 165/U.S. National Team Development Program/No. 10-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

The third part of the Leonard-Smith-Perreault line that dominated in Stars and Stripes, Perreault is a great distributor who set a new USNTDP single-season record with 132 points on 53 goals and 79 points in 63 games. He added 5-13-18 in seven games at the World U-18s, and while Perreault is a little lower on draft boards than his linemates, he thinks the game well and creates offense. He's expected to join his linemates at Boston College next season.

15. C Nate Danielson

6-1½, 185/Brandon (WHL)/No. 7-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Danielson put together back-to-back solid seasons with the Wheat Kings, posting a 33-45-78 line in 68 games this past season. A solid all-around player with size, Danielson projects as a solid player down the road.

16. LW Eduard Sale

6-2, 174/HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)/No. 4-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Long thought to be one of the top international players in the draft, Sale is another excellent Czech prospect who played against men in his home country this past season. Sale debuted in the Czech league last season and spent the entire year this season with Brno, posting a 7-7-14 line in 43 games. He also shined in international play, taking part in the World Juniors and World U-18s, posting a combined 5-7-12 in 12 games.

17. LHD Dmitri Simashev

6-4, 198/Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)/No. 19-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Simashev will be in the running to be one of the top defensemen taken, with size the calling card of the left-shot D who debuted in the KHL this past season. Simashev ended up playing 18 games with Lokomotiv, finishing without a point, after spending most of the season in the Russian junior ranks. He skates well and can move the puck as well, though it's tough for those skills to shine for a youngster in the KHL.

18. C Brayden Yager

5-11, 166/Moose Jaw (WHL)/No. 11-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

A teammate of CBJ prospects Denton Mateychuk and Martin Rysavy with the Warriors, Yager posted an excellent line of 28-50-78 in 67 games this past season. Yager isn't the biggest player in the world but brings offense to the table, with good hands and a good shot as well. There might be more goal scoring in there, as well, as he had 34 tallies in 2021-22 with Moose Jaw.

19. LW Samuel Honzek

6-3½, 186/Vancouver (WHL)/No. 9-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Another potential first-rounder from Slovakia, Honzek made the move to North America this season and posted a 23-33-56 line in 43 games with the Giants. Already a two-time participant in the World Juniors, Honzek brings good size to the table and projects well as far as his offensive abilities.

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20. LW Andrew Cristall

5-9½, 167/Kelowna (WHL)/No. 15-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Cristall is one of the more polarizing players in the draft, as his size and skating might scare teams away. There's no doubt he's skilled, though, as Cristall -- a teammate of Bedard and Kent Johnson in inline hockey out in British Columbia -- posted a 39-56-95 line in 54 games to place sixth in the WHL in scoring. A member of Canada's World U-18 roster (2-4-6 in seven games), Cristall brings offense to the table.

21. LW Quentin Musty

6-1¾, 200/Sudbury (OHL)/No. 14-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Two things stand out about Musty -- his size and his shot. He used the latter to post a productive season with the Wolves, finishing with a 26-52-78 line in 53 games. Skating is a question, but Musty brings a lot to the table.

22. C Otto Stenburg

5-11¼, 180/Frolunda HC (Sweden)/No. 6-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Stenburg made his SHL debut this season with Frolunda, notching a goal and two assists in 23 games, after an 11-15-26 line in 29 games with the U-20 team. He also captained Sweden's World U-18s squad and filled up the score sheet for the silver medalists, notching seven goals and nine assists in seven games. Offense and the ability to drive play are his calling cards.

23. RHD Tom Willander

6-1¼, 180/Rogle BK (Sweden)/No. 12-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

A quick-rising defenseman in this year's class, Willander debuted in the SHL this year with two games but spent the majority of his time with Rogle's U-20 team, posting a 4-21-25 line in 39 games. An excellent skater with some physicality, Willander is crossing the Atlantic and heading to Boston University next season.

24. C Gavin Brindley

5-8½, 165/University of Michigan (NCAA)/No. 23-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Another polarizing figure because of his size, the Florida native had a productive initial season with the Wolverines, totaling 12 goals and 26 assists for 38 points in 41 games. Also a member of Team USA's World Juniors squad, Brindley plays with an aggressive edge to his game and has good skating skills.

25. C Calum Ritchie

6-2, 185/Oshawa (OHL)/No. 13-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Ritchie was projected to go higher when the season started, and he's still likely a first-round choice after a point-per-game campaign (24-35-59 in 59 games) this past season with the Generals. Ritchie also played In the World U-18s, posting a 3-6-9 line in seven contests. He has size and skill, but consistency appears to be a concern.

26. LW Daniil But

6-5, 203/Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)/No. 9-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

When you mix size and shooting ability like But has, you're bound to be watched by NHL scouts. But certainly brings a lot of the former to the table at 6-5, and he has one of the hardest shots in the draft, which he used to score 15 goals in 26 games with Lokomotiv's junior squad. But had two goals in 15 games in the KHL, as well, but he's raw and not the most fleet of foot skater.

27. LHD Mikhail Gulyayev

5-10, 172/Avangard Omsk (KHL)/No. 10-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Skating is the big draw with Gulyayev, and he has offensive ability too. Gulyayev split this season between Avangard's KHL squad (0-1-1 in 13 games), it's second-tier team (0-4-4 in 12 games) and its junior squad (2-23-25 in 22 games, plus 2-8-10 in 17 playoff contests). In a defense-light draft, he's an interesting talent.

28. C Riley Heidt

5-10¼, 178/Prince George (WHL)/No. 21-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Perhaps ironically named -- Heidt isn't the biggest player in the world -- he does bring some big skill to the table. Heidt is coming off a 25-72-97 season in 68 games with Prince George, as he tied for the most assists in the WHL with Bedard and finished fifth in points. A member of Canads's World U-18 squad, Heidt has good vision and is a distributor, but skating will need work.

29. RW Jayden Perron

5-9, 163/Chicago (USHL)/No. 43-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

A Canadian forward who moved across the border to spend the past two seasons with the Steel, Perron tied for fifth in the league in scoring this past season with a 24-48-72 line in 61 games. There are some evaluators who have him lower because of a lack of size, but the University of North Dakota-bound winger does a lot of things well.

30. RHD Oliver Bonk

6-2, 180/London (OHL)/No. 20-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Yes, you've heard that name before, as Bonk is the son of former NHLer Radek Bonk. Born in Ottawa when his father played with the Senators, Bonk had an excellent season with the Knights this year, posting a 10-30-40 line in 60 games. A two-way defenseman, Bonk shined this past year on one of the most notable junior squads in Canada.

31. C Gracyn Sawchyn

5-11, 157/Seattle (WHL)/No. 24-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting

Sawchyn must be a workout warrior, as he checked in at the combine with just 3.64 percent body fat, by far the lowest mark at the event. He can play, too, as Sawchyn was a key part of the Memorial Cup finalists, scoring a point per game this year (18-40-58 in 58 games). Good things seem to happen when the puck is on his stick.

32. C David Edstrom

6-2¾, 185/Frolunda HC (Sweden)/No. 25-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting

Edstrom is another player who made it to the SHL this past season, skating in 11 games and posting two goals and two assists. He was quite impressive at the U-20 level, posting 15 goals and 28 points in 28 games. Edstrom checks off a lot of boxes as he has size, some skill and good skating ability, and he posted five goals in seven games at the World U-18s.

Also receiving votes

RW Ethan Gauthier (Sherbrooke, QMJHL), LW Bradly Nadeau (Penticton, BCHL), RHD Lukas Dragicevic (Tri-City, WHL), C Oscar Fisker Molgaard (HV71, Sweden), G Michael Hrabal (Omaha, USHL), RW William Whitelaw (Youngstown, USHL), RW Kasper Halttunen (HIFK, Finland), LW Timur Mukhanov (Avangard Omsk, KHL), LHD Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon, WHL), C Charlie Stramel (University of Wisconsin, NCAA), LHD Theo Lindstein (Byrnas, Sweden), LW Alex Ciernik (Sodertalje, Sweden), RW Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George, WHL), C Anton Wahlberg (Malmo, Sweden), G Carson Bjarnason (Brandon, WHL), LHD Luca Cagnoni (Portland, WHL), LW Nick Lardis (Hamilton, OHL), C Danny Nelson (USNTDP), RW Alexander Rykov (Traktor Chelyabinsk, KHL), LHD Caden Price (Kelowna, WHL), RW Easton Cowan (London, OHL), LW Aydar Suniev (Penticton, BCHL), RW Lenni Hameenaho (Assat, Finland), RW Roman Kantserov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL), LHD Etienne Morin (Moncton, QMJHL), RHD Beau Akey (Barrie, OHL), LW Niko Myatovic (Seattle, WHL), G Trey Augustine (USNTDP)