10 things learned from 2023 NHL Scouting Combine

BUFFALO --The interviewing process at the NHL Scouting Combine isn't as easy as it used to be.

"We've had to kind of go to outside sources, professionals to help us with their questioning techniques because players are more ready," Ottawa Senators assistant general manager Trent Mann said. "You're using sports sites and human resource people to help you because that's their area of expertise. We're continually trying to improve each year so we're not sitting idle, leaning on whatever we've done in the past."

It's true. Players are not only stronger and faster on the ice, but smarter and wittier off it. After completing the interviewing stage at KeyBank Center earlier this week, 100 players tested on Friday and Saturday at LECOM HarborCenter.

Next up is the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

RELATED: [More 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft coverage]

"It's quite an undertaking to get 100-plus players from all over the world here on time to one venue, organize their schedules, their meals and hotels," Mann said. "Every year we come, there's a little bit more efficiency with what they're trying to offer. I have a lot of respect for what they pull off here."

Here are 10 things learned from the 2023 NHL Scouting Combine:

Leo inspires

Leo Carlsson, who hopes to become the seventh Sweden-born player chosen among the top 3 in an NHL Draft, is not just an exceptional hockey player but a respected spokesperson for those with a stutter.

The 18-year-old center, No. 1 on Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters presented by BioSteel, has had a stutter since he was young but talks openly about it with the hope of inspiring people young and old dealing with the same thing.

"I had a pretty easy ride. ... I didn't get picked on at all when I was growing up because I had hockey going on," Carlsson said. "My advice is to just keep calm. When you're talking, just be calm, that's the most important thing, I think. My stutter is kind of gone in Swedish; English, it's still going."

Father Fantilli knows best

Giuliano Fantilli, the father of Adam Fantilli, the projected No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is responsible for giving his son just the motivation needed at a young age to continue his path to hockey stardom.

"I'm kind of like that crazy hockey dad where when they were young, I put Adam and his brother (Luca) into it right away and got them skating because I love the sport so much," Giuliano told NHL.com. "I'm a huge Boston Bruins, and Cam Neely fan ... actually that's how I tried to get Adam to play. I had him watch highlights of Neely and talked to him about being that all-around player. We used to always stress defense and face-offs and those small details of the game because that was so important.

"My wife used to give it to me, saying this is a lot of hockey, but by the time they were 12- or 13 years old, I knew they'd be able to tell me if they want to play or not play. As a dad, the last thing I wanted them to tell me when they were 13 or 14 was, 'Why didn't you push me more?'"

Fantilli (6-2, 195; No. 2 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters), a freshman at the University of Michigan, won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season.

"Dad would always get me to idolize guys like Cam Neely, Eric Lindros, Mark Messier ... guys who were complete hockey players," Fantilli said. "That's kind of the type of player that I wanted to be growing up. They played with quite an edge, and I really liked that in Neely's game."

Breaking Bedard

Regina center Connor Bedard, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, said Brandon center Nate Danielson was probably the toughest NHL Draft-eligible player he faced from the Western Hockey League this season.

"A lot of good players for sure, but Danielson was actually on me the most," Bedard said. "He was the one line-matching on me and shadowing me a little bit, so he was probably the guy that gave me the hardest game."

Danielson (6-1, 185; No. 7) led the Wheat Kings with 33 goals, 45 assists and 78 points in 68 games this season. Bedard had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in four wins against Brandon.

"He was just on me the whole game," Bedard said. "He's so fast, so skilled. If you turn it over, he's going to go down and do something and he's a great player, so it was a pretty fun battle between the two of us."

Toughest for Danielson?

Danielson also was asked to name his toughest NHL Draft-eligible opponent from the WHL prior to being told that Bedard named him.

"It's obviously Bedard, but let's just exclude him from that list because everyone would say that, so for me, it'd probably be (Moose Jaw center) Brayden Yager (5-11, 166; No. 11)," Danielson said. "He's just very skilled offensively, creative and has a great shot. He's also responsible in his own end."

Danielson was asked what made him so effective against Bedard.

"I'm a 200-foot player so I want to play hard against him defensively, but he's going to do his thing," Danielson said. "I think I just kind of tried to play my game, play hard on him and do my best to shut him down."

Legitimizing Lipinski

Jaden Lipinski of Vancouver was never drafted into the Western Hockey League but found a way to become a bona-fide forward prospect for the 2023 draft.

The right-shot center (6-4, 204; No. 49) was discovered by Vancouver while the team was evaluating another player at a tournament in Arizona. They signed Lipinski on April 9, 2021.

"Not many guys can say that, but I think it just kind of speaks to the steps I've been able to take," he said. "When you don't get picked in those things, it's easy to get down, but that's kind of what motivated me."

Lipinski had 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) and eight power-play goals in 66 games this season. He was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he lived for 15 years before joining Vancouver.

Gajan's greatness

Slovakia goalie Adam Gajan, one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, will play for Green Bay of the United States Hockey League next season.

The 18-year-old (6-2, 167), No. 6 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies, had success at the start of the season with Chippewa of the North American Hockey League before committing to the University of Minnesota-Duluth on Dec. 2. He was loaned to Green Bay on Dec. 6 and told Dec. 17, via a text message, to get on a plane to join his country at the World Juniors in Nova Scotia.

"I feel like it's better for my improvement to play games in USHL and work with a goalie coach," Gajan said. "I should play most of the games, so we'll see how it goes."

In four straights starts at the World Juniors, Gajan had a 2.40 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and one shutout. He made 33 saves in a 6-3 victory against the United States in the preliminary round on Dec. 28 and made 53 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to Canada in the quarterfinal round on Jan. 2.

"I'm a big goalie but I think I should use my size more so I'm always working on my stance to just look bigger in the net and put my shoulders more upright," Gajan said. "I also need to calm down my game ... sometimes I'm flying all around, so just play bigger and calmer."

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Best NTDP shooter?

Goalies Carsen Musser and Trey Augustine of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team each provided NHL.com with their choice of best shooter at the program this season.

"I'd say Ryan Leonard (6-0, 192; No. 5)," said Musser (6-4, 215), who is No. 8 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies. "He's got a hard, heavy shot. I give him credit. He spends extra time working on it and can change the angle, change his release point. He comes in and it looks like he's shooting blocker but then he goes glove side. I think his shot is probably the best I've seen."

Augustine (6-1, 183), No. 3 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies, offered two players.

"Leonard's definitely up there, but also Danny Nelson (6-3, 202; No. 22)," Augustine said. "Both have really good shots. Leonard just gets it off super quick. He's able to get it off from different positions so he kind of makes it different every time and makes it hard to read.

"Nelson's shot is very similar. He shoots it really hard, too."

First to finish

Jakub Stancl was the first player to complete the gauntlet of fitness tests on Saturday.

"I was a bit nervous; I was first of all of the guys," he said. "But it was great. Felt good."
Despite the nerves, the 18-year-old center (6-3, 201; No. 26 among International skaters) didn't enter the testing blindly. He spoke to some friends back home already drafted as well as personal coaches to gain insight on what to expect.

"[Helped] a lot, I think," Stancl said.

He spent most of the season with the Vaxjo's Under-20 team, scoring 11 goals and 17 points in 35 games. He had one assist in five games playing for Czechia at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Stancl looks to model his game after forwards Mikko Rantanen (Colorado Avalanche), one of his favorite players, Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) and countryman Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks).

"I'm not the fastest skater and those guys are not the fastest," he said. "I'm trying to play like them, play the same game as they do."

Collegiate comradery

The four youngest players in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season all took part in the combine: Fantilli, University of Connecticut right wing Matthew Wood, University of Wisconsin center Charlie Stramel and Michigan center Gavin Brindley.

"Obviously, those guys are great players and had really good years and I think it just kind of shows that college hockey is developing a lot of young talent," said Wood (6-4, 193; No. 4), who had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 35 games for Connecticut this season. "I think we're all going to do great things. I think it's great for college hockey."

Stramel (6-3, 212; No. 30) had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 33 games for Wisconsin.
Brindley (5-8, 165) finished fifth on Michigan with 38 points (26 goals, 38 assists) in 41 games. He moved 17 spots to No. 23 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters from No. 40 at the midterm rankings.

"I think in NCAA, you've got 23- to 25-year-olds in your lineup, playing against them every night," Brindley said. "It teaches you a lot about the maturity of the game, how physically straining it can be on your body and how hard it is to really play against grown men."

Getting the 'App'

NHL Central Scouting created an app for the first time that the 106 prospects on hand for the combine were able to download to their mobile device. It contained all the information needed to navigate the gamut of interviews with NHL teams, and medical and fitness testing.
Reviews were positive.

"I thought it was awesome," said Kelowna left wing Andrew Cristall (No. 15 among North American skaters). "It was just super easy to kind of go on your phone, look at the schedule, look where you have to go. I was an easy way for us to get around. I think a lot of things are switching to digital now and holding a paper might get a little bit annoying so I think having the app definitely helped a lot of the guys out."

Said Penticton left wing Bradly Nadeau (No. 17): "It's just easier to kind of know what's going on. There's nothing unexpected there if you have the app. You just look on your phone and it was an easy way to kind of get around and know what you have to do."

NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman and independent correspondent Heather Engel contributed to this report