2023 NHL Draft: Top 10 right wings

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at the top eligible right wings. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Matvei Michkov could become the first Russia-born player in the past five years to be chosen among the top five picks in the NHL Draft.

Mickhkov (5-foot-10, 172 pounds) started slowly because of a knee injury sustained in September and was held without a point in three games for SKA St. Petersburg. He prospered after being loaned to Sochi on Dec. 20, scoring 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 30 games in the Kontinental Hockey League.

"It is my dream to play in the NHL one day," Michkov told NHL.com in March. "But for now, I will continue to work on my game and develop as a player at home."

Sochi (11-47-10) finished last in the KHL West Division and missed the playoffs, but Michkov felt it was a productive experience.

"It was a challenging season for Sochi, but we finished strong and I'm looking forward to continuing to build on that next season," he said.

Michkov began the season considered by many the second-best player available for the 2023 draft after center Connor Bedard of Regina in the Western Hockey League. And he still might be, if not for how impressive a season forward Adam Fantilli had as a freshman at the University of Michigan. Fantilli won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's player in NCAA ice hockey.

Michkov's 20 points in 30 games, including 27 with Sochi, was second in KHL history by a draft-eligible player (Vladimir Tarasenko, 24 points in 42 games, 2009-10).

Andrei Svechnikov was the last Russia-born player selected among the top five when he went No. 2 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Here are NHL.com's top 10 right wings available for the 2023 NHL Draft:

1. Matvei Michkov, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 2 (International skaters)

He averaged 15:51 of ice time in 17 games with Sochi after playing just 3:11 for SKA St. Petersburg and his .67 points per game rate was the highest for a draft-eligible player in KHL history. He was fourth in scoring and third with 97 shots on goal for Sochi, had eight even-strength goals and averaged 2:39 of ice time per game on the power play despite being the team's youngest player. Whichever NHL team decides to select Michkov in the draft will do so with the understanding that his KHL contract with SKA St. Petersburg runs through 2025-26, so patience will be needed. The last time Michkov and Bedard were on the ice together was at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, when each was 16 years old. Michkov led all players with 16 points (12 goals, four assists) in seven games, and was named the tournament's MVP and its best forward. Bedard tied for second with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in seven games and joined Michkov on the tournament all-star team.

2. Ryan Leonard, USA U-18 (NTDP)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 5 (North American skaters)

He exhibits great compete, grittiness, and has a willingness to stir the pot when his team needs a spark. Leonard (5-11, 192), who will attend Boston College next season, provided leadership as a member of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 94 points (51 goals, 43 assists) in 57 games. The right-handed shot had 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 22 games against NCAA competition. He had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in seven games to help the United States win a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, including the game-winner 2:20 into overtime to give it a 3-2 win in the championship game against Sweden on April 30.

3. Matthew Wood, University of Connecticut (NCAA)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 4 (North American skaters)

Wood (6-3, 193) probably has the highest ceiling of any prospect projected to be chosen in the first round after moving up to No. 4 on the final North American rankings from No. 8. He led Connecticut with 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) and 102 shots on goal in 35 games and at 18-years-old was the youngest player in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season. The right-handed shot also led third-place Canada with seven goals and had 13 points in seven games at the U-18 Worlds.

"There's going to be a little bit of a fever come draft day on who gets him," NHL Central Scouting director David Gregory said.

4. Gabriel Perreault, USA U-18 (NTDP)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 10 (North American skaters)

The left-handed shot (5-11, 165) finished first in goals (53), assists (79) and points (132) for the NTDP, including a team-leading 42 points (21 goals, 21 assists) in 22 games against NCAA competition. The 18-year-old, son of retired NHL center Yanic Perreault, ranked second for the United States at the U-18 Worlds with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in seven games. He has great instincts, smarts and knows how to put himself in good areas to receive a pass or create offense.

5. Lenni Hameenaho, Assat (FIN)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 8 (International skaters)

Hameenaho (5-11, 173) was one of the youngest skaters playing regularly in Liiga, Finland's top professional men's league. He finished with 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 51 regular-season games and four points (three goals) in eight playoff games for Assat. He's a strong skater with a good burst of speed, plays a mature game and is active with an excellent work ethic. Hameenaho can play a finesse-type game but isn't afraid to battle along the boards and be aggressive in 1-on-1 situations.

6. Ethan Gauthier, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 16 (North American skaters)

The right-handed shot finished fourth on the Phoenix with 69 points (30 goals, 39 assists) in 66 regular-season games, including 23 goals at even strength. Gauthier (5-11, 176) scored seven power-play goals and had five game-winning goals this season. He has a good work ethic and the type of game that NHL coaches crave during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"When I watch the playoffs, the teams who advance have players that are gritty, in your face, finishing checks, really good down low around the net, and I think Gauthier brings that type of game," said Jean-Francois Damphousse of NHL Central Scouting.

7. Kasper Halttunen, HIFK (FIN)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 11 (International skaters)

Halttunen (6-3, 207) was one of the leading scorers in Finland's Under-20 league with 24 points (18 goals, six assists) in 18 games with HIFK's junior team. He was promoted to HIFK in Liiga on Oct. 18 and even played on the top line, getting one assist in 27 games. He led fifth-place Finland with six goals and 10 points and averaged 18:07 of ice time in five games at the U-18 Worlds. He's a physical wing who plays a mature game and uses his size and strength to an advantage. Halttunen, who turned 18 on June 7, never shied from tough battles or situations in the men's league. He plays well in traffic and is steady along the boards.

8. Jesse Kiiskinen, Pelicans Jr. (FIN)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 13 (International skaters)

Kiiskinen (5-11, 178), a strong passer and playmaker, had 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 31 games on the junior level and was named to the Second All-Star Team. He also had one assist in seven games for Pelicans after being promoted to Liiga and scored five points (three goals) in five games for Finland when he was named a top-3 player for his country at the U-18 Worlds. Compared by some to Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, Kiiskinen had four points (two goals) in five games to help Finland win a bronze medal at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August.

9. Koehn Ziemmer, Prince George (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 25 (North American skaters)

Ziemmer (6-0, 202) is a power-forward in every sense but proved to be a point machine this season, ranking second on Prince George with 41 goals and third with 89 points in 68 regular-season games. He had 36 power-play points (16 goals), six game-winning goals and went 2-for-5 in shootouts. Ziemmer, who uses his body to protect the puck and is hard to defend in tight situations, had seven points (three goals, four assists) in 10 Western Hockey League playoff games. Ziemmer has 158 points (80 goals, 78 assists) in 160 WHL games (0.99 points per game) over parts of four seasons.

10. Roman Kantserov, Magnitogorsk Jr. (RUS)

NHL Central Scouting:No. 16 (International skaters)

He played most of 2022-23 with Magnitogorsk in Russia's junior division and was named to the MHL All-Star Game after scoring 54 points (27 goals, 27 assists) in 45 games playing top-line minutes in key situations. Kantserov (5-9, 176) has a good set of overall skills but will need to become stronger in 1-on-1 battles. He plays a high skill, finesse game, is effective around the net and can read the play well with an accurate wrist shot.

Photos: Sochi, KHL; UConn Athletic Communications; Rena Laverty, NTDP

Listen: Video: NHL Draft: Best of Gabriel Perreault