Top International prospects discussed ahead of 2023 NHL Draft

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 preview of the top eligible International prospects in a Q&A with NHL Central Scouting chief European scout Janne Vuorinen. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Dalibor Dvorsky, No. 3 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters presented by BioSteel, is projected to become the fourth Slovakia-born player selected in the first round of the NHL Draft in the past two years.

Three players from Slovakia were chosen in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft: Juraj Slafkovsky to the Montreal Canadiens at No. 1; Simon Nemec to the New Jersey Devils at No. 2; Filip Mesar to the Canadiens at No. 26.

"I am very happy for these guys to be drafted so high and the other Slovak players that got drafted as well," Dvorsky said. "I'm excited this is my draft-eligible season but am focusing on my daily routine."

Dvorsky had four points (two goals, two assists) in 20 games for Banska Bystrica in 2020-21, his last season in Slovakia's Extraliga. The 18-year-old center (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) has been playing in Sweden the past two seasons.

He was third among Under-19 players with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 38 games with AIK in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second-highest professional men's league, and also had 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 10 games for AIK's team in Sweden's junior league.

"He's a very typical example of the guys coming from the smaller countries where the competition is not that hard, but he's really got a good skill set," Central Scouting chief European scout Janne Vuorinen said. "He's a little bit of a bigger guy, good offensive tools. I think what he's learned is speed and he's developed his all-around game more. He learned to handle his defensive duties, so I think he's more of a complete player now. He's a great talent for this year's draft."

Dvorsky had 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in seven games for Slovakia at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship and three points (one goal, two assists) in five games for his country at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

He's one of two Slovakia-born players expected to go early in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft. Left wing Samuel Honzek (6-3, 195) with Vancouver of the Western Hockey League is the other. Dvorsky and Honzek have played together for their country in international events.

To break down the International prospects further, here are five questions with Vuorinen:

Leo Carlsson (6-2, 194) is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters. What stood out about Carlsson's game? And what separated him from Matvei Michkov, No. 2 on Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters?

"I think Leo earned the No. 1 spot during the whole season. He started the season strong with the Under-20 national team in some tournaments and then he had a strong season with his club team (Orebro in the Swedish Hockey League), had a strong playoff and then was also impressive in the 2023 IIHF World Championship (three goals, five points, in eight games). Overall I think he's a complete, good compete, big body with a lot of skills and talent. Carlsson and Michkov are two great players, but Carlsson was more consistent during the season and earned the No. 1 spot."

Tweet from @mikemorrealeNHL: NHL Draft Class: Leo Carlsson, No. 1 International skater, and @NHLCentralScout chief European scout Janne Vuorinen join this week's International preview show. Tons of information! -- https://t.co/BFExdAjsJy via @NHLdotcom

Can you tell us which Russia-born players have a legitimate chance at being selected in the first round and why they are can't-miss prospects?

"Michkov's a special player. He's got so much skill and he's strong on the boards. He finds the net and makes the plays; an unbelievable talent. Russia, of course, has a few other really talented players. Left wing Daniil But (Yaroslavl Jr.) and defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev (Omsk Jr.) ... maybe also right wing Roman Kantserov (Magnitogorsk Jr.) and defenseman Dmitriy Simashev (Yaroslavl Jr.). They can maybe all go in the first round, but it's been a tough year scouting the Russian players and teams haven't seen them live. I don't think all five guys will be drafted in the first round, but I think at least couple of them will because they have so much talent. It's always up to the NHL teams to decide what they will do with Russian prospects."

Tom Willander (6-1, 180), a right-handed defenseman with Rogle in Sweden's junior league, is headed to Boston University next season. How much can that move help him in maybe getting more ice time than he would have had he stayed in the SHL?

"Willander is a great skater and very mature player, has a good hockey sense and likes to join the rush and make the plays on the point. He's a competitive guy but I think he can still develop physically, and going the NCAA route I think will help him because he'll have time to practice and become a stronger player compared to playing in the SHL with Rogle, which is a really good team and would be tough to break into the lineup. I think the role will be bigger at BU, so I think that's a good route for him."

David Reinbacher (6-2, 194), No. 5 on Central Scouting's final list of International skaters, looks like he'll be the first defenseman drafted. The easy comparison is Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider because of coming from a non-traditional European country (Austria). But when you watched Reinbacher, what stood out?

"He's not far away from the NHL ... maybe a year in Europe and some American Hockey League experience. He had an impressive season with Kloten in Switzerland's professional league, which is a tough league for the young players to really put up some points and have a big role. I think he's a very skilled player, has a pretty heavy shot from the blue line. He's very active on the ice, always involved in action, makes good decisions with the puck and has good hockey sense. I think he's a pretty complete player and maybe the most defense-ready prospect in Europe ... maybe even the whole draft class."

Can you offer three other International players you feel have a chance to be drafted and become solid pros in 3-5 years?

"Three Finland-born wingers come to mind. Right wing Lenni Hameenaho (6-1, 185) had a strong season with Assat, scored some pretty good numbers in the men's league. He's not the flashy player but very smart, strong along the boards and has a good nose for the net. He's very reliable and plays a smart two-way game. Right wing Kasper Halttunen (6-3, 215) struggled a little bit on the HIFK men's team, but he's a big body, really good scorer, and has a heavy shot on the power play. He plays a strong game, battles. He needs to improve a little bit on his game without the puck and also get more speed, but he plays with passion. Right wing Jesse Kiiskinen (6-0, 190) is a good scorer too. He shoots well and plays a reliable two-way game and is a competitive guy, very mature. I think those three Finnish wingers are, for me, future NHL players. They may need some time, but they have good potential."

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