Revisiting the 2023 NHL Draft’s biggest decisions: Debating Michkov, Carlsson,

It’s been nearly a full calendar year since the 2023 NHL Draft. As we prepare to debate the top of the 2024 draft in the coming weeks and months, I thought it would be a good time to take a status check on the big decisions made in last year’s draft. You don’t have answers yet after one year, but you have indicators. Is this decision trending in a good or a bad direction?

Going into the 2023 draft there were four premium center prospects. Connor Bedard, who was the consensus No. 1 pick, as well as Leo Carlsson from Orebro in the SHL, Adam Fantilli at Michigan, and Will Smith with the U.S. NTDP. The consensus publicly and with NHL teams was that the second pick should be Fantilli. But there was a pool of scouts who thought it should be Carlsson and a smaller pool who leaned toward Smith.

One year after the draft, that debate is as unclear as it was last summer.

Carlsson came out of the gates flying for Anaheim and his initial impression left no questions as to whether Anaheim made the right decision at No. 2 overall. He looked like a dynamic, big center who could skate and be a premium playmaker in the NHL. He had a few injury issues though and the production slowed down in the second half of the season.

Fantilli and Carlsson’s NHL production is quite similar through their rookie seasons. My lean at the time of the draft was Fantilli, and I still lean that way. I think Carlsson is a smarter player and is slightly bigger, but Fantilli’s great motor and physicality combined with his speed could, with time, make him a major all-around force in the NHL down the middle to go with the great offense. Both Fantilli and Carlsson are elite prospects and would be legit candidates to be the No. 1 or No. 2 picks in a typical draft.

Carlsson would be my current No. 3 prospect from the 2023 draft, but Will Smith would be neck and neck with him. The lean would be to Carlsson due to what he’s shown versus men on top of his tremendous talent level, but Smith is just as purely talented. He dominated college hockey as a freshman and with the puck between his elite stick, vision and good goal-scoring touch I’d argue Smith may have slightly more offensive ability than Carlsson or Fantilli. He is the smallest of the bunch though and will have to prove his game will translate to men in a major way, but I think it will. It wouldn’t surprise me if in five years Smith became the second-best player from the draft. It’s not the likeliest scenario, but it is a possible outcome and one some scouts were considering seriously going into the 2023 NHL Draft.

Leo Carlsson, Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, the top three picks in the 2023 NHL draft. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

2. The Matvei Michkov Question

The biggest debate in last year’s draft was about Michkov. Michkov is a small, average-skating one-way winger on a long KHL contract, but he has off-the-charts abilities with the puck. His skill plus offensive sense are some of the best…