To get a sense of the industry view on the top of the 2023 NHL draft class, The Athletic asked anonymous NHL scouts to weigh in. Connor Bedard is the consensus No. 1, but could there be debate at No. 2?
: His release, his ability to score in so many different ways — we don’t see that on a yearly basis.You see guys that do parts of having a good, accurate wrist shot or somebody is good in tight but he seems to embodyof those traits. He’s a high-end competitor when you watch him play. He seems to rise to the occasion like at the world juniors. He’s the guy that scores the big goal or makes the big play.
He’s just been at a different level the entire year and that Regina team isn’t a very strong team, but he carried them on his shoulders all year. The world juniors, he was dominant. An elite puck handler, an elite creator, an elite shooter. He had 70 goals in 50-some-odd games and 20 points in seven games in the first round. There’s not enough words to describe how insanely talented he is.
He might not step into the league and be impressive the way McDavid was on Day 1. I have full confidence that he’s going to get there though. And when he does, he’s going be a foundational, franchise cornerstone, an absolute superstar, an among-the-best-players-on-the-planet-level guy. He’s a once in a decade prospect.
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