2023 NHL Draft Mid-Term Rankings: Carlsson Jumps, Bedard Leads, More

Friday morning brought one of the fun days on the calendar for teams with no prayer of the playoffs. NHL Central Scouting released their mid-term rankings of the top draft-eligible prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft.

If you aren’t familiar with the rankings, the NHL’s group breaks them up into North American Skaters and Goalies (separate lists) and European Skaters and Goalies (also separate). So we’ve got four lists to consider.

In the case of the Blackhawks, we’re staring at the top of the board. Even with three straight wins, the Blackhawks are still in prime position to have good (the best) odds of winning the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery and landing the clear, consensus, no-brainer top prospect in this year’s deep class: Connor Bedard.

Bedard was the top-ranked skater on the North American list, followed by possible No. 2 overall pick and Michigan center Adam Fantilli, who was Bedard’s teammate on Canada’s gold medal-winning roster at the recent World Juniors.

Will Smithnot the one who slapped Chris Rock — is the third-ranked North American skater and has climbed into the conversation for the picks between 5-7. I think we’re all hoping the Blackhawks don’t “fall” that far, but he’s still a player worth considering just in case. He’s a good center skating for the US National Development Program.

Where I was really interested was the European skater rankings. The long-held belief was that Russian forward Matvei Michkov was the No. 2 overall prospect in the class; some scouts and analysts have said they believe he’s the closest in total package to Bedard. He’s playing in the KHL right now and has dealt with injuries this season, so his numbers are somewhat limited. And because Russia was banned from the World Juniors, we unfortunately didn’t get to see him skate against the other top prospects.

We did get to see center Leo Carlsson skate with Sweden in the WJC, and he was very impressive. Apparently impressive enough that he has jumped Michkov into the top spot on the European Skater rankings.

Michkov’s injuries, the remaining three years on his KHL contract and Carlsson’s strong performance at the WJC were likely all factors in the move. But I think there’s a case to be made that Carlsson might be in play as high as No. 2 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s got the size (6-3, 198) to compare favorably with Fantilli (6-2, 195) and he showed much better at the WJC in my opinion.

written by

Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is the author of three books about the Blackhawks: "The Future: Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks' New Era,"(Triumph Books),"100 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab

more blackhawks news

Vets Helping Reichel’s Rebound, Martinez and Brossoit, Tyler Got a Job, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

After putting the cap on a successful five-game road trip with two straight wins, the Blackhawks will be back at Fifth Third Arena today for practice. My two big questions: will we see defenseman Alec Martinez and/or goalie Laurent Brossoit...

How Many Blackhawks Will Play in the 4 Nations Face-Off?

Hey, it's Election Day in the US so let's talk about country pride, eh? It's been years since we saw an exclusively NHL roster-based tournament like this (or even NHL players in the Olympics) so the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters...

2025 NHL Mock Draft: Early November First Round Projections

Let's get into an early November mock draft, shall we Blackhawks fans? The calendar has flipped, and the Blackhawks have won a few games in a row so they aren't in the top two overall any more. What a time...

MUST READ: Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson Talks Richardson, Reichel, Bedard, Improvement, More

On Monday morning, Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times published an interview with Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson in which he discusses a range of topics from the improvements he's seen on the roster this season, his confidence in the...

Donato’s Heater, Improved Söderblom, Road Warriors, a Fancy Spellacy Goal, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

Ryan Donato is on an absolute heater right now, and he's getting points from all over the ice. Last night he scrapped his way through traffic to tap in a loose puck by the side of the net. He scored...

Connor Bedard Made Some (More) Blackhawks History on Sunday Night

Connor Bedard hadn't put a point on the board for three straight games entering Sunday night's game in Anaheim. He flipped that script quickly, putting three assists on the board in the Blackhawks' 4-2 win to close out a 3-2-0...

Blackhawks 4, Ducks 2 — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

The Blackhawks came into a Sunday evening game in Anaheim against the Ducks with a 2-2-0 record on their road trip; the wins came in Denver and Los Angeles. Finishing a tough trip over .500 would make it a success...

Blackhawks at Ducks – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

The Blackhawks had a great win in Colorado... and then a dull thud in San Jose. They had a great comeback win in Los Angeles... and then Sunday night in Anaheim. Will the Blackhawks finish this tough five-game road trip...

Winning Perspective, Bad Seth, OT Bedard, Reichel-Smith, Prospect Highlights, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

You know what both makes me laugh and frustrates me at the same time? The Blackhawks are going to close out a five-game road trip tonight in Anaheim. During the trip, there have been comments on here and social media...

Blackhawks 4, Kings 3 (SO) — Three Stars, Key Takeaways

The first period of this game was absolutely, positively 100 percent Kings. The Blackhawks took a couple penalties in the first half of the period and were out-shot 12-4 officially in the opening 20 minutes; it took Chicago 11:40 to...

Latest News

Ravens vs. Bengals Best Bets, Picks and Prediction – Nov. 7

The Baltimore Ravens (6-3) face a fellow AFC North opponent when they host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at M&T Bank Stadium, and if you're looking for best bets, we have them.Sign up for a Fubo...

The Bears Had *ANOTHER* Team Meeting (Because Of Course They Did!)

I don't know if the Chicago Bears have more team meetings than wins in 2024, but I feel as if we're getting dangerously close to that number. One week after the Bears felt the need to have a team meeting...

Utah vs. Colorado Football Game Tickets, Venue, Start Time – Nov. 16

The Utah Utes square off against a fellow Big 12 foe when they visit the No. 21 Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field on Saturday, November 16, 2024.Hoping to attend this game in person? College football tickets are available on Vivid...

Pittsburgh vs. Clemson Football Game Tickets, Venue, Start Time – Nov. 16

The No. 23 Pittsburgh Panthers take on a conference opponent when they visit the No. 19 Clemson Tigers on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium in an ACC battle.Looking to attend this game live? College football tickets are available...

Northwestern vs. Ohio State Football Game Tickets, Venue, Start Time – Nov. 16

The Northwestern Wildcats meet a conference opponent when they visit the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at Wrigley Field in a Big Ten battle.Looking to attend this game in person? College football tickets are available...

Cerundolo vs. Safiullin Prediction at the Belgrade Open – Wednesday, November 6

On Wednesday, Roman Safiullin (No. 60 in the world) takes on Francisco Cerundolo (No. 29) in the Round of 16 at the Belgrade Open.Against the underdog Cerundolo (+135), Safiullin is favored (-175) to advance.Belgrade Open InfoTournament: The Belgrade OpenRound: Round...

Should the Bears Consider Trading Keenan Allen?

When the Chicago Bears traded for Keenan Allen back in March, I thought the team was acquiring a player who would help a rookie quarterback hit the ground running. Unfortunately, Allen has struggled to find his footing as a wide...

Bears Player Grades: Post All-22 Week 9 Player Re-Grades

After a week of hearing about the focus being on Arizona in the wake of the Fail Mary in Washington, Matt Eberflus and the Bears did their darndest to ensure that the Commanders' game wasn't the most embarrassing loss of...

Should I Consider an NFL Team’s ATS Record When Betting?

One of the most common metrics bettors will look at is a team’s Against the Spread or ATS record. But is it truly a reliable indicator of future performance? When it comes to NFL betting, there are a multitude of...

Michael Jordan Jersey Reaches Fourth-Highest Price Ever

Michael Jordan memorabilia remains arguably the hottest market in sports. One of the GOAT's recent game-worn jerseys from the 1996-97 season recently hit the auction block at Sotheby's. The jersey was worn in at least 17 games during the season,...

Clippers vs. 76ers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Wednesday, November 6, 2024

The Philadelphia 76ers (1-5) will try to stop a three-game losing streak when they hit the road to play the Los Angeles Clippers (3-4) on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at Intuit Dome as only 1.5-point underdogs. The game airs at...

more blackhawks news