Top 10 Playmakers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft
By Isaiah Bouchard
The 2023 NHL entry draft is getting ever closer to hockey fans, and the excitement fans have for who their teams are going to draft this year is ever higher as the regular seasons across the globe are coming to an end, and playoff season is just around the corner. And there is a lot for fans to be excited for this year, as the draft is looking like one of the strongest in years.
Connor Bedard is looking increasingly like a franchise-level player, rivaling the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Nathan Mackinnon, Austin Matthews, and Connor McDavid. Adam Fantilli would have been a first-overall pick in arguably the last six drafts, Leo Carlsson is the next big center to come out of Sweden, and he is a must-grab in the top 5. And, of course, there is the Russian sniper: Matvei Michkov, who, despite being signed to the KHL until 2026, is so good that any team picking in the top 5 will be more than willing to wait for the Russian star.
But after the big 4 in this year’s draft, who fills out the remaining slots is always an exciting mystery come draft day. Teams must allocate their scouting resources to best support the organization’s roster on draft day. Who needs the top defensemen? Say, over-the-top sniper or goaltender? That is why we at DraftPro are excited to present an in-depth look at every position and who best thrives in that position. Who is the best sniper? The best power forward? offensive defensemen? Hopefully, after this 8-part series, all these questions will be answered.
Seven DraftPro scouts were asked their top 5-7 players for the following positions: sniper, playmaker, two-way forward, power forward, offensive defenseman, defensive defenseman, two-way defenseman, and goaltender. Their lists were recorded separately, and then once all seven scouts handed in their lists, their results were compared to one another. The final lists you read here determined the average each player placed. This is not a ranking of the best players overall, simply a ranking of who is the best for each given position. Players may be placed on multiple lists, as many players are not one-dimensional, and can not be forced into one category.
Thank you to the following scouts for providing their lists: Jared Brown, Matt Hnatiuk, Tyler Karoway, Andrew LeBlanc, Murray Caldwell, Andy Miller, and Jody Horak.
Playmakers are the team’s main offensive force. Playmakers tend to hog all of the MVP awards, all the Art Ross, and the Willie Marshal awards. Playmakers tend to hog the glory. But we love them for it. Playmakers also tend to come in many forms. A sniper tends to fit into an all-encompassing mold of a hockey player, but playmakers are much more flexible in this way. They can be a Joe Thornton, making perfect passes from all areas of the ice. A Sidney Crosby, making space for themselves and their teammates with subtle puck-dangling magic. Or a Matthew Barzal, utilizing excellent rink awareness and hockey sense to see potential plays that other players can’t.
With all that being said, here are DraftPro’s Top 10 Playmakers in the 2023 NHL draft class:
First, our honorable mentions: Leo Carlsson, Nate Danielson, Adam Fantilli, Brett Hyland, and Luca Pinelli.
Graycyn Sawchyn, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL, #36-46 overall (2nd Round).
“One of the best playmakers in the game due to his quick feet. He either shovels a short pass or uses his feet when in tight to kick a pass to a linemate or circles around, drawing the play to himself before distribution of the puck. Extremely dangerous because he elusive.” – Murray Caldwell.
In his first year as a Seattle Thunderbird, Sawchyn is sitting at a point-per-game level and has racked up forty assists. Currently, Sawchyn is seated in a 2nd round position, but with his playmaking potential, we could see him jump up considerably if a team is looking to bolster its pool of offensive prospects.
Quentin Musty, Sudbury Wolves, OHL, #33-43 overall (2nd Round).
“He is an exceptional setup man, leading the OHL in assists for first-year draft-eligible players. Musty has good vision, and he has a quick release, so defenders must respect that he could pass or shoot.” – Andy Miller.
Musty has made a considerable impact this year. He’s sitting well over a point-per-game and has improved significantly from his rookie season in Sudbury. He’s also a tall player who can throw his weight around, which is a welcomed feature for any position he plays. Suspect Musty to be grabbed in the second, but his size could let him jump a few slots, maybe even all the way into the first.
Riley Heidt, Prince George Cougars, WHL, #18-28 overall (1st Round).
“A similar version to Benson. (Referring to Benson’s excellent speed and hockey sense) He uses higher speeds to get into areas where he draws opponents in before moving the puck quickly and accurately. Has high-end distribution ability but needs to remain consistent.” – Matt Hnatiuk.
Riley Heidt is absolutely tearing up the WHL’s West division. In 64 games, Riley Heidt has racked up 94 points. 70 of those points were assists. To tell you how good that is, he is tied with Connor Bedard in assists. Riley Heidt has no doubt developed an effective style of play. He is a boom or bust of this year’s draft. With a big boom. If Heidt finds a way to utilize his talents effectively and consistently, he could easily be the Mathew Barzal of this year’s draft, a player that many scouts are comparing him to.
Eduard Šalé, HC Kometa Brno, Czechia, #9-15 overall (1st Round).
“Great patience with the puck and excels using his vision when making passes.” – Jody Horak.
Šalé continues to impress as he battles to remain in a top 10 position come draft day. Despite playing with men over in Czechia, he gets noticed. Despite playing on a stacked team Czechia at the World Juniors, Šalé gets noticed. Despite competing with the likes of Dalibor Dvorský, Zach Benson, and Andrew Cristall, Šalé remains a strong contender for a top-10 draft position. Šalé has the skill set, the height, and the momentum to become an excellent player one day, and only time will tell how successful this young Czech will be.
Gabriel Perreault, USNTDP, USHL, #14-20 overall (1st Round).
“A skilled player who can put up points as both a scorer or a playmaker, but he tends to be the distributor more often than not. His ability to read the play as it develops and move the puck at just the right time is something that very few can do. He has excellent timing and awareness/IQ and the ability to make excellent passes on the regular.” – Matt Hnatiuk.
Our first player to be named three times on our scouts lists, Gabe Perreault, is a point-producing machine in the USHL. He’s going to be an excellent consolation prize for teams out in round 1 of this year’s playoffs or perhaps teams who just missed the playoffs. He’s not a bad piece on any team, and his skills as an excellent play-reader will always come in handy.
Oliver Moore, USNTDP, USHL, #8-12 overall (1st Round).
“Handles hot passes, is on & off the stick in a heartbeat, has hard accurate half slap shots, excellent vision, explosive speed, and can reach top speed in two hard strides.” – Murray Caldwell.
Another player representing the USHL, Moore, barely sneaks into the top five. Moore is a dynamic player who was mentioned many times by our scouts in more categories than just playmaker. He was an honorable mention for our top Snipers list and may also appear later in this series. But for now, Oliver Moore is recognized as one of the top playmakers in this year’s draft. He’s fast, plays hard, and has excellent passing and shooting potential.
Zach Benson, Winnipeg Ice, WHL, #5-7 overall (1st Round).
“A speedy forward who has excellent hands and vision. Uses his speed to get into position to move the puck to high-danger areas. Threads his passes consistently through tight seams and is incredibly accurate when moving the puck. High-end hockey IQ and passing ability.” – Matt Hnatiuk.
This is Zach Benson’s second mention in this series. See our Top 10 Snipers article to see where he placed there. But clearly, he is building up tons of value in this draft because of his highly dynamic skill set. He can score, make excellent passes, and has incredible hockey sense. Benson is the top runner for the #5 spot for this year’s draft, and with his plethora of upsides, it’s getting hard to argue otherwise. Benson was nominated three times by our scouts, where he placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Will Smith, USNTDP, USHL, #5-7 overall (1st Round).
“He is an incredibly fast skater who has wonderful hands. Smith uses these skill sets with his vision and sets up his teammates with beautiful passes. He will likely finish with a top 5 single season USNTDP U18 record for points and assists this season.” – Andy Miller.
Since we are talking about the #5 spot, it seems so natural to talk about Zach Benson’s main competitor, not named Šalé or Cristall. Will Smith is right at the top in the USHL’s player standings, and he is building up a reputation as a pure playmaker that needs to be feared. Will Smith was nominated five times by our scouts. Being ranked as the 2nd best playmaker in this year’s draft three times. Very impressive, but not quite as good as our #2 playmaker…
Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets, WHL, #11-17 overall (1st Round).
“Enter Rocket Man. Great IQ, whistle beater, incredibly intelligent, the boy can flat-out fly. He creates turnovers, quarterbacks PP, wicked wrist shots, shoots from any place on the ice, down low right along the line, has the patience of a cat, may have the strongest backhand shot in the WHL, capitalizes on his opportunities, the toolbox may only have a small space in one drawer.” – Murray Caldwell.
Though he isn’t ranked as high on the overall rankings as the previous players are, there is no doubt that when it comes to pure playmaking ability, Andrew Cristall may be the top guy. He’s got excellent stick handling. He utilizes good speed and passing, much like the others on this list. But what gives Cristall the edge is his superior hockey senses. He can read plays and make space for plays unlike anyone else. Cristall just got over Will Smith on this list because he was mentioned six times over Smith’s five. He was ranked #1 by one of our scouts and remained in the top 3 positions by the others. He will undoubtedly be a hot commodity for teams looking to add pure playmaking support to their prospect pool.
Connor Bedard, Regina Pats, WHL, #1 overall (1st Round).
“With his pure goal-scoring ability also comes with the skill to deceive his opponents and gravitate players to him, which opens up passing lanes for him to set up his teammates. He possesses that elite touch on the puck and impressive intelligence to execute skilled passes.” – Jared Brown.
Yeah, I mean… obviously? Right? This is also Bedard’s second time being mentioned in this series. See our Top 10 Snipers list to see where he ranks there, (spoiler, he ranks high.) But Bedard is a franchise player. He’s allowed to dominate these lists. If you don’t know what makes Bedard great, here’s a quick list: Amazing wrister, excellent skating, excellent puck movement, excellent stick handling, and excellent hockey senses. There’s more than that, I’m sure, but here are a few of his credentials: As of right now, he’s sitting at 139 points in the WHL. He got 23 points in 7…SEVEN…games at the World Juniors, He’s been on so many all-star teams, and he’s won a gold medal and was the points leader at the World Juniors. AND Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats is the best playmaker of the 2023 NHL draft class.
For more information on the 2023 NHL Draft class be sure to pick up your copy of the comprehensive DraftPro 2023 NHL Draft Guide.