Thursday was a very interesting night, as the much anticipated first round of the 2023 NHL Draft got underway. Now of course we won’t know how to judge this draft for another five years. Once the players who got picked all have a few years of NHL experience under them. However here are some of the biggest takeaways from this historic night.
Flyers Rebuild off to a Great Start
The Flyers have been one of the most active teams so far this NHL offseason. Trading away long-tenure guys like Ivan Provorov and Kevin Hayes signal that the Flyers were going into a rebuild. Which made this first round extremely important. Not selecting the right guys could set this rebuild back years. However, the Flyers nailed round one. At seventh overall the Flyers pick Matvei Michkov, an absolute steal. According to many experts, Michkov was the second-best player in this draft behind Connor Bedard. Michkov is an explosive winger, who is always in a position to score. He has some of the best puck skills in this draft, and his play-making abilities are on a level we haven’t seen for someone so young. Sure he’ll be stuck in the KHL for the next few seasons, however with the position the Flyers are in, why not have him develop over there? Then be ready to contend when he is able to come to North America.
Later on in the draft at 22nd overall the Flyers pick Oliver Bonk. He’s a two-way shutdown defenseman. He’s very at defending the zone, forcing teams to dump the puck and waste a possession. He also has a big shot, which makes him a two-way threat. Now although we’ll see him sooner than Michkov, he’s going to need another season in the OHL before he’s ready for the NHL. The perfect start to the Flyers’ rebuild.
Coyotes Could’ve Done Better
With all the off-ice drama surrounding the Arizona Coyotes, they needed to have a good draft night more than anything. Something positive to get people to stop talking about everything with the franchise, and get excited about the on-ice product. Now with two picks in the top 12, it was a safe assumption that the Coyotes would come away with something to be excited about. However, that wasn’t the case. With the sixth overall pick, the Coyotes drafted Dmitriy Simashev, a big physical defenseman, who has some offensive potential. Then with the 12th overall pick, Daniil But, a forward who has both size and skill.
Now although these are both very skilled players, they are both seen as big reaches. Most big boards had these two as mid-first-round picks. Going in the late teens to early twenties. Not in the top 12. There were much better players on the board like Michkov, who would be the same as drafting but with much more upside. Or if the Coyotes were dead set on drafting these two players, why not try to trade back and get some extra picks, with one of the teams that were desperately trying to move up? Thus still getting the guys you want plus some extra value. Just a waste of assets.
A Surprisingly Quiet Trade Market
The most surprising thing about the first round was the lack of trades. There were zero trades made in the first round. The reason this was so surprising was because of all the rumors leading up to the draft. Rumors were swirling that there were multiple teams trying to trade up into the top 10. Plus there was the long-standing belief that the Canadiens were looking to trade out of the number five spot. Even as the draft went on rumors like the Blackhawks trying to trade back into the first round came up. However, despite all of this all was quiet. Everyone picked when they were supposed to.
The reason for the lack of trades has to do with how deep this draft class was. This is one of the best draft classes in NHL history. There were at least 30 players with a first-round grade on them. Which is unheard of in any sport. Because of the abundance of talent, there was no reason for teams to trade up. They didn’t have to worry about missing out on a talented player because there were a bunch of other players just like him. If there was no worry about missing out on a talented player, then there is no reason to give up players or picks to move up.
Carey Price Gave Us an All Time Moment
Carey Price had an opportunity to do the funniest thing possible and he TOOK it pic.twitter.com/R3mePWeEwg
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 28, 2023
A moment that is going to be played over and over, Carey Price forgetting David Reinbacher‘s last name. Without question the funniest moment of the entire night. And thankfully Price was in good sport about it.
Boy that was embarrassing. Sorry David….. Reinbacher. ??♂️?
— Carey Price (@CP0031) June 29, 2023
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