BN’s FINAL 2-Round 2023 NHL Mock Draft: Bedard-Blackhawks, Then What?

It’s been two weeks since I dropped my first run at a two-round 2023 NHL Mock Draft. Since then, we’ve had a lot of trade speculation, a couple deals go through, a massive buyout in Vancouver and even more draft rumors.

After the Blackhawks select Connor Bedard first overall, it feels fairly certain that Anaheim will select Adam Fantilli. After that? Good luck. There are some elite players at the top of the draft that will continue to draw a lot of buzz and conversation, and the order in which they’re selected will be guess — and, for years, second-guessed — longer than we have time today.

While you read through this, please consider my Top 50 Defensemen and Top 60 Forwards rankings from earlier this week. There’s more information in those posts about many of the players named below.

As we close in on the start of this year’s selections, let’s update the Bleacher Nation two-round NHL Mock Draft. Here’s where I’m at on final time before the picks begin on Wednesday evening in Nashville.

MOCK DRAFT — ROUND ONE

1 — 1: Chicago Blackhawks — Connor Bedard, C

The Blackhawks won the draft lottery. Hopefully that means they’re going to win more games in the near future. Bedard is a generational talent who put up enormous numbers and has one of — maybe the — most impressive trophy cases of any pro𒁃spect ever. This is a, all🦹-time no-brainer.

1 — 2: Anaheim Ducks — Adam Fantilli, C

Better than any consolation prize since Buffalo landed Jack Eichel in 2015 — although they never appreciated him as much as Vegas does now — the Ducks will be thrilled to have the pick of any other player in this year’s loaded draft. Fantilli had enormous numbers at Michigan; he might go back for a sophomore year like Owen Power did, but this is great add to their future.

1 — 3: Columbus Blue Jackets — Leo Carlsson, C

Here’s where things really get interesting for me — and many others. The Blue Jackets have aggressively addressed their NHL blue line already this offseason, so taking a franchise center here makes sense. The question is whether or not they believe that franchise center is Carlsson or Smith (assuming Fantilli is gone). Carlsson’s international play in the past year elevated him into the conversation for a top-three pick and I think he’s worth the pick here.

1 — 4: San Jose Sharks — Will Smith, C

The Sharks could go a number of directions here. They’re entering their second offseason with this front office, albeit the changes were made last last summer so this is their first full run at a draft with time to really dig in. Smith’s climbed the charts all year and feels like a good bet to be the fourth pick off the board if he makes it this far.

1 — 5: Montreal Canadiens — Zach Benson, LW

I think this is where things really have huge question marks in this draft. The Habs desperately want to be better, and have a young core group to build around. Do they go with a big defenseman for their top pair in Reinbacher? Or do they add more offense and address their blue line in free agency and/or trades to have more of a veteran presence on the back end? It was mentioned that Benson was a good bet here earlier this week on the “32 Thoughts” podcast and I tend to believe this makes too much sense to ignore that rumor.

1 — 6: Arizona Coyotes — Matvei Michkov, RW

I’ve said it before and will continue saying it: the Coyotes have too much turmoil off the ice right now for almost any professional sports franchise, so taking a player who you already know is three years away from the NHL makes a lot of sense. The fact that they could land a player who might be the second-best overall talent in the draft here is even more incentive for them to make the big swing on Michkov.

1 — 7: Philadelphia Flyers — David Reinbacher, RHD

If the top defenseman in the class is available, I doubt he makes it past the Flyers. New president Keith Jones has already said they need to be better on the back end, and they traded away one of their top four defensemen already this summer. I struggle to see a scenario where Reinbacher slides past Philly here — if they stay put. The Flyers have a second pick in the first round.

1 — 8: Washington Capitals — Nate Danielson, C

The Caps need to replace the best center in the history of the franchise, Nik Backstrom, and I hate to break it to Blackhawks fans but Dylan Strome ain’t it. Danielson has good size and can skate, making him the best center on the board after the top four. I’m sure they would absolutely love to land Michkov and/or Reinbacher here, but if they’re both gone this is a strong pick.

1 — 9: Detroit Red Wings — Ryan Leonard, RW

I could see Leonard going as high as fifth overall; there’s maybe more buzz about his draft stock than anyone right now. He’s a dynamic player who brings pretty much everything to the table; the Wings and their fans will love him. Detroit has a second pick in the first round and three consecutive picks early in the second round, so they might be active on Wednesday night.

1 — 10: St. Louis Blues — Tom Willander, RHD

The Blues own three picks in the first round (for now) and are entering a fascinating stage in the history of their franchise. They’re looking to retool, not rebuild, and are shopping their entire blue line. Willander would be a nice get for them to build the next generation of their defense around here.

1 — 11: Vancouver Canucks — Matthew Wood, C/LW

The Canucks bought out Oliver Ekman-Larsson earlier this month, so this might be a spot where they look to help their blue line. But if Reinbacher and Willander are gone, they might opt to go with size up front in Wood, who has a year of NCAA hockey under his belt already. He’s a strong power forward package for them to build with moving forward.

1 — 12: Arizona Coyotes — Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD

Arizona going with an elite scorer and then a top-pair defenseman would make this first round a very good one for them, even if neither player is in the NHL for at least two years. There are some who think Sandin Pellikka will be the second defenseman drafted; I think he slides behind Willander and lands with the Coyotes — wherever they’re playing in a couple years.

1 — 13: Buffalo Sabres — Dalibor Dvorsky, C

This would be a great get for Buffalo, who are on the cusp of being a playoff team. Dvorsky’s size in the middle with Tage Thompson would give them an imposing top line into the future. This might be considered a slide for Dvorsky; he could easily be a top-ten pick.

1 — 14: Pittsburgh Penguins — Oliver Moore, C

The Penguins hired their new president of hockey operations out of Toronto and he now needs to build up around Crosby, Malkin and Letang to make one last ditch effort at competing for a championship. Moore is the best skater in the draft and likely won’t make it past Nashville. Pittsburgh taking him here gives them a second-line center with wheels to build around moving forward.

1 — 15: Nashville Predators — Calum Ritchie, C

Nashville needs a lot, and has a a few picks to work with this year. Barry Trotz is now their general manager and he has already said they need to be bigger/better at center. Ritchie would be a nice add for them as a 6-2 center who 🃏could eventually be on their top line.

1 — 16: Calgary Flames — Brayden Yager, C

Yager’s an exceptionally skilled offensive player who, if he was six feet tall, would probably be a top ten overall selection. The Flames have a new front office and a new head coach, so we’ll learn a lot about the direction they want to go in with what they do here. Yager would be great value for them here, however.

1 — 17: Detroit Red Wings — Étienne Morin, LHD

Morin might feel more “safe” than a Steve Yzerman pick, but he’s a 6-0 defenseman who brings some offense to the table and can skate fairly well. If Detroit can land Leonard and Morin in the first round, they’re getting two player around whom they can build a very good power play.

1 — 18: Winnipeg Jets — Daniil But, LW

But is one of the more polarizing players in the draft because it’s easy to fall in love with his 6-5 frame but there are some questions about his game that could make a player who might be a top-ten talent slide this far. He would be a fascinating option for the Blackhawks at 19, but Winnipeg has a history of loving big forwards and this might be the right guy for their next generation. If they do start selling, the Jets could move this pick in an effort to draft higher this week.

1 — 19: Chicago Blackhawks — Colby Barlow, LW

In my last mock draft I passed on Barlow for Gabe Perreault, but I’m flipping that thought process here. Barlow has better size to work alongside some of Chicago’s smaller forward prospects (looking at Frank Nazar) and is a strong, productive forward. He has a great shot and plays every inch of the ice physically; he could be a potential penalty killer for the Blackhawks as well.

1 — 20: Seattle Kraken — Dmitri Simashev, LHD

The Kraken need to add some depth to their blue line, and Simashev might wind up being one of the late-first round steals in this class. He’s a 6-4 defenseman with a lot of skill and his tools might make a few general managers do something crazy to move up and get him. Seattle has a lot of picks this year, so taking a defenseman with this package here could be the right lottery ticket for them.

1 — 21: Minnesota Wild — Eduard Sale, LW

Minnesota has some cap headaches coming up, so they need to add some players who might contribute sooner than later. Sale is a guy who could go as high as the top dozen picks; he also might slide past year. His tools make him feel like a player the Wild could h🥃ave in their lineup soon, which checks a box for them.

1 — 22: Philadelphia Flyers — David Edstrom, C

The Flyers added a second pick in the first round from Columbus in the Ivan Provorov trade earlier this month. If they go defense in their first pick, adding a big center here makes sense. They’re rebuilding and need to improve every element of their roster. I expect Philly to be very aggressive in the draft, however, so this pick might not be made by the Flyers ultimately.

1 — 23: New York Rangers — Gabe Perreault, LW

As we’ve discussed here a couple times already, Perreault was incredibly productive this past year in spite of his skating being a perceived shortcoming. The Rangers have cap issues of their own, but have some high-end skill to surround with talent quickly as they try to make another run at a Stanley Cup. If they thought it was worth the cost to add Vlad Tarasenko and Patrick Kane at the deadline, Perreault could fill that same role at Madison Square Garden at some point in the near future.

1 — 24: Nashville Predators — Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, C

The Preds want centers, and I’ve got them going with one with both of their first-round selections. They have a couple in the second round to address other concerns, but this player has been climbing draft boards steadily for months and could be a nice fit in Nashville. Trotz wants to be better at the dot and could have his top two centers for the future in this year’s first round.

1 — 25: St. Louis Blues — Mikhail Gulyayev, LHD

Gulyayev is a smaller defender but his offensive skills scream power play QB from Day One. If the Blues want to overhaul their blue line, they might have their future top pair in Gulyayev and Willander with the first two of their three picks in the first round this year. He won’t be here immediately, but there’s a lot to love about his ability with the puck.

1 — 26: San Jose Sharks — Maxim Strbak, RHD

I think the Sharks go with a center and a defenseman with their two picks in the first round this year. If they go Reinbacher early, this could be one of Stramel or Stenberg. But I think they take the supremely skilled center at the top of the draft and grab the best available defenseman on their board here later in the round. Strbak has go🏅od size and would be a nice piece for the Sharks.

1 — 27: Colorado Avalanche — Charlie Stramel, C

The Avs have been built around size and speed. Stramel might not be the elite skater they’re used to, but replacing Gabriel Landeskog in their lineup now — and maybe forever — is a serious consideration. He has size and plays around the net well. He might ultimately profile as a second-line player, but the Avs aren’t looking for a game-changer in the draft. They already have a few of those.

1 — 28: Toronto Maple Leafs — Oliver Bonk, RHD

The Leafs need a lot, and have a new general manager calling the shots. They clearly need to be better on the back end; they acquired Jake McCabe to help in that regard at the deadline but he won’t be around forever. Bonk is a big, mature right-handed defenseman who would be the next guy for them on the back end.

1 — 29: St. Louis Blues — Otto Stenberg, C

The Blues went defense with their ౠfirst two picks, so a center here makes sense. They have plenty of wings, but need to address their depth down the middle. Stenberg wouꦡld be a nice add, even if his ceiling is as a middle-six center.

1 — 30: Carolina Hurricanes — Samuel Honzek, LW

The Canes are a couple offensive pieces away from being a legit Cup contender, and one of their best of𓂃fensive players was missing from the playoffs because of injury. Honzek is a player who could be a nice middle-six wing and bring some much-needed scoring to their attack.

1 — 31: Montreal Canadiens — Adam Gajan, G

The luxury of two picks in the first round is teams can take chances. The Habs went with a dynamic offensive player at the top of the draft, so here I have them thinking about their long-term answer in net. They haven’t had an elite goaltender since Carey Price left the lineup, so taking one of the top netminders here — to make sure they get one — makes sense. Is a goaltender in the first round always a good idea? No. Is this a reach? Maybe. Does it fill a need? Yes. And if they think there’s going to be a relative run on top goaltenders in the second and third rounds — which I do — grabbing their highest rated guy here makes sense.

1 — 32: Vegas Golden Knights — Bradly Nadeau, LW

When you’re the champs, you get to pick last. And I’m sure Vegas is just fine with that reality. But they also have some guys on the wrong side of 30 that they need to be mindful of eventually replacing, including the Conn Smythe winner. So how about using the last pick in the first round on a guy who had 113 points in 54 games in the BCHL last year?

MOCK DRAFT — ROUND TWO

2 — 33: Anaheim Ducks — Michael Hrabal, G
2 — 34: Columbus Blue Jackets — Gavin Brindley, C
2 — 35: Chicago Blackhawks — Quentin Musty, LW

I have a cluster of guys similar in size and ability — Honzek, Musty, Nadeau and Ethan Gauthier — all of whom could be the Blackhawks’ pick here. If Musty clears the first round and makes it to 35, the Blackhawks would likely be thrilled to grab him here. He has good size and ability and would be a marvelous compliment to their first two selections. Musty turns 18 on July 6 and had 78 points in 53 games for Sudbury in the OHL last season.

2 — 36: San Jose Sharks — Danny Nelson, C
2 — 37: Montreal Canadiens — Riley Heidt, C
2 — 38: Arizona Coyotes — Andrew Cristall, LW
2 — 39: Buffalo Sabres — Ethan Gauthier, RW
2 — 40: Washington Capitals — Tanner Molendyk, LHD
2 — 41: Detroit Red Wings — Lukas Dragicevic, RHD
2 — 42: Detroit Red Wings — Koehn Ziemmer, RW
2 — 43: Detroit Red Wings — Jakub Dvorak, LHD
2 — 44: Chicago Blackhawks — Anton Wahlberg, C

Wahlberg has played both center and the wing and is a good skater with a lot of raw skill for his size. Pronman ranked him 33rd overall; Wheeler had him at him all the way down at No. 70. So this might be a lottery ticket pick, but we’ve seen the Blackhawks do that before (Rinzel). We’re landing a big forward the Blackhawks can leave in Europe for a year or two here in our mock draft.

2 — 45: Buffalo Sabres — Beau Akey, RHD
2 — 46: Nashville Predators — Hunter Brzustewicz, RHD
2 — 47: Nashville Predators — Carson Rehkopf, LW
2 — 48: Calgary Flames — Kalan Lind, LW
2 — 49: New York Islanders — Nico Myatovic, LW
2 — 50: Seattle Kraken — Gavin McCarthy, RHD
2 — 51: Chicago Blackhawks — Andrew Gibson, RHD

I have the Blackhawks going to the bl🙈ue line here with a right-shot player with size that fits what the Blackhawks have been adding over the past couple years. Gibson is a good skater who works hard and likely projects as a second or third pair defenseman at the next level. Chicago needs to add RHD to their system and he feels like the right player here.

2 — 52: Seattle Kraken — Brandon Svoboda, C
2 — 53: Minnesota Wild — Kasper Halttunen, RW
2 — 54: Los Angeles Kings — Felix Nilsson, C
2 — 55: Chicago Blackhawks — Carey Terrance, C

Terrance scored 30 goals for Kitchener in the OHL this past season. He has good size and is a strong skater. He likely projects as a middle-six wing and secondary scorer, but that’s what you get in the middle of the second round — even in a good, deep draft. Pronman has him at No. 49 while Wheeler has him down at No. 74. Mock drafts have Terrance going anywhere between the mid-second and third rounds, but I like his game so we’re taking him for the Blackhawks here.

2 — 56: Edmonton Oilers — Carson Bjarnason, G
2 — 57: Seattle Kraken — Jayden Perron, RW
2 — 58: New Jersey Devils — Mathieu Cataford, C
2 — 59: Anaheim Ducks — Lenni Hämeenaho, RW
2 — 60: Anaheim Ducks — Andrew Strathmann, LHD
2 — 61: Dallas Stars — Jaden Lipinski, C
2 — 62: Carolina Hurricanes — Noah Dower Nilsson, C
2 — 63: Florida Panthers — Theo Lindstein, LHD
2 — 64: Minnesota Wild — Aram Minnetian, RHD