2023 NHL Draft Round 1 Losers: Wild, Coyotes Make Puzzling Bets
Multiple teams had great showings during Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft, but others left value on the board and struggled with their picks.
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Let’s look at some of our way-too-early losers and discuss why we believe they struggled on Night 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft.
LosersArizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes have a lot of draft picks over the next few seasons, and they had the chance to add a nice haul with the sixth and 12th overall picks in the 2023 NHL Draft. The Coyotes selected Dmitri Simashev sixth overall and Daniil But 12th overall. In our view, and many experts’ views, the Coyotes left a lot of value on the table by making these two selections.
Whether you consider Matvei Michkov, Ryan Leonard, or Dalibor Dvorsky, the Coyotes had their choice of those three players with the sixth pick. Arizona was reportedly enamored by defenseman David Reinbacher, and when the Montreal Canadiens selected him fifth overall, they pivoted to their next-rated defenseman. Drafting for need is always a dangerous game. When it came down to 12th overall, the Coyotes had Zach Benson waiting there and chose to pass. As a result, we felt the Coyotes could have handled their first round better.
Minnesota Wild
Some highly-talented players were available when the Minnesota Wild were on the clock with the 21st overall pick. The Wild opted to select Charlie Stramel, a player with many tools who took a step back in his performance last season. There are many things to like about him, but there are definite questions about whether he tops out as a third-line center. Swinging for upside is more important than trying to capture a player with a relatively low ceiling.
Montreal Canadiens
With the Montreal Canadiens owning the fifth overall pick, they decided to go the safe route and select Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher. There’s a lot to like about this player, but there are question marks about his overall ceiling. Can he be a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL? That remains to be seen, and it will be on Montreal’s development staff to get him to that point. Right-shot defensemen are at a premium in the NHL, but the Canadiens opted to go the safe route over drafting a potential game-changer in Matvei Michkov. This feels like a missed opportunity for an organization dying for star power.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting late in the first round at 28th overall, there was still talent on the board that could have elevated a prospect system needing more depth. The Maple Leafs chose to go the route of a project in Easton Cowan, who rose in many draft rankings after an impressive playoff run with the London Knights of the OHL. There’s a chance this player works out and becomes an NHLer, but it’s fair to wonder if Toronto left more value and upside on the table.
