2023 NHL Draft Round 1 Winners: Blackhawks' Bedard Steals Show

The 2023 NHL Draft was loaded with offensive stars at the top of the draft class, but multiple other teams found value later in the first round, too.

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Let’s look at some of our way-too-early winners and decipher why we believe they came out on top of Night 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft. 

Chicago Blackhawks 

The Blackhawks were always going to be a winner on a list like this because they were able to select the best player in the draft, Connor Bedard. The former Regina Pat is a generational talent with one of the best releases in modern memory. He’s a franchise-altering talent, and Chicago now has a top-of-the-lineup star they can build around for the next decade-plus.

In addition to Bedard, the Blackhawks were also able to snag Oliver Moore with the 19th overall pick. Moore is widely regarded as the draft’s top skater. His motor makes him impactful at both ends of the ice, and he has the potential to be a part of the Blackhawk’s top six whenever he makes the jump to the NHL. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

No matter which center was there for the Columbus Blue Jackets at third overall, the team could draft an elite talent. The Anaheim Ducks selected Leo Carlsson second overall, opening the door for Columbus to choose the consensus second-best talent in this draft in Adam Fantilli. The Michigan forward brings high skill and an elite competitive drive to a Blue Jackets organization looking to turn the corner and begin finding success again.

You could make the case that the Blue Jackets would have been winners had they selected Carlsson or Will Smith, but Fantilli is a home run for them at third, putting them in the conversation as a winner in the opening round. 

Philadelphia Flyers 

The Flyers had a down season and are in the midst of a rebuild under new general manager Danny Briere. There was a lot of chatter leading up to the first round of the draft that the Flyers were zeroed in on Matvei Michkov and were looking to move up to get him. The Flyers called everyone’s bluff in front of them and didn’t need to move up, selecting the franchise-altering talent at seventh overall. If Michkov were playing in North America, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation as he’d have gone off the board earlier, but that wasn’t the circumstances we were presented with. The Flyers reaped the benefits, and they’ll be patient as they wait out the end of his three-year contract in the KHL. Michkov has game-breaking talent, and the Flyers are betting on that here, making them a clear winner in the eyes of many. 

San Jose Sharks 

The San Jose Sharks were widely expected to select the fourth player in the consensus top four at fourth overall. They did that in Will Smith, a talented and crafty center that brings elite playmaking skills. Not only were the Sharks able to select their future number-one center, but they also picked-up goal-scoring winger Quentin Musty 26th overall. With their two first-round selections, the Sharks got great value on both accounts and have two potential difference-makers planted into their top-six forward core of the future.