2023 NHL Draft: Top 10 rising prospects

Cole Knuble (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

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Scouts don’t make their money identifying the star prospects.

Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov have been in the headlines for a handful of years now. scouts could have ignored them altogether, just looked at the point totals and been content with the progression.

The real money is in finding the guys nobody else is talking about. The late-bloomers; the smaller, but skilled kids; the big goalie from the middle of nowhere. The players who don’t earn the same praise as their more hyped peers but could eventually become stars.

Today, we’re looking at 10 prospects that have made some significant process this year, including a few that have become strong first-round targets:

David Reinbacher, D (EHC Kloten, NL)

Here’s a list of U-20 players with at least 10 points in the top pro league in Switzerland: David Reinbacher. That’s it, and he’s a defenseman. Reinbacher has been putting up around a 0.50 point-per-game pace with EHC Kloten all year while playing over 20 minutes a night most evenings. Add in a strong run with Austria at the World Junior Championship two times in a row and you’re looking at one of the best defensemen in the draft right now. Not sure anyone could have said that heading into the season, but the sample size has been fantastic. He has good size at 6-foot-2, and his confidence and compete level make him extra dangerous.

Adam Gajan, G (Chippewa, NAHL)

Some of the World Junior Championship prestige has started to wear off a bit for Gajan, who was recently sent back to the Chippewa Steel of the NAHL after posting a 5-1-0 record with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. What intrigue scouts the most are his 6-foot-4 frame and how he handled the pressure against much tougher competition at the WJC. He’s a second-year eligible after playing in the Slovak U-20 league, but he’s now on every team’s radar at this point – maybe enough so to be one of the first goalies taken. Given Slovakia’s national team coaching staff barely knew anything about him before bringing Gajan on as the third goalie to start in December, it’s been quite the past few months for the 18-year-old.

Jayden Perron, RW (Chicago, USHL)

He’s the guy the internet loves to watch, and for good reason. Perron is one of the best setup guys in the draft, and one that can pass himself out of trouble and help create scoring chances. The University of North Dakota commit has a point per game through 41 matches, and he’s been a big part of one of the best teams in the USHL. I’m still concerned about his 5-foot-8 size, but it hasn’t slowed him down yet, and some believe he could be a top-15 draft pick if a team’s willing to overlook his frame.

Damian Clara, G (Farjestad, SWE U-20)

I’m a sucker for goalies from smaller European hockey nations, so Clara was one I zeroed in on heading into the season. The eighth-ranked European goaltender by NHL Central Scouting hails from Italy and even won his first men’s national team game earlier this season and was a third goalie at the 2021 World Championship at 16 years old. He’s the future of Italian goaltending, and right now, he’s put up some strong performances in the Swedish U-20 league and even got some HockeyAllsvenskan action in, too. At 6-foot-6, Clara uses his size to his advantage, and scouts think teams will take a chance on him for his size alone. Plus, goaltenders from smaller hockey countries typically spend their whole career trying to scratch and claw their way onto pro team’s radars. He’s used to facing a ton of shots, which helps. Seriously, don’t be surprised if Clara becomes one of the best goalies in this draft.

Aram Minnetian, D (USA, U-18)

I’ve absolutely loved watching Minnetian this season, I thought he looked fine last year with the U-17 team, but he wasn’t someone I thought highly of at the time. Now, he commands ice time, looks so confident with the puck and the points are starting to follow. At times last year, he looked hesitant to shoot and just handed the puck off to someone else. That’s not a concern anymore. I think he deserves a look in the first round, but I don’t think he’ll wait long on Day 2, at the very least.

Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, C (HV71, SHL)

There aren’t many high-profile U-18 players in the SHL, but Fisker Mølgaard has been there all year, and leads the group in scoring, too. We’re talking about six points here, but Fisker Mølgaard doesn’t look out of place most nights and has recently been given plenty of opportunity to keep getting adjusted. Fisker Mølgaard never stops moving and is a solid puck distributor, but his best asset right now is his reliable defensive play. I don’t expect many points if he becomes an NHLer, but I 100 percent believe Fisker Mølgaard can carve out a role for himself.

Cole Knuble, C (Fargo, USHL)

Knuble comes from strong hockey genes: his dad, Mike, had a 16-year NHL career and won the Stanley Cup in 1998 with Detroit. Will it help? Maybe. Knuble was passed over last year after just an OK USHL season, so he needed something special to add himself back into the conversation. Knuble is on pace to finish with around 75 points, which would be good for second in USHL scoring among U-18 forwards behind 2024 star Macklin Celebrini. Knuble also turned heads at the World Junior A Challenge, leading USA with nine points en route to gold over Canada East. Knuble has played some of his best hockey in the meantime, and the University of Notre Dame commit could even be on the USA world junior radar for next year.

Felix Nilsson, C (Rogle, SHL)

I asked a Swedish scout to nail one play-driving center they liked the most. They said Nilsson, who has spent time between the Swedish U-20 league and the top pro series with Rogle. His numbers have been excellent at well above a point-per-game, but he has mainly acted as a bottom-line forward that’s used to bring a bit of energy from time to time. He really stood out in Four Nations play in Finland over the weekend, especially against the Czechs when he had a pair of assists. Nilsson’s biggest asset is his ability to outthink opponents, and he’s getting more comfortable handling the puck up the ice in the SHL, too. We’re thinking long-term here, so check back in five years.

William Whitelaw, C (Youngstown, USHL)

When you’re 5-foot-9, you must be strong in other facets to make up for it. Whitelaw does enough of that just with his natural goal-scoring ability alone. A late-first-round pick in my books, he’s got a bit of edge to him, too, which we saw glimpses of at previous levels. Kailer Yamamoto was somewhat similar in his draft year, often getting him into trouble. In this case, I’ve grown to like this feisty, goal-scoring center with solid defensive zone play.

Aiden Fink, RW (Brooks, AJHL)

It’s one thing to score in Canadian Jr. A hockey, but it’s another to do it with absolute dominance. Fink, an 18-year-old with the powerhouse Brooks Bandits, is one of the highest-output forwards in the draft right now, easily outclassing the rest of the top Jr. A league in the country. He’s on pace for 101 points, something that hasn’t been done by a draft-eligible AJHLer since 2001. Fink has recorded at least three points in 16 contests this year, including a couple of five-point games, too. His 5-foot-9 frame is his limiting factor, but if he can transition over well to the University of Wisconsin, we could be talking about a gem here.