Top five late-round steals from the 2023 NHL Draft so far
Back in January, we looked at five of the best late-round steals from the 2024 NHL Draft. Given that draft was less than a year ago, it’s a small sample size.
Today, we will look at five players selected 100th overall or later who deserve some love from the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. For the most part, we’re talking about some future depth pieces. But if you can find future NHLers outside the first three rounds, you’re doing a better job than most teams on the draft floor.
Two goalies, two defenders and a winger highlight today’s look at five players you need to know:
Emmitt Finnie, LW (Detroit Red Wings)
Drafted: Seventh round, 201st overall
Finnie has had a fantastic season as captain of the Kamloops Blazers, with whom he could finish with around 40 goals and 90 points. He’s excellent away from the puck thanks to his energetic motor and desire to never lose a puck battle. He hits hard, plays hard but also has the hockey IQ to get himself into scoring lanes.
Once seen as more of a playmaker, Finnie has developed into quite the goal-scorer, too. We’ll see if Finnie can make it as an NHLer, but his skating and puck play have improved enough to suggest he might have a future. The Wings already signed Finnie to an entry-level contract, and while he might be more of a depth player in the NHL, that would be a massive return for the seventh-rounder.
Hampton Slukynsky, G (Los Angeles Kings)
Drafted: Fourth round, 118th overall
The Kings might have an average pipeline at best, but they have some of the best goaltending depth in the league. Many think Slukynsky – one of the top goalies in the NCAA – could end up becoming the best. He opened the year getting modest starts behind Cameron Rowe at Western Michigan but put up some great numbers as the season wore on.
With Rowe set to turn pro, Slukynsky should be WMU’s No. 1 in 2025-26, where he’ll certainly be in consideration for the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s top goalie. Slukynsky has been great at just about every level – including in his two starts at the World Juniors this year. Next up: proving he can be a college starter. Fortunately, he has the reflexes, the speed and a strong mental game to build around, and we might see him in the AHL sooner rather than later.
Yevgeni Volokhin, G (Montreal Canadiens)
Drafted: Fifth round, 144th overall
Volokhin’s numbers might not look great – three wins in 24 KHL contests – but you have to look beyond the numbers here. Sochi finished dead last in the Western Conference, and the team’s crease serves as somewhat of a training ground for SKA St. Petersburg. Hopefully, we’ll see him get a chance to play behind some better lineups in the future.
Volokhin has grown three inches to 6-foot-3 since getting selected two years ago, and while he’s still figuring out how to use his size, he’s got the speed you’re looking for. Volokhin plays at the top of his crease quite often – for better or for worse – but he’s got the reflexes you crave out of a goaltending prospect. He’s still very raw and I’d like to see him play on a more competitive team. But right now, Volokhin has a lot going for him, skill and style-wise, that excites scouts.
Luca Cagnoni, D (San Jose Sharks)
Drafted: Fourth round, 123rd overall
When Cagnoni was selected, there were two glaring issues: 1) he was undersized at 5-foot-9, and B) he struggled in his own zone. But there were few players in that draft class that had the pure skill with the puck that Cagnoni possessed, and he used it to build out one of the most productive junior hockey careers we’ve seen from a WHL defender in quite some time.
From a style perspective, there’s a lot of Samuel Girard in Cagnoni’s game. He plays a smart, calculated game that doesn’t try to force plays to generate something. Cagnoni is evasive with the puck, using his quick footwork to get himself out of trouble. Scouts describe his skating as dynamic, with good edge work, start-stop control, and his ability to rush down at high speed as a puck-receiver or a playmaker. Cagnoni has been lights out this year in the AHL, where he’s on pace for more than 50 points as a 20-year-old rookie. We rarely see players of his stature in the NHL, but the rise of Lane Hutson might carve a path forward for Cagnoni.
Noah Chadwick, D (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Drafted: Sixth round, 185th overall
Chadwick was drafted after a modest 20-point season – something that just didn’t garner much attention. But at 6-foot-4, the physical tools were there. And if he could find a way to unlock his scoring potential (scouts thought he was much better with the puck than his numbers suggested), he would be a decent late-round pick. Since then, Chadwick has registered two 50-plus point campaigns with Lethbridge and was even in consideration for Canada’s World Junior team.
The biggest issue – and something that was exposed at the World Junior Summer Showcase – is his skating. Chadwick isn’t quick and he struggles in transition. He’s likely a depth defender at this point, but there’s been enough progression in his overall game to suggest he got a good work ethic and is adaptable. Toronto doesn’t have many notable defenders in the system, so turning a sixth-round pick into an NHLer would be a major win.
Other notables: Alexander Rykov, RW (Carolina Hurricanes); Oiva Keskinen, C (Columbus Blue Jackets); Angus MacDonell, C (Dallas Stars); Rudy Guimond, G (Detroit Red Wings); Austin Roest, C (Nashville Predators); Yegor Rimashevskiy, RW (San Jose Sharks); Tuomas Uronen, RW (Vegas Golden Knights)
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