Each NHL team’s biggest need at the 2023 NHL Draft: Position, size, and skill

The Athletic has live coverage of the 2023 NHL Draft

Today we discuss each NHL organization’s biggest internal need as they enter the 2023 NHL Draft. “Biggest need” in this context is not strictly about the NHL roster. This is about projecting five years down the road, and mostly focusing on what teams have in their farm system.

Corey Pronman has NHL Draft pick by pick analysis
Who won Round 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft?
Ranking the best players available for Day 2

Anaheim Ducks: Goaltender

The Ducks have done a great job getting centers and defensemen they can build around in recent drafts, and likely will get another elite center prospect at No. 2. They do need a goalie of the future though. Lukas Dostal is a good prospect, but not a sure thing, and John Gibson’s days in Anaheim seem numbered.

Arizona Coyotes: Defensemen

The Coyotes don’t have a ton on their NHL team or pipeline in terms of premium defense talent. J.J. Moser has turned out well, but they’re still waiting on Victor Soderstrom to hit. Combined with the departures of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jakob Chychrun and there isn’t much left on the Arizona blue line.

New post @TheAthleticNHL: Seven round 2023 NHL mock draft https://t.co/qthrfFvLGS

— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) June 21, 2023

Boston Bruins: Center

The Bruins have a lot of needs in their system, but center is the most glaring when considering the age of the centers they leaned on this past season. They likely won’t get a good enough center talent this draft to move the needle, but more depth at that position is better than nothing.

Buffalo Sabres: Size at forward

The Sabres have picked eight forwards in the top two rounds in the past three drafts, and all of them have been 6-1 or shorter. History suggests you can win with a few of those guys in your lineup, but unlikely with nine of them. If they go defense it would be different, but if they draft a forward high they ideally add a little more bulk to their pool.

Additional reading:

Calgary Flames: Defensemen

While Calgary has some good players coming up front who can score, they are lacking in terms of young blue-line talent. Jeremie Poirier and Yan Kuznetsov are solid prospects but ideally, at 16 there is a defenseman available they are excited about.

Carolina Hurricanes: Center

The blue-line situation in the Hurricanes system is solid and they have skill on the wings. Jack Drury is a good player, but they could use some more depth down the middle especially given Ryan Suzuki’s so-so development.

Chicago Blackhawks: Forwards/Skill

Chicago will obviously add a lot of skill at No. 1 in Connor Bedard. But even beyond Bedard, they need a lot of work to build out their future forward group and get legit scoring ability into their organization. Lukas Reichel and Frank Nazar are good prospects but they need a lot more.

Colorado Avalanche: Center

Colorado has a lot of organizational needs given how few picks they’ve made of late. They could use center and defensemen but given the age and quality of their D group with the big club adding some center depth would be ideal in this draft.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Goaltender

Presuming Columbus will likely add a premium center talent at No. 3 overall they will have a deep pipeline of center and defense prospects. They do lack a goalie of the future. After trading 22 they won’t have a shot at Michael Hrabal but maybe in Round 2 or 3, they could address the lack of organizational depth there.

Dallas Stars: Goaltender

I list goalie reluctantly because obviously Dallas is set for a while with Jake Oettinger. They haven’t picked anyone since him though in the top four rounds and they have good organization depth at forward and defense.

Detroit Red Wings: Scoring/Skill

Detroit has good young forwards and defensemen in their system but there is a pressing need for players who can create offense and put the puck in the net. It would be ideal if Detroit could add skill in this draft with two first-round picks.

Edmonton Oilers: Defenseman

The Oilers have picked a forward in the first round three years in a row. In a bubble, they could use some more legit center talent but on that team, the center depth chart is well taken care of for a while. They have good young defensemen on the team in Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg but they could always use some more depth at that position.

New post @TheAthleticNHL: On Matvei Michkov, and the big draft decision facing NHL teams next week https://t.co/aS494Qo70Q

— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) June 20, 2023

Florida Panthers: Defenseman

The Panthers have added defensemen in recent drafts, but they could use more depth at that position, especially given the age of their NHL blue line, and at least having some premium young talent at forward.

Los Angeles Kings: Defenseman

The Kings have had a lot of picks in recent years, so I wouldn’t call this a pressing need. Brandt Clarke is an excellent defense prospect for example, but after trading Brock Faber and Helge Grans, and the so-so development of Tobias Bjornfot, they could use some more depth at D.

Minnesota Wild: Center

Our commenters have been very clear about the Wild needing centers! That being said they won’t find a center at 21 that will be helping them anytime soon. Marco Rossi and Marat Khusnutdinov are good center prospects but more depth at that position would be ideal especially a center with size to complement those two.

Montreal Canadiens: Center

Montreal has strong organizational depth on the wings and the blue line, but down the middle, it’s a little bare-bone once you get past Nick Suzuki. You could reasonably argue goalie here if you wanted to but the center position is of a higher priority right now given there’s no clear 2C or 3C of the future in the pipeline unless Owen Beck sticks down the middle in that role.

Nashville Predators: Defensemen

It’s been a long time for the organization formerly known as the defense factory since they’ve used a top two-round pick on a blueliner. They’ve added a lot of skill into their pipeline in recent years and Yaroslav Askarov in net but with a lot of picks this summer it would be ideal if they can get some legit defense talent for their rebuild.

New Jersey Devils: Scoring/Skill

The Devils have had so many picks in recent seasons and have done a mostly good job capturing value with their picks that I don’t see a truly pressing need in their system. If I had to pick one it would be a couple more forwards with skill who can put pucks in the net.

New York Islanders: Center

After trading Aatu Raty in the Bo Horvat deal the Islanders have little of substance in their system down the middle. They don’t pick high but ideally, they can add some talent to that position.

New York Rangers: Center

The Rangers have good young wingers and defensemen in their organization, but after Filip Chytil they could use a lot more young depth at that position in their system and have a chance to do so with their first-round pick.

Ottawa Senators: Defenseman

Ottawa has had a lot of high picks in recent years and many of which have been successful so I don’t think this is a true “need”. But between their young forward and young defense depth I would lean to the latter as more important to add for the Senators.

Philadelphia Flyers: Defenseman

The Flyers have a lot of organizational needs, but in terms of young talent, they are stronger at forward especially after adding Cutter Gauthier last summer. Cam York is a good defense prospect, but they need a lot more at that position.

Oliver Moore and Nate Danielson are on opposite ends of @scottcwheeler and @coreypronman's top 20 prospect rankings.

Why do they disagree?@m_bultman moderates our two NHL Draft experts on the head-to-head debate.https://t.co/wfvq2u94vL

— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) June 20, 2023

Pittsburgh Penguins: Skill/Scoring

If the Penguins keep their picks, which isn’t a sure thing by any means, adding someone into the system, especially with the 14^th pick, who can help create offense, score goals and play with their aging star centers would be a top priority.

San Jose Sharks: Defenseman

The strength of the Sharks system is up front and likely will be furthered by whomever they pick at No. 4. After that pick though it would be ideal if they could add more quality defense talent into their system or a goaltender. I like Shakir Mukhamadullin and Mattias Havelid but they need a lot more than just those two defensemen.

Seattle Kraken: Defenseman

The Kraken have added a lot of strong forward prospects into their system with their two drafts led by Matty Beniers and Shane Wright. Ryker Evans and Ty Nelson are solid defense prospects but ideally, they add more legit blue-line talent in this draft.

St. Louis Blues: Defenseman

The Blues have used very little draft capital in recent years to address their blue line. The last first-round pick on that position was used in 2012, and a handful of second round picks since then. With three first round picks in this year’s draft ideally they can add a top four defenseman or two of the future to their system.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Defenseman

The Lightning have a light farm system, but where there is some strength, it is more at forward than on defense. With Cal Foote moving onto Nashville as well there isn’t much young talent at all on their depth charts at that position.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Defenseman

Toronto doesn’t have much in their pipeline, but the strength is more forward-heavy for sure. After trading Rasmus Sandin there isn’t a ton of young talent in their organization on defense and with a late first they could be in a position to add a quality blueliner.

Vancouver Canucks: Defenseman

I could have gone center or defense here, but given how many high picks in recent years the Canucks have used on wingers, I leaned towards the blue line. In terms of defensemen of the future in the Canucks organization, it’s Quinn Hughes and then who?

Vegas Golden Knights: Forwards/Skill

Vegas hasn’t had or kept a ton of high picks in recent years, but the picks they have developed well enough have leaned to the defense side and the system overall is bare up front. There aren’t many young options on their reserve list who can score.

Washington Capitals: Goaltender

The Capitals don’t have a very deep system, but have they made some high picks in recent years and have some good young forwards and defensemen in the system even if not a ton. There is no goalie of the future in the waiting though especially since Ilya Samsonov moved on to Toronto.

Winnipeg Jets: Defenseman

The bulk of the young talent in the Jets system is at forward, which is accentuated by the fact that first-round pick on D Ville Heinola hasn’t broken through yet. I don’t know if the right blue liner will be there for them at 18 though.

(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; photos: Andy Devlin, Maksim Konstantinov / Getty Images)