The 2023 NHL entry draft was the 61st draft for the National Hockey League. The draft was held on June 28–29, 2023, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
The first three selections were Connor Bedard by the Chicago Blackhawks, Leo Carlsson by the Anaheim Ducks, and Adam Fantilli by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Eligibility Ice hockey players born between January 1, 2003, and September 15, 2005, are eligible for selection in the 2023 NHL entry draft. Additionally, un-drafted, non-North American players born in 2002 are eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2021 NHL entry draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 2003, are also eligible to re-enter the draft.
Draft lottery
Beginning with the 2014–15 NHL season the NHL changed the weighting system that was used in previous years. Under the new system the odds of winning the draft lottery for the four lowest finishing teams in the league decreased, while the odds for the other non-playoff teams increased. As the league reduced the number of lottery drawings before the 2021–22 season, this resulted in two lotteries being held instead of three. Since the 2022 draft lottery, the teams winning one of the two drawings are allowed to move up a maximum of ten spots in the draft order and a team is only allowed to win the lottery twice in a five-year period.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks won the two draft lotteries that took place on May 8, 2023, giving them the first and second picks overall. Chicago moved up two spots to receive the first pick, while Anaheim and Columbus each moved down one spot. During the broadcast ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes revealed that the Columbus Blue Jackets had received the third overall pick before the top three picks were officially revealed, which was attributed to a teleprompter mistake. Indicates team won first overallIndicates team won second overallIndicates teams that did not win a lottery
{| class="wikitable" |+ Complete draft position odds ! Team ! 1st ! 2nd ! 3rd ! 4th ! 5th ! 6th ! 7th ! 8th ! 9th ! 10th ! 11th ! 12th ! 13th ! 14th ! 15th ! 16th |- ! Anaheim || 25.5% || style="background:#F5A9BC;"|18.8% || 55.7% || || || || || || || || || || || || || |- ! Columbus | 13.5% || 14.1% || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|30.7% || 41.7% || || || || || || || || || || || || |- ! Chicago | style="background:#A9D0F5;"|11.5% || 11.2% || 7.8% || 39.7% || 29.8% || || || || || || || || || || || |- ! San Jose | 9.5% || 9.5% || 0.3%|| style="background:#DDDDDD;"|15.4% || 44.6% || 20.8% || || || || || || || || || || |- ! Montreal | 8.5% || 8.6% || 0.3%|| || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|24.5% || 44.0% || 14.2% || || || || || || || || || |- ! Arizona | 7.5% || 7.7% || 0.2%|| || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|34.1% || 41.4% || 9.1% || || || || || || || || |- ! Philadelphia | 6.5% || 6.7% || 0.2%|| || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|44.4% || 36.5% || 5.6% || || || || || || || |- ! Washington | 6.0% || 6.2% || 0.2%|| || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|54.4% || 30.0% || 3.2% || || || || || || |- ! Detroit | 5.0% || 5.2% || 0.2%|| || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|64.4% || 23.5% || 1.7% || || || || || |- ! St. Louis | 3.5% || 3.7% || 0.1%|| || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|73.3% || 18.4% || 0.9% || || || || |- ! Vancouver | 3.0% || 3.2% || 0.1%|| || || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|79.9% || 13.4% || 0.5% || || || |- ! Ottawa | || 5.3% || || || || || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|85.7% || 8.9% || 0.2% || || |- ! Buffalo | || || 4.3% || || || || || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|90.7% || 5.1% || >0.0% || |- ! Pittsburgh | || || || 3.1% || || || || || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|94.7% || 2.1% || >0.0% |- ! Nashville | || || || || 1.1% || || || || || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|97.9% || 1.1% |- ! Calgary | || || || || || 1.0% || || || || || || || || || || style="background:#DDDDDD;"|98.9%
Top prospects Source: NHL Central Scouting (April 18, 2023) ranking.
Ranking North American skaters European skaters 1 Connor Bedard (C) Leo Carlsson (C) 2 Adam Fantilli (C) Matvei Michkov (RW) 3 Will Smith (C) Dalibor Dvorsky (C) 4 Matthew Wood (RW) Eduard Sale (LW) 5 Ryan Leonard (RW) David Reinbacher (D) 6 Zach Benson (LW) Otto Stenberg (C) 7 Nate Danielson (C) Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D) 8 Oliver Moore (C) Lenni Hameenaho (RW) 9 Samuel Honzek (LW) Daniil But (LW) 10 Gabe Perreault (RW) Mikhail Gulyayev (D) Ranking North American goalies European goalies 1 Carson Bjarnason Alexander Hellnemo 2 Michael Hrabal Juha Jatkola 3 Trey Augustine Ian Blomquist
Selections by round The order of the 2023 entry draft is listed below.
Round one
# Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1 Connor Bedard (C) Canada Chicago Blackhawks Regina Pats (WHL) 2 Leo Carlsson (C) Sweden Anaheim Ducks Orebro HK (SHL) 3 Adam Fantilli (C) Canada Columbus Blue Jackets Michigan Wolverines (Big Ten) 4 Will Smith (C) United States San Jose Sharks U.S. NTDP (USHL) 5 David Reinbacher (D) Austria Montreal Canadiens EHC Kloten (National League) 6 Dmitriy Simashev (D) Russia Arizona Coyotes Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) 7 Matvei Michkov (RW) Russia Philadelphia Flyers SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL) 8 Ryan Leonard (RW) United States Washington Capitals U.S. NTDP (USHL) 9 Nate Danielson (C) Canada Detroit Red Wings Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) 10 Dalibor Dvorsky (C) Slovakia St. Louis Blues AIK IF (HockeyAllsvenskan) 11 Tom Willander (D) Sweden Vancouver Canucks Rogle BK (J20 Nationell) 12 Daniil But (LW) Russia Arizona Coyotes (from Ottawa)1 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL) 13 Zach Benson (LW) Canada Buffalo Sabres Winnipeg Ice (WHL) 14 Brayden Yager (C) Canada Pittsburgh Penguins Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) 15 Matthew Wood (LW) Canada Nashville Predators UConn Huskies (Hockey East) 16 Samuel Honzek (LW) Slovakia Calgary Flames Vancouver Giants (WHL) 17 Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D) Sweden Detroit Red Wings (from NY Islanders via Vancouver)2 Skelleftea AIK (SHL) 18 Colby Barlow (LW) Canada Winnipeg Jets Owen Sound Attack (OHL) 19 Oliver Moore (C) United States Chicago Blackhawks (from Tampa Bay)3 U.S. NTDP (USHL) 20 Eduard Sale (LW) Czech Republic Seattle Kraken HC Kometa Brno (Czech Extraliga) 21 Charlie Stramel (C) United States Minnesota Wild Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) 22 Oliver Bonk (D) Canada Philadelphia Flyers (from Los Angeles via Columbus)4 London Knights (OHL) 23 Gabe Perreault (RW) United States New York Rangers U.S. NTDP (USHL) 24 Tanner Molendyk (D) Canada Nashville Predators (from Edmonton)5 Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 25 Otto Stenberg (C) Sweden St. Louis Blues (from Toronto)6 Frolunda HC (SHL) 26 Quentin Musty (LW) United States San Jose Sharks (from New Jersey)7 Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 27 Calum Ritchie (C) Canada Colorado Avalanche Oshawa Generals (OHL) 28 Easton Cowan (RW) Canada Toronto Maple Leafs (from Boston via Washington)8 London Knights (OHL) 29 Theo Lindstein (D) Sweden St. Louis Blues (from Dallas via NY Rangers)9 Brynas IF (SHL) 30 Bradly Nadeau (LW) Canada Carolina Hurricanes Penticton Vees (BCHL) 31 Mikhail Gulyayev (D) Russia Colorado Avalanche (from Florida via Montreal)10 Avangard Omsk (KHL) 32 David Edstrom (C) Sweden Vegas Golden Knights Frolunda HC (J20 Nationell) Notes The Ottawa Senators' first-round pick went to the Arizona Coyotes as the result of a trade on March 1, 2023, that sent Jakob Chychrun to Ottawa in exchange for Washington's conditional second-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2026 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Arizona will receive a first-round pick in 2023 if Ottawa's first-round pick in 2023 is outside of the top five selections – was converted when Ottawa did not win either draw in the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on May 8, 2023. The New York Islanders' first-round pick went to the Detroit Red Wings as the result of a trade on March 1, 2023, that sent Filip Hronek and a fourth-round pick in 2023 to Vancouver in exchange for a second-round pick in 2023 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Detroit will receive the Islanders' first-round pick in 2023 if the Islanders' first-round pick in 2023 is outside of the top twelve selections – was converted when the Islanders qualified for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 12, 2023. Vancouver previously acquired this pick in a trade on January 30, 2023, that sent Bo Horvat to New York in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and this conditional pick. The Tampa Bay Lightning's first-round pick went to the Chicago Blackhawks as the result of a trade on March 18, 2022, that sent Brandon Hagel and a fourth-round pick in 2022 and 2024 to Tampa Bay in exchange for Boris Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh, a conditional first-round pick in 2024 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Chicago will receive a first-round pick in 2023 if Tampa Bay's first-round pick in 2023 is outside of the top ten selections – was converted when the Lightning qualified for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 1, 2023. The Los Angeles Kings' first-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on June 6, 2023, that sent Ivan Provorov and Kevin Connauton to Columbus in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in 2024 or 2025 and this pick. Columbus previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on March 1, 2023, that sent Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov to Los Angeles in exchange for Jonathan Quick, a third-round pick in 2024 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – Columbus will receive a first-round pick in 2023 if the Kings qualify for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs – was converted when the Kings qualified for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 2, 2023. The Edmonton Oilers' first-round pick went to the Nashville Predators as the result of a trade on February 28, 2023, that sent Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick in 2024 to Edmonton in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a fourth-round pick in 2024 and this pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round pick went to the St. Louis Blues as the result of a trade on February 17, 2023, that sent Noel Acciari and Josh Pillar to Toronto in exchange for Adam Gaudette, Mikhail Abramov, Ottawa's third-round pick in 2023, a second-round pick in 2024 and this pick. The New Jersey Devils first-round pick went to the San Jose Sharks as a result of the trade on February 26, 2023, that sent Timo Meier, Timur Ibragimov, Scott Harrington, Santeri Hatakka, Zachary Emond and Colorado's fifth-round pick in 2024 to New Jersey in exchange for Shakir Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk, Andreas Johnsson, Fabian Zetterlund, a conditional second-round pick in 2024, a seventh-round pick in 2024 and this pick (being conditional at the time of the trade). The condition – San Jose will receive a first-round pick in 2023 if New Jersey's first-round pick in 2023 is outside of the top two selections – was converted when the Devils qualified for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs on March 25, 2023. The Boston Bruins' first-round pick went to the Toronto Maple Leafs as the result of a trade on February 28, 2023, that sent Rasmus Sandin to Washington in exchange for Erik Gustafsson and this pick. Washington previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on February 23, 2023, that sent Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov to Boston in exchange for Craig Smith, a third-round pick in 2024, a second-round pick in 2025 and this pick.