Photo: NHL.com
The Washington Capitals will select eighth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on June 28, which was determined in the draft lottery on Monday night. The Chicago Blackhawks won the first overall pick, moving up two spots, and Anaheim Ducks will pick second.
Slovakian center Dalibor Dvorský, who recorded six goals and 14 points in 38 games and played in seven postseason outings for the HockeyAllsvenskan’s AIK this past season, is projected to go eighth overall, according to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman.
“Dvorsky is quite dangerous inside the offensive zone. He has excellent puck skills in small areas and can make checkers miss routinely in open ice. He can make tough plays and find seams. He excels as a goal scorer, though, with a wrist shot and one-timer that he can often finish from range,” Pronman wrote in The Athletic’s final draft rankings. “Dvorsky’s compete is good, he wins puck battles and he isn’t shy from using his body. Like a lot of shooters he can stay too much on the perimeter instead of taking it to the net, but I never watch his games and think he lacks effort. His footspeed is going to be an issue for higher levels. I think with his offensive talent, his work ethic and strong and consistent track record of scoring he finds a way to become a very important part of an NHL lineup, but I’m less sure of whether he sticks down the middle or has to be a winger due to his skating.”
Pronman compared the 18-year-old’s game to Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson’s. He projects Dvorsky as a top-six forward and says Dvorsky has above-NHL average puck skills, compete level, and shot. However, Pronman says his hockey sense is NHL average while his skating is below it.
Washington, who entered the Draft Lottery with the eighth-highest odds to win the first overall pick at 6.0 percent, will select eighth overall for the first time in franchise history. Washington owns a pick in the top 10 for the first time since 2007, when they selected defenseman Karl Alzner fifth overall. Prior to 2007, the last two times Washington picked in the top 10 they selected center Nicklas Backstrom (fourth overall in 2006) and left-wing Alex Ovechkin (first overall in 2004).
Here is the full draft order for the top-16:
- 1st: Chicago
- 2nd: Anaheim
- 3rd: Columbus Blue Jackets
- 4th: San Jose Sharks
- 5th: Montreal Canadiens
- 6th: Arizona Coyotes
- 7th: Philadelphia Flyers
- 8th: Washington
- 9th: Detroit Red Wings
- 10th: St. Louis Blues
- 11th: Vancouver Canucks
- 12th: Arizona (from Ottawa Senators if not top five from trade that sent defenseman Jakob Chychrun to Canada’s capital in March)
- 13th: Buffalo Sabres
- 14th: Pittsburgh Penguins
- 15th: Nashville Predators
- 16th: Calgary Flames
Chicago and Anaheim were the only teams to switch lottery positions from the original standings.
General manager Brian MacLellan on tonight’s 2023 #NHLDraft Lottery results. pic.twitter.com/dODKHFfumE
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 9, 2023
Center Connor Bedard, who scored 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games with the WHL’s Regina Pats, is the heavy favorite to be selected first overall. Center Adam Fantilli, who is coming off of a Hobey Baker-winning campaign after tallying 30 goals and 65 points in 35 NCAA games with the University of Michigan, is expected to go second.
Brian MacLellan catches up with @alexalandestoy after the @Capitals came out of the NHL Draft Lottery with the 8th overall pick⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8wKb5TMbtG
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) May 9, 2023
All teams could have moved up just 10 spots from where they finished in the reverse regular-season standings but down by only two.
By Harrison Brown
We love Dalibor, unless Ryan Leonard is still on the Board. Dalibor! Dalibor!
“… Never before has a boy wanted more…” (Sung to the tune of Oliver from that musical.)
NGL I was praying on the ducks downfall after the caps stayed at 8, glad that Bedard won’t be playing on that team
I would have rather seen him on the Ducks (as they’re not the Caps rivals at all) than on Chicago. (Okay, Chicago is the arch-rival of my 2nd team, the Blues, and I have many problems with that team and organization.)
Such a shady process. Why don’t they show the actual ping power mg balls? You knew Chicago was winning it. Such a huge market for NHL. He wasn’t ever going to Columbus or Anaheim.
I often think the lottery is rigged, in that if either the NY Rangers, the Chicago Blackhawks, or the Pittsburgh Penguins are bad teams, they will win the lottery. Unless it’s a draft without any really great players.
They had the second highest odds to win, its not like they moved up the full ten spots. It was super likely that this would happen. Anaheim did win the lottery as they were chosen for the second pick and were not moved down to 3rd. It couldn’t be rigged because Bettman and Daley work directly for the owners, they would lose their jobs if it came out that they were rigging drafts
They release the video of the actual Lottery and make it public to everyone. I believe the NHL tweeted the link to this years Lottery.
Dalibor! Dalibor!
Never before has a guy wanted more… (Sung to the tune “Oliver” from the music of that name.)
As for Chicago winning the top pick… ugghhh! (Given that they’re my least favorite team of the Western Conference and the scummy behavior of their organization in general.)
Crap!
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Not sure why they never show the actual lottery… makes ya think its fixed, don’t it?
Yes, yes it does!
Just show the ping pong ball selection. That would end most doubt. Bedard goes to top NHL market? Shocked.
They release the actual lottery after the “tv draft show”. The NHL tweeted the link to this years Lottery.
I could live with Dvorsky but would rather have Carlsson who is a big center/wing who has speed and great vision and a good shot. William Smith would also look good in a Caps uniform. Halttunen, Stramel, and Barlow are several others that I really like.
Carlsson/Smith will go in top 5-6, not likely available
Probably but one can always hope!!
Any chance some teams pass on Michkov because he’s Russian, just like what happened with Miro?
Miro most likely dropped because he was recovering from cancer. Yurov dropped because of the Russia Ukraine war. Michkov will drop becuase of his contract. Hopefully he won’t fall to the caps, he’s too small to play the caps game of physical hockey. 5’10 150 lbs is smaller than your average american 8th grader.
No chance Arizona doesn’t take him. They have two top 12 picks and his contracts ends when they will be moving into their new Tempe building. He’s the perfect pick for the coyotes, especially after they loaded up on centers in the last draft
Fun project for NovaCapsFans senior folks:
Interview Tim Peel, ask him point-blank if NHL Entry Draft is rigged
What happen to Vancouver pick red wings got from Vancouver in trade for hronek
Below average foot speed on Caps No Bueno
I’m still hoping that some team will trade for her when Ted rebrands NBC Sports Washington this summer.
Chicago. Figures.
A fishy smell is coming from the Blackhawks FO