NHL Entry Draft 2023 Preview, Odds & Best Bets

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27 June 2023

NHL Entry Draft 2023 Preview, Odds & Best Bets

After Connor McDavid took home the Hart Memorial Trophy to start the week, hockey enthusiasts now turn their attention to the next important event of the offseason: the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The ‘Connor Bedard Sweepstakes” will finally come to a close as the draft’s first round takes place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, June 28.

The first overall selection of the 2023 draft belongs to the Chicago Blackhawks. Once a dynasty in the early 2010s, the Blackhawks have missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons. They finished third-last in the standings in the 2022-23 NHL season but managed to win the draft lottery to jump up to the top spot.

Although nothing is guaranteed, it’s all but certain that the Blackhawks will draft Bedard, who is gearing up to be the league’s next generational player. The Vancouver, BC native racked up 271 points over just 134 games with the WHL’s Regina Pats, destroying numerous records along the way. If anyone can help Chicago reverse its misfortunes, it’s Bedard.

Having said that, the 17-year-old phenom is not the only player taking part in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. How will the rest of the first round unfold?

Betting News has you covered with everything you need to know ahead of the NHL Draft, ranging from the first-round order to the odds on who’ll be drafted second overall.

2023 NHL Draft Round 1 Order (as of Tuesday, June 27)

Chicago Blackhawks
Anaheim Ducks
Columbus Blue Jackets
San Jose Sharks
Montreal Canadiens
Arizona Coyotes
Philadelphia Flyers
Washington Capitals
Detroit Red Wings
St. Louis Blues
Vancouver Canucks
Arizona Coyotes (from Senators)
Buffalo Sabres
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nashville Predators
Calgary Flames
Detroit Red Wings (from Islanders via Canucks)
Winnipeg Jets
Chicago Blackhawks (from Lightning)
Seattle Kraken
Minnesota Wild
Philadelphia Flyers (from Kings via Blue Jackets)
New York Rangers
Nashville Predators (from Oilers)
St. Louis Blues (from Maple Leafs)
San Jose Sharks (from Devils)
Colorado Avalanche
Toronto Maple Leafs (from Bruins via Capitals)
St. Louis Blues (from Stars via Rangers)
Carolina Hurricanes
Montreal Canadiens (from Panthers)
Vegas Golden Knights

Again, it’d be absolutely stunning if the Blackhawks didn’t call Bedard’s name at Pick No. 1. With that in mind, here’s a look at the odds on which talented prospect could be taken with the second overall selection.

NHL Entry Draft 2023 Second Overall Pick Odds

Odds via BetOnline as of 8:47 a.m. ET on Tuesday, June 27.

Adam Fantilli, Michigan (-800)
Leo Carlsson, Örebro HK (+350)
Matvei Mitchkov, SKA Saint Petersburg (+1400)
Will Smith, Boston College (+3300)

Oddsmakers heavily favor Michigan’s Adam Fantilli to go second overall to the Anaheim Ducks this week. It’s not hard to see why considering that the 6-foot-2, 187-pound center would likely go first overall at the NHL Entry Draft had it not been for Bedard.

Fantilli only needed one season to dazzle the Wolverines’ fanbase, racking up 30 goals and 35 assists in just 36 games. His impressive play earned him the Hobey Baker Award for college’s best player, becoming only the third freshman to do so. Furthermore, Fantilli even helped lead Canada to gold medals at the IIHF World Championships and World Junior Championships.

If the Ducks decide that they don’t want Fantilli, Örebro HK’s Leo Carlsson has the next-best odds at +350. Also a center, Carlsson has the experience of already facing men in the Swedish Hockey League and didn’t struggle to do it, tallying 25 points in 44 regular-season games before racking up nine in 13 playoff outings this past season.

Matvei Mitchkov and Will Smith are also in the mix, however, neither player has better than +1400 odds to go second overall.

NHL Entry Draft 2023 Third Overall Pick Odds

Leo Carlsson, Örebro HK (-200)
Will Smith, Boston College (+250)
Adam Fantilli, Michigan (+550)
Matvei Mitchkov, SKA Saint Petersburg (+900)

NHL Entry Draft 2023 Fourth Overall Pick Odds

Will Smith, Boston College (-140)
Leo Carlsson, Örebro HK (+250)
Matvei Mitchkov, SKA Saint Petersburg (+350)
David Reinbacher, EHC Kloten (+750)

Moving down a few spots, Boston College’s Will Smith is favored to be the fourth overall selection at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. There’s absolutely no denying Smith’s offensive upside after amassing 127 points in 60 games with the U.S. National U-18 Team. He’s committed to playing at Boston College next season, so any team drafting him will need some patience.

It’ll be interesting to see if a club takes a swing on Matvei Mitchkov at No. 4. Viewed as the best Russian prospect in years, the 18-year-old tallied 20 points in 27 KHL games after SKA Saint Petersburg loaned him to Sochi HC.

Mitchkov is slated to play in Russia until 2026, though, meaning it’ll be a few years until he makes his NHL debut. Having said that, I could see that San Jose Sharks not having an issue with taking him at No. 4. They just began their rebuild last season and won’t be competitive for a few more years anyway.

San Jose will be in much better shape in 2026 and if you add an NHL-ready Mitchkov to the mix, the Sharks could be dangerous for years to come.

Other NHL Betting Markets

If betting on certain pick numbers isn’t for you, BetOnline has more intriguing NHL Entry Draft betting markets.

For example, there are odds on which prospect will be picked in the top 10. Unsurprisingly, Mitchkov leads the way here at -20000 odds. Meanwhile, the player with the longest odds is Eduard Sale (+750), who helped lead Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 World Junior Championships, tallying six points in seven games.

There are also head-to-head markets regarding which player will be drafted first over the other. For example, one option pits Carlsson against Mitchkov. In this case, Carlsson is favored to be drafted first at -700 while Mitchkov sits at +400.

At the end of the day, it’s worth exploring the NHL draft markets to find out what works best for you. Personally, I think the Sharks drafting Mitchkov fourth overall at +350 is the best bet available — especially when you consider the state of their rebuild. It just makes sense that San Jose wouldn’t mind the three-year delay considering that the dynamic Russian will be worth the wait.