The premise of my annual draft survey is simple and ambitious: three different questions for three different groups of people who are involved at three different levels of each draft. NHL scouts and staff get one question. The players themselves get another. The general managers and coaches in the leagues they play in get another.
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Each question is designed to elicit insight unique to their role in the draft. The goal is to provide a trio of differing perspectives on what is ultimately the same thing: this year’s draft-eligible prospects.
This year, the finished product includes a total of 95 respondents. Here are the results.
Note: The following answers are lightly edited for clarity and length.
NHL scout survey
I asked 16 scouts and team staff the following question this year: “Where would you rank Matvei Michkov in this class if all else was equal and the geopolitical and contractual considerations weren’t a factor?”
The goal was to garner a better sense of the consensus on the actual hockey player. Given how much readers have asked about him, I felt this was as good an opportunity as any to provide a baseline for what teams are passing up on because of extenuating factors.
Three scouts said they hadn’t seen enough of him to form an opinion. Another replied, “I am not going to touch that one haha.” Here’s where the rest landed.
Scout 1: He probably ranks No. 2. His play in the KHL has been as good as you could hope for from a draft eligible: solid production, strong underlying analytical metrics and glowing scouting reports. After Bedard, he is the only prospect that likely could make the jump to the NHL next year and has higher upside than (Leo) Carlsson or (Adam) Fantilli.
Scout 2: Second or third.
If third, who’d be second for you?
Fantilli.
*pause in texts*
Or (Connor) Bedard.
Scout 3: Third.
Behind Bedard and who?
Fantilli.
Scout 4: I haven’t seen Michkov play this year so I don’t have an accurate assessment. Though from what I’m hearing I would slot him in between 6-10.
Scout 5: Michkov would rank just behind Bedard in that scenario.
Scout 6: Hell of a question. I’m debating between 1 and 2. I think it’s probably 2. I think I value the goal-scoring upside in Bedard a bit more.
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Scout 7: 1B. Both players put together generational draft years.
Scout 8: Second.
Scout 9: Second. I would have Bedard in a tier at the top, next tier would be Michkov in his own tier before the group of Fantilli, Carlsson, (Will) Smith.
Scout 10: Good Q. No. 3 for me.
Behind Bedard and who?
Fantilli. Original, I know.
Scout 11: Given our standing situation MM was a guy I only watched once all year. So, not a situation I can weigh in on with any authority. In saying that, I still have him second on my list when weighing all those factors. But again, given my much lower sample sizes are on the “top” 3-4 guys, I can’t say with much certainty that it would still be the case if I watched those guys more.
Scout 12: Good question. Tough one, I had to think about it as we won’t be in consideration for either. I think Michkov over Fantilli at No. 2 for me.
Player survey
I ask the prospects of each draft class the same question each year: “Who is the most talented non-teammate you’ve played against in the class? Not necessarily the best, but the most talented.”
This year, I surveyed 61 prospects, but with one more caveat: They couldn’t answer Bedard, either.
Then I left them to think about it and come back with an answer. Their responses, I think, are illuminating of which players have impressed their peers.
Ethan Gauthier called Zach Benson “the best player I’ve played on a line with.” Michael Hrabal quipped “You know the players” and refused to answer when pressed, with a smile on his face. Multiple players credited Colby Barlow for how hard he is to stop. One said they told an NHL club in an interview that they’d take Brayden Yager with them to the NHL if they could pick. Only nine of the 60 votes went to defencemen because of the nature of the question, and five of those were for Axel Sandin Pellikka, who was most popular among U.S. NTDP players in what I thought was a notable sign of respect.
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Here was the final tally, ranked by most common (number of responses in parentheses).
1. Will Smith (8)
2. Zach Benson (7)
3. Colby Barlow (6)
T4. Calum Ritchie, Axel Sandin Pellikka (5)
T6. Leo Carlsson, Andrew Cristall, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg (3)
T10. Adam Fantilli, Jayden Perron, Brayden Yager, Etienne Morin (2)
T14. Eduard Sale, Quentin Musty, Luca Cagnoni, Luca Pinelli, Gracyn Sawchyn, Ryan Leonard, Nick Lardis, David Reinbacher, Riley Heidt (1)
Connor Bedard (AP Photo / Abbie Parr)
WHL coaches, GMs and player survey
Over the course of this season, I surveyed staff and players from around the WHL to try to find fresh perspectives and insights into Bedard. It has felt like everything that can be said or written about him has been said or written about him. By pundits. By people with Hockey Canada and the Regina Pats. By him. By his family. By us here at The Athletic, where we’ve written several features across several years, travelled to spend time with him and broken down the ins and outs of his game on tape and his game in the data.
But we haven’t actually heard much from his opponents and peers, at least not the ones who are most familiar with what it’s like to play with and against him. His world juniors teammates saw it — and were asked about it — for two weeks, sure, but few of them actually know it and so you get mostly “oohs and aahs.” But there are some who’ve been seeing it and around it for years. The coaches who’ve game-planned for or against him, the GMs who’ve tried to construct ways to do the same, and the players — and goalies! — who’ve played against him or skated with him, who’ve tried to stop him or tried to get him pucks, in many cases since minor hockey.
And so, 18 of those people were asked some version of the same question: “Tell me something I don’t know about Bedard. Something that flies under the radar. Something that other people don’t see or get wrong.”
Some of their answers were blunt. Some were funny. Some reinforced what we already know.
Here’s what they all said.
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Peter Anholt (Lethbridge Hurricanes GM): “Sorry Scott. Nothing that Connor does for me flies under the radar. No one has been more dissected than this kid. That’s probably what flies under the radar most, is how he has handled the attention.”
Jeff Chynoweth (Calgary Hitmen GM): There is nothing about his game in my opinion that flies under the radar. He was off the charts at the world juniors and has taken it to another level since returning to the WHL. It is like he is playing a video game.”
Steve Hamilton (Calgary Hitmen HC): His versatility on the power play. Could play any one of the five spots without a ripple. Flows into space based on where the good ice is.
Dave Struch (Everett Silvertips AHC, former Regina Pats HC for Bedard’s first two seasons): His preparation before and after a game or practice. It’s nothing fascinating but it’s a pro mentality. The work/rest/focus etc. that he has put (is putting) in to his game when no one is watching.
Luke Pierce (Edmonton Oil Kings HC): I would say recently it has been his playmaking ability. From early December on it has been incredible. Was “easier” to defend him as a pure shooter but his playmaking improvement has made defending him extremely difficult.
Kirt Hill (Edmonton Oil Kings GM): His playmaking in my opinion. Everyone talks about his shot and ability to score, but his passing and ability to be accurate all the time with his passes is a huge part of his game and success. That’s forehand and backhand, which are both elite.
Curtis Hunt (Prince Albert Raiders GM): How strong he is on his skates and how he has developed his physical game.
Bill LaForge (Seattle Thunderbirds GM): I would say his competitive nature. He is in every battle.
Matt O’Dette (Seattle Thunderbirds HC): Thankfully we didn’t have to face him when we visited Regina. Just from watching him, I’m always surprised with his competitiveness and feistiness. Nice combination for a player with that type of skill.
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Dennis Williams (Everett Silvertips HC/GM, HC with Team Canada at the 2023 world juniors): One thing for sure is his compete without the puck. His one-on-one battles. He pursues pucks very well and has a very good stick on takeaways. Strong on his skates with great puck protection skills.
Anonymous coach: He wants the puck all over the ice. It’s not like he just wants it off the rush. He wants the puck low, he wants the puck high, he wants it everywhere. And you just want the puck on his stick as much as possible, which is why I think he’s best as a centre. I think it would be wild to have him as a winger (in the NHL). And his competitiveness, I felt like that was something that people really undervalued. Like he’s chippy and he’ll self-govern himself. Like he’ll go after guys. People were taking full-blown runs at this kid and he’s throwing bigger reverse hits, he’s getting elbows up, and he’s right in the mix of things. I think it’s still underrated, even now.
Fraser Minten (Kamloops Blazers forward, former teammate at West Van Academy): I don’t know if there’s something that isn’t out there already (laughs). I think maybe just that he’s a normal kid. There’s nothing superhuman about him or anything like that. Everything he has gotten is from incredible amounts of hard work and passion. He’s just a super passionate, competitive, driven guy. You watch “The Last Dance” and you think of him as having that kind of drive and will to win. You watch him in the first round this year in the playoffs and he demonstrates that, you watch him in the world juniors, the bigger the game the bigger the moment and he always rises up. But a lot of people think he’s got some ability that’s genetic or born like that and it was all hard-earned and he has progressed every single year. So maybe just keeping in mind that he’s just a normal guy and anyone can do what he’s doing if they’re willing to sacrifice and put in as much work as he has.
Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors forward, does Power Edge Pro skates with Bedard in the offseason): He doesn’t really put too much out there. He’s just a great person. He’s confident but he’s just a great person away from the rink. He’s somebody I look up to. Obviously the stuff he does on the ice is pretty incredible so to just watch him is pretty special. He’s probably the best prospect since, I don’t know, (Sidney) Crosby. There’s obviously a lot of pressure on him and he seems to be handling it pretty well.
You look at the stuff that he’s doing every night, it’s incredible. You’ve got to know where he is on the ice because he’s super dangerous. Just knowing where he’s at on the ice because he’s going to make you look pretty silly if you don’t. Connor Bedard is an unbelievable player.
Jackson Unger (Moose Jaw Warriors goalies): The toughest thing as a goalie is undoubtedly his shot. He’s got a couple past me this season. He beat me off the rush. Off the rush he just does this toe-drag release, the Auston Matthews shot, and it works like a charm for him. He changes the angle so quickly that as a goalie you have to adjust to it, but when he does it so fast it’s easier said than done. It’s a lot of different angles he can give you. (And) I think his speed is underrated. He’s a really fast skater. Like once he gets going, he’s buzzing.
Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds goalie): It’s just trying to get out, face him, and hope it hits ya. *smiles* And he can shoot from anywhere and he’s lethal from anywhere. You’ve just always got to be ready just in case he shoots it. And then he’s got a really good toe drag release, so it’s watching for that and making sure you’re lined up.
Luca Cagnoni (Portland Winterhawks defenceman): The one thing I think that’s underrated is his strength. He can definitely throw the body around. It happened to us when we played against him. He had a couple of good hits. And then a lot of people talk about his shot but I think he’s just as good a playmaker and he’s really deceptive. That’s what makes him so hard to play against is you don’t know if he’s going to shoot, dangle or pass it because he’s so deceptive and you never know what he’s going to do. He did walk me when I was there, unfortunately, but that’s a part of it. He’s also not as talkative as people might think he would be. He’s not quiet but he’s super humble and a great guy to talk to.
Growing up, he played North Shore so we played him and West Van a lot. That bantam prep year when he came in, he was still an underager and he led the league and everyone just knew that he was the next big thing — the next big Connor.
Zach Benson (Winnipeg Ice forward, former spring hockey teammate and current offseason training mate): I think the hardest thing to contain is his shot. He can just shoot from anywhere and put it in the net. I’d say his agility and his passing fly under the radar. Everyone is so focused on his shot because he can score from anywhere but he can also put a puck right on a platter for ya and he’s so agile. He can move left to right like no one I’ve seen before.
We have so many memories. We went to Europe to play together for a tournament and we were on a line there. It’s pretty special. He’s super humble, just a super nice human being and he’s all about his craft away from the rink. He’s rolling out, he’s doing recovery, he’s putting the right food in his body. It’s what makes him special on the ice.
Nate Danielson (Brandon Wheat Kings forward): I played against him once or twice in bantam and then we were in the same league in midget. He was always one of the better players as an underage. So we knew he was a special player. But I think he has even taken it to another level now. It’s pretty cool to see. Obviously his shot is something pretty special but his creativity as well, I don’t think he gets enough credit for his playmaking ability as well as his shot. It’s pretty tough to stop him. You actually have to almost not worry about him too much. He’ll just make you look silly if you just follow him around out there.
(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; photos: Dave Sandford, Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)