Top Prospects: Forwards
Top 50 of Fall 2023
Below is the Hockey Prophets Top 50 Forwards prospect ranking for the fall of 2023. The full ranking of over 1,000 of the world's top hockey prospects is available for premium members.
Last list update: 8/20/2023
| Rank | Name | Position | Age | Height | Weight | Draft Selection | Pre-Draft Ranking | A/P Score | Comment |
| 1 | Bedard, Connor | Center | 18 | 5'9 | 185 | 1 | 1 | -5.31 | Bedard is a generational-level talent. There is no brighter prospect on the planet. |
| 2 | Fantilli, Adam | Center | 18 | 6'3 | 192 | 3 | 2 | -4.06 | Fantilli brings size, speed and competitive drive to the ice on every shift. The list of 18-year-old Hobey Baker winners is Paul Kariya, Jack Eichel and Adam Fantilli |
| 3 | Carlsson, Leo | Center | 18 | 6'3 | 194 | 2 | 3 | -2.41 | Drafted above Fantilli because he is a big, super-smart center with a ton of upside. |
| 4 | Cooley, Logan | Center | 19 | 5'10 | 180 | 3 | 3 | -1.92 | Arizona's 3rd-overall pick in 2022 put up 60 points for the Gophers last season, and 14 points in 7 WJC games. |
| 5 | Smith, Will | Center | 18 | 5'11 | 180 | 4 | 5 | -3.38 | So much to like about Smith's offensive game and pure attacking instincts. Needs to up his work-rate, but a great prospect. |
| 6 | Michkov, Matvei | Right Wing | 18 | 5'10 | 159 | 7 | 4 | -3.78 | Michkov could be second on the list if there was no risk adjustment. Impossible to take the puck away from him. Elite-level talent. |
| 7 | Guenther, Dylan | Left Wing | 20 | 6'1 | 170 | 9 | 6 | -3.71 | Natural goal scorer and a driver of offense on every shift. Showed his NHL potential in 33 games with Arizona. |
| 8 | Dvorsky, Dalibor | Center | 18 | 6'1 | 200 | 10 | 9 | -2.73 | Does not have the magic of Michkov or Smith, not as big or aggressive in the attack as Carlsson or Fantilli, but still a top talent and potential NHL star player. |
| 9 | Leonard, Ryan | Right Wing | 18 | 5'11 | 190 | 8 | 9 | -2.09 | Intensity and skill makes Leonard a player that teams want desperately to add to their NHL playoff roster. |
| 10 | Rossi, Marco | Center | 21 | 5'9 | 179 | 9 | 7 | -3.78 | Struggled to make an offensive impact for Minnesota last year, but was highly affective in the AHL. Still has all the skill to be an NHL star. |
| 11 | Benson, Zachary | Left Wing | 18 | 5'9 | 170 | 13 | 9 | -2.74 | Small, crafty, highly active and intelligent winger who generates offense |
| 12 | Perreault, Gabe | Center | 18 | 5'10 | 163 | 23 | 14 | -3.41 | Slipped down the draft table, but his game-breaking scoring ability should prove some people wrong |
| 13 | Eklund, William | Left Wing | 20 | 5'10 | 172 | 7 | 4 | -2.41 | Eklund has been slow to adapt to North American hockey, but his 41 points in 54 rookie AHL games points to a bright future. |
| 14 | Wright, Shane | Center | 19 | 6'0 | 199 | 4 | 2 | -2.12 | Former top prospect has started to slide due to his lack of counting stat generation, but he still has big upside and NHL mentality. |
| 15 | Barlow, Colby | Left Wing | 18 | 6'1 | 187 | 18 | 13 | -1.76 | A goal-scorer with size and on-ice intellect. He will put pucks in NHL nets. |
| 16 | Gauthier, Cutter | Left Wing | 19 | 6'2 | 200 | 5 | 8 | -1.06 | Continues to improve his offensive game at Boston College, and his physical and defensive play are already NHL-ready. |
| 17 | Nazar, Frank | Right Wing | 19 | 5'10 | 180 | 13 | 16 | -1.17 | Hip surgery was a big setback last year and limited Nazar to just 13 games in his post-draft season at Michigan. He'll need to make up for lost development time, but his talent is big enough to carry him forward. |
| 18 | Honzek, Samuel | Center | 18 | 6'3 | 195 | 16 | 19 | -1.51 | Solid offensive game will be effective at the NHL level, but needs to improve some areas of his play. |
| 19 | Wood, Matthew | Right Wing | 18 | 6'4 | 197 | 15 | 13 | -1.36 | Great shot, good hands, but his skating needs to improve to vault him up the list. |
| 20 | Danielson, Nate | Center | 18 | 6'1 | 186 | 9 | 18 | -0.99 | Solid two-way center with skill and a high NHL-floor. |
| 21 | Musty, Quentin | Left Wing | 18 | 6'1 | 200 | 26 | 23 | -2.37 | Talented player who needs to become more comfortable not being the prime focus. |
| 22 | Bolduc, Zachary | Center | 20 | 6'0 | 175 | 17 | 23 | -1.03 | Bolduc had a monster year leading Memorial Cup champion Quebec, and is a rare, two-time 50-goal scorer in the QMJHL. |
| 23 | Kemell, Joakim | Right Wing | 19 | 5'9 | 185 | 17 | 7 | -1.70 | His transition to North America was impactful, as he notched 13 points in 14 AHL games, and another 10 points in the playoffs. Talented scorer who is more effective as the talent around him increases. |
| 24 | Ritchie, Calum | Center | 18 | 6'1 | 174 | 27 | 20 | -0.77 | Suffered through injury in his draft year, which hurt his stock overall but not his future. |
| 25 | McGroarty, Rutger | Center | 19 | 6'1 | 204 | 14 | 24 | -1.37 | Point-per-game freshman at one of the NCAA's top programs. |
| 26 | Yager, Brayden | Center | 18 | 5'11 | 170 | 14 | 19 | -1.20 | Puck magnet who has great vision and passing abilities, keeping all opponents on their heels. |
| 27 | Savoie, Matthew | Center | 19 | 5'9 | 175 | 9 | 10 | -1.81 | Size is still a factor, and his counting stats were limited last season as Winnipeg scoring was spread out across all that talent, but he has the goods to be a top-flight NHLer. |
| 28 | Ostlund, Noah | Center | 19 | 5'10 | 164 | 16 | 27 | -0.86 | Solid season distributing pucks for Djurgardens, and a top U20 player in the AllSvensken (see Liam Ohgren). |
| 29 | Kulich, Jiri | Center | 19 | 5'11 | 178 | 28 | 20 | -0.21 | Highly successful first season in North America saw Kulich score 46 points in 62 games, then another 11 in 12 in the playoffs. He will see some games in the NHL this season, and might make it stick. |
| 30 | Knies, Matthew | Left Wing | 20 | 6'2 | 200 | 57 | 51 | -0.26 | NHL-type, big-bodied winger who just keeps getting better. Turned pro after two excellent seasons at Minnesota, and should be a starting middle six to start the NHL season. |
| 31 | Ohgren, Liam | Left Wing | 19 | 6'0 | 201 | 19 | 21 | -2.13 | Solid season scoring for Djurgardens, and a top U20 player in the AllSvensken (see Noah Ostlund). |
| 32 | Dumais, Jordan | Right Wing | 19 | 5'9 | 165 | 96 | 84 | -2.60 | Dumais continues to score at a torid pace, finishing last season behind only Conor Bedard for the CHL scoring lead. Scored 54 goals, 86 assists, and led an underpowered Halifax team toe to toe against the champion Remparts. |
| 33 | Pelletier, Jakob | Left Wing | 22 | 5'9 | 165 | 26 | 33 | -1.92 | Over a point-per-game in the AHL, and had a good showing in for the Flames despite his grumpy coach not knowing his name. |
| 34 | Mesar, Filip | Right Wing | 19 | 5'9 | 174 | 26 | 32 | -1.18 | Transitioned well to North American play in his first season with Kitchener, and looks to have a better year two. Skill and speed, and as he develops, should become a second-line NHL winger. |
| 35 | Coronato, Matthew | Left Wing | 20 | 5'10 | 180 | 13 | 15 | -2.15 | Got a one-game debut for the Flames at the end of last season, and may need a year in the AHL, but he'll be in the show to stay soon enough. |
| 36 | Moore, Oliver | Center | 18 | 5'11 | 195 | 19 | 13 | -1.15 | Speed kills, and Moore has a lot of it. Brilliant skater, with offensive abilities. |
| 37 | Lekkerimaki, Jonathan | Center | 19 | 5'11 | 172 | 15 | 9 | -1.23 | Underwhelming year in Sweden's Tier 2 men's league, with just 9 points in 29 games. Moving to Orebro in the SHL this season, which could be a pivotal year for him. |
| 38 | Sale, Eduard | Right Wing | 18 | 6'1 | 175 | 20 | 21 | -0.49 | If the Sale who energizes the game can show up on every shift, he will make his spot on this list look much too low. |
| 39 | Foerster, Tyson | Center | 21 | 6'1 | 194 | 23 | 29 | -1.57 | His hard work continues to pay off, and he just keeps getting better and better. Relentless. |
| 40 | Cristall, Andrew | Left Wing | 18 | 5'9 | 175 | 40 | 27 | -2.93 | His lack of size and physical play was the likely source of his draft day fall, but the scoring ability is there. |
| 41 | Snuggerud, Jimmy | Right Wing | 19 | 6'1 | 188 | 23 | 19 | -0.93 | Fun to watch, and his skating is improving. He has an NHL mentality and the shot to make it. |
| 42 | Kasper, Marco | Center | 19 | 6'0 | 187 | 8 | 12 | -0.07 | Will get his first good chance in North America this year. Works so hard, his success if inevitable, but his scoring upside still looks limited. |
| 43 | But, Daniil | Left Wing | 18 | 6'4 | 198 | 12 | 22 | -0.26 | His talent is apparent outside of the dots. Inside the dots? Arizona thinks it will work. |
| 44 | Geekie, Conor | Center | 19 | 6'3 | 196 | 11 | 18 | -1.25 | Still has not shown an explosive offensive game, and probably never will. He has the size and physicallity to be a bottom-six NHLer, though. |
| 45 | Holtz, Alexander | Left Wing | 21 | 6'0 | 183 | 7 | 9 | -1.70 | Holtz just hasn't been able to put it all together yet, or he'd likely be graduated by now. As it is, this is probably the last time he's on this list. |
| 46 | Evangelista, Luke | Right Wing | 21 | 5'11 | 172 | 42 | 50 | -0.77 | Had a nice professional debut season, throwing up 41 points in 49 games in the AHL, and adding 15 in 24 end-of-season games in the NHL for the Predators. Just keeps getting better. |
| 47 | Lysell, Fabian | Right Wing | 20 | 5'10 | 176 | 21 | 17 | -0.49 | Quality rookie season in the AHL with 37 points in 54 games. Needs one more year at the AHL level to hone his craft, but could see some NHL games this season. |
| 48 | Sokolov, Egor | Right Wing | 23 | 6'4 | 240 | 61 | 88 | -1.94 | The only thing holding Sokolov back is his pace, but it's getting there, at least in the way he plays if not in his actual skating (but the skating is getting a little better, too). |
| 49 | Stankoven, Logan | Right Wing | 20 | 5'8 | 170 | 47 | 32 | -2.70 | Filled to the brim with skill and talent. His faceoff prowess might be enough on its own to get him NHL minutes |
| 50 | Edstrom, David | Center | 18 | 6'3 | 185 | 32 | 34 | -0.16 | Quality two-way Center that plays a quiet, effective game. |