It certainly doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone following the 2023 NHL Draft that there are two clear frontrunners to be drafted first and second among New Englanders.
U.S. National Team Development Program U-18 center Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and linemate Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) will be the first two players picked from this region when the draft commences on June 28 in Nashville, Tenn.
The pair of Boston College commits cemented their status as projected top-10 picks with dominating performances at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship. Smith was the top scorer and named tournament MVP while Leonard scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the United States captured the gold medal.
After Smith and Leonard, the field drops off significantly. It would be a stretch if any other native New Englander was chosen in the first three rounds. The number of drafted players from the region won’t be as high as in 2022, but there still will be a handful of other New Englanders whose names get called in Nashville.
MORE NHL DRAFT: Which prep school players could be selected?
The fun thing about the lack of sure-things after Smith and Leonard is that there is a fluidity to these lists. Players have risen and fallen throughout the past 18 months. Players in their second and third years of eligibility have emerged, while the stock of a couple of first-year-eligible prospects has decreased.
Here is an in-depth look at the top 10 New England prospects eligible for the 2023 NHL draft:
1. Will Smith
NTDP U-18, 3/17/05, C, right shot, 6-0/182
NCAA commit: Boston College
Smith broke all kinds of NTDP records in his final season at the Plymouth, Mich.-based program. He finished the season with 51 goals and 76 assists in 60 games. During the U-18 World Championship, he torched international competition for nine goals and 11 assists in just seven games. The longtime Junior Eagles star has transformed his game, as he’s become a more well-rounded player. A power forward with elite skating and playmaking ability, he can do it all. He has good size, hockey sense and keeps working harder. His play at the U-18 worlds likely has solidified his spot in the top five of the draft.
2. Ryan Leonard
NTDP U-18, 1/21/05, RW, right shot, 5-11/190
NCAA commit: Boston College
Leonard is a pure goal scorer who possesses the ability to be a top-six forward in the NHL someday. Not always as hyped as Smith, Leonard went to the national program after starring for Pope Francis and the Springfield Rifles. Leonard has an elite shot and the hockey sense to go with it. He knows where to go to find soft spots and has that goal-scoring knack for the net. He almost put the puck in at a rate of a goal per game. In 57 games this season, he scored 51 times and added 43 assists. The other aspect of his game that makes his pro upside intriguing is his ability to play the game with an edge. He’s matured quite a bit and earned the trust of the coaching staff to play in all situations. Expect Leonard to hear his name called somewhere between sixth and ninth in Nashville.
3. Will Vote
NTDP U-18, 2/2/05, RW, right shot, 5-8/155
NCAA commit: Boston College
Some NHL scouts might view my lofty ranking of Vote as far-fetched. However, his spot in the third position is based on a number of factors. Outside of Smith and Leonard, Vote has been on my radar the longest among 2005 birth-year players in this draft class. His body of work and history of producing and playing the game the right way are too much to ignore. His size and lack of dynamic physical tools are certainly reasons for concern when projecting NHL potential. He’s proven people wrong every step of the way, and it would be perilous for NHL teams to count him out when picking after the first three rounds. Vote scored 16 goals and 29 assists in 61 games. While not gaudy numbers, it’s important to remember he would have dominated prep hockey or played a bigger role on most USHL teams. The Arlington, Mass., native is a versatile player who can play wing or center and can slide up and down the lineup with his brain and compete. I wouldn’t advocate for a high-round pick because of his size, but he’s worth considering from the fourth to the seventh rounds.
4. Matt Copponi
Merrimack, 6/4/03, C, right shot, 5-11/175
Copponi, from Mansfield, Mass., had a breakout season against older and better competition in Hockey East. In 37 games for the Warriors, he had 14 goals and 15 assists. Some of his tallies were clutch, including the overtime game-winner to send Merrimack to the Hockey East final at TD Garden. Copponi always has been a big-game player and skates with a chip on his shoulder. A former Dexter Southfield and River Rats star, Copponi became better away from the puck and in the defensive zone in his sophomore year at Merrimack. While his neutral zone play still needs to improve, his game is trending in the right direction. His skating and willingness to play in tough areas are top attributes. He’s tenacious, loyal and deserving of this opportunity in the draft. In his third and final year of eligibility, someone should take Copponi in the fourth or fifth round.
5. Ethan Gardula
Cushing, 2/28/05, RW, left shot, 6-1/178
NCAA commit: Connecticut
Gardula had a terrific final season in Ashburnham, Mass., scoring 17 goals and 33 assists in 32 games as the Penguins advanced to the NEPSAC Elite 8 title contest. Gardula’s two-way game was the most impressive of all draft-eligible forwards. He can play in all situations and played his off-wing for the first time. He can read plays and kill opposing chances with his defensive ability. The one area of his game that can stand improvement is his assertiveness. He has the physical tools to take over games. He needs to become comfortable and confident doing that on a regular basis. A solid stint in the USHL after the season helped him gain trust among NHL scouts. He scored two goals and three assists in his first nine games with Sioux City Musketeers. The Princeton, Mass., native and longtime Junior Eagles star likely will hear his name called in the fourth through sixth rounds.
6. Joe Connor
Avon Old Farms, 3/31/05, LW, left shot, 5-10/172
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Connor burst onto the NHL draft radar last summer with his play at the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp and Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Previously known as a good player with Hockey East interest, his output in those summer months helped him land a big-time commitment from Northeastern, as well as gain the attention of NHL scouts. His brilliance didn’t end there. He was the leading scorer for Avon Old Farms as the Winged Beavers won the NEPSAC Elite 8 championship. The Amherst, N.H., native scored 21 goals and had 22 assists in 28 games. Willing to hunt pucks and play in the dirty areas, Connor overcomes his somewhat slight stature at this level. It’s fair for NHL scouts to critique whether he can have that same effectiveness at their level. His skating is good for junior and college potential but isn’t elite for projecting to pro hockey, which is a concern for scouts. After the prep season, Connor appeared in 12 games for Muskegon in the USHL, scoring a goal and netting five assists. A Minuteman Flames and Hillside School product, Connor likely will be a sixth- or seventh-round selection.
7. Sean Keohane
Dexter Southfield, 11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-4/182
NCAA commit: Harvard
Keohane’s draft grade probably is the most debatable of any player from New England. His size, skating and raw potential are unmatched. He’s a big, rangy defender from Milton, Mass., who played much of this past season with a significant shoulder injury. The future Crimson blueliner certainly deserves credit for fighting through and staying on the ice. His puck skill and touches were questionable, but how much of that can be attributed to his injury? His play with the puck certainly was better in 2021-22 as an underager than it was this past season. The longtime Cape Cod Whalers blueliner has enough potential to offset his up-and-down senior season. Look for an NHL team to give him a shot in the sixth or seventh round.
NEXT UP: How Will Smith and Ryan Leonard compare to past top NHL Draft prospects from New England
8. Andon Cerbone
Youngstown Phantoms, 4/13/04, C, left shot, 5-10/160
NCAA commit: Quinnipiac
Cerbone’s stock soared in his third full season in the USHL. The former Michigan recruit is now slated to play for defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac next season. From Stamford, Conn., Cerbone always has been a gifted offensive player, but he’s proven he can produce at a clip of a point per game for USHL Eastern Conference champion Youngstown this season. After being traded from Omaha, Cerbone racked up 18 goals and 31 assists in 43 games for Youngstown. A center at this level, he could be moved to wing in college and pro hockey, but his offensive playmaking ability is something that can’t be understated. With his size and all the other talent in the USHL, Cerbone might be a long shot to hear his name called in Nashville. However, the longtime Mid Fairfield Junior Rangers star certainly is better than a number of other players in this draft class who are receiving more hype. If he hasn’t been picked yet and a team has a seventh-round pick, it would be wise to consider plucking Cerbone.
9. Will McDonough
Sioux Falls Stampede, 6/18/05, RW, right shot, 6-2/194
NCAA commit: Harvard
McDonough long has been considered one of the best '05 forwards in the United States. The Duxbury, Mass., native made the NTDP Evaluation Camp in 2021 and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup team in August 2022. The Duxbury, Mass., native has had his ups and downs at the USHL level, but kudos to McDonough for challenging himself. Now in his second year in the USHL, the Boston Advantage product scored 12 goals and had 13 assists in 59 games. His size, ability to come off the wall, and net-front presence are all solid attributes. His heavy boots are of concern for NHL teams. It’s important to remember that if McDonough played prep or Midget hockey, he’d have monster numbers. McDonough is a player NHL teams should at least consider with a seventh-round pick.
10. Lucas St. Louis
Dubuque Fighting Saints, 3/30/05, D, left shot, 5-10/163
NCAA commit: Harvard
St. Louis made the jump to Dubuque after a dominant 2021-22 season with Brunswick. The Greenwich, Conn., native and longtime Mid Fairfield star had a successful first season in the USHL. He impacted the offense from the back end, scoring three goals and 21 assists in 61 games. He’s an undersized blueliner, but his mobility, confidence with the puck, and stick are all attributes worth considering for NHL scouts in the seventh round. It wouldn’t surprise me if a team, particularly Montreal where his father Marty coaches, selected him in that spot.
Video: Meet the 10 best draft prospects from New England
https://youtu.be/yLoRNLUvpqY
