Blackhawks Forward Prospects Vault Up Recent 2023 NHL Re-Draft

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Every summer, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler goes through a fun exercise where he re-drafts the first round from three years prior and compares it to how the top 32 selections actually played out.

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Last week, it was time for Wheeler to publish his do-over of the 2023 NHL Draft, where the Chicago Blackhawks held the No. 1 overall pick and drafted franchise cornerstone Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks also held the 19th selection that year, which they used to draft forward Oliver Moore.

Wheeler noted that three years isn’t enough time for these players to be considered as finished products in their respective development. However, most members of the 2023 draft class have established themselves as full-time NHLers, or are at least nearing the end of their prospect cycles. That made him feel comfortable putting together an accurate depiction of how the draft would play out if it occurred now, just over three years later.

Bedard Remains No. 1

Wheeler kicked off his 2023 re-draft by keeping the Blackhawks’ first overall pick the same, with Bedard remaining as the best player available. He added, “There’s more room for debate (I think it’s a short-lived debate, but you’d listen) now than there was then, but Bedard is still No. 1.”

Among all 224 players selected in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard leads the entire group in scoring by a wide margin. Just five players have reached 100 career NHL points, with Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli as the only three with over 140. Bedard has 203 career points, Carlsson has 141, and Fantilli has 140. He’s also the one player from his class with over 70 career goals. Debate if you want, but Bedard deserves to remain as the No. 1 selection.

In fact, Wheeler kept each of the top four draft selections as they were, with the Anaheim Ducks selecting Carlsson second, the Columbus Blue Jackets picking Fantilli third, and the San Jose Sharks choosing Will Smith fourth.

The back half of the top 10 is where the significant changes start to occur, with Matvei Michkov (originally picked 7th) moved up to No. 5 overall, Zach Benson (originally picked 13th) moved up to No. 6 overall, and Gabe Perreault (originally picked 23rd) moved up to No. 7 overall. Then, after Wheeler preserved the Washington Capitals’ pick of Ryan Leonard at No. 8, the Detroit Red Wings were on the clock next at No. 9.

Kantserov Climbs Draft Board

With the ninth overall selection in Wheeler’s 2023 NHL Draft re-do, the Red Wings selected Russian winger Roman Kantserov, whom the Blackhawks selected in the second round at No. 44. Since then, Kantserov has captured a KHL championship (2023-24) and is coming off one arguably the best 21-year-old season in league history, scoring 36 goals and tallying 64 points in 63 games in 2025-26.

Kantserov inked his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on May 14 and is set to play his rookie NHL season in 2026-27, where he’s expected to garner a top-six role immediately. Here’s what Wheeler wrote about Kantserov vaulting into the top-10 of his 2023 re-draft:

“I wrote at the time that Kantserov belonged higher on talent, but I also gave too much weight to the Russian factor in 2022 and 2023 post-Ukraine invasion,” Wheeler said. “Those guys have always stayed longer and come with some risk, but if that has grown, it hasn’t been as substantial as some (myself included) maybe anticipated. Looking back on my report, I think I got his profile right. Where I actually slotted him was much too low, though.”

Three years removed, the Blackhawks should be ecstatic with the value of their 44th overall selection, as Kantserov has a chance to be an integral part of general manager Kyle Davidson’s rebuild. As it turns out, this wasn’t the only pick from the 2023 NHL Draft where Davidson and Co. committed highway robbery, as another one of the franchise’s day-two selections ended up in the top 32 of Wheeler’s re-draft.

Lardis Leaps Into Round One

Fittingly, with their own pick at No. 19, Wheeler had the Blackhawks draft undersized winger Nick Lardis, who the franchise originally selected with the 67th pick in the third round. Just over one year later, Lardis became the OHL’s first 70-goal scorer since John Tavares in 2006-07 with a league-leading 71 goals in 65 games in 2024-25. In his first season of pro hockey this past season with the Blackhawks, the 20-year-old registered 10 goals in 41 appearances.

“I’ve been too slow to move guys when they’ve taken off late in a draft process before, and it has landed me some “prospects I was wrong about” at times,” Wheeler said, noting he had Lardis ranked 38th in his final 2023 draft ranking. “Lardis was one I didn’t hesitate to move after watching him explode in a few viewings with Hamilton in the second half, and I’m glad I did. All he does is score, and his speed, instincts, and shot give me faith that he’ll score in the NHL.”

Even before he went on to eclipse the 70-goal plateau, Lardis flashed promise in the OHL at a young age, totaling 37 goals and 28 assists for 65 points in 69 combined games for the Peterborough Petes and Hamilton Bulldogs as a 17-year-old. But with a smaller frame and questions surrounding his off-puck skills, ultimately two rounds passed before Lardis heard his name called in June 2023.

While Lardis still has much to prove at the NHL level, players with legitimate 30-goal upside don’t get picked in the third round too often. The jury is still out on him, but the 21-year-old possesses that type of ceiling, with natural goal-scoring instincts and a sneaky-quick release in his toolkit. Much like with Kantserov, Davidson found himself a hidden gem on day two of the draft with Lardis.

Moore Maintains Top-20 Spot

The fourth and final member of the Blackhawks’ 2023 draft class included in Wheeler’s re-draft is Oliver Moore, the original selection with Davidson’s 19th pick. Wheeler bumped Moore down one spot, where he was selected 20th overall by the Seattle Kraken.

“Moore is the fourth Blackhawks player in this new top 20. He was the best skater in the class, and I found him very likable as a player. I gave those two things too much weight against his average brain and finishing, though. He’s a good player. He’s never going to produce many points.”

Like many draft scouts and analysts leading into the 2023 NHL Draft, Wheeler expected Moore to be a late top-10 selection, ranking him ninth in his final draft ranking. With blazing speed and strong two-way play, it’s easy to see why Moore received lots of love at the time.

Even though he just turned 21 in January and has appeared in only 60 NHL games, Wheeler’s assessment of Moore’s offensive game is likely accurate. He’s never going to be best-known for his offensive contributions, which is why his stock hasn’t changed much over the last three years. Moore still projects to be an impact player in the Blackhawks’ rebuild, but it might not come as a top-six forward as initially anticipated.

Instead, Moore could carve out a niche role for himself as an energy provider and defensive stalwart, thanks to his ridiculous skating speed. And it’s not like he’s an offensive slouch — he tallied five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in 51 games during his first full pro season in 2025-26. It’s just that he might not possess enough offensive tools to be a first or second-line player in the long run. Only time will tell, but he remains a fine initial choice for Davidson with the 20th pick in 2023.

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