Entry Draft – Team Rankings

By Bob Trask – As the end of the NHL playoffs inch closer, more and more fans will be turning their attention to the NHL entry draft and wondering what the prospects for their favorite team will be. Montreal Canadiens fans focus on the #5 overall pick and the fact that Kent Hughes currently holds eleven picks in the upcoming draft. But how does that stack up with the rest of the league?

I did a little exercise that awarded points to each team based on the following. While it is an arbitrary assignment of values, it does provide food for thought.

  • First round picks – 6 points
  • Second round picks – 4 points
  • Third round picks – 3 points
  • Fourth and fifth round picks – 2 points
  • Sixth and Seventh round picks – 1 point
  • First overall pick – 9 bonus points
  • Second to fifth overall pick – 6 bonus points
  • Sixth to tenth overall pick – 3 bonus points

I’ve presented this will little comment but this draft holds the potential to shift the balance of power in the NHL down the road.

The Top Ten

TeamPoints
Chicago Blackhawks47
Nashville Predators40
Arizona Coyotes39
San Jose Sharks37
Montreal Canadiens37
Detroit Red Wings36
Anaheim Ducks35
Columbus Blue Jackets35
St Louis Blues33
Seattle Kraken28

The surprise here might be the Nashville Predators who quietly acquired a multitude of early round picks.

The Middle Twelve

TeamPoints
Philadelphia Flyers24
Buffalo Sabers23
Carolina Hurricanes21
Vancouver Canucks19
Minnesota Wild18
Washington Capitals18
Calgary Flames14
Vegas Golden Knights14
Winnipeg Jets14
Pittsburgh Penguins14
Los Angeles Kings12
New York Rangers12

Bottom Ten

TeamPoints
Colorado Avalanche10
Dallas Stars10
New Jersey Devils10
New York Islanders10
Florida Panthers10
Toronto Maple Leafs9
Edmonton Oilers8
Boston Bruins8
Ottawa Senators7
Tampa Bay Lightning3

Takeaways

This table exposes some glaring differences among the current draft capital of varying teams. Having said that, trades can substantially alter the landscape but some teams are going to struggle to add talent on draft day.

Given the perceived depth of this draft and the uncertainty surrounding Russian players there are bound to be a few surprises. Some teams will perform better at the draft than what shows in this ranking and some will fall short.

Keep on eye on the post draft commentary by the experts to find out who they rank as the winners and losers in the 2023 NHL entry draft!