It’s become no secret that the 2023 draft class has become one of the most exciting, highly coveted draft classes in quite some time. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see Gary Bettman get up to the podium with a trade to announce at least a couple times throughout the first round tomorrow night. Once the boos fade, he will hammer out the details of the trade that takes place and while this is a great draft class, there’s a lot of rumblings that the trades involved in this draft could be even bigger. Sure, you can probably expect a team with the twenty somethingth pick to trade down for a couple later picks, but there’s also a really good chance of a blockbuster taking place that might even involve a pick as high as four or five. Here are six team’s most likely to make a trade involving their first round pick tomorrow night.
Detroit Red Wings (9th & 17th Overall)
There’s already speculation going around that Alex DeBrincat has Detroit listed as one of the few team’s he’d be willing to sign a long term extension with. DeBrincat, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators leading up to last years draft in a package that included the 7th overall pick, could very well see himself in a similar type of deal a year later. There isn’t much question on the type of player DeBrincat is, a top-six, first line winger that can play either side and is typically good for 60+ points. He did take a bit of a step back last season which could hurt Ottawa’s chances at taking the 9th overall spot from Detroit, but between the DeBrincat rumors and the kind of direction Yzerman is trying to shit the Red Wings into, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he moves one of these picks to bring in a player that can help them be a more competitive team next season.
St. Louis Blues (10th, 25th, & 29th Overall)
Similarly to Detroit, there’s already tons of chatter regarding the Blues being one of the busier teams on the trade front. There was a lot of hype over the weekend about a potential blockbuster trade going down that was reportedly nixed by a player exercising his no-trade clause. Personally, I feel it’s in the Blues best interest to hold onto these three picks. They’re not going to be a retooling team for long and if there was ever a draft class to stockpile first rounders, it’s this one. However, if an offer that can’t be refused comes about or they are able to workshop that aforementioned deal, there’s a fair chance one of these picks end up in Danny Breire’s pocket over in Philadelphia if not anywhere else.
Pittsburgh Penguins (14th Overall)
Pittsburgh is going to be in a bit of an interesting spot as they currently do not have a General Manager. One of the biggest pieces of news thus far this off-season was Kyle Dubas parting ways with Toronto to take over as President of Hockey Operations in Pittsburgh. Seeing as he will likely be handling most of the decisions until he hires a GM, there’s a good chance the Penguins 14th overall pick is in play. Chances are, they could get a really good player with this selection but there are a couple factors at play. For starters, Kyle Dubas is notorious for trading down in the draft as he’s done it on more than one occasion in Toronto. Second, this is a team that is still trying for one last run with the Crosby, Malkin, Letang core. If they can significantly boost Pittsburgh’s chances of being a threat going into next season, I don’t see Kyle Dubas hesitating to do so.
Washington Capitals (8th Overall)
Washington’s been eerily quiet this off-season but their name has come up quite often in relevance to one of the best available players in the draft. Matvei Michkov has been rumored to want to be a Washington Capital and develop alongside Alexander Ovechkin. Alongside what already seems like a duo that makes too much sense, there’s so much uncertainty with Russia outside of hockey let alone in relation to it. Physically getting players from Russia to the States is not as easy as it once was and Matvei Michkov’s KHL contract doesn’t help that. However, if Ovechkin has any sort of pull in the situation, you have to like Washington’s chances a heck of a lot more than most other team’s. That being said, don’t rule out the possibility of Washington trading up in the draft to ensure they get their guy.
Montreal Canadiens (5th & 31st Overall)
Montreal’s going to be a fascinating team to keep an eye on this summer and it will certainly start tomorrow if not sooner. The Canadiens have the fifth overall pick in this draft and will absolutely be able to draft a player that will help them become the team they’re trying to become. At the same time, Montreal is ready to start becoming a team worth watching so if there’s a trade to make.. There’s a trade to make. The deal would have to be borderline otherworldly in order for Kent Hughes to consider trading out of the top five but it isn’t impossible. Montreal is among the front runners to trade for Pierre-Luc Dubois as it’s turned into a bit of a bidding war with the LA Kings. One of the picks they have could be a part of a Dubois trade but if that falls through yet again, there are other teams that could make a big push for that 5th overall pick…
Nashville Predators (15th & 24th Overall)
…Speaking of which, the Nashville Predators are another team that will be very exciting to keep an eye on and hold potential to make some real noise. Especially considering the fact that they have home ice advantage at the draft, they’re going to look to give their fans something to cheer about. New General Manager, who isn’t officially GM, Barry Trotz is up to bat and is ready to swing out of his behind. There’s talk that he wants to move up in the draft and if there’s a way to take fifth overall from Montreal, he’s going to have as good a chance as anyone to find a way to do so. They have their own picks in play and even if they can’t trade up, they’ll still look to see if there’s a deal to be done that involves one, if not both of their first round selections. Again, Nashville being more of a rebuilding team it would make good sense for them to keep their picks, but if they can get better and still select in the first round, that’s likely best case scenario.
Chris Feldman
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