Day 1 of the 2023 NHL Draft is in the books. Thirty-two prospects had their dreams come true as they heard their name called by an NHL front office and donned an NHL sweater for the first time in their careers.
Considering how deep this year's draft class is, plenty of teams walked away satisfied with the results of the first round. And there are many talented more prospects still available on Day 2.
But as with any draft, there were also teams that made head-scratching decisions, such as reaching for a player too early and/or skipping over a skater who would have been a better fit.
The Sporting News presents its winners and losers from the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
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Full draft results | Best available on Day 2
NHL Draft 2023 winners and losers
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks were already a winner by securing the No. 1 pick in the draft and getting Connor Bedard. What really put their night over the top was landing Oliver Moore at No. 19.
General manager Kyle Davidson was rumored to be moving up from 19, but he didn't need to. Chicago was extremely high on Moore, and when the national program product fell out of the top 15, the Blackhawks were able to stay put and take the speedy center.
#Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said he truly didn’t envision a scenario where Oliver Moore would be available at No. 19 overall. pic.twitter.com/MGnX7i6GO9
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) June 29, 2023
Not only did the Blackhawks land the best overall player in the draft class, they also nabbed the prospect who's viewed as the best skater.
Loser: Toronto Maple Leafs
It was rumored that Toronto could move the No. 28 pick in a deal that would bring the team players who could help the club right now. Instead, the Leafs held onto the pick and drafted Easton Cowan.
Cowan was a late riser on draft boards after a strong second-half showing with the London Knights. He's a smaller player who has a high compete level and could potentially make an impact in the NHL.
But many scouts and draft experts had Cowan available in the second or even third round. It was, without a doubt, a reach by the Leafs, who not only failed to immediately improve their club but also took someone for whom they could have traded out of the first round.
Winner: Philadelphia Flyers
Someone was going to benefit from Matvei Michkov falling. That someone turned out to be the Flyers.
New GM Daniel Briere took the highly skilled Russian with the No. 7 pick. The concern with Michkov is his KHL contract: He's signed with SKA St. Petersburg for the next three seasons. The fact Michkov would not be coming over to North America until the 2026-27 season discouraged teams from selecting him, but he is arguably the second-best player in the class behind Bedard.
NHL DRAFT GRADES 2023: Complete results & analysis for every pick in Round 1
Philadelphia selecting him made a ton of sense. The Flyers haven't completely committed to a rebuild but they are on the cusp, with multiple moves expected this offseason. To be blunt, the Flyers are going to stink it up for a few seasons and do not need Michkov immediately. When he does come over, look out.
Loser: Arizona Coyotes
Dmitri Simashev has a ton of potential as a defenseman who is seemingly just tapping into his offensive ability while already owning a strong defensive game. Daniil But is a power forward with size and skill along with a wicked shot.
The downside of those two picks is where the players were drafted. Simashev at No. 6 seemingly came out of left field; the Russian was surprised when he heard his name called.
Even Dmitri Simashev himself was shocked. 😮 pic.twitter.com/fevrDsDvYu
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 29, 2023
But at No. 12 was less of a reach, although plenty of better players were still available, such as Zach Benson, Matthew Wood and Oliver Moore. That made the pick underwhelming.
Winner: Columbus Blue Jackets
Adam Fantilli to the Ducks at No. 2 was never a sure thing, but it felt like the obvious pick. Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek didn't see it that way and chose Leo Carlsson over the Michigan center.
That meant that Fantilli, who likely would have been a No. 1 pick in any other draft that didn't have Connor Bedard, fell into the Blue Jackets' lap at No. 3, and Columbus didn't hesitate to take the 2023 Hobey Baker Award winner.
He gives the Blue Jackets the No. 1 center the club has desperately been looking for. He can slide in between elite wingers Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine. He may be a Michigan man, but Ohio is going to love what Fantilli brings.
Loser: Minnesota Wild
The Wild's director of scouting, Judd Brackett, has been impressive since arriving in Minnesota with how he has approached the draft and the selections he has made.
That said, the Wild reached with Charlie Stramel at No. 21. Stramel's stock fell after an underwhelming freshman season at Wisconsin. The big center didn't take the expected next step in his development, and it wouldn't have been a surprise to see him fall out of the first round.
The Wild using such a high pick on Stramel is, therefore, puzzling. He does bring an element that other recent Wild picks don't possess, but considering the talent that was still on the board, Stramel didn't feel like the choice at that point.
Winner: San Jose Sharks
There were four centers who were likely to be taken with the first four picks in the draft. San Jose GM Mike Grier was going to have the last selection of the quartet at No. 4, but he still ended up with a high-end prospect in Will Smith from the U.S. national program.
What solidified the win for the Sharks was their pick at No. 26, Quentin Musty. He didn't pop quite as expected this past season, but he's a skilled forward who plays hard and isn't afraid to throw the body around on the forecheck or muck it up in front of the net.
Musty was a great value pick for San Jose.
Loser: Fans of trades
In the weeks, days and hours leading up to draft night, there were numerous rumors and reports about potential deals that could happen in Round 1.
The reality? Zero, zilch, nada. A big, fat goose egg.
No team moved in the first round. The Canadiens held onto the No. 5 pick, the Blues kept all three of their first-rounders and the Maple Leafs used their first-round pick instead of trading it away. All of those decisions were the opposite of what was expected to happen.
Maybe Day 2 will provide a few deals, but none will be as exciting with this year's first-round picks off the table.