NHL Mock Draft: Connor Bedard No. 1, but who’s next?

2023 NHL Mock Draft: 29. St Louis Blues: Otto Stenberg, C, Frölunda (SHL)

St. Louis Blues got the pick from NY Rangers in exchange for Vladimir Tarasenko. The rangers got it from Dallas Stars in return for Nils Lundqvist.

The Blues go with a center to round out their draft night. Stenberg excelled in international competitions but struggled in Swedish junior leagues. He’s skilled at handling the puck and scored 26 points in 28 games for Frölunda’s J20 team this season. He also scored 16 points in seven games at the IIHF World Junior U18 Championship for Sweden.

2023 NHL Mock Draft: 30. Carolina Hurricanes: Daniil But, LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

The towering 6-5, 203-pound left winger scored 26 points in as many games this season, nine points in seven playoff games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s junior squad. He also had two goals in 15 games with their parent club. Hurricanes GM Don Waddel stressed a need for “getting heavier” at the end of the season. The winger may wait to make an impact. But in the long run, he’s what they need.

2023 NHL Mock Draft: 31. Montreal Canadiens: Andrew Cristall, LW, Kelowna(WHL)

In March of last year, the Montreal Canadiens obtained this pick from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Ben Chiarot.

Cristall is a creative player who excels at moving with the puck and changing directions. He’s a skilled playmaker who can find passing lanes and is becoming a better goal-scorer. His 39 goals in 54 WHL regular-season games are a critical improvement from last season, and his 1.76 points per game in the WHL ranked only below two top prospects. There’s potential for even more from this Vancouver resident.

2023 NHL Mock Draft: 32. Vegas Golden Knights: Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury (OHL)

Musty is a skilled player with exceptional vision and a keen sense of the available options. He makes excellent one-touch passes, moves the puck against the grain, and excels at making critical passes.

As a sharpshooter, and can pick corners without cradling the puck. Musty also carries the puck up the ice and creates zone entries with possession. He’s tall and has a projectable frame, allowing him to leverage defenders for inside positions when battling for pucks or going to the net front. However, Musty needs more consistency and tends to fade in and out of games. He sometimes tries to make hero plays with the puck or makes poorly considered passes across the middle of the ice. Despite this, he shows diligence in the defensive zone and actively works to create turnovers.

Musty has excellent potential and could become a first-line winger if he puts in the work and ends up with the right team. There’s no better place than Vegas, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, to do that.