To play in the NHL, versatility is probably the biggest key to success. The more ways a player can play, the more ways they can impact the game, the better. However, often, a player has to possess at least one or two special traits that allow them to separate themselves from the pack. 

In order to examine that a little further, I decided to take one player from a number of key skills that I evaluate and detail who I think is the best at that particular trait, separated out by forward, defensemen and goaltenders.

READ MORE: Chris Peters' Top 100 Prospects for the 2023 NHL Draft | Mock Draft 2.0

Forwards

Best Hockey Sense: Matvei Michkov, RW, HK Sochi

To me, hockey sense is one of the most important traits a player can possess. Without it, it’s hard to consider a player a legitimate prospect. Michkov, may have some of the best offensive hockey sense I’ve ever seen. I’ve described him before as a hockey genius because I’ve never seen a player have so many ways to exploit opposing defenses and goaltenders.

Michkov reads the game offensively in much the same way we read books only he’s reading five sentences in the time it takes us to read one. His anticipation and awareness are exceptional. He is a continual scoring threat and every shot he takes is intentional. He knows where the goalie is and usually knows where he’s going and where the openings will be. This is a big reason why I don’t worry as much about his size and skating. He's ahead of the play all the time because of how he thinks the game.

Honorable mention: Connor Bedard, Gabe Perreault, Leo Carlsson

Best Shot: Connor Bedard, C, Regina Pats

A player’s shot is not often a skill I’m going to prioritize over several others, but Bedard’s may be an exception. He will enter the NHL as one of its best shooters on Day 1, possessing a variety of ways to get his shot off while always being quick, accurate and deceptive. It doesn’t matter if he’s in stride, shooting off the pass or off a turnover, he shoots with the idea the puck is going in. His shot placement is second to none and he finds the openings quickly. Goalies can’t out-guess him usually because he’ll just change the angle on the shot or open up his blade or curl through a screen. It's amazing how many times a goalie reacts to his shot after it's already been past him.

Bedard’s shot is one of the best tools in any one player’s arsenal in this class, which is why he scored more than 90 goals across all competitions this year.

Honorable Mention: Colby Barlow, Bradly Nadeau, Adam Fantilli

Best Skater, Forward: Oliver Moore, C, U.S. National Under-18 Team

Oliver Moore’s speed is something to behold. He has explosiveness and quickness in his stride, blazing by defenders and recovering to get to his own zone. No player is quicker through the neutral zone and few can attach some skill to that incredible stride. He’s taken a lot of pride in both the technique and power of his skating and it shows. It’s easy to anticipate Moore becoming one of the best skaters at the highest level.

Honorable Mention: Carey Terrance, Gavin Brindley

Best Playmaker: Will Smith, C, U.S. National Under-18 Team

As dynamic a player in this draft, Smith’s ability to make plays in any situation due to high-end hockey sense and strong puck skills makes him a top-tier talent. Smith has become a true shot-pass threat, finding ways to weave through the offensive zone and create opportunities for his linemates. He seems to have that awareness that allows him to find the right plays and options under duress. His passing ability is superior to many players in the class, which makes his linemates more dangerous in the process.

Honorable mention: Connor Bedard, Gabe Perreault, Zach Benson

Best Puck Skills: Gracyn Sawchyn, C/W, Seattle Thunderbirds

In terms of pure hands, I haven’t seen a player better with the puck on his stick than Sawchyn. A likely second-round pick, his ability to keep plays alive thanks to his puck skills is a special trait. The puck seems like it’s glued to his stick and then he can make a creative play to make a defender miss. He has a deep bag of tricks to get through defenders and goaltenders. On top of that, Sawchyn can recover pucks quickly and turn any situation into a more dangerous one thanks to the litany of options and the extra space afforded to him by his puck skills.

Honorable mention: Connor Bedard, Will Smith

Best Passer: Gabe Perreault, LW, U.S. National Under-18 Team

During his record-breaking season over which he posted 79 assists as part of a 132-point effort, Perreault showed how his elite hockey sense is maximized by his ability to execute. Perreault’s vision and awareness allow him to spot plays before most players would. What makes his passing ability particularly special, is how accurate he is and how many ways he has to get a pass off. He’s so sure-handed with the puck that he’s able to wait until the right moment to make the best play. The best passers have that elite combination of hockey sense and execution and that is exactly what Perreault has.

Honorable mention: Will Smith, Zach Benson, Riley Heidt

Highest Compete Level: Zach Benson, LW, Winnipeg ICE

The reason Zach Benson has a chance to make it despite size and skating disadvantages is his elite competitiveness. He is one of the best defensive forwards in this draft and is an absolute menace to opposing teams. He takes pucks off of opposing players regularly and then turns it into a dangerous opportunity. He never quits on a play and never allows his size to hold him back. 

Honorable mention: Adam Fantilli, Gavin Brindley

Most Physical: Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan

Despite being a high-end offensive talent, Fantilli is mean. He plays the game with aggression, which forces the opposing team to be aware of him at all times and defensemen to brace themselves going into the corners. Fantilli has a bit of a temper on the ice and he has seemed to channel it in the appropriate way, but can cross the line from time to time. Being a top-tier offensive talent and having the physical element that he does is a big reason why Fantilli is so highly regarded.

Honorable Mention: Kalan Lind, Ryan Leonard

Best Motor: Gavin Brindley, C/W, University of Michigan

Effort level never wanes for Gavin Brindley, who plays the game fast and hard. Despite being 5-foot-8, he’s in every play and is always on the puck. His ability to close on opposing defenders on the forecheck forces them into uncomfortable plays. Brindley seems to have only one speed to play the game at and it makes you notice him every single shift.

Honorable Mention: Zach Benson, Oliver Moore

Defensemen

Best Defender: Dmitri Simashev, D, Yaroslavl U20

The most complete defenseman in this draft is Simashev. He defends at a high level and moves pucks well. His size and high-end footwork make him tough to get around. In the defensive zone, he shuts down plays and can get pucks up ice quickly. While his offensive game isn’t as robust as his defensive game, he has good hands and can make plays.

Honorable Mention: Tom Willander, Oliver Bonk

Best Offensive Game: Lukas Dragicevic, D, Tri-City Americans

With 75 points this season, Dragicevic was the highest-scoring defenseman in the class. He has an excellent shot and moves pucks extremely well. He navigates the neutral and offensive zones confidently and possesses strong offensive awareness. His ability to get pucks through and direct pucks to the net is going to allow him to pick up an awful lot of points. The reason he’s listed as a second-round prospect is that the gap between his defending and offensive game is especially large.

Honorable Mention: Luca Cagnoni, Etienne Morin 

Best Skater, Defensemen: Tanner Molendyk, D, Saskatoon Blades

Watch Molendyk once and you’ll be taken aback by his mobility. He’s quick, he’s shifty and his feet are always moving. Molendyk can go north-south and east-west as well as any defender in this draft. He has some straight-ahead speed, but it’s his agility, edge work and quick feet are what separates him. Also important is how much Molendyk relies on his skating in his ability to defend. He kills plays well because he’s tough to get behind and closes quickly.

Honorable Mention: Tom Willander, Beau Akey, Mikhail Gulyayev

Best Gap Control: Tom Willander, D, Rogle U20

Willander’s game starts with his superior skating ability. Because of that, he never seems to be out of a play. He’s also rarely going to let opposing forwards get much room to breathe. He kills plays as well as any defender in this draft thanks to his ability to keep tight gaps and know when he’s got to step up on an opposing forward. His ability to defend the rush will be a key asset to whatever team takes him. 

Honorable Mention: Dmitri Simashev, Theo Lindstein

Best Puck Mover: Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, Skelleftea

Axel Sandin Pellikka is not a dynamic offensive defenseman, but he is effective with the puck on his stick. He confidently moves pucks out of the defensive zone and helps make his teammates a greater threat by moving pucks well from the offensive blue line. He has vision, poise and high-end awareness. Sandin Pellikka scans all zones well and is quick to identify his best options.

Honorable Mention: Etienne Morin, Mikhail Gulyayev, David Reinbacher

Most Physical: Brady Cleveland, D, U.S. National Under-18 Team

A towering defenseman, Cleveland is still a raw talent who needs a bit more development time. He’s refined his game over the last two seasons and has maximized his immense frame by lowering the boom on opposing players. His athleticism allows him to track opposing forwards and overpower them. There’s a little bit of old school to him as there’s limited offense, but he defends well and makes opposing forwards aware of when he’s on the ice.

Honorable Mention: Quinton Burns, Oliver Bonk

Goalies

Best Toolkit: Michael Hrabal, G, Omaha Lancers

When you look at the traits necessary to be a top-end goalie in the NHL, Hrabal is the one that checks the most boxes. He has the size, the athleticism, the hockey sense and the technique to be a goalie. He measured in at nearly 6-foot-7 at the Scouting Combine and while he is such a big man, he carries it well. His ability to rarely lose his net and play a contained game gives goalie coaches a lot to work with.

Honorable Mention: Carson Bjarnason, Damian Clara

Best Mechanics/Technique: Trey Augustine, G, U.S. National Under-18 Team

Trey Augustine prepares for games meticulously and plays a very contained game. He doesn’t waste a lot of movement and there’s some predictability to him. While he has the athleticism to make the big save, he’s often making a lot of the right reads before that allow him to be set and make tough saves look easy. He controls rebounds well and doesn’t allow a lot of freebies. As a 6-foot-1 goalie, he has to find ways to take up more net and does because of his solid positioning and technique.

Honorable Mention: Michael Hrabal, Jacob Fowler.

Best Hockey Sense: Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown Phantoms

It is not terribly often you find Jacob Fowler out of position. He reads plays exceptionally well and gets himself quare to the shooter quickly. During the Clark Cup playoffs this year, he barely looked like he was breaking a sweat. As a result, he doesn’t have the most enthralling highlight reel, but that’s the kind of thing that coaches love.

Honorable Mention: Trey Augustine, Carson Bjarnason

Best Athlete: Adam Gajan, G, Chippewa Steel

Gajan is still a very raw goaltender, but you can see in the saves that he regularly makes that he’s never out of a play. He can get a little wild in the net, which is something he may need to correct before he can become a pro, but the foundation of skills that he has and his ability to make those big saves is going to make him an especially enticing pupil for a goalie coach. Gajan is expected to play in the USHL next season to get a little more training before going off to college, which is going to be a very good thing for his future development. He has elite quickness and is explosive post-to-post. With more refinement, he could be a force.

Honorable Mention: Damian Clara, Scott Ratzlaff