In any sport, there are incredibly skilled players who end up falling through the cracks because of the talent ahead of them in their draft year. The NHL Draft, obviously, is no different. UConn product Matthew Wood could be a first-round gem in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Wood is an incredibly talented winger. He has legitimate potential to carve out a role on any team’s top-six at the next level. He is a highly gifted offensive player who brings a desirable combination of size and skill.
However, he isn’t the most competitive player on the ice. And there are occasions when he just takes shifts off. It’s rather frustrating. When Wood is engaged, he has shown he can be a highly productive NHL player.
If a team can bring some sort of competitive edge out of him, he’ll be a home run pick. However, it’s hard to say where he’ll go. On skill alone, he could sneak into the back half of the top 10.
Factoring everything else in, he could go anywhere from the top 15 to the late first round. But what teams could use his combination of size and skill the most? Here are three potential landing spots for NHL Draft prospect Matthew Wood.
3) Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres can do almost whatever they want at the 2023 NHL Draft. Buffalo has an abundance of young promising talent that will help them remain competitive in the future.
Spoiler alert, I do not have Wood going to the Sabres in my final 2023 NHL Mock Draft. Personally, I like the fit with Gabe Perreault in Buffalo more as I believe there's a bit more upside with Perreault.
However, I certainly couldn't blame the Sabres for drafting Wood instead. The UConn product stands six-foot-four and is an incredibly gifted playmaker. If the Sabres can make this player more competitive, it's an absolute home run.
2) Pittsburgh Penguins
Kyle Dubas is the new man in charge in Pittsburgh. And Dubas wants to add depth to the wings in this draft. Pittsburgh also needs an injection of skill in its farm system.
In Wood, they get skill and winger depth. Furthermore, they add size to their pipeline. And sure, size matters more for power-forward types. However, it also matters to playmakers to an extent.
Wood is not going to be knocked off the puck due to his size. He can create plays with ease and his shot is getting better. Pittsburgh definitely could use a player like this in their pipeline.
1) Chicago Blackhawks
I have Wood going to the Chicago Blackhawks in our final NHL Mock Draft. And I think the fit works for a few reasons. First, the Blackhawks need all the talent they can get.
However, they know better than anyone that simply drafting a generational talent isn't enough to win in the NHL. Look at the Edmonton Oilers, for example. They have two such talents on their roster and still haven't even made the Stanley Cup Final.
The Blackhawks are drafting Connor Bedard with the first overall pick. There is no Juraj Slafkovsky waiting in the wings to usurp Shane Wright like we saw last year. Bedard is phenomenal, but they'll need more.
With Matthew Wood, you give him more to work with. A potential top-six winger with the ability to either set him up to score or further help him facilitate the offense. This could be a scary combination in the future.