The 2023 NHL Draft is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent years. The overall talent of the draft, which seems to be well above average according to most experts, makes the first round very unpredictable. In fact, there is only one certainty in this draft, and that is that Connor Bedard's name will be the first one heard on June 28th. Other very big talents in this edition that should most likely make the top 5, in order or not, include Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, Zach Benson, Will Smith, and a certain Matvei Michkov. However, we just learned that there could be a huge upset in the first round, as mentioned by former NHL scout, who still has many connections around the league, Grant McCagg. The latter said that NHL teams could turn their noses up at the Russian forward in the first round: <q>With two major developments in the last week - I honestly don't know if any NHL team can draft Michkov in the first round. We'll get into the details pretty deeply in this week's podcast. - Grant McGagg</q> That would be an absolutely mind-blowing turn of events! Some experts believe that Mishkov is the only player in the draft who can match Bedard's generational talent. Before the situation became more complex with Russia, Bedard was considered the second best prospect in 2023 and could even take the pole position from the Regina Pats' captain. According to many, Mishkov is the greatest Russian talent since Alex Ovechkin, no less! Now imagine if such a player were to slip into the first round, and even be snubbed by every team in the league in the first 32 picks. It would be unthinkable to see such a scenario happen, especially since I doubt that teams with multiple first round picks would dare look at him more than once. Moreover, I dare to believe that teams like the New York Rangers or the Minnesota Wild, who have a late first-round pick, will undoubtedly take the gamble of selecting Mishkov, despite the risk he may represent, if he were to slip that day. In short, I can't wait until June 28th to know the final picture of the first round, and to see which team will leave with a possible future generational talent like Matvei Michkov, but especially to know at which rank he will be selected. In 30 games in the KHL this season, Michkov has scored nine goals and 20 points. This is the best production in the history of the league by an 18-year-old forward. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/grantmccagg/status/1646996337827749895?s=46&t=ChmnsRpW9WwnaxekMLXJ-A&fbclid=IwAR18PxB6ELSsuMNcNgXH9r8Bff4HWv8UdQzy6Gp5-c9fsAAX6eJvC1wnZso'> </a></blockquote></div>