2023 NHL Draft Top 100 Countdown: No. 85 Ignat Lutfullin, No. 84 Rasmus Kumpulainen, No. 83 Cole Knuble, No. 82 Tanner Ludtke, No. 81 Albert Wikman

Over the next few weeks leading into the 2023 NHL Draft, we’ll be counting down the Top 100 prospects in this year’s class based on Daily Faceoff’s list. Today we have No. 85 Ignat Lutfullin, No. 84 Rasmus Kumpulainen, No. 83 Cole Knuble, No. 82 Tanner Ludtke, and No. 81 Albert Wikman.

Scouting Report: “Ignat Lutfullin is another one who was unaware of before the season but it was quickly made clear that of all the players on SKA’s second MHL team, he was about the only player that could drive offence. He’s had points on over half his team’s goals on average, and does so with high pace, great quickness generating speed, and lightning-quick cuts to create rushing and passing lanes. There’s a great work rate there, and if he continues to fly under the radar, he could be a great late-round option.” – Scouching

Scouting Report: “Kumpulainen is a reliable center at both ends of the ice, and definitely has a scoring upside, too. He uses both his decently-sized frame and his long stick well on the forecheck, and once he steals the puck he has the vision to distribute the puck to his linemates to create scoring chances. He also utilizes his body well along the boards, where he is very hard to knock off the puck.” – Rasmus Tornqvist, FC Hockey

Scouting Report: “I can see a world where Cole Knuble is seen as a late-2nd to 3rd round pick, and I also can see a world where he’s a 6th or 7th-round pick. His skating is going to be the biggest talking point when NHL General Managers and their scouting departments get together to assess his draft position…I’d label him more as a right wing as of now, and ideally, I’d like him to be the fourth player coming off my board if I were an NHL team, but could see myself swinging on him in the late third depending on the quality of my team and/or prospect pool.” – Austin Garrett, Smaht Scouting

Scouting Report: “Tanner Ludtke is a player that rarely gets mentioned in the public sphere. The 6’0 forward can look a bit awkward in his skating mechanics and his pace of play is a question mark. However, he plays the game so well. He’s very involved as a one-touch puck transporter, is one of the top shot generators in the USHL in my data set, and has enough skill that his pace doesn’t hinder him from making plays. The University of Nebraska-Omaha commit hasn’t produced much in terms of NHL talent recently, but I have a hard time not advocating for him to be on this list given his productivity both in counting and micro stats.” –Austin Garret, Smaht Scouting

Scouting Report: “With the end of Alexander Edler’s career comes the beginning of Albert Wikman’s. Wikman is a similarly lanky, smooth-moving defenseman who’s made his size a main fixture of his play. He feels like he could translate very well, even if his ceiling may be a bit lower.” – Gabriel Foley, Recruit Scouting