The Elite Prospects pre-U18 ranking of the top 80 prospects in the 2023 NHL Draft

If the World Juniors are when the rubber meets the road in a scouting season, then this is the point where everyone shifts into high gear.

In Europe, the playoffs are already in full swing across most junior and professional leagues. North America isn't all that far behind, with puck drop on the postseason only a few weeks out in most junior leagues. The two parts of the hockey world will intersect at the U18s in Switzerland less than a month from now.

There's no surprise at the top of this year's draft. The stakes have never been higher. Not in our time covering the draft.

Connor Bedard has cemented himself as a generational talent, scoring at a rate not seen since Sidney Crosby back in the early aughts. Adam Fantilli is scoring at a per-game rate that only Paul Kariya has eclipsed as a firs