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. 100 Jesse Nurmi, No. 99 Francesco Dell’elce, No. 98 Quinton Burns, No. 97 Griffin Erdman, and No. 96 Matthew Soto.
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No. 100: Jesse Nurmi
Date of Birth: March 7, 2005
Nation: Finland
Position: Left Wing
Shoots: Left
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 165 lbs
Scouting Report: “Nurmi is a versatile offensive forward who can beat opponents with his shot or pass the puck to his linemates for a tap-in goal. Playing against a considerably weaker Norwegian team, he showcased some of his offensive skills in this game. He looked like he was flying on the ice, and you could tell his confidence was high.” – Rasmus Tornqvist, FC Hockey.
No. 99: Francesco Dell’elce
Date of Birth: June 23, 2005
Nation: Canada
Position: Defence
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 157 lbs
No. 98: Quinton Burns
Date of Birth: April 14, 2005
Nation: Canada
Position: Defence
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 179 lbs
Scouting Report: “A stellar mobile defenceman, Quinton Burns is a brilliant puck mover with high athleticism. Burns has great hockey IQ, knowing when and where to move the puck, as well as excelling at finding the gaps in transition and hitting them hard while bringing the puck up the ice. Burns’ skating ability is fantastic, with speed and acceleration developed to a high level, Burns is one of the best puck-moving defencemen in the 05’ Draft Class.” – Matt Eichorn, Sports Illustrated
No. 97: Griffin Erdman
Date of Birth: February 10, 2005
Nation: United States
Position: Forward
Shoots: Left
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 174 lbs
Scouting Report: “Erdman, a former Dartmouth commit, is characterized as a high-energy, hard-nosed player whose motor keeps him competitive in all situations. Combining that drive with solid skating, great hands, and elusive but simple puck-handling, he is able to score and create offence from multiple places on the ice. One of the things that scouts laud about him is his willingness to make a difference on both sides of the puck, both in the offensive and defensive zone, using his stick and body to prevent pucks from getting through while also having the speed, hunger, and extra gear to chase after loose pucks in the offensive zone and be a catalyst for offence.” – Mike Davis, Northeastern Hockey Blog
No. 96: Matthew Soto
Date of Birth: August 31, 2005
Nation: Canada
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 168 lbs
Scouting Report: “When it comes to Matthew Soto it’s all about what could be for me. When scouting players I often take notes of when players make me gasp or mutter in amazement. Soto is one of the players in which it’s always a treat to see what he’s going to do. He hasn’t quite put it all together in the OHL this year. Sometimes he puts himself into positions where passing options aren’t going to be ideal, and other times he makes a play no one could have possibly thought he’d pull off and he ends up without a scoring option. However, given his birthdate, I think Soto is the bet I’d make in this year’s draft where the late birthday and patience could reap benefits given the tools that he possesses.” – Austin Garret, Smaht Scouting
