Each team's biggest need heading into the 2023 NHL Draft

We’ve heard the old adage a million times. Select the best player available and work out the details down the road. It’s quality advice. At the end of the day, a team will often go as far as its stars will take them. You need elite talent in order to compete in the contemporary NHL.

On draft day, that's easier said than done. Teams have clear needs in their organizational depth chart. And when it comes to certain positions like a right-shot defender or a right-shot centre are difficult to acquire. You either have to draft them or pay through the nose for one in free agency when they’re already on the downswing of their career.

So while selecting the best player available is a goal for most clubs, at the end of the day, you have to be wise and look to fill out the pipeline as best as possible. With that in mind, we’re going to run through all 32 teams and highlight their biggest need heading into the draft.

For some clubs, that need is far less daunting since they already boast a bevy of high-end prospects. For others, the list could literally extend to every position possible since their crew is so thin.

We’ll make this easy and go in alphabetical order.