Francesco Dell’Elce

June 2023 – Few Canadian High School players get drafted directly into the NHL, but Dell’Elce is one of the few who should. He is fluid skater – though his stride mechanics remain quite raw – who uses his teammates very effectively to solve problems. He also supports the rush well off-puck as a consistently available outlet option. With the puck on his stick, Dell’Elce is fairly patient, regularly activating beyond the hashmarks in the offensive zone and acting as a fourth attacker on the rush. He also sports one of the best shots among 2023 eligible defensemen: it has impressive power and accuracy and Dell’Elce can score with a variety of different releases as well. All that said, he remains very raw. His off-puck posture is typically passive, his skating mechanics remain inconsistent, and his defensive game seems just above average against Prep School competition. He is far from a sure thing, but is an intriguing option in the middle rounds of the draft as a high-upside swing, especially for an organization with a strong development staff. Sebastian High.