NHL Central Scouting released their preliminary players to watch list for the 2023 NHL Draft. There are 29 Minnesota products on the list with Oliver Moore of the NTDP Under 18 team and Charlie Stramel of Wisconsin getting an ‘A’ grade, meaning a 1st round projection. Last year there was 20 Minnesotans on the preliminary watch list.
| A | Oliver Moore | NTDP-18 | Minnesota | 1/23/2005 |
| A | Charlie Stramel | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | 10/15/2004 |
| B | Austin Burnevik | NTDP-18 | St. Cloud | 1/3/2005 |
| B | Carsen Musser | NTDP-18 | Undecided | 5/19/2005 |
| B | Danny Nelson | NTDP-18 | Notre Dame | 8/3/2005 |
| B | Gracyn Sawchyn* | Seattle (WHL) | N/A | 1/9/2005 |
| B | Jayson Shaugabay | Warroad | UMD | 4/5/2005 |
| B | William Whitelaw | Youngstown | Wisconsin | 2/5/2005 |
| C | Casey Cayden | Andover | St. Lawrence | 10/7/2004 |
| C | Chase Cheslock | Rogers | St. Thomas | 10/25/2004 |
| C | Jimmy Clark | Edina | Minnesota | 9/24/2004 |
| C | Cooper Conway | Andover | Colorado | 6/8/2005 |
| C | Jake Fisher | Cretin-Derham | Northern Michigan | 3/27/2005 |
| C | Joe Gramer | Des Moines | Nebraska-Omaha | 7/14/2005 |
| C | Landen Gunderson | Madison | Western Michigan | 11/24/2004 |
| C | Ty Hanson | Sioux City | UMD | 4/21/2005 |
| C | Jack Harvey | Chicago | Boston U | 3/31/2003 |
| C | Beckett Hendrickson | NTDP-18 | Minnesota | 6/24/2005 |
| C | Ty Hendriks* | Fargo | Western Michigan | 6/28/2005 |
| C | Colton Jamieson* | Cretin-Derham | St. Thomas | 11/28/2004 |
| C | Ryan Koering | Eden Prairie | Colorado | 2/11/2005 |
| C | Tanner Ludtke | Lakeville South | Nebraska-Omaha | 11/27/2004 |
| C | Luke Mittelstadt | Minnesota | Minnesota | 1/22/2003 |
| C | Jackson Nevers | Edina | Undecided | 7/27/2005 |
| C | Aaron Pionk | Waterloo | Minnesota State | 1/16/2003 |
| C | Joe Schiller | Cedar Rapids | Northern Michigan | 9/23/2004 |
| C | Hampton Slukynsky | Warroad | Northern Michigan | 7/2/2005 |
| C | Gavin Thoreson | Andover | St. Cloud | 10/30/2004 |
| C | Teddy Townsend | Eden Prairie | Minnesota | 9/2/2005 |
*Minnesota Product
-Sawchyn is from Grande Prairie, AB, CAN
-Hendriks is from Mission Viejo, CA
-Jamieson is from Hudson, WI