Prospect Info: 2024-25 Devils Draft Thread

[Guadana]

same thoughts here, its still the hagens draft to me. i do like martone, this isnt a levshunov scenario where i cant wrap my head around what ppl are seeing in him, but i think the tkachuk-ian elements to his game are greatly exaggerated, at least with what im seeing right now. not the same snarl, not the same consistency, too content to let plays come to him at times

if someone is gonna challenge hagens, i think its schaefer. kid just has it. feels like some sort of middle ground of luke and sanderson. otherworldly mobility, extremely high end thinker, tremendous instincts on when to challenge, virtually unshaken by pressure, incredible perseverance fighting through mono and the loss of his mother/billet mom. stan butler isnt the most offense-friendly coach, i dont think his offensive upside is questioned as much in a different system. and you already know i love the september 5th birthday lol

So Schaefer is extremly young... Overall it sounds like my boy. Need to study his game. But for know I'm completely delegating all the work to you. Under your responsibility. (Im working with two projects and really cant find a minute for something more).

Pronman is always likes to make bold takes. Sometimes its good sometimes(often) its not so good. But at least he can clearly describe why, he is translating his vision. But of course we need to watch tapes because often he is just... wrong.

 

[evnted]

So Schaefer is extremly young... Overall it sounds like my boy. Need to study his game. But for know I'm completely delegating all the work to you. Under your responsibility. (Im working with two projects and really cant find a minute for something more).

Pronman is always likes to make bold takes. Sometimes its good sometimes(often) its not so good. But at least he can clearly describe why, he is translating his vision. But of course we need to watch tapes because often he is just... wrong.

its still funny to think he used to be so pro-tiny-skill-player back in the day, he really overcorrected the other way now lol. pronman is definitely more interesting closer to the draft when, i personally believe, he starts to get tipped off on team lists and we see those random names rise

and exciting stuff, good luck with your projects. chugging away on the class for now, think im approaching 60 profiles done. no progress toward a list yet (i really havent circled back on players outside of the top, top end) but getting there

 

[Brodeur]

Craig’s List: Porter Martone setting the tone as No. 1 2025 NHL Draft prospect | TSN

Set to wear the ‘C’ for Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, it’s no surprise Porter Martone’s ability to set the tone earned him the captaincy and the No. 1 spot in Craig Button’s latest draft ranking.

www.tsn.ca

Craig Button with an updated top 64. Porter Martone up to #1 on his list as well. I wonder if some folks are dropping Hagens just because he has 1 goal in 12 NCAA games so far. Seems like a safe bet that he won't be shooting 2.6% whereas Martone is scoring at a 24% clip.

There's a USA vs CHL exhibition that'll be on NHL Network tomorrow. Unfortunately it's a down year for the USNTDP.

Team CHL roster revealed for 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada - LHJMQ

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce the roster for Team CHL ahead of the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada (see complete roster below). The latter is a new event that will see the top first-year 2025 NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s Member...

chl.ca

Team USA Roster For CHL-USA Prospects Challenge: Kevan, Lansing Added - FloHockey

Team USA finalized its roster for the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge by adding NHL Draft-eligible talents Ben Kevan and Matthew Lansing from the USHL.

www.flohockey.tv

 

[Brodeur]

2025 NHL Draft Top 32 Prospects Ranking, November 25, 2024 - HockeyProspect.com

HockeyProspect.com is excited to announce our first 2025 NHL Draft Ranking of the season. This list includes a top 64 ranking (link), with the top 32

hockeyprospect.com

Outside of Bob McKenzie, HockeyProspect.com has been my favorite draft ranking in recent years. They posted their initial top 32 today. They have Schaefer-Misa as the top 2. This might be an interesting draft year if there's no consensus at the top.

 

[evnted]

Craig’s List: Porter Martone setting the tone as No. 1 2025 NHL Draft prospect | TSN

Set to wear the ‘C’ for Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, it’s no surprise Porter Martone’s ability to set the tone earned him the captaincy and the No. 1 spot in Craig Button’s latest draft ranking.

www.tsn.ca

Craig Button with an updated top 64. Porter Martone up to #1 on his list as well. I wonder if some folks are dropping Hagens just because he has 1 goal in 12 NCAA games so far. Seems like a safe bet that he won't be shooting 2.6% whereas Martone is scoring at a 24% clip.

There's a USA vs CHL exhibition that'll be on NHL Network tomorrow. Unfortunately it's a down year for the USNTDP.

Team CHL roster revealed for 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada - LHJMQ

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is proud to announce the roster for Team CHL ahead of the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada (see complete roster below). The latter is a new event that will see the top first-year 2025 NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL’s Member...

chl.ca

Team USA Roster For CHL-USA Prospects Challenge: Kevan, Lansing Added - FloHockey

Team USA finalized its roster for the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge by adding NHL Draft-eligible talents Ben Kevan and Matthew Lansing from the USHL.

www.flohockey.tv

2025 NHL Draft Top 32 Prospects Ranking, November 25, 2024 - HockeyProspect.com

HockeyProspect.com is excited to announce our first 2025 NHL Draft Ranking of the season. This list includes a top 64 ranking (link), with the top 32

hockeyprospect.com

Outside of Bob McKenzie, HockeyProspect.com has been my favorite draft ranking in recent years. They posted their initial top 32 today. They have Schaefer-Misa as the top 2. This might be an interesting draft year if there's no consensus at the top.

interesting class for sure. only a couple top end names that really excite right now, so it might be a disappointing year for teams that are bad but not bottom of the league bad. there are a few what-if swings and some more-confident-than-others middle 6 projections that create a bit of separation, otherwise i dont think theres much difference down the board at this point. could bode well for a team like ours with a few extra 2nds in our pocket (for now at least lol)

ill caution that, at least in recent years, it feels like ive/weve been saying this a lot lately, namely thinking the class doesnt look too great around midseason with it eventually stabilizing and looking fine by the end of the year. so we'll see if 2025 goes that route as well

 

[Brodeur]

CHL with the better of the play so far, definitely more talented on paper.

 

[Brodeur]

I didn't get to catch the whole game but Matthew Schaefer definitely looked like he justified HockeyProspect.com ranking him #1.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I didn't get to catch the whole game but Matthew Schaefer definitely looked like he justified HockeyProspect.com ranking him #1.

Though I am already disliking some of the negative takes I've read on James Hagens, I still think it's too early and too close to say there is a clear-cut #1 overall between Hagens, Martone and Schaefer. They are all outstanding prospects.

I'm sure either myself or @evnted will post some more detailed scouting reports of this electrifying trio atop the 2025 NHL draft class somewhere around the WJC-time.

If I have anything to say about Hagens' game, it's that I think the comparisons to Jack Hughes are a bit unfair to Hagens. I'd compare his game at this point a bit more to Logan Cooley, and I'd rank Hagens' offensive upside in the middle of those two.

Without getting too into the finer details (as those who know me know, I don't like to be very specific until I've seen enough of the prospects to be comfortable assessing them with great conviction), a friend asked me whom I would rank #1 right now if I had the proverbial gun to my head,

My answer was Matthew Schaefer. Again, no disrespect to Hagens or Martone who are both special in their own right, but Schaefer offers a combination of elite skating and hockey skills which scream NHL all-star D. Also again, it's very close for me in the top 3 right now.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I just wanted to pop in and say what an unbelievable job Billy Guerin is doing as GM of Minnesota. That David Jiricek acquisition was phenomenal. Getting a young, cost-controlled potential two-way, 1RD at a very reasonable price because he was sorely mismanaged by his previous franchise is phenomenal.

The Wild now have a top 3 record in the NHL and a top 5 prospect pool. Just great work.

 

[evnted]

I just wanted to pop in and say what an unbelievable job Billy Guerin is doing as GM of Minnesota. That David Jiricek acquisition was phenomenal. Getting a young, cost-controlled potential two-way, 1RD at a very reasonable price because he was sorely mismanaged by his previous franchise is phenomenal.

The Wild now have a top 3 record in the NHL and a top 5 prospect pool. Just great work.

great trade for sure, im taken back at how many people think the wild overpaid. what major piece did they give up, a mid-20s pick in a so-so draft year? and i love the fit for the player as well. great RD depth to shelter him now, great potential LD pairings in the future, and a development staff that has already shown they can improve skating deficiencies

don waddell inherited a tough situation and while i dont like the deal for the jackets, i cant fault them for wanting to move on if the relationship was beyond repair. everything about jiricek's tenure under jarmo kekalainen was a disaster, the guy should be in jail for what he did. nhl games immediately coming out of the draft? never actually working his defensive game in the AHL in favor of just letting him run up the score on the man advantage? lying about him securing a main roster spot? allowing JD/his coach to publicly badmouth him? constantly jockeying him between the NHL/AHL like hes some plug tweener? i still remember jiricek having to fly out to western canada just to take warmups for a game and immediately being sent back to cleveland by the end of the night

in fairness to CBJ, i dont think the player helped himself as much as he could have either. it never really felt like he took his skating progression seriously enough in the offseason, and while theres always a he said/she said element to these things, i do kinda buy the notion that he thinks hes better than he currently is. too much smoke over him bucking the ahl demotion for me not to think there was some sort of legitimacy to it

in any case, i really hope he finds his footing with the wild now, so much potential there

 

[Brodeur]

Scout's Analysis: Ranking the top 40 prospects for the 2025 NHL Draft

Former NHL scout Jason Bukala updates and expands on his list ranking the top prospects for the 2025 draft. And a new player appears at the top.

www.sportsnet.ca

Top 40 from Jason Bukala (former Panthers scout)

 

[devilsblood]

I didn't get to catch the whole game but Matthew Schaefer definitely looked like he justified HockeyProspect.com ranking him #1.

I'm probably not looking to draft that USA lhd.

 

[Guttersniped]

great trade for sure, im taken back at how many people think the wild overpaid. what major piece did they give up, a mid-20s pick in a so-so draft year? and i love the fit for the player as well. great RD depth to shelter him now, great potential LD pairings in the future, and a development staff that has already shown they can improve skating deficiencies

don waddell inherited a tough situation and while i dont like the deal for the jackets, i cant fault them for wanting to move on if the relationship was beyond repair. everything about jiricek's tenure under jarmo kekalainen was a disaster, the guy should be in jail for what he did. nhl games immediately coming out of the draft? never actually working his defensive game in the AHL in favor of just letting him run up the score on the man advantage? lying about him securing a main roster spot? allowing JD/his coach to publicly badmouth him? constantly jockeying him between the NHL/AHL like hes some plug tweener? i still remember jiricek having to fly out to western canada just to take warmups for a game and immediately being sent back to cleveland by the end of the night

in fairness to CBJ, i dont think the player helped himself as much as he could have either. it never really felt like he took his skating progression seriously enough in the offseason, and while theres always a he said/she said element to these things, i do kinda buy the notion that he thinks hes better than he currently is. too much smoke over him bucking the ahl demotion for me not to think there was some sort of legitimacy to it

in any case, i really hope he finds his footing with the wild now, so much potential there

Who thinks the Wild overpaid? I don’t see that take much at all.

Waddell pivoted from his demand of another top prospect to a 1st and depth defenseman, it’s pretty clear he was determined to ship Jiricek out.

The Wild have the best record in the NHL, that 1st is pretty meh.

It is interesting that Guerin spent a bunch of their draft capital on a piece for the future instead of a rental/short term player for this year’s playoffs.

 

[evnted]

Who thinks the Wild overpaid? I don’t see that take much at all.

Waddell pivoted from his demand of another top prospect to a 1st and depth defenseman, it’s pretty clear he was determined to ship Jiricek out.

The Wild have the best record in the NHL, that 1st is pretty meh.

It is interesting that Guerin spent a bunch of their draft capital on a piece for the future instead of a rental/short term player for this year’s playoffs.

surprisingly saw it a lot beyond this site. mixed response on instagram/reddit, and twitter almost seemed to heavily lean that way. granted these arent exactly hotbeds for in depth discussion, i still thought jiricek carried enough name recognition for the average fan to not immediately defer to more pieces = better return lol

and ya, i give guerin a lot of credit for making the trade with where the teams at. if they do end up faltering, be it down the stretch or into the playoffs, im sure he'll take some heat over it, but its not every day you get to land a piece like that, and i think given that MIN's greatest contention window is likely when yurov, buium, wallstedt, etc. are all major players, it's a savvy long term decision

 

[Brodeur]

Saw some other posts refuting any CHL defections, but I guess we'll see.

 

[StevenToddIves]

ephockey just released their latest rankings with Hagens and Schaefer virtually in a 1a/1b tie. Only shocker was they had Misa at 3 and Martone at 4. Interesting stuff though, and they run a great site there.

 

[evnted]

ephockey just released their latest rankings with Hagens and Schaefer virtually in a 1a/1b tie. Only shocker was they had Misa at 3 and Martone at 4. Interesting stuff though, and they run a great site there.

always appreciate the content they put out. last number of weeks id say schaefer has officially crept to 1 for me. offensive game is developing much more aggressively than i anticipated. otherworldly skating, poise, mental game, you name it. hard to think of an outright weakness to his game, and with how young he is i dont think this progression rate is stopping any time soon. early CAN WJC lines have him practicing as PP1 QB which is just insane

i do have to say, i dont think the EP team is properly scouting frondell, hes still a top pick to me. super savvy, pro level instincts, tremendous compete/physical play, hyper advanced board plays and details to his playmaking game, not to mention an elite shot and defensive game. kid screams pro's pro to me. i get it's easy to sour on him since he's been injured so much and hasn't really found a groove yet, but the potential there is high

also, im sure you saw your boy Kevin He signed his ELC today. well earned, and a great call again

 

[StevenToddIves]

always appreciate the content they put out. last number of weeks id say schaefer has officially crept to 1 for me. offensive game is developing much more aggressively than i anticipated. otherworldly skating, poise, mental game, you name it. hard to think of an outright weakness to his game, and with how young he is i dont think this progression rate is stopping any time soon. early CAN WJC lines have him practicing as PP1 QB which is just insane

i do have to say, i dont think the EP team is properly scouting frondell, hes still a top pick to me. super savvy, pro level instincts, tremendous compete/physical play, hyper advanced board plays and details to his playmaking game, not to mention an elite shot and defensive game. kid screams pro's pro to me. i get it's easy to sour on him since he's been injured so much and hasn't really found a groove yet, but the potential there is high

also, im sure you saw your boy Kevin He signed his ELC today. well earned, and a great call again

EP is really my favorite draft content right now, and you know how much respect their in-house rock star Cam Robinson, who to me might be the best in the business right now. Every hockey fan needs to follow him -- every year he digs up great, unheralded players and sticks his neck out for them.

As for Kevin He... well, I'm just so proud of the kid. Last year I did a draft podcast which had thousands of views. When asked who my top sleeper for the 2024 draft was, I went unhesitatingly with Kevin He. I just loved He's game, heart, character and upside. Believe me, when I read Winnipeg signed him to a contract in his draft+1 year I was beaming.

 

[StevenToddIves]

always appreciate the content they put out. last number of weeks id say schaefer has officially crept to 1 for me. offensive game is developing much more aggressively than i anticipated. otherworldly skating, poise, mental game, you name it. hard to think of an outright weakness to his game, and with how young he is i dont think this progression rate is stopping any time soon. early CAN WJC lines have him practicing as PP1 QB which is just insane

i do have to say, i dont think the EP team is properly scouting frondell, hes still a top pick to me. super savvy, pro level instincts, tremendous compete/physical play, hyper advanced board plays and details to his playmaking game, not to mention an elite shot and defensive game. kid screams pro's pro to me. i get it's easy to sour on him since he's been injured so much and hasn't really found a groove yet, but the potential there is high

also, im sure you saw your boy Kevin He signed his ELC today. well earned, and a great call again

In addition to He, the other guy I'd say to keep a very close eye on from the 2024 draft later rounds is Matvei Shuravin. I can't believe a kid with that level of size/skating/ability fell so late. I think in a few years he'll be a terrific mid-pairing guy for Florida.

 

[evnted]

In addition to He, the other guy I'd say to keep a very close eye on from the 2024 draft later rounds is Matvei Shuravin. I can't believe a kid with that level of size/skating/ability fell so late. I think in a few years he'll be a terrific mid-pairing guy for Florida.

absolutely agree there, and i think he might continue to fly under the radar given how much of a log jam cska seems to have with younger players right now. very decent chance to be the next "where did they find this guy" player in 5 some years lol