Prospect Info: 2024 25 Devils DRAFT Thread

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

RW/LW Nathan Behm, Kamloops
Generally ranked in the top half of the 2025 2nd round, Nathan Behm is a really interesting player watch because he combines good size/athleticism with very good intangibles, while juxtaposing a high floor with an intriguing ceiling. He's one of the younger players available in the 2025 class and put up an impressive 31g-35a-66p stat line in just 59 games despite playing for a rather woeful Kamloops team, plays a responsible and smart two way game and might just be scratching the surface.

Behm may be a bit overlooked because he lacks a singular knockout skill to dazzle the highlight reels, but he's very complete and has displayed a rather high development curve. He's got good size at 6'2-190, he's a good skater, showing good effort in all three zones. He's a strong shooter but scores most of his goals by simply playing a fundamental big-guy game of crashing creases and working hard down low. He's a functional puck handler with a smart, if not-so-creative passing game. Behm is mostly north/south in his overall play, but his right-place-at-the-right-time tendencies lead to myriad scoring chances.

If this sounds like a high-floor, 3rd-line type to you it's because that's Behm's most-likely future in the NHL. But it might be wise to give him a bit of helium in his projections because the very promising combo of size/skates/brain/heart in relation to his huge overall advances as a player over the past season are uncommon, especially when considered alongside his late April birthdate. There could be some 2nd-line, two-way big F with scoring pop simmering just under the lid.

Behm is a perfect pick in the early 2nd round and, in an inconsistent 2025 draft class, maybe even the late 1st. There is good reason to believe he'll be a good NHL player and the upside might be higher than most realize.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

RD Max Psenicka, Portland WHL
This young Czech D is being overlooked by most NHL draft pundits and, though he has a long development road ahead of him and big strides to make, his rare combination of size/skating and intangibles give an excellent framework to build upon. Conversely, his 6'4-185 frame, mobile skating and the fact he plays RD means that, even if the draft analysts let him slip under the radar, NHL GMs are certainly paying close attention.

Psenicka works very hard on the defensive side of the puck and is an effective defender in one-on-one battles, but his fundamentals still need work as he can lose positioning under the duress of extended forechecks. His gaps have improved and, with the obvious advantages of his wingspan and skating, he can close the distance on opponents and snuff out opposing offensive opportunities with great effectiveness. He's willing to play physically though it's more reactionary than aggressive, and he's an extremely strong kid who will only get stronger.

Offensively, he's actually pretty impressive. Psenicka is a smart player who is willing to join the rush and has flashed some skill in the passing and shooting game. His stick handling needs work, as on both sides of the puck he has bit off more than he can chew, as his mind comes up with moves his hands can't handle, often leading to fumbling pucks away.

Psenicka is a great project pick for the mid-2nd to 3rd round who could go much higher due to the fact that he's precisely the description of player NHL front offices drool over. The upside is tough to pinpoint, but with some work it's easy to envision a defense-first NHL bottom-3 defender who can also pop in some points with the occasional burst of two-way play.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

C Matthew Gard, Red Deer WHL
Usually 2nd/3rd round picks are guys you draft hoping they have some unlocked upside which turns them into a Braydon Point or Jason Robertson. But with 6'5-190 Matt Gard, you're hoping he's the next Adam Lowry. Contrary to what a lot of the analytic-obsessed might tell you, this ambition is perfectly fine for this part of the draft.

Over a full WHL season, Gard has not impressed offensively with a 19g-17a-36p stat line in 66 games. Most of these points were undeniably tallied within a few feet of the crease. Though all of his offensive skills -- shooting, passing, puck handling -- are functional enough not to be a concern, none are particularly impressive. His offensive IQ is good when simplified, as he's strictly north/south and plays within his abilities. His skating is probably below-average without being poor enough to warrant extreme concern.

So why would you draft Matthew Gard? Well, he's an ace defender who is very good in the face-off circle and a physical force on the ice. He's a character guy, a leader, who is terrific positionally in the defensive zone while winning an incredible percentage of down-low battles with his dog-on-a-bone mentality. His frame is projectable and it's not difficult to envision a 6'5-230, bruising NHL 4C a half decade down the line.

Matthew Gard may not be a player to strongly consider in the top 50 picks of the draft, but as you go deep into the 2nd round and beyond he's certainly an intriguing option for a team lacking organizational center depth. If Gard can improve his skating, he can be very valuable one day in an NHL bottom 6.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

C Hayden Paupanekis, Kelowna WHL
For a team seeking center depth in the middle rounds of the 2025 draft, Hayden Paupanekis is an extremely intriguing option. He's absolutely a raw work-in-progress and his offensive ceiling might be that of a 3rd liner, but the size and athleticism are very much there and if you can hone him into a north/south player and teach him to play with more consistent physicality, the possibilities are tantalizing.

Paupanekis is -- most obviously -- a 6'4-205 natural center with good skating and a decent-across-the-board offensive skill-set. This description alone gives a strong coaching and development team a great deal to work with. He also plays with a good work ethic and is generally a good defender. His problem areas are with his decision making -- he often turns over pucks thinking his offensive talents are more than they are, whether puck-handling or passing. He can be baited by high-IQ opponents through deception and misdirection.

I'd call Paupanekis an "average hockey IQ" guy, but because his work ethic is very good, I feel he can be honed into a very good role player if his role is defined and honed. If he can learn to use his obvious strength advantages and play more physically, we're talking about a kid who shoots well and has pretty good hands; a player who can skate with all but the speed-demons of the league.

This is certainly a player who would interest me in the 3rd to 5th rounds of the NHL draft, as he's a true center with palpable upside as a very effective NHL bottom 6er.

 

[RetPaladin]

Tell me about Mikkel Eriksen and Tomas Pobezal. What do you think of these players and would they be available at 50 and 64 and would they be good picks? Some shift by shift videos. Tomas Pobezal Mikkel Eriksen

 

[My3Sons]

2025 Draft Profile:

C Hayden Paupanekis, Kelowna WHL
For a team seeking center depth in the middle rounds of the 2025 draft, Hayden Paupanekis is an extremely intriguing option. He's absolutely a raw work-in-progress and his offensive ceiling might be that of a 3rd liner, but the size and athleticism are very much there and if you can hone him into a north/south player and teach him to play with more consistent physicality, the possibilities are tantalizing.

Paupanekis is -- most obviously -- a 6'4-205 natural center with good skating and a decent-across-the-board offensive skill-set. This description alone gives a strong coaching and development team a great deal to work with. He also plays with a good work ethic and is generally a good defender. His problem areas are with his decision making -- he often turns over pucks thinking his offensive talents are more than they are, whether puck-handling or passing. He can be baited by high-IQ opponents through deception and misdirection.

I'd call Paupanekis an "average hockey IQ" guy, but because his work ethic is very good, I feel he can be honed into a very good role player if his role is defined and honed. If he can learn to use his obvious strength advantages and play more physically, we're talking about a kid who shoots well and has pretty good hands; a player who can skate with all but the speed-demons of the league.

This is certainly a player who would interest me in the 3rd to 5th rounds of the NHL draft, as he's a true center with palpable upside as a very effective NHL bottom 6er.

This sounds like thr kind of player NJ could realistically add at the draft to start backfilling the center depth.

 

[Guadana]

RW/C Benjamin Kindel, Calgary WHL
The 2025 draft is shaping up to be one of the weirdest classes I've ever seen, both in its make-up and general public assessment. Often criticized for both a lack of elite talent outside of the top handful of picks and a lack of depth afterwards, one would think any player with potential top-line, scoring-star talent at the NHL level would get even greater attention than in most years. For some reason which is impossible to define, multiple players who fit this description have been unduly been given lukewarm hype by the hockey draft community. Headlining this list is Benjamin Kindel.

The more I watch Kindel, the more I realize he is absolutely worth a pick as high as the top 7 overall. He's just a brilliant hockey player and lacks any discernible flaw. His finest attributes are his hockey IQ, which is elite for this or any draft, and his compete level, which is undeniable in a player who elevates his entire team every time he steps on the ice in any situation. Now, with many players for whom "character and smarts" are their standout attributes, there's usually some flaw which causes the draft community to overlook them -- whether it be subpar stats, or subpar skating, or subpar 200-foot play, or diminutive size.

Kindel scored the lights out, with a 35g-64a-99p line in the WHL. He's an excellent skater who combines more excellent marks across the board in passing vision, shooting and puck handling. He's a two-way forward who shines in virtually any situation. Though a wiry 5'10-175, he's not tiny by any degree of the imagination. So, why is his consensus ranking generally in the #20-#25 range?

The answer is: I have no answer. Kindel might just be the best outlet passer in the draft -- he's a courageous and smart puck-distributor who immediately sees passes and lanes and routes several players ranked top 10 in the 2025 class can only dream of. His intangibles and ability to defend give him a high floor of at least an NHL 3rd liner. Though he's a pass-first mentality guy, he'll take it to the net himself and beat goalies with a litany of moves and release angles. This kid is a stud. We're talking steal of the draft kind of stuff if he falls anywhere near his consensus ranking.

I think of one play I saw him make where he was fighting two much larger defenders in the crease to deflect a shot. The rebound ricocheted into the air, and his stick was being tied up by a defender. So, Kindel simply kneed the puck up into the air in front of him soccer-style, then freed his stick and swatted it out of the air top shelf. That's an elite move, being unable to score in the fraction of the moment he needed to score, but instead having the presence of mind to delay the moment. That's elite hockey IQ and creativity.

Benjamin Kindel is a name to keep your eye on for the 2025 draft, and then a player to keep your eye on for many, many years afterwards. It's a complicated draft, but these facts are simple.

I have a feeling that the reason why scouts are so obsessed with size is modern GMs(and scouts) are the players from 90s. Who grew up in late 80s. It was a different hockey when their mindset was build.
I'm not saying that size is nothing in nhl , size matter especially with skating ability. But it feels like you will always find a bigger player with average IQ in the middle if the first round and right after him someone will draft smaller player with better IQ and compete level who will play better in nhl.

 

[Guadana]

This sounds like thr kind of player NJ could realistically add at the draft to start backfilling the center depth.

I like the combo of size and skating but average IQ is the thing that might stop the player from translating his game to the new level.
Steve isn't the man who will bullish young players, he is always more optimistic about mostly every player he described. Paupanekis has not a great production for his age and his league, and when a guy like me or Steve or Even would prefer to not betting hard on production, anyway it's a junior league where the big forward with good skating will find a way to create chances for himself and for partners if he has enough IQ for being future nhler. Production isn't everything but it should be used in the context.

Often players with lack of creativity but with skating and understanding of puckbattlening could be a future fourth liners. Future third liners are mostly going from "future top-6" busts but still good enough players to play in nhl and create something from time to time, who learned and polished the game.

It's hard to ask more from a player from second round of he has good tools to be role player in NHL, but I would prefer to find more "future top six busts". Someone will never face NHL, someone could become solid bottom six player, mst be someone would not even be a bust.

I don't have a final opinion about Paupakenis yet but from my little view of him I would prefer to target players with higher ceiling in the second round. For now.

 

[StevenToddIves]

This sounds like thr kind of player NJ could realistically add at the draft to start backfilling the center depth.

I like the combo of size and skating but average IQ is the thing that might stop the player from translating his game to the new level.
Steve isn't the man who will bullish young players, he is always more optimistic about mostly every player he described. Paupanekis has not a great production for his age and his league, and when a guy like me or Steve or Even would prefer to not betting hard on production, anyway it's a junior league where the big forward with good skating will find a way to create chances for himself and for partners if he has enough IQ for being future nhler. Production isn't everything but it should be used in the context.

Often players with lack of creativity but with skating and understanding of puckbattlening could be a future fourth liners. Future third liners are mostly going from "future top-6" busts but still good enough players to play in nhl and create something from time to time, who learned and polished the game.

It's hard to ask more from a player from second round of he has good tools to be role player in NHL, but I would prefer to find more "future top six busts". Someone will never face NHL, someone could become solid bottom six player, mst be someone would not even be a bust.

I don't have a final opinion about Paupakenis yet but from my little view of him I would prefer to target players with higher ceiling in the second round. For now.

I agree with both of you, in a sense. @Guadana is certainly correct that I prefer to keep my draft profiles as optimistic as possible, especially with later-round players -- "what is this player's potential if everything goes right with their development?"

I agree with @My3Sons and disagree with @Guadana that the Devils absolutely need to be looking at players like Paupanekis and Gard in the 2025 draft. Maybe not in the 2nd round, but if you have a 4th rounder and one of these kids is available -- well, the Devils are desperate for organizational center depth and both of these players have reasonable projections for an eventual NHL bottom 6 C role.

 

[Goptor]

I agree with both of you, in a sense. @Guadana is certainly correct that I prefer to keep my draft profiles as optimistic as possible, especially with later-round players -- "what is this player's potential if everything goes right with their development?"

I agree with @My3Sons and disagree with @Guadana that the Devils absolutely need to be looking at players like Paupanekis and Gard in the 2025 draft. Maybe not in the 2nd round, but if you have a 4th rounder and one of these kids is available -- well, the Devils are desperate for organizational center depth and both of these players have reasonable projections for an eventual NHL bottom 6 C role.

The only problem is that drafting a center now isn't going to fix the center depth problem. Those guys wont be going pro for several years.

Draft a good variety of positions and you wont find yourself in this situation. Fitz has already screwed up trying to fix the center depth issue with bad overager draft picks. Don't keep throwing picks away for a quick fix.

 

[StevenToddIves]

The only problem is that drafting a center now isn't going to fix the center depth problem. Those guys wont be going pro for several years.

Draft a good variety of positions and you wont find yourself in this situation. Fitz has already screwed up trying to fix the center depth issue with bad overager draft picks. Don't keep throwing picks away for a quick fix.

I would never say to pass up a significantly better player for an inferior player on draft day due to what position they play. I would, however, advocate for using positional importance/necessity as a tie-breaker if a team is deciding between two players of similar potential.

The problem with the Devils recent drafts is that they seem to prioritize a certain "player type" and/or spread out later picks among their scouting staff over drafting the "best available player". For example, last year in the 3rd round the Devils let the Sweden and Finland scouts try to pick a "big right wing" and took Traff and Pikkarainen when they could have taken players with far greater potential such as LW Kevin He or LD Matvei Shuravin.

Similarly, in 2023 the Devils basically tossed off a pick in LW Cole Brown when they could have had a far superior, already AHL-ready center in Logan Morrison -- who was a far better prospect on the same Hamilton team -- probably because Brown was *bigger*.

These are the types of mistakes which have limited the Devils mid-to-late-round drafting under Tom Fitzgerald, aside from the Russian picks which have generally been great.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

C/LW Cole Reschny, Victoria WHL
Cole Reschny is the consummate example of how elite compete level and hockey IQ can elevate a player of limited size and athleticism to rarified heights. Reschny does not immediately strike the scouts as a potential star upon limited views -- he's an undersized center at 5'10-185 whose skating is, at best, slightly above average. He does not feature a booming shot or a dazzling set of hands. Watch him in the pre-game warm-ups and you might not assume he'll impress you much. But then you watch him in the game. And he's almost always either the best player that game, and if not he's in the conversation. He's a two-way, all-situations stud who lit up the WHL for 92 points in 66 games and then was the best player in the entire WHL playoffs with -- you're reading this right -- 9g-16a-25p in just 11 games.

Cole Reschny is a hockey player, through and through. He plays every shift like his life depended on it, regardless of the score. He will mix it up with anyone, he doesn't care who, like the time in the playoffs he went toe-to-toe with 6'4 and extremely tough Jackson Smith. His IQ is surpassed by no one in the entire 2025 class -- no one -- and you'd probably have to watch a dozen Victoria games before seeing him make a mental mistake of any kind. If you want to know what the correct decision to make with the puck is, just watch what Reschny does with the puck, because that's precisely what the correct decision was. And I'm going to go out on a limb and say -- with all apologies to Mr. Misa and Mr. Hagens -- that Cole Reschny possesses the most elite passing vision in the entire 2025 draft class.

This is a player who is ranked #29 on the McKenzie draft board, who could conceivably slip into the 2nd round of a relatively tepid 2025 draft class. And if he does slip into the 2nd -- well, let's just say "a team" would be very well advised to drop the size and skating concerns and trade up to get him. Because Reschny oozes hearts and smarts and character, and there is no way this kid will not forge himself into a very good player in The Big Show. Do I see him as a top-line center? No, but I do see him sticking at center. I see him as a Mike Peca-type -- a middle-six guy who elevates his teammates and positively affects every aspect of his team's game. A guy who will level players twice his size, score big goals and be a feature on the 2PP unit and 2PK unit. I do think his scoring upside, due to the elite passing, is even higher than such comparisons -- I don't think the possibility of a perennial 60+ point scoring middle six guy is out of the question here. Cole Reschny is just that good of a prospect.

 

[longislanddevil]

Here’s a fun exercise. List the five players in order that you’d like the Devils to draft with their two second round picks. Curious to see the results.

 

[My3Sons]

The only problem is that drafting a center now isn't going to fix the center depth problem. Those guys wont be going pro for several years.

Draft a good variety of positions and you wont find yourself in this situation. Fitz has already screwed up trying to fix the center depth issue with bad overager draft picks. Don't keep throwing picks away for a quick fix.

Not immediately but you have to start somewhere.

 

[Goptor]

Not immediately but you have to start somewhere.

Say you draft 4 centers this draft, 3 next draft. 4-5 years down the line you're looking at an organizational depth that is strong on centers and non-existent at defense.

Over correction is real and just perpetually leaves your organization chasing positions of weak depth. You can't solve current needs through drafting so you shouldn't be chasing them. Just accept you made a mistake and don't do it again.

 

[My3Sons]

Say you draft 4 centers this draft, 3 next draft. 4-5 years down the line you're looking at an organizational depth that is strong on centers and non-existent at defense.

Over correction is real and just perpetually leaves your organization chasing positions of weak depth. You can't solve current needs through drafting so you shouldn't be chasing them. Just accept you made a mistake and don't do it again.

Where did I say draft that many centers? Why does it have to extend that way for many years? I said start somewhere. That’s as far as it goes. If they identify two or three centers they like that still leaves picks for defense and wing or maybe a goalie although I might pass on a goalie for now since they have a logjam at the position. I agree they can’t overcorrect hard but for one season it makes sense to prioritize the position to start backfilling their anemic center prospect pool that features me right below Salminen.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Say you draft 4 centers this draft, 3 next draft. 4-5 years down the line you're looking at an organizational depth that is strong on centers and non-existent at defense.

Over correction is real and just perpetually leaves your organization chasing positions of weak depth. You can't solve current needs through drafting so you shouldn't be chasing them. Just accept you made a mistake and don't do it again.

The problem with the Devils is not over-valuing a position. The problem is that in the past two drafts after the 2nd round, the Devils two priorities have seemed to be 1) draft big kids and 2) reward as many scouts as possible with "a guy".

The last time the Devils "shot for the moon" with an upside pick after Round 2 was 2022 with Orlov in the 4th round and Filmon in the 6th. The last time before that was 2019 with Clarke in the 3rd round and Gritsyuk in the 5th.

Now last year was still a very good draft -- Silayev and Yegorov were both amazing picks in the top 2 rounds, which made it a very strong haul. But then with two picks in the 3rd round the Devils squared to bunt both times and basically were swatting at invisible piñatas with the last three picks.

 

[FooteBahl]

Here’s a fun exercise. List the five players in order that you’d like the Devils to draft with their two second round picks. Curious to see the results.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6353129/2025/06/02/2025-nhl-draft-ranking-prospects-list/

Best available centers in the 50-62 range

 

[Brodeur]

Just to reiterate a cautionary tale about drafting for need:

In 2006, Los Angeles hired Dean Lombardi a couple months before the draft. He inherited a team that had a ton of young forwards but nothing on defense. He was hands off in the first round and allowed the scouts to take Jonathan Bernier and Trevor Lewis. In the second round, the scouts wanted to take Milan Lucic but Lombardi stepped in and told them to take a D (Joe Ryan).