Prospect Info: 2024 25 Devils DRAFT Thread

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

C Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton QMJHL
Cale Desnoyers is, quite simply, the most consummate all-purpose natural center in the 2025 draft class. While Misa, Hagens and Frondell might all offer more projectable offensive upside, Desnoyers is the most complete player of the lot and, while there are questions whether that trio of higher-rated forwards will remain at the center position, with Desnoyers there are no such questions. And it cannot be understated that Desnoyers is a 6'2-190 pivot with terrific natural athleticism, borderline elite passing vision, no discernible weaknesses and PPG, top-6 center type ability.

Desnoyers' upside has been understated because of a lack of razzle-dazzle to his game and a lack of a singular, ultra-elite standout ability. But make no mistake, he is excellent across the board in every single aspect of the game. He was far-and-away Moncton's best player with a 35g-49a-84p line in just 56 games by no accident. He's one of the smartest players you'll see in any draft, thinking the game several steps ahead of the competition on either side of the puck. His elite hockey IQ is matched by his elite compete level and his intangibles are as good as it gets. Though playmaking is his finest attribute in terms of physical skill, he's also a tremendous puck handler and very good skater. His shot is probably the least impressive of his physical traits, because it's only what we could call "very good". He's just that complete.

Desnoyers is a true line driver who excels in transition. Defensively, he's one of the top centers in the draft and might be the best face-off man available in the entire 2025 class. His positioning and anticipation and support in the offensive or defensive zones are as complete and savvy as a 10-year NHLer. If you're looking for a Nico Hischier-type great-everywhere-on-the-ice-every-shift-in-any-situation type center, Desnoyers is your man. In my opinion, he's as good a call at #2 overall as any player in the 2025 draft, and to me this is not a hot take. I'd put him right alongside Misa, Hagens and Frondell -- it's not a matter of "who is better" so much as "which type of player do you prefer". Caleb Desnoyers' ceiling has been understated, and he might have the highest floor in the entire 2025 class.

 

[HughesCorporation]

is Eric Nilson really 150#

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

RW Justin Carbonneau, Blainville QMJHL
There's no doubting the massive upside of Justin Carbonneau. He's a 6'1-195 pure scoring winger who can absolutely fly and might have the best snipe in the draft after only Anton Frondell. He can dangle and occasionally flash a high-end vision-type passing play. When he's on, he seems unstoppable -- blowing past QMJHL defenders and picking a corner with one of the quickest releases and laser-like shots one can imagine. He lit up the league with a 46g-42a-88p line in just 62 games.

Yet as is often the case with many young pure scorers, the problem with Carbonneau is not his upside, but the fact that he greatly struggles in most facets of the game which do not involve offense. Without picking him apart too much, it's safe to say most of the criticisms of Carbonneau's game are pretty par for the course for this type of player: Carbonneau's IQ and compete level can both slack in the defensive zone, he's a fairly poor defender in general, and he's prone to trying to make every play hit the highlight reel to such a degree that he often eschews smart puck management for flashy ideas which result in awful turnovers.

Ultimately, Carbonneau's ceiling is of a high-scoring sniper for an NHL top line with both size and speed. As such, warts be damned, he's a good bet to go in the top 10 picks of the 2025 draft and will not slip past 15 overall. He's certainly a worthy risk to take because the 40+ goal-scoring potential at the NHL level is legit. But he has a lot of learning and development to go in the team game, and coaches will need to be extremely patient with him.

 

[evnted]

2025 Draft Profile:

RW Justin Carbonneau, Blainville QMJHL
There's no doubting the massive upside of Justin Carbonneau. He's a 6'1-195 pure scoring winger who can absolutely fly and might have the best snipe in the draft after only Anton Frondell. He can dangle and occasionally flash a high-end vision-type passing play. When he's on, he seems unstoppable -- blowing past QMJHL defenders and picking a corner with one of the quickest releases and laser-like shots one can imagine. He lit up the league with a 46g-42a-88p line in just 62 games.

Yet as is often the case with many young pure scorers, the problem with Carbonneau is not his upside, but the fact that he greatly struggles in most facets of the game which do not involve offense. Without picking him apart too much, it's safe to say most of the criticisms of Carbonneau's game are pretty par for the course for this type of player: Carbonneau's IQ and compete level can both slack in the defensive zone, he's a fairly poor defender in general, and he's prone to trying to make every play hit the highlight reel to such a degree that he often eschews smart puck management for flashy ideas which result in awful turnovers.

Ultimately, Carbonneau's ceiling is of a high-scoring sniper for an NHL top line with both size and speed. As such, warts be damned, he's a good bet to go in the top 10 picks of the 2025 draft and will not slip past 15 overall. He's certainly a worthy risk to take because the 40+ goal-scoring potential at the NHL level is legit. But he has a lot of learning and development to go in the team game, and coaches will need to be extremely patient with him.

this kid scares me lol so many of the things that burned me on puljujarvi, holtz, jacob perreault, etc. i see tenfold here. maybe i just hate scoring winger prospects now

 

[StevenToddIves]

this kid scares me lol so many of the things that burned me on puljujarvi, holtz, jacob perreault, etc. i see tenfold here. maybe i just hate scoring winger prospects now

Perreault might be the best comparable.

It's not that I wouldn't draft Carbonneau per se, it's just that I wouldn't draft him over players who affect the game positively in a variety of ways aside from simply the scoresheet. Which is to say that I think Carbonneau gets drafted ahead of wingers like Carter Bear and Victor Eklund, and my personal draft preference would be quite the opposite.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

C/LW Bill Zonnon, Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL
Though the 2025 draft class might be lacking a bit in terms of superstar-potential high end forwards, it might be a bit underrated in terms of high-intangible, high-floor wings and centers who will affect an NHL team positively in several facets of the game in a middle six capacity. For the QMJHL, the poster child for this is, without a doubt, Bill Zonnon.

Zonnon is your prototypical relentless, smart, physical, versatile all-situations forward. You can plug him anywhere in your top three lines, at center or wing, and he'll put 1,000% effort into getting the job done. At 6'2-190 he plays a rugged, in-your-face style but he's also an extremely cerebral team-first player who will not cross the line or risk negatively affecting his team with a bad penalty. Quite simply, he's the guy every player and coach wants on their side, no matter the game situation.

Zonnon is, however, much more than simply a character player. His offensive skill-set is good across the board -- puck handling, offensive IQ, shooting -- and he adds to this one borderline elite skill in that he is simply a phenomenal playmaker. If you're open he'll find you, his passing is razor-sharp and accurate, and his ability to manipulate defenders and see plays before they happen give a great deal of hope that Zonnon can one day produce a great deal of offense on the 2nd line of an NHL team.

The other aspect of Zonnon's overall skillset which gives me hope that he has untapped upside is his skating. Zonnon is an athletic kid who can reach some formidable top speeds, but his stride and form are very clunky and need a lot of work. It is thus conceivable that a lot of hard work with some NHL skating coaches combined with improved core strength can add another few gears to Zonnon's speed and mobility, a possibility which would be absolutely huge for the overall game of this type of player.

This is not to say that Zonnon's offense has not been a successful work already -- in 64 games for the Huskies Zonnon lit it up for 55 assists, along with 28 goals. A strong second half led to the draft consensus elevating him from a high second round pick to around the 20-25 range overall. Bill Zonnon's combination of work ethic, smarts, high-end vision and possibility of improvement makes him absolutely worthy of a first round selection in my opinion, perhaps even inside the top 20 picks.

 

[Brodeur]

Listening to today's Athletic draft podcast about stuff they've heard from the combine. Apparently Brady Martin won't be attending the draft in LA because he'll be helping around his family's cattle farm and it was too important a time in the farming calendar for his family to go to LA for a few days. But it seems like he's been a good interview and he's been cracking jokes with NHL clubs. Seemingly solidified himself into the top 7/8.

Reminds me of a pre-draft story Brian Burke tells about Trevor Linden:

They weren't sure if Porter Martone might slide a bit if teams value center over wing.

 

[My3Sons]

Listening to today's Athletic draft podcast about stuff they've heard from the combine. Apparently Brady Martin won't be attending the draft in LA because he'll be helping around his family's cattle farm and it was too important a time in the farming calendar for his family to go to LA for a few days. But it seems like he's been a good interview and he's been cracking jokes with NHL clubs. Seemingly solidified himself into the top 7/8.

Reminds me of a pre-draft story Brian Burke tells about Trevor Linden:

They weren't sure if Porter Martone might slide a bit if teams value center over wing.

I remember when my wife had to do that to me. Hurt a lot.

 

[Guadana]

this kid scares me lol so many of the things that burned me on puljujarvi, holtz, jacob perreault, etc. i see tenfold here. maybe i just hate scoring winger prospects now

PTSD of draft community.

 

[Guadana]

2025 Draft Profile:

C/LW Bill Zonnon, Rouyn-Noranda QMJHL
Though the 2025 draft class might be lacking a bit in terms of superstar-potential high end forwards, it might be a bit underrated in terms of high-intangible, high-floor wings and centers who will affect an NHL team positively in several facets of the game in a middle six capacity. For the QMJHL, the poster child for this is, without a doubt, Bill Zonnon.

Zonnon is your prototypical relentless, smart, physical, versatile all-situations forward. You can plug him anywhere in your top three lines, at center or wing, and he'll put 1,000% effort into getting the job done. At 6'2-190 he plays a rugged, in-your-face style but he's also an extremely cerebral team-first player who will not cross the line or risk negatively affecting his team with a bad penalty. Quite simply, he's the guy every player and coach wants on their side, no matter the game situation.

Zonnon is, however, much more than simply a character player. His offensive skill-set is good across the board -- puck handling, offensive IQ, shooting -- and he adds to this one borderline elite skill in that he is simply a phenomenal playmaker. If you're open he'll find you, his passing is razor-sharp and accurate, and his ability to manipulate defenders and see plays before they happen give a great deal of hope that Zonnon can one day produce a great deal of offense on the 2nd line of an NHL team.

The other aspect of Zonnon's overall skillset which gives me hope that he has untapped upside is his skating. Zonnon is an athletic kid who can reach some formidable top speeds, but his stride and form are very clunky and need a lot of work. It is thus conceivable that a lot of hard work with some NHL skating coaches combined with improved core strength can add another few gears to Zonnon's speed and mobility, a possibility which would be absolutely huge for the overall game of this type of player.

This is not to say that Zonnon's offense has not been a successful work already -- in 64 games for the Huskies Zonnon lit it up for 55 assists, along with 28 goals. A strong second half led to the draft consensus elevating him from a high second round pick to around the 20-25 range overall. Bill Zonnon's combination of work ethic, smarts, high-end vision and possibility of improvement makes him absolutely worthy of a first round selection in my opinion, perhaps even inside the top 20 picks.

Never was a fan of rental trades for the first round pick. Devils were 1 play off appearance team with 10 pick. They decided to trade first round pick for older goalie when they traded 2/3 round pick for older goalie few days before. Markstrom was good but absolutely replaceable from the market. They could use it to find a player with good combo of good skating, good iq, work ethic and passing vision. In the second part of the first round, there will always be a player with a good combination of skills who can be considered a real NHL player.
We saw it when the 2020 draft was going. Greig and Zary didn’t look like a future stars but both looked like a good future NHL players, but a guy like Perrault looked like a player who should learn a lot but has big potential. And it’s not like Greig and Zary didn’t have high ceiling, both could learn more too, they do not need to fix their mentality or somehow being smarter and more consistent, both were good skaters.
Snuggerud and Yurov were available in 20th in 2022.
As Moore for 18th pick in .2023.
Hage and Surin were available in 20th year ago.

With good understanding of what is actually making an NHL player from a young prospect it’s not that hard to build a team from later picks. It really helps to create depth and find a cheap player with talent for a perspective team.

Just imagine - being play off team and draft Yurov, Moore and Hage three years in a row. It’s not like we as guys who like draft just as hobby, never said good words about this guys. We all have those guys higher than they were drafted.

 

[Forge]

 

[Guttersniped]

Listening to today's Athletic draft podcast about stuff they've heard from the combine. Apparently Brady Martin won't be attending the draft in LA because he'll be helping around his family's cattle farm and it was too important a time in the farming calendar for his family to go to LA for a few days. But it seems like he's been a good interview and he's been cracking jokes with NHL clubs. Seemingly solidified himself into the top 7/8.

Reminds me of a pre-draft story Brian Burke tells about Trevor Linden:

They weren't sure if Porter Martone might slide a bit if teams value center over wing.

You had me at “cut their nuts off”.

(Just a joke fellas!)

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

LD Kashawn Aitcheson, Barrie OHL
When the hardest-hitting, most physical defenseman in the draft also scores 26 goals in 64 OHL games, it should get everyone's attention. In Kashawn Aitcheson's case, it certainly did. All season long, Aitcheson rocketed draft boards with bone-crushing hit after bone-crushing hit and highlight-worthy goal after highlight-worthy goal. The 6'1-200 Toronto native is now a lock for the 1st round, nearly a certainty in the top 20, and a possibility in the top dozen overall picks.

Aitcheson is not just strong for his size, he'd be freakishly strong for his size even if he were half a foot taller and 40 pounds heavier. Pound for pound he is almost certainly the strongest player in the 2025 class. As such, he's probably the top defender in the 2025 class in board battles and net front jousts, and he's so aggressive with his physicality that all but the bravest opposing forwards often avoid him in the dirty areas completely. Aitcheson's physicality is so ferocious and omnipresent that opposition players change the way they play simply because Kashawn is on the ice -- would-be possession break-ins become harmless dump-ins, puck dangles are reduced to chips up the boards and meek attempts to chase them.

Aitcheson is not a perfect defender, though he has taken great strides over the past two seasons in Barrie. His reads are good-but-not-great, and you can say the same about his gaps and positioning. He's probably a "good hockey IQ" guy but not elite in this respect. Defensively he's better when he plays to his fundamentals and simplifies. Extreme pressure on him can force mistakes and not every decision he makes is perfect, but again he's really improved in these senses and this gives a great deal of hope for a development arc of a potential one-day shut-down type defender.

Aitcheson's skating is similar to his defensive play in that it's certainly good right now, but he has some kinks in his stride which could be cleaned up and, combined with his natural athleticism, propel him into great-skater status in the future.If you are getting the impression that, despite his likely top 20 draft position, Aitcheson is probably a few years from the NHL? Well, this is true, but it's important to keep in mind how high the upside is here, as well.

The 26 goals were no accident -- Aitcheson can absolutely hammer the puck from the point and will likely be a double-digit goal scoring defenseman at any level. He's also capable of the occasional flashy move at the blueline and is capable of impressive high-vision passes in space.

When you put this package together, I'd say Kashawn Aitcheson reminds me of a slightly-less-polished Dion Phaneuf in his draft year. He's a non-stop motor guy, an intimidating physical force, a potential shut-down defender, and a guy who can one day be the trigger man on an NHL 2PP. He will affect the game in a variety of ways -- all extremely valuable at the professional level -- and as such is absolutely worthy of a pick pretty much anywhere outside the top 10 overall.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Never was a fan of rental trades for the first round pick. Devils were 1 play off appearance team with 10 pick. They decided to trade first round pick for older goalie when they traded 2/3 round pick for older goalie few days before. Markstrom was good but absolutely replaceable from the market. They could use it to find a player with good combo of good skating, good iq, work ethic and passing vision. In the second part of the first round, there will always be a player with a good combination of skills who can be considered a real NHL player.
We saw it when the 2020 draft was going. Greig and Zary didn’t look like a future stars but both looked like a good future NHL players, but a guy like Perrault looked like a player who should learn a lot but has big potential. And it’s not like Greig and Zary didn’t have high ceiling, both could learn more too, they do not need to fix their mentality or somehow being smarter and more consistent, both were good skaters.
Snuggerud and Yurov were available in 20th in 2022.
As Moore for 18th pick in .2023.
Hage and Surin were available in 20th year ago.

With good understanding of what is actually making an NHL player from a young prospect it’s not that hard to build a team from later picks. It really helps to create depth and find a cheap player with talent for a perspective team.

Just imagine - being play off team and draft Yurov, Moore and Hage three years in a row. It’s not like we as guys who like draft just as hobby, never said good words about this guys. We all have those guys higher than they were drafted.

With all the flak the 2025 draft is getting, there will be some terrific players available in the 20s -- maybe not superstars, but terrific middle-6 Fs and mid-pairing D.

For the Devils, they could really use a player like Kinsler or Reschny or Cootes or Zonnon, all of whom should be available in the 20-25 range where the Devils would likely be selecting.

 

[My3Sons]

With all the flak the 2025 draft is getting, there will be some terrific players available in the 20s -- maybe not superstars, but terrific middle-6 Fs and mid-pairing D.

For the Devils, they could really use a player like Kinsler or Reschny or Cootes or Zonnon, all of whom should be available in the 20-25 range where the Devils would likely be selecting.

? Isn’t NJ picking in the second round?

 

[Guadana]

? Isn’t NJ picking in the second round?

How do you understand each other at all? Would and could can be understood in the same sentence as an "assumption" and as a "wish". And many other options. But they are losing when "have" goes on the stage.

 

[evnted]

2025 Draft Profile:

LD Kurban Limatov, Dynamo Moscow MHL
If you let a child create a video game defender to play with, I'd imagine he'd look quite similar to Kurban Limatov. Huge, imposing, physical, puck dominant, ridiculously mobile, and offensively toolsy. Simply put, when you break players down into individual attributes, Limatov checks the boxes. He can beat you with speed, skill, or power. Beyond the fact that it makes him super exciting to watch, the diversity of his toolkit and play style offers a number of different avenues for him to hit, which we always love to see.

So, what's the catch here? His game can be described as chaotic, to put it lightly, and in some respect, he even blurs the lines between forward and defender. This is a player whose game is all over the place at this point and only just seems to be scratching the surface of how to meaningfully apply his toolkit. He'll overhandle, he'll overcommit off the rush, he'll chase hits, he'll blow positioning, he'll misfire on passes. To put it as simply as possible, he really just lacks a feel for the game at this point, and he's more playing off what he wants to do. The second half of the season did show some progress, for example in his gap control and overall positional play as well as his breakout pass decision making, but we're looking at a long road ahead here.

Now, there's a bit of nuance to Limatov's game, as well as how people discuss it, which shows why the term 'hockey IQ' is too vague to meaningfully discuss in full; we need to break things down into vision, anticipation, decision making, etc. It is correct to say that Limatov's decision making and positional sense are all over the map and require a ton of work to reel in over the coming years. it is incorrect to say he lacks creativity or vision or anticipation or problem solving. He, contrary to what some outlets claim, is not a dumb player, he is an extremely risk-friendly, bordering on reckless, player. But there is a LOT to work with here.

Ultimately, Limatov is yet another example of a player who is being undervalued because he plays on the other side of the world. Even in spite of the amount of work that still needs to go into him, everything about Limatov's profile screams first round, particularly in a class lacking top end defensive projections. We regularly see much worse defensive prospects being ranked above him. Teams will have to be patient and have a very defined image of what they want this player to look like at the next level, but there is some serious value to be had should he make it to day 2.

 

[evnted]

2025 Draft Profile:

RW Daniil Prokhorov, Dynamo St. Petersburg MHL
There is no better example of what it means to be toolsy than Daniil Prokhorov. He's a 6'6" 220lb beast of a kid who will topple absolutely anyone in his path. He's a good skater, more for his size than in a vacuum, but his compete level and pace are quite good as he's constantly trying to crunch defenders and shovel pucks toward the net. He's a very effective presence down low and around the net, one which MHL defenders really stand no chance of stopping right now, especially when you factor in how strong he is on the puck and how shift his handling can be at times.

Prokhorov is a heavy volume shooter through and through; he wants pucks heading toward the net. Usually these types of kids have some sort of playmaking game that they just don't rely on, but in this case the player almost refuses to pass the puck altogether. He will fire from quite literally anywhere, merely for the sake of doing so, and if he gets an assist, chances are it came by accident off a rebound.

Prokhorov's hockey sense, spanning the scope of his vision, decision making, route selection, problem solving, ALL of it, is greatly concerning. The player looks and plays like he's completely reliant on his otherworldly toolkit and nothing more. Truthfully, if he wasn't this mobile, hyper physical behemouth of a player, we likely wouldn't even be writing about him right now given how horribly underdeveloped most of his game is. But, particularly with how the league is trending, the size, physicality, and skating is so special in combination that he remains a noteworthy prospect.

There are whispers that Prokhorov will go high, much higher than expected, so I have no expectation that he'll be available around our pick. There are elements of his game that I'd love to add to our roster in terms of being this intense, punishing, put-his-head-down N-S attacker who makes life miserable on the forecheck and peppers the net (and I'm sure Tom would be beside himself to add this player, too). But the severe lack of depth to his game will be a concern, even if he hits.

 

[StevenToddIves]

? Isn’t NJ picking in the second round?

The insinuation was that the Devils "would" be picking there if they didn't trade the pick, but apparently I need to spell these things out better for @My3Sons hahaha

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

RW Daniil Prokhorov, Dynamo St. Petersburg MHL
There is no better example of what it means to be toolsy than Daniil Prokhorov. He's a 6'6" 220lb beast of a kid who will topple absolutely anyone in his path. He's a good skater, more for his size than in a vacuum, but his compete level and pace are quite good as he's constantly trying to crunch defenders and shovel pucks toward the net. He's a very effective presence down low and around the net, one which MHL defenders really stand no chance of stopping right now, especially when you factor in how strong he is on the puck and how shift his handling can be at times.

Prokhorov is a heavy volume shooter through and through; he wants pucks heading toward the net. Usually these types of kids have some sort of playmaking game that they just don't rely on, but in this case the player almost refuses to pass the puck altogether. He will fire from quite literally anywhere, merely for the sake of doing so, and if he gets an assist, chances are it came by accident off a rebound.

Prokhorov's hockey sense, spanning the scope of his vision, decision making, route selection, problem solving, ALL of it, is greatly concerning. The player looks and plays like he's completely reliant on his otherworldly toolkit and nothing more. Truthfully, if he wasn't this mobile, hyper physical behemouth of a player, we likely wouldn't even be writing about him right now given how horribly underdeveloped most of his game is. But, particularly with how the league is trending, the size, physicality, and skating is so special in combination that he remains a noteworthy prospect.

There are whispers that Prokhorov will go high, much higher than expected, so I have no expectation that he'll be available around our pick. There are elements of his game that I'd love to add to our roster in terms of being this intense, punishing, put-his-head-down N-S attacker who makes life miserable on the forecheck and peppers the net (and I'm sure Tom would be beside himself to add this player, too). But the severe lack of depth to his game will be a concern, even if he hits.

Great write-up.

I think Prokhorov is a good 4th round pick who will likely be taken in the 2nd round. Sure there's potential, but the finger-crossing and nail-biting over the next half-decade of his development seem a bit steep a price.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2025 Draft Profile:

LD Kurban Limatov, Dynamo Moscow MHL
If you let a child create a video game defender to play with, I'd imagine he'd look quite similar to Kurban Limatov. Huge, imposing, physical, puck dominant, ridiculously mobile, and offensively toolsy. Simply put, when you break players down into individual attributes, Limatov checks the boxes. He can beat you with speed, skill, or power. Beyond the fact that it makes him super exciting to watch, the diversity of his toolkit and play style offers a number of different avenues for him to hit, which we always love to see.

So, what's the catch here? His game can be described as chaotic, to put it lightly, and in some respect, he even blurs the lines between forward and defender. This is a player whose game is all over the place at this point and only just seems to be scratching the surface of how to meaningfully apply his toolkit. He'll overhandle, he'll overcommit off the rush, he'll chase hits, he'll blow positioning, he'll misfire on passes. To put it as simply as possible, he really just lacks a feel for the game at this point, and he's more playing off what he wants to do. The second half of the season did show some progress, for example in his gap control and overall positional play as well as his breakout pass decision making, but we're looking at a long road ahead here.

Now, there's a bit of nuance to Limatov's game, as well as how people discuss it, which shows why the term 'hockey IQ' is too vague to meaningfully discuss in full; we need to break things down into vision, anticipation, decision making, etc. It is correct to say that Limatov's decision making and positional sense are all over the map and require a ton of work to reel in over the coming years. it is incorrect to say he lacks creativity or vision or anticipation or problem solving. He, contrary to what some outlets claim, is not a dumb player, he is an extremely risk-friendly, bordering on reckless, player. But there is a LOT to work with here.

Ultimately, Limatov is yet another example of a player who is being undervalued because he plays on the other side of the world. Even in spite of the amount of work that still needs to go into him, everything about Limatov's profile screams first round, particularly in a class lacking top end defensive projections. We regularly see much worse defensive prospects being ranked above him. Teams will have to be patient and have a very defined image of what they want this player to look like at the next level, but there is some serious value to be had should he make it to day 2.

Great write-up as always, thanks Evan!

I really like Limatov's upside and I think a player whose biggest flaw is "raw overzealousness" is certainly worth drafting. Certainly this kid has the potential to grow and play several seasons in the KHL before crossing over to the NHL when he's 22 or 23 as a very special player.

 

[evnted]

2025 Draft Profile:

RW Alexander Zharovsky, Ufa MHL
As has been a trend with Russian-based prospects this year, there's a lot of talent to be had, but not a lot of refinement yet, and Alexander Zharovsky is no exception. We are talking exceptional handling ability, deception, and creativity, like next level elite. Load up any highlight reel of the player and you'll be blown away by what you see. His ability to bait defenders and finesse the puck through traffic is top of the class, and his problem solving and flashes of higher level playmaking are exceptional. In terms of pure talent level, Zharovsky is likely not that far behind players that will go top 5 this year.

There are two elements to his game that must progress in the coming years in order for him to have a career: his skating and the maturity of his game. Now, with his skating, it's not to say he lacks shiftiness or any sort of higher gear, but he's one of those players who is fairly low pace/methodical in general, and with the puck on his stick, he only leans into it more. There's really no separation ability here, a lot of his success is coming from vision and skill (which, fundamentally, isn't bad since you'd always bet on skating being more likely to improve down the road, but this player will be closed in on quickly if he doesn't get anywhere with it).

Secondly, his game exudes a high degree of immaturity at this point. He's incredibly loose with the puck at times, creative to a fault, overcomplicating plays, and inconsistent with his effort level. There are flashes of wanting to backcheck or pressure defenders on the forecheck, but we don't see it with any sort of regularity yet. On top of all of this, he plays in a bit of a joke division in the MHL, so he isn't exactly being challenged to improve upon any of these things either.

Ultimately, the bet with Zharovsky is that he's at the very beginning of his development curve and both his mobility and habits will improve over time. I like to describe these players as stash and forget prospects; don't project them on a roster, don't bank on them hitting, just revisit them 4-5 years down the road and see what happens. I should note he did see some playoff KHL action at the end of the season, and while there were definitely still some issues, we at least saw a glimpse of him maybe being able to play in a more structured environment.

The baseline skill is elite and, factoring in anti-Russian bias on the floor, will likely lead him to being one of the most talented players still available when he's selected. For us, I've been begging Tom to take upside picks for a few years now and would appreciate seeing him select the 6'1" winger out of Russia. We seem to favor hockey sense and pro league showings with our early picks, so while his game isn't exactly Tom-coded, coupled with the preestablished Ufa connection, there might be reason to believe we'd at least think about him at 50.

 

[My3Sons]

The insinuation was that the Devils "would" be picking there if they didn't trade the pick, but apparently I need to spell these things out better for @My3Sons hahaha

Would likely confused me. I guess I expected would have instead. Look at me lecturing the published author on word usage.

 

[evnted]

2025 Draft Profile:

C Ivan Ryabkin, Muskegon USHL
A prospective top 5, if not even higher, pick coming into this season, Ivan Ryabkin's draft year has been nothing short of a disaster. He followed up an excellent D-1 season with Dynamo Moscow's MHL affiliate by...essentially burning all bridges with the team. His poor conditioning, poor engagement, poor body language, and horrid sense of entitlement quickly soured the organization, stifling any shot at an extended KHL look. His MHL performance nose-dived over a lack of concern, even leading to some healthy scratches, and he eventually bailed to the USHL in an attempt to save his draft stock.

This, up front, does not sound like a player I would like, but I believe there's still reason to believe. Let's talk skills first. Ryabkin never stopped being a top 5 (well, maybe more top 10 now) talent in the draft. His playmaking is some of the best in the class in spite of how goal-weighted his USHL totals are, and his one timer is heavy and accurate. Ryabkin's vision and creativity are otherworldy, and while he doesn't always apply them productively, he's capable of wowing with his puck movement. His skating is fluid and steady, being able to not just handle at speed but attack defenders head-on, though his pace leaves you wanting more.

Most intriguingly, though, is that Ryabkin is a full blown psychopath. It's not just that he's physical, sure, he finishes checks, but he's outright dirty. Ryabkin will headshot players, slewfoot, board, throw elbows, tackle behind play, basically do anything; if it's illegal, he's tried it. He doesn't always have the game sense for when to pull these stunts either, sometimes randomly taking someone out. What isn't random, though, is how fierce of a teammate he is. Yes, the player who I said can be pouty and have poor body language is a hyper competitive teammate. Ryabkin will be the first person to stand up for his linemate and lay out whoever hit him. Think Kadri level passion here.

Ryabkin and his enigma of a draft year have proven to be immensely hard for the scouting world to fully grasp, and who's to say I'm not the wrong one for still believing in him? I don't fault anyone for looking at all the red flags and wanting to pass on him, but at the same time, I think it's quite comical that his pure hockey ability is being underrated over it. This is an exceptionally talented playmaking center, with very solid goal scoring upside, who can play a nasty, heavy forechecking game. The question is over whether or not he can get it together, not if he's fundamentally good enough to make it. Things like his conditioning and entitlement will need to put into check, and I imagine the pace instantly improves if the former does, but I want to believe I'm seeing progress with body language and engagement, even if he'll still throw plays away at times. Ryabkin will need a ton of patience and likely annoy the crap out of people even at his best, but I would kill to pick this kid up at 50. Absolutely, positively everything we need to add all in one player, and it would be near all time value to land him mid 2nd should he hit.

 

[My3Sons]

2025 Draft Profile:

C Ivan Ryabkin, Muskegon USHL
A prospective top 5, if not even higher, pick coming into this season, Ivan Ryabkin's draft year has been nothing short of a disaster. He followed up an excellent D-1 season with Dynamo Moscow's MHL affiliate by...essentially burning all bridges with the team. His poor conditioning, poor engagement, poor body language, and horrid sense of entitlement quickly soured the organization, stifling any shot at an extended KHL look. His MHL performance nose-dived over a lack of concern, even leading to some healthy scratches, and he eventually bailed to the USHL in an attempt to save his draft stock.

This, up front, does not sound like a player I would like, but I believe there's still reason to believe. Let's talk skills first. Ryabkin never stopped being a top 5 (well, maybe more top 10 now) talent in the draft. His playmaking is some of the best in the class in spite of how goal-weighted his USHL totals are, and his one timer is heavy and accurate. Ryabkin's vision and creativity are otherworldy, and while he doesn't always apply them productively, he's capable of wowing with his puck movement. His skating is fluid and steady, being able to not just handle at speed but attack defenders head-on, though his pace leaves you wanting more.

Most intriguingly, though, is that Ryabkin is a full blown psychopath. It's not just that he's physical, sure, he finishes checks, but he's outright dirty. Ryabkin will headshot players, slewfoot, board, throw elbows, tackle behind play, basically do anything; if it's illegal, he's tried it. He doesn't always have the game sense for when to pull these stunts either, sometimes randomly taking someone out. What isn't random, though, is how fierce of a teammate he is. Yes, the player who I said can be pouty and have poor body language is a hyper competitive teammate. Ryabkin will be the first person to stand up for his linemate and lay out whoever hit him. Think Kadri level passion here.

Ryabkin and his enigma of a draft year have proven to be immensely hard for the scouting world to fully grasp, and who's to say I'm not the wrong one for still believing in him? I don't fault anyone for looking at all the red flags and wanting to pass on him, but at the same time, I think it's quite comical that his pure hockey ability is being underrated over it. This is an exceptionally talented playmaking center, with very solid goal scoring upside, who can play a nasty, heavy forechecking game. The question is over whether or not he can get it together, not if he's fundamentally good enough to make it. Things like his conditioning and entitlement will need to put into check, and I imagine the pace instantly improves if the former does, but I want to believe I'm seeing progress with body language and engagement, even if he'll still throw plays away at times. Ryabkin will need a ton of patience and likely annoy the crap out of people even at his best, but I would kill to pick this kid up at 50. Absolutely, positively everything we need to add all in one player, and it would be near all time value to land him mid 2nd should he hit.

You had me at psychopath