2025 Draft Boards

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

he's not a flashy pick. he's a safer, high floor pick who has mostly projectible traits. he's intelligent, positions himself well, and works hard. once he fills his frame out, he should be a reliable two-way center who can excel in a shutdown role, but his game is responsible enough to play him up and down the lineup. i see his upside as a guy like lars eller. he isn't truly great at any one thing, but he's pretty good at a lot of things.


that's fair. like i said, take my opinions with a boulder of salt. i like hillstrom more than the guys i have ranked after him, but i've also been wrong about players every year i've tried doing this.

edit: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021​

Keep making your rankings.

I enjoy reading them.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Conditioning issues.
Attitude issues.
Compete issues.

Thanks but no thanks.

We need skill in the worst way. We’ve had like 100 safe mid round picks who have turned out horrible.

It’s worth the risk

 

[Holden Caufield]

1) Schaefer
2) Misa
3) Frondell
—————
4) Martone
5) O’Brien
6) Hagens
7) Martin
8) Desnoyers
———— (Big tier break)
9)McQueen
10) Mrtak
11) Eklund
12) Reschny
13) Smith
14) Bear
————
15) Fiddler
16) Cootes
17) Nesbitt
18) Kindel
————
19) Carboneau
20) Lakovic
21) Aitcheson
22) Reid
23) Hensler
————
24) Ryabkin
25) Horcoff
26) Schmidt
27)Brzustewicz
28) Gastrin
29) McKinney
30) Spence
31) W. Moore
32) Ravensburg

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

We need skill in the worst way. We’ve had like 100 safe mid round picks who have turned out horrible.

It’s worth the risk

Within reason though. If a kid is so dysfunctional that you know on draft day he won't put in the work to become an NHLer either because he is lazy, uncoachable or a headcase, you aren't taking a swing on skill, you are throwing away the pick.

 

[lilidk]

We need skill in the worst way. We’ve had like 100 safe mid round picks who have turned out horrible.

It’s worth the risk

We have ASP, Buchelnikov, Kiiskennen, Plante , planty smarts and skills. We also have Lombardi, Finnie, Danielson

 

[nbwingsfan]

Within reason though. If a kid is so dysfunctional that you know on draft day he won't put in the work to become an NHLer either because he is lazy, uncoachable or a headcase, you aren't taking a swing on skill, you are throwing away the pick.

You don’t “know” any of that though.

All these things were said about Conor Garland, and then you add that he’s tiny to boot.

Now he’s a top 6 forward.

These guys are 17/18 years old. Some grow out of it

 

[nbwingsfan]

We have ASP, Buchelnikov, Kiiskennen, Plante , planty smarts and skills. We also have Lombardi, Finnie, Danielson

Outside of ASP and Bulchelnikov (which who knows how that’ll translate/when he comes over), none of them project as anymore than fringe prospects who may make the top 9.

Danielson has a higher ceiling, but it isn’t because of his great offensive potential.

 

[lilidk]

Outside of ASP and Bulchelnikov (which who knows how that’ll translate/when he comes over), none of them project as anymore than fringe prospects who may make the top 9.

Danielson has a higher ceiling, but it isn’t because of his great offensive potential.

There's possibility that none of them makes it, but same time they progressing very well and who knows , we could have already next Datsyuk and Zetterberg in our system

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

We need skill in the worst way. We’ve had like 100 safe mid round picks who have turned out horrible.

It’s worth the risk

Here’s a project for you: Name one player that has been noted to have compete, attitude and conditioning issues that has made the league and had prolonged success.

Hell, find a guy that had 2 of the 3 that became a successful NHLer in the last 20 years.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Here’s a project for you: Name one player that has been noted to have compete, attitude and conditioning issues that has made the league and had prolonged success.

Hell, find a guy that had 2 of the 3 that became a successful NHLer in the last 20 years.

I have to admit, I tried and struggled. Some scouts criticized Marchand for being immature, taking shifts off and not having the conditioning necessary for a player of his size, skillset and play style, but he also had people raving about his determination and willingness to do anything to win. I don't think anyone has ever said anything nice about Evander Kane's personality. Like Marchand though some people saw him as too competitive rather than not competitive enough. I don't think anyone ever questioned his conditioning and physical traits. Some scouts saw Kaprizov as unmotivated, inconsistent and out of shape.

None of those guys were as widely criticized as Ryabkin is. For every scouting report against them, there was at least one for. Perhaps in the NHL, you could criticize Kucherov for all of these things, but not as a prospect as far as I can tell.

I hate to admit it, but you win this time Ogee. Ryabkin was a solid option for me in the second as a boom/bust pick and now I think I'd rather just avoid him.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I have to admit, I tried and struggled. Some scouts criticized Marchand for being immature, taking shifts off and not having the conditioning necessary for a player of his size, skillset and play style, but he also had people raving about his determination and willingness to do anything to win. I don't think anyone has ever said anything nice about Evander Kane's personality. Like Marchand though some people saw him as too competitive rather than not competitive enough. I don't think anyone ever questioned his conditioning and physical traits. Some scouts saw Kaprizov as unmotivated, inconsistent and out of shape.

None of those guys were as widely criticized as Ryabkin is. For every scouting report against them, there was at least one for. Perhaps in the NHL, you could criticize Kucherov for all of these things, but not as a prospect as far as I can tell.

I hate to admit it, but you win this time Ogee. Ryabkin was a solid option for me in the second as a boom/bust pick and now I think I'd rather just avoid him.

I’m not trying to be a jerk and making this about winning an argument. But players like Ryabkin don’t typically work out.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Here’s a project for you: Name one player that has been noted to have compete, attitude and conditioning issues that has made the league and had prolonged success.

Hell, find a guy that had 2 of the 3 that became a successful NHLer in the last 20 years.

kessel

 

[Frk It]

kessel

I wish Ryabkin skated half as well as him.

 

[HisNoodliness]

I’m not trying to be a jerk and making this about winning an argument. But players like Ryabkin don’t typically work out.

Don't worry Ogee. We've been on these boards forever, I know you're not trying to "win." I was a moron kid when I started on here but by now even I'm just chatting about my ideas. Moreso saying you win was a respectful acknowledgement of the fact that while I typically am very willing to take more risk on players with red flags than you- and thus was with Ryabkin as well- I think you're right in this case. I can live with one, maybe two red flags for the potential easily. But he's got more red flags than a joint Canadian Turkish embassy in China

If he falls to the third round though, I'm all over it.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

I wish Ryabkin skated half as well as him.

one of the great mystery’s how he could move so well and look so out of shape

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I’m not trying to be a jerk and making this about winning an argument. But players like Ryabkin don’t typically work out.

Look we give the amateur scouts a ton of shit for focusing on "character." More than anything, this is identifying players willing to put in the work required to become an NHL player. Being good at hockey at 18 is arguably necessary to become an NHL player, but it sure as hell isn't sufficient. Just because you put in the work doesn't mean you are going to "make it" (however you define that). It is really, really hard, however, to make it without putting in a ton of work and being self aware.

Anyways, I don't have much interest in Ryabkin until the back half of the draft and am really starting to question whether his supporters have really watched him play full games of hockey this year. To each their own though.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

kessel

Kessel was a top 5 pick. He might be THE ONE player here but that’s a stretch.

Poor conditioning? He had a good motor, and there were people that talked about Kessel at Gary Roberts player boot camps and how he’d outwork the young kids and shit talk them while doing it. He may not have looked the part, but the guy was able to play over 1200 games and score 900 points.

Bad attitude? Eh…he wasn’t a good defensive player, like, ever. But he was never considered a bad teammate who would celebrate his assists solo while his teammates celebrate the goal on the other end of the ice. He wasn’t hated by his teammates and just about everyone that played with him loved him for being the class clown. His mom? That’s a whole different story. (Apparently she was that nightmare youth hockey mom that’s screaming over the glass at her kid and the other team.)

Hard to coach? As any prima-donna one-way winger is. Like I said, he was indifferent to playing defensively. And any player like this has an expiration date on a team but Kessel helped Pittsburgh win back to back cups. He did what he could to carry Toronto prior to that. Kessel was never really a leader but was always a team guy.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Kindel @13?

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Kindel @13?

Would like him more if he skated better. Smart kid but I am not sure where he fits at the NHL level. If you flat out just want to take a higher skill guy at 13 come hell or high water (regardless of projectability), I would tell you to just take Ryker Lee or Justin Carbonneau.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Kessel was a top 5 pick. He might be THE ONE player here but that’s a stretch.

Poor conditioning? He had a good motor, and there were people that talked about Kessel at Gary Roberts player boot camps and how he’d outwork the young kids and shit talk them while doing it. He may not have looked the part, but the guy was able to play over 1200 games and score 900 points.

Bad attitude? Eh…he wasn’t a good defensive player, like, ever. But he was never considered a bad teammate who would celebrate his assists solo while his teammates celebrate the goal on the other end of the ice. He wasn’t hated by his teammates and just about everyone that played with him loved him for being the class clown. His mom? That’s a whole different story. (Apparently she was that nightmare youth hockey mom that’s screaming over the glass at her kid and the other team.)

Hard to coach? As any prima-donna one-way winger is. Like I said, he was indifferent to playing defensively. And any player like this has an expiration date on a team but Kessel helped Pittsburgh win back to back cups. He did what he could to carry Toronto prior to that. Kessel was never really a leader but was always a team guy.

that’s about as close as i could do

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Here’s a project for you: Name one player that has been noted to have compete, attitude and conditioning issues that has made the league and had prolonged success.

Hell, find a guy that had 2 of the 3 that became a successful NHLer in the last 20 years.

Evgeny Kuznetsov

Feels Russian heavy but Kovalev and Semin were also hit with a similar label. If I had to pick the country where we have been wrong on it the most that is a good thing for Ryabkin.

 

[Henkka]

My current Top64 rankings. Not gonna change anymore, more work to push over 100 prospects...

Think there's a talent drop after Misa/Hagens, then after McQueen, then after Lakovic.

Think Boumedienne is my sleeper pick. Why not 13th overall...

Pick	AVG	Range	Pos	2025 draft	Size/Hand	Nation
1	1,5	1-4	LD	Matthew Schaefer	6'2 - L	CAN
2	2,0	1-4	C/LW	Michael Misa	6'1 - L	CAN
3	3,3	1-4	C	James Hagens	5'11 - L	USA
4	4,1	2-6	RW	Porter Martone	6'3 - R	CAN
5	5,7	3-8	C	Anton Frondell	6'1 - L	SWE
6	7,0	4-8	C	Caleb Desnoyers	6'1 - L	CAN
7	8,3	4-10	LW	Viktor Eklund	5'11 - R	SWE
8	9,2	5-13	F	Roger McQueen	6'5 - R	CAN
9	10,3	7-11	C	Jake O'Brien	6'2 - R	TOR
10	11,0	6-14	LD	Jackson Smith	6'3 - L	CAN
11	12,6	8-15	RD	Radim Mrtka	6'6 - R	CZE
12	12,6	6-17	C	Brady Martin	6'0 - R	CAN
13	14,6	7-21	LW/C	Carter Bear	6'0 - L	CAN
14	14,8	7-23	LW	Lynden Lakovic	6'4 - L	CAN
15	17,5	11-19	RW	Justin Carbonneau	6'1 - R	CAN
16	19,0	10-31	LD	Kashawn Aitcheson	6'1 - L	CAN
17	19,6	11-22	C	Braeden Cootes	6'0 - R	CAN
18	19,9	11-26	RD	Logan Hensler	6'2 - R	USA
19	20,1	9-30	C/LW	Cullen Potter	5'10 - L	USA
20	20,3	15-25	LW	Malcolm Spence	6'2 - L	CAN
21	20,7	9-31	LW	Cole Reschny	5'10 - L	CAN
22	21,3	18-25	RW/C	Ben Kindel	5'10 - R	CAN
23	23,2	13-34	LD	Cameron Reid	6'0 - L	CAN
24	24,5	20-32	RD	Blake Fiddler	6'4 - R	USA/CAN
25	25,3	18-37	LD	Sascha Boumedienne	6'2 - L	SWE
26	25,5	20-30	G	Joshua Ravensbergen	6'5 - R	CAN
27	27,0	15-32	W	Bill Zonnon	6'2 - L	CAN
28	28,0	14-42	RW	Cameron Schmidt	5'7 - R	CAN
29	30,0	19-52	C	Ivan Ryabkin	6'0 - L	RUS
30	30,8	26-36	C/LW	Jack Murtagh	6'1 - L	USA
31	31,7	23-50	C	Jack Nesbitt	6'4 - L	CAN
32	32,0	25-44	RW	Shane Vansaghi	6'2 - R	USA
33	33,0	21-45	C	Milton Gästrin	6'1 - L	SWE
34	33,1	29-39	RW	Ryker Lee	6'0 - R	USA
35	33,8	20-51	C	Cole McKinney	6'0 - R	USA
36	36,0	29-55	C	William Moore	6'2 - L	USA
37	36,0	24-60	RW	Vaclav Nestrasil	6'6 - R	CZE
38	36,1	24-53	F	Jakob Ihs-Wozniak	6'3 - R	SWE/AUS
39	36,3	31-46	RD	Henry Brzustewicz	6'1 - R	USA
40	36,5	18-60	C	Eric Nilson	6'0 - R	SWE
41	37,0	27-48	RW	Alexander Zharovsky	6'1 - L	RUS
42	37,5	25-51	LD	Kurban Limatov	6'4 - L	RUS
43	39,9	27-58	C	William Horcoff	6'4 - L	USA
44	40,0	12-69	G	Jack Ivankovic	6'0 - L	CAN
45	45,5	28-56	F	Mason West	6'6 - R	USA
46	45,5	32-73	C	Adam Benak	5'7 - L	CZE
47	45,5	32-66	RD	Charlie Trethewey	6'2 - R	USA
48	46,3	32-65	LD	Jacob Rombach	6'6 - L	USA
49	47,8	36-66	RW	Daniil Prokhorov	6'6 - L	RUS
50	51,8	34-81	LW	Eddie Genborg	6'2 - L	SWE
51	52,5	29-86	RD	Carter Amico	6'6 - R	USA
52	52,5	40-80	C	Luca Romano	5'11 - R	CAN
53	54,1	31-83	RD	Max Psenicka	6'5 - R	CZE
54	54,2	42-84	C/LW	Conrad Fondrk	6'0 - L	USA
55	56,4	33-92	RW	L.J. Mooney	5'7 - R	USA
56	56,9	36-91	W	Nathan Behm	6'2 - R	CAN
57	57,2	39-83	LW	Kristian Epperson	6'0 - L	USA
58	57,3	37-80	W	Filip Ekberg	5'10 - L	SWE
59	57,9	42-77	LD	Haoxi Simon Wang	6'6 - L	CHI/CAN
60	58,5	31-88	C	Theo Stockselius	6'3 - L	SWE
61	58,8	19-112	C/LW	Michal Svrcek	5'10 - L	SVK
62	59,0	30-106	C	Gustav Hillström	6'2 - R	SWE
63	60,8	41-81	RD	Sean Barnhill	6'5 - R	USA
64	61,5	38-94	G	Michal Pradel	6'5 - L	SVK