2025 DRAFT Discussion

[deca guard]

kimmelman n morreale mock after combine , which they were at

Mock 2025 NHL Draft: Opinions vary after 1st 4 picks | NHL.com

3rd set of NHL.com predictions debate opening round coming off Scouting Combine

www.nhl.com

 

[schuelma24]

Bultman article looking at D - interesting tidbit that might or might not mean anything - no Wings meeting with Aitcheson (I'm more and more convinced he won't make it to #13 anyways).

 

[Run the Jewels]

Bultman article looking at D - interesting tidbit that might or might not mean anything - no Wings meeting with Aitcheson (I'm more and more convinced he won't make it to #13 anyways).

The Wings have avoided having dinner with a prospect they have their eye on in the past, I think they do what they can to avoid showing outward interest in a prospect they want to draft. Remember they met with Bedard despite the fact they obviously weren't going to be able to draft him.

 

[lhsgolf19]

Scott Wheeler drops his mock post combine

2025 NHL Mock Draft 2.0: Scott Wheeler predicts the first 32 picks

After the NHL Scouting Combine, here's Scott Wheeler's second version of a first-round mock for the 2025 NHL Draft.

www.nytimes.com

13. LW Carter Bear

"Bear's Achilles tear/laceration is on the mend and he's back skating, which is positive for him still going in the teens range he was talked about before the injury. If the Red Wings go D, Smith feels like a fit for their pool/depth charts as well (if he's available). Lakovic could be in play for them, too. Same for Victor Eklund and Justin Carbonneau, though they've got more right-shot forwards than left-shot forwards. Bear checks a lot of their boxes, though, as a competitive left-shot winger in the Steve Yzerman mold."


Interesting that Eklund actually goes 2 picks later to Vancouver... I would be a little surprised if Victor is on the board and we don't take him

This is what he said about Eklund: "The sense I got from a couple of scouts I talked to at the combine was that Eklund is going to be available later than people in the public sphere think. But the Canucks feel like the floor for Eklund."

 

[lilidk]

The Wings have avoided having dinner with a prospect they have their eye on in the past, I think they do what they can to avoid showing outward interest in a prospect they want to draft. Remember they met with Bedard despite the fact they obviously weren't going to be able to draft him.

Do you know who they have dinner in the past?

 

[Run the Jewels]

Do you know who they have dinner in the past?

They don't really offer up any info as is their way. I think the Bedard tidbit got dropped after they drafted Danielson. So I wouldn't expect to find an exhaustive list, you just find out little bits and pieces in the aftermath of the draft.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Nepotism runs super strong with this management brass. Could easily see them trading up for their second pick and taking him

If Will Horcoff keeps improving his skating and there was a decent progression this year he gets a lot more interesting. Like Fischer’s kid we didn’t get, Horcoff is actually a pretty intriguing guy skill set and size wise.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

They don't really offer up any info as is their way. I think the Bedard tidbit got dropped after they drafted Danielson. So I wouldn't expect to find an exhaustive list, you just find out little bits and pieces in the aftermath of the draft.

Most of it seems to come from the players themselves recounting teams that stood out.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Seems like the field is shaping up to be: Jackson Smith on D, if he's still there, or one of Bear, Eklund, or Lakovic. That's a pretty nice group considering what the Wings value, I think. They'll have some choice.

 

[Frk It]

Seems like the field is shaping up to be: Jackson Smith on D, if he's still there, or one of Bear, Eklund, or Lakovic. That's a pretty nice group considering what the Wings value, I think. They'll have some choice.

I would be happy if that is the case and we get one of those guys.

 

[Fyodorov]

Bear or Eklund at 13 would be good. Smith too for that matter, though I would like more offensive skill as priority one.

 

[SirloinUB]

Is Justin Carbonneau too much of a reach at 13?

 

[newfy]

This can't be all that they've interviewed? They gotta be talking to some dmen

I'm surprised they didn't talk to Aitcheson at all at the combine. Maybe trying to make it seem like they're not interested?

Everything I'm reading from the combine is that Schaeffer and Mrtka will be gone before the wings pick. On the execs anonymous article on the athletic, there's some people who question the hockey sense on Aitcheson

Is Justin Carbonneau too much of a reach at 13?

No. At 13, in the NHL draft if you pick a guy that's ranked usually in the top 20 its not a reach at all.

I was hoping that with the combine measurements coming out we would get a look at Bears height but I haven't seen it anywhere. Malcolm Spence went from listed at 6'2, 200 pounds to not even 6'1 and 190 pounds. Not going to help his already falling draft stock

 

[Frk It]

Is Justin Carbonneau too much of a reach at 13?

Not for me, I think he should be a top 10 player for this class.

 

[HisNoodliness]

I would be happy if that is the case and we get one of those guys.

Seems like the field is shaping up to be: Jackson Smith on D, if he's still there, or one of Bear, Eklund, or Lakovic. That's a pretty nice group considering what the Wings value, I think. They'll have some choice.

It seems to me that there's about ~7 guys who are fairly likely to be there and in the conversation for us. I don't really love any of them but would be happy with any of them really.

Eklund, Reschny, and Bear are my preferences, but Aitchesson, Carbonneau, Smith, and Lakovic are all fine with me. If someone falls, I'm fine with the projected top 10 too (McQueen really scares me though).

It's nice that I feel good about whoever we're getting. It kind of makes the whole draft boring though.

 

[Frk It]

It seems to me that there's about ~7 guys who are fairly likely to be there and in the conversation for us. I don't really love any of them but would be happy with any of them really.

Eklund, Reschny, and Bear are my preferences, but Aitchesson, Carbonneau, Smith, and Lakovic are all fine with me. If someone falls, I'm fine with the projected top 10 too (McQueen really scares me though).

It's nice that I feel good about whoever we're getting. It kind of makes the whole draft boring though.

Which players do you love?

We will see how boring it is when we draft Jacob Rombach at #13.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

It seems to me that there's about ~7 guys who are fairly likely to be there and in the conversation for us. I don't really love any of them but would be happy with any of them really.

Eklund, Reschny, and Bear are my preferences, but Aitchesson, Carbonneau, Smith, and Lakovic are all fine with me. If someone falls, I'm fine with the projected top 10 too (McQueen really scares me though).

It's nice that I feel good about whoever we're getting. It kind of makes the whole draft boring though.

I would guess McQueen is either a top 10 guy or DND on team boards depending on your team doctors.

 

[Winger98]

I would be happy if that is the case and we get one of those guys.

on the other hand if all of those guys are off the board it likely means an unexpected player or two has fallen.

 

[lilidk]

Eklund
Bear
Lakovic
Carbonneau
Reschny

Second thought , knowing Yzerman, they could ask all of them who is a hardest defender to play against

 

[saska sault]

I want them to get Brady Martin, I think he is gone by 13 unfortunately. He seems like the riser of the draft so far and his U18's and end to the regular season helped a ton.

They also don't seem to have much luck drafting Greyhounds so maybe it's best they don't.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I thought this was interesting. Maybe the difference between an executive's high level viewpoint and a scout's more detail focused take? Or maybe they're just divided on his hockey sense?

Executive 1: “Kashawn Aitcheson is an apex predator. He knocks a guy out with a hit, and then he knocks out the guy who comes calling for the fight afterwards. There’s nobody in a top four in the NHL who plays like him. If you want his attributes, it’s normally in a No. 6 or 7, but he is a top-four defenseman, a better version of Radko Gudas.”

Scout 7: “Kashawn Aitcheson has major questions for us in terms of his hockey sense and decisions. You love how hard he plays, but he’s not that big either. He’s good but nothing special.”

NHL Draft Confidential 2025: What insiders think of Matthew Schaefer, goalies and more

After surveying a number of NHL evaluators, here's what they think about the big questions facing this draft class.

www.nytimes.com

Edit: I guess the exec could be saying: he's a top 4 guy who brings rare qualities, and the scout could be saying "He's not that good of a top 4 guy." So they don't necessarily have to disagree.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I was really hoping for Bill Zonnon in round 2, but that will probably be another one that goes inbetween our 1st and 2nd pick.

Thar said, I like Luca Romano and Theo Stockselius as options for round 2. I think they both have the tools to be a good middle 6 center.

I think Stockselius would be interesting and I wouldn't mind Romano. I am not, however, a Zonnon guy.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Which players do you love?

We will see how boring it is when we draft Jacob Rombach at #13.

I guess the point is that I don't really love any of them. Eklund is my favorite.

That would be quite a change of pace.

 

[JohanFranzenstein]

I want them to get Brady Martin, I think he is gone by 13 unfortunately. He seems like the riser of the draft so far and his U18's and end to the regular season helped a ton.

They also don't seem to have much luck drafting Greyhounds so maybe it's best they don't.

I remember mid season I was so pissed off that scouts had Wings projected to pick him. Based on a "meat and potatoes, high floor low ceiling" center.

Now it looks like he could sneak to the top 5, possibly 3.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I thought this was interesting. Maybe the difference between an executive's high level viewpoint and a scout's more detail focused take? Or maybe they're just divided on his hockey sense?

NHL Draft Confidential 2025: What insiders think of Matthew Schaefer, goalies and more

After surveying a number of NHL evaluators, here's what they think about the big questions facing this draft class.

www.nytimes.com

Edit: I guess the exec could be saying: he's a top 4 guy who brings rare qualities, and the scout could be saying "He's not that good of a top 4 guy." So they don't necessarily have to disagree.

It is a subjective endeavor. People view players differently.