Prospect Info: 2025 Draft discussion

[LiffLaff]

I see sites listing Hagens at 5'10", 5'11" now 177, 178 in addition to the 5'9", 164. Tank. And tank hard.

Seems like they already are..

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I think Hagens is sick and the clear 1, but the next group looks real solid, so you should be able to get a nice building block if you are in the top 5.

 

[eXile3]

If we are finally getting serious about rebuilding you go center. Big proponent of building down the middle.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

If we are finally getting serious about rebuilding you go center. Big proponent of building down the middle.

BPA always. I bet AZ wishes they had taken Marner over Strome.

 

[deakka]

Top 5 this draft. 1st overall for McKenna 2026?

Looks entirely possible to me. We shouldn't be any better next season and the rest of the bottom teams should be better since their young, high draft picks should be better and better!

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Top 5 this draft. 1st overall for McKenna 2026?

Looks entirely possible to me. We shouldn't be any better next season and the rest of the bottom teams should be better since their young, high draft picks should be better and better!

If this team can manage to trade Eller, Petts, Rust and EK by next October, they're absolutely in the running for McKenna in 2026.

 

[eXile3]

BPA always. I bet AZ wishes they had taken Marner over Strome.

When the best player is evident sure. You wouldn’t pass on a Michkov type just to draft a center.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

If this team can manage to trade Eller, Petts, Rust and EK by next October, they're absolutely in the running for McKenna in 2026.

Combined with 82 games of Jarry, seems like a formality !!

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

This team's best prospect ideally pans out to be a Landeskog/Hornqvist sorta third wheel on a scoring line if everything works out perfectly. I don't think they have the prospect pool to turn their nose up at anybody in favor of certain positions.

I am immediately wary of any guy labeled to be a power forward though. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have that kinda guy in the prospect cupboard, but those guys, legit power forwards, are unicorns. It feels like 99% of the time anybody with that label ends up being some bottom-6 grunt. It's really hard for a guy to have his game predicated on being able to physically overpower the opposition and just jump into NHL duty against fully grown professional athletes.

-edit- Especially if this organization is hell bent on keeping Sullivan around. Could you imagine drafting a dude like Martone just to have Sully try and mold him into ZAR? I think that'd actually be the thing to make me stop watching until Sully's done.

 

[SEALBound]

Hagens is going to go 1st. Like Celebrini, he's been consistently rated 1ov for a little while now. And I think he'll be a sick player. I'm not 100% convinced he starts off in the NHL though. As good as I think he will eventually be, I don't get the same strong feeling about him as I have with recent 1ovs like Celebrini and Bedard but that could change over the course of the year. I think he might be in more of that Owen Power level where he takes an extra year.

After him, 2-4 has a variety of quality forwards: Misa, McQueen, and Martone. Misa is my current favorite of the three but its really hard to ignore McQueen being 6'5 200lbs. Misa is 6'1, 185 and Martone is 6'3 220lb. Bottom line, as currently ranked, 2-4 you are getting a sizeable forward.

That said, when I discuss this here, I'm not convinced we will get 1-2ov. I'm think 4ov or at best 3ov. So I'm not getting too many hopes up gushing over Hagens or Martone who I think are the clear 1-2 thus far.