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.

 

[WickedWrister]

I know it's early but how does the top end talent and depth of this years draft class compare to the last few years?

 

[Jacob]

I like Martone a lot. He stood out to me at the U18s and I wasn’t looking for him.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I like Martone a lot. He stood out to me at the U18s and I wasn’t looking for him.

Agreed, he was fantastic in the tournament and had great chemistry with McKenna, our 2026 pick!!

He is also putting up very nice numbers to start the season, can't wait to see him play at the world Juniors.

 

[LiffLaff]

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.

Is it certain that bpa at 2-4 will be a forward though? I honestly havent watched these guys at all, except what I can find on youtube, but reading different scouting rapports, seems like Schaefer has no.1 D potential, so would love to hear what others think of him, and if you and others would be happy if we picked him, as my thinking is no.1 C and D are the most difficult positions to fill.

 

[SEALBound]

Is it certain that bpa at 2-4 will be a forward though? I honestly havent watched these guys at all, except what I can find on youtube, but reading different scouting rapports, seems like Schaefer has no.1 D potential, so would love to hear what others think of him, and if you and others would be happy if we picked him, as my thinking is no.1 C and D are the most difficult positions to fill.

Certainly not. Rankings can and will likely change throughout the season. Iginla last year was typically 10-20ov and he went 6th as well so you also never know how internal rankings go. Hell, 5 teams passed on Michkov. There's also Fondell in Sweden and Ryabkin in Russia that will make some noise leading up to the draft.

But you're right. Schaefer is currently the top-ranked man and certainly looks good. I tend to focus on high-end forward talent because I think our biggest overall need is replacement talent for Sid and Geno. I don't think teams can get away with not having 1C or VERY high-end 1W all that often, but I think teams can survive without a franchise #1D man if they can do it by committee or if they can find them via trade/FA.

Now that said, I don't think anyone we would get at 2-5ish would be the core franchise player moving forward. As I stated before, I think the best overall thing to happen to us would be top 5 pick this year and then tank next year and get McKenna. My secret gushy hope is also for us to send out Pettersson or any other combo and get a last 1st back and use that to take Cole McKinney. He dropped a bit in the ranks (which could 100% change) but he has a high end two-way game that could really help us, ideally as a 2C behind McKenna.

To answer your question more directly though, Schaefer would be a hell of pick for the organization. Schaefer, Pickering, and Brunicke would be a solid defensive prospect pool moving forward. I would suggest it would be like us nabbing Whitney in 2002 at 5ov. At that time, he was just another piece of the supporting cast puzzle that was used to insulate Sid and Geno after a couple of years.

A great "problem" to have is if we are picking and you have two great talents like Schaefer or Misa to pick between. Or if we are picking a little later, a guy like Ryabkin or McQueen would be a'okay with me.

 

[Sike Mullivan]

Is it certain that bpa at 2-4 will be a forward though? I honestly havent watched these guys at all, except what I can find on youtube, but reading different scouting rapports, seems like Schaefer has no.1 D potential, so would love to hear what others think of him, and if you and others would be happy if we picked him, as my thinking is no.1 C and D are the most difficult positions to fill.

The good thing about the organization right now is the BPA when we pick can be any of the 5 skating positions and he will fill a hole.

 

[Sike Mullivan]

For those in the area or looking for a road trip...Saginaw plays in Erie 12-14. Misa vs Schaefer/Spence (currently 8th ranked draft prospect)

 

[LiffLaff]

Certainly not. Rankings can and will likely change throughout the season. Iginla last year was typically 10-20ov and he went 6th as well so you also never know how internal rankings go. Hell, 5 teams passed on Michkov. There's also Fondell in Sweden and Ryabkin in Russia that will make some noise leading up to the draft.

But you're right. Schaefer is currently the top-ranked man and certainly looks good. I tend to focus on high-end forward talent because I think our biggest overall need is replacement talent for Sid and Geno. I don't think teams can get away with not having 1C or VERY high-end 1W all that often, but I think teams can survive without a franchise #1D man if they can do it by committee or if they can find them via trade/FA.

Now that said, I don't think anyone we would get at 2-5ish would be the core franchise player moving forward. As I stated before, I think the best overall thing to happen to us would be top 5 pick this year and then tank next year and get McKenna. My secret gushy hope is also for us to send out Pettersson or any other combo and get a last 1st back and use that to take Cole McKinney. He dropped a bit in the ranks (which could 100% change) but he has a high end two-way game that could really help us, ideally as a 2C behind McKenna.

To answer your question more directly though, Schaefer would be a hell of pick for the organization. Schaefer, Pickering, and Brunicke would be a solid defensive prospect pool moving forward. I would suggest it would be like us nabbing Whitney in 2002 at 5ov. At that time, he was just another piece of the supporting cast puzzle that was used to insulate Sid and Geno after a couple of years.

A great "problem" to have is if we are picking and you have two great talents like Schaefer or Misa to pick between. Or if we are picking a little later, a guy like Ryabkin or McQueen would be a'okay with me.

This is kind of what I'm thinking as well, and since the likelihood of a D-man coming straight in to the team and helping them improve is slim to non, since they typically take longer to develop, I would love it if the could nab Schaefer in this draft, even though if there are some good forwards available. Then they can focus on drafting high end forwards, and especially C's after that, and hopefully uncle Gary has our back and gifts us McKenna like you said. If things were to fall that way, the rebuild time would be shortened by quite a bit i imagine, as theyd have all the hardest pieces to acquire.

 

[eXile3]

It will be interesting to see how the Jets do in the playoffs. They’ve had a lot of success without a ton of top 5 drafting. A lot of their guys falling somewhere between 6-15 range.