Prospect Info: 2025 DRAFT Discussion

It's utopia to suggest you always draft BPA, or you have to draft for need when that need becomes overwhelming. The reality is it always depends on the draft and the players to be selected. You absolutely never want to pass up a Brady Tkachuk because you need a center and you think Jesperi Kotkaniemi is the best center available. Having said that, you can also do your organization a disservice by ignoring your own depth chart.

We absolutely need centers. We did a nice job of stockpiling right defensemen last draft. We should probably draft a goaltender at some point in this year's draft. Beyond the two firsts this year (possibly just one), BPA sounds like the best plan. But always monitor the center position because it would appear that we might have a Karlsson/Letang replacement in-house, but we have zero candidates to replace either Crosby or Malkin at present time. Our best prospects are wingers, goaltenders and defensemen. Those are just facts.

Now, if they come away ridiculously impressed with Eklund when they see him live, pull the trigger.
But again, needs change. We need centers now. Who knows what our needs look like in a few years? A lot can change. It's foolish to try and forecast like that.

If there's two players available at our slot and Dubas/our scouts likes them both about equally and one is a center and another a wing....sure, take the center. But otherwise? BPA please.
 
I'm starting to see the top-6 shake out as
1. Schaefer
2. Misa
3. Martone
4. Frondell
5. Hagens
6. Desnoyers

I really feel like Hagens falls ala Wright. He's still top-4 for me, but Frondell's stock is rocketing right now.
 
I also wouldn't be shocked to see someone take a flier on McQueen because of his size. Seems like the type of draft for someone after the top 4 to say f*** it and go for the high risk, high reward guy.
 
I prefer O'Brien to McQueen with his skating and injury concerns. His raw talent is maybe the best with size and skill. Not opposed to taking him but O'Brien to me is just more solid. I hope like heck Dubas trades Karlsson for a 1st and one of the forwards prefer Rust to the Wings. Pens can really move much quicker with the rebuild with 4 quality players added to the mix.
 
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I also wouldn't be shocked to see someone take a flier on McQueen because of his size. Seems like the type of draft for someone after the top 4 to say f*** it and go for the high risk, high reward guy.
It happens. Wings made a "jump" to take Rasmussen at 9ov in 2017 but there were plenty of lists that had him lower than guys like Necas, Vilardi, and Tippett.

Rasmussen, while a decent bottom 6 center for the Wings, is what scares me about McQueen. It's like I used to say with Zohorna - if he was 5'11, he'd never have gotten the games that he did. Is McQueen only ranked in the top 10 because he's 6'6? Would he be ranked the same if he was 5'11? Right in and around there we have several guys all on the same level. I'd have to see who's available before I said yes to McQueen. Now if we get 14ov and he's there and Bear and Spence are gone, then for sure yes!
 
I do wonder what the Rangers plan to do if the pick ends up being like 10th overall. It's not unrealistic that they're right back here or worse next season. Their depth is bad, their core is aging, they have big raises kicking in for Lafreniere and Shesterkin.

That team's a lengthy Igor injury away from handing the Pens a potential top 5 pick next year imo. Would be sick to end up with two chances at McKenna, assuming the Pens are bottom 5 again.
 
I do wonder what the Rangers plan to do if the pick ends up being like 10th overall. It's not unrealistic that they're right back here or worse next season. Their depth is bad, their core is aging, they have big raises kicking in for Lafreniere and Shesterkin.

That team's a lengthy Igor injury away from handing the Pens a potential top 5 pick next year imo. Would be sick to end up with two chances at McKenna, assuming the Pens are bottom 5 again.
I think I said this before but, yeah, I imagine getting a lottery pick for 2026 and it turns into McKenna. Pettersson+DOC for McKenna. Both the Canucks and Rags fan bases would be on suicide watch.
 
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But again, needs change. We need centers now. Who knows what our needs look like in a few years? A lot can change. It's foolish to try and forecast like that.

If there's two players available at our slot and Dubas/our scouts likes them both about equally and one is a center and another a wing....sure, take the center. But otherwise? BPA please.
For me, it just means "all other things being equal, pick the center". Basically go with the center if you have a few guys in the same tier and its a pick em.
 
I do wonder what the Rangers plan to do if the pick ends up being like 10th overall. It's not unrealistic that they're right back here or worse next season. Their depth is bad, their core is aging, they have big raises kicking in for Lafreniere and Shesterkin.

That team's a lengthy Igor injury away from handing the Pens a potential top 5 pick next year imo. Would be sick to end up with two chances at McKenna, assuming the Pens are bottom 5 again.
They'll have to take the pick this year otherwise JT will yell at them for adopting a loser mentality.
 
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Yeah it wasn’t that he said it outright but how he worded it. He may not have meant they have the option to keep it.

Or I could be misremembering :laugh:
All of these protected contracts give the option to the team who is giving up the pick because the protection clause was designed by them for their benefit..it doesn’t make any sense why NYR would tie their own hands but not giving them the option to give up the protected pick if they so choose
 
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