NHL Entry Draft: 2025 Draft Pick Watch

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I strongly disagree there, and I think people are falling in love with the idea of the size/skill combo rather than the actual outcomes from it. He’s already older for this class, and we don’t need to rehash his injury history, but I’m glad that it appears to be a misdiagnosis of a more severe injury. Back injuries for a kid that age still scare me. Even with Vilardi, he only just had his first full-ish season in his D+8.

By all accounts, he comes across as a super likable kid that works hard off the ice. I just honestly am not that impressed with the on-ice product. I obviously haven’t watched all of his games, but I saw that Steve K pointed out somewhere that a huge chunk of his offense came in bunches against really bad competition and the rest dried up against stiffer comp. He’s obviously watched more than me, so I’ll go with his observation there.

If we had more leeway with our farm system, I’d be totally on board with taking the massive swing there. I don’t want to deal with another project that you hope hits his ceiling. I’m going to keep banging the drum for a kid like Cootes because the agility and acceleration are higher-end, he’s an absolute puck hound and super smart defensively, and he has a seriously underrated wrist shot. The playmaking stands out with better comp as you’ve seen when he’s with Team Canada. It makes way too much sense with what the Rangers need in the system and how they want to play.

you definitely have me on the cootes train. he sounds like cirelli

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Am I the only one who doesn't see it with O'Brien?

He's really Ryan Strome-y to me and I don't mean that in a good way. What am I missing?

 

[Draft Guru]

Am I the only one who doesn't see it with O'Brien?

He's really Ryan Strome-y to me and I don't mean that in a good way. What am I missing?

I'm hoping (and assuming) he's taken before our pick. Means someone else could fall to us.

From Brock Otten who I've known through this site for 25 years:

"6. Jake O'Brien - Center - Brantford Bulldogs
Let me present you with some statistical rankings. O’Brien finished first in the OHL in powerplay points, powerplay assists, and primary assists with the man advantage. But, at even strength? He was outside the top 50 in both total assists and primary assists. Is this a concern for scouts? It really depends on your perspective. On one hand, you have to be impressed with his vision and playmaking ability with the extra time and space afforded to him; he truly is one of this draft’s premier distributors and creators. On the other hand, you have to be concerned with the consistency of his production at five on five; he struggles to find the space necessary to utilize his creative gifts. That’s why O’Brien is more of a mid first round prospect for me. I just struggle with how certain elements of his game could translate to the NHL at even strength. The pace. The strength on the puck. The physicality."

My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft - Part 2: 20-1

 

[Draft Guru]

If we had more leeway with our farm system, I’d be totally on board with taking the massive swing there. I don’t want to deal with another project that you hope hits his ceiling. I’m going to keep banging the drum for a kid like Cootes because the agility and acceleration are higher-end, he’s an absolute puck hound and super smart defensively, and he has a seriously underrated wrist shot. The playmaking stands out with better comp as you’ve seen when he’s with Team Canada. It makes way too much sense with what the Rangers need in the system and how they want to play.

I'd take Bear, Kindel and Reschny before Cootes

 

[Mac n Gs]

I'd take Bear, Kindel and Reschny before Cootes

I'd also be ok with any of those picks, especially Reschny. My only concerns for all of those guys are that I think they're all Ws at the next level. I'd be absolutely shocked if Cootes gets shifted to the W moving forward in his career.

 

[kovazub94]

NOTCHARLESWANG

NOTYOURDADDYSWANG

 

[RangersFan1994]

I'd also be ok with any of those picks, especially Reschny. My only concerns for all of those guys are that I think they're all Ws at the next level. I'd be absolutely shocked if Cootes gets shifted to the W moving forward in his career.

Take the one that is the best skater and that is the most complete player. Hopefully that player plays center and the Rangers need to play him at center and not at wing they did this with McConnell-Barker last year and Ryder Korczak before that. that made zero sense, especially since they lack young center depth. not a good sign. Rangers need to fix the scouting issue. like when they had Kevin Hayes play center who was drafted as a winger by the Blackhawks. Rempe drafted as a center, plays wing. makes no sense.

 

[eco's bones]

Take the one that is the best skater and that is the most complete player. Hopefully that player plays center and the Rangers need to play him at center and not at wing they did this with McConnell-Barker last year and Ryder Korczak before that. that made zero sense, especially since they lack young center depth. not a good sign. Rangers need to fix the scouting issue. like when they had Kevin Hayes play center who was drafted as a winger by the Blackhawks. Rempe drafted as a center, plays wing. makes no sense.

McConnell-Barker is a pretty decent NHL prospect but he's not a slam dunk to be an NHL player. He's not going to become a top 6 NHL player. To make it as a bottom 6 forward he might need to become a winger.

Korczak never had enough game. He was never that good. He never compared well to Trocheck, Zibanejad, Strome or the recently reacquired JT Miller. He lacked something in pretty much every area---skill, size, strength, aggression, two way defensive responsibility.

We're not going to develop a top line center by force. The player either will show that he can handle that kind of job or he won't. The most likely scenarios for finding such a player is in the first couple rounds of a draft but even that is not a guarantee. It's a struggle for a lot of players because center is not like the other forward positions. It calls for covering more ice and more defensive responsibility. There are reasons why most top centers are larger framed players or at least not that small and expecting that a player like that is going to just drop out of nowhere in the later rounds of a draft.......it's not going to happen.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

1 week till the draft!

 

[NYRnine94]

I don't know shit about any prospects. I'm seeing names like Cootes, McQueen, Martin. All centers which is what i want. Who is the better of the 3?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I don't know shit about any prospects. I'm seeing names like Cootes, McQueen, Martin. All centers which is what i want. Who is the better of the 3?

Probably McQueen but highest reward, highest risk. Martin 2nd.

I’d be thrilled if we walk away with one of those 2.

 

[Kupo]

I don't know shit about any prospects. I'm seeing names like Cootes, McQueen, Martin. All centers which is what i want. Who is the better of the 3?

Don't you worry. We're moving up in the draft and selecting a goalie.

 

[Overcast]

I don't know shit about any prospects. I'm seeing names like Cootes, McQueen, Martin. All centers which is what i want. Who is the better of the 3?

You gotta be careful with the cooties. Did you get your circle circle, dot dot shot on the playground in elementary?

I haven't read anything about any of them aside from picking up bits and pieces from this board. McQueen has injury concerns - He played only 17 games last season due to a fractured vertebrae. He's a big MFer though at 6'5. Looks like he can/will fill out weight-wise (Elite Prospects has him listed at 192 lbs, NHL.com draft preview article about him lists him at 198), but that will happen naturally as he gets older. It sounds like the injury history has scared off some teams.

It sounds like there's a chance that Martin may go before NYR have a chance to pick and sounds like he is the most desirable of those 3, but drafts don't always play out the way they are expected to. From NHL.com: "The 18-year-old right-shot center had 72 points (33 goals, 39 assists) in 57 games with Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League, and 11 points (three goals, eight assists) to help Canada win the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship." 1st unit PP & PK for the Greyhounds. Elite Prospects has him listed at 6'0, 187.

From Cootes' NHL.com draft preview article: "Braeden Cootes has heard a lot of words used to describe his play. Relentless. Dynamic. High energy. Compete.[...]He certainly did produce offensively, leading Seattle with 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 60 Western Hockey League games. He then led the team in the WHL playoffs with eight points (two goals, six assists) in six games." Cootes is the "smallest" of the 3 by a hair, listed between 5'11-6'0 and about 185 lbs. Really a wash size-wise between him and Martin.

I don't know which is the stronger league between the OHL where Martin played, and the WHL where Cootes and McQueen played, so do with those stats what you will.

 

[Ratelleitlikeitis]

Arrowsmith has to be up there for best draft name!

No more no more.