Prospect Info: 2025 DRAFT Thread

[Jovavic]

Hey, it's happened to the Rangers and Hurricanes in the past few years. That's how they got Laf and Svechnikov respectively. Flyers in 2017, too, although they got a dud.

Caps for Ovechkin. Devils too for Hirscher? Looks like Metro division has some luck!

Just so the Pens can win twice in a row

 

[EspenK]

It would be a CBJ thing to finally win a draft lottery but to be so far down the list that we can’t get the 1st overall.

I'd take ti and the big right handed d with no (one) vowels in his name.

 

[squashmaple]

I'd take ti and the big right handed d with no (one) vowels in his name.

I'm a little gunshy on big Czech teenage defensemen tbh.

 

[Jovavic]

I'm a little gunshy on big Czech teenage defensemen tbh.

They haven't worked out starting with the Klesla

 

[tunnelvision]

During a commercial break in SWE-FIN, camera cuts to audience where a kind of intense looking Sweden's U20 HC Havelid is explaining something to the Jackets euro scout. I can't read lips but he must have been criticizing Jackets' drafting?

 

[Doggy]

They haven't worked out starting with the Klesla

I think that's a little harsh. Did he produce like a #4OA pick? Probably not but injuries didn't help and MacLean likely did a shit job of developing him by rushing him to the NHL before he was ready. Looking back, that was a pretty bad draft class, especially in the top fifteen outside of Heatley, Gaborik who went 2-3 and we never had a chance to draft and then Hartnell and Hainsey.

In the end, he was not a bad player, he was a decent contributor when healthy on a bad team.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Klesla was the precursor to Ryan Murray.

 

[Jovavic]

Klesla looked like a baby deer out there. Doug totally ruined him by rushing him into the league (first sign that he probably didn't know what he was doing) Is there an alternate reality where Rusty isn't a third pairing defenseman? Maybe, but that one would need to skate better and have a higher hockey IQ.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

Anyone watch this kid? Seems to be in the ~15 range on most sites

 

[hockey17jp]

Anyone watch this kid? Seems to be in the ~15 range on most sites

If there is one thing this team needs it is another guy who hits hard!

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If there is one thing this team needs it is another guy who hits hard!

And who will arrive in 4-6 years!

Sorry, just being a jerk about the draft.

 

[koteka]

But can he turn the puck over? We have to maintain our identity. March with us as we fail to get the puck 8n the offensive zone.

My current dream is we win the lottery and take Porter Martone.

 

[NotWendell]

If there is one thing this team needs it is another guy who hits hard!

Yeah, we need a big, mean SOB on defense.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

During a commercial break in SWE-FIN, camera cuts to audience where a kind of intense looking Sweden's U20 HC Havelid is explaining something to the Jackets euro scout. I can't read lips but he must have been criticizing Jackets' drafting?

No idea on this but for what it's worth during the same SWE-FIN, Josef Boumedienne was with Jarmo and a reporter chatting for some time on the Finnish TV broadcast about scouting and Sascha and Josef's career. They were all smiles and seemed to be on great terms/friends. I mean no surprise if you work 11 years together but just felt like adding this in case anybody's interested for our investigative speculation purposes.

Jarmo also thinks Sascha is probably a 1st rd pick. Thinks he needs to learn to simplify a bit and let go of the puck sometimes more willingly. Overall great though. Also mentioned there's another Boumedienne in the pipeline, Wilson ("really good"). Other pick would be Stenberg (2026 draft).

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[tunnelvision]

The better the players outside consensus top-12 and top-19 (Martin, Potter, Kindel, Reschny, Schmidt, Boumedienne, Moore, Fiddler, Cootes, Gastrin, Ekberg...) perform at U18s, the higher the value of picks #13 and #20 will be in June.

Edit, the newest McKenzie ranking:

Matthew Schaefer, Roger McQueen generate intriguing talking points in McKenzie's NHL Draft Ranking | TSN

TSN’s survey of 10 NHL team scouts provide some interesting questions leading into the NHL Draft Lottery, which will be held on Monday night in Secaucus, N.J.

www.tsn.ca

There have been no seismic shifts from TSN’s 2025 NHL Draft mid-season ranking from mid-January to our Draft Lottery Edition Top 16 rankings from this week.

But upon further review, TSN’s survey of 10 NHL club team scouts does provide some interesting talking points leading into the NHL Draft Lottery, which will be held on Monday night in Secaucus, N.J.

1. Schaefer
2. Misa
3. Martone
4. Frondell
5. Hagens
6. Desnoyers
7. O'Brien
8. McQueen
9. Eklund
10. Smith
11. Mrtka
12. Martin
13. Bear
14. Aitcheson
15. Hensler
16. Lakovic

 

[Xoggz22]

It's the first time in a while I do not care what the lottery results are and that's a good thing. I would be thrilled if they moved up to 3OA, but reality is that is unlikely. Either way, I feel very comfortable that we won't be talking about whether another 18 year old is our savior and makes the team out of camp. Damn that's weird to type.

Granted I'm sure there will be plenty on here that are disappointed regardless of what happens with the lottery and the draft.

 

[EspenK]

McKenzie's Rankings

If Mrtka was available at 11 (where he is ranked here) would you trade 13 & 20 (19?) to move up and select him?

 

[Jovavic]

Nope

 

[tunnelvision]

If Mrtka was available at 11 (where he is ranked here) would you trade 13 & 20 (19?) to move up and select him?

Yes, if that's also the actual order of top-10.

 

[Doggy]

For those who enjoy a podcast, The Athletic Hockey Show Prospects Series with Max Bultman, Scott Wheeler, Corey Pronman and Chris Peters discussed who helped themselves the most recent U18s. You don't have to love all the guests on the show to enjoy or get something out of it.

Whose NHL Draft stock rose or fell at U18 Worlds? | The Athletic Hockey Show | Podcasts | The Athletic

With the full Prospect Series crew on location in Frisco, Texas for the U18 World Championship, the guys get together to discuss the state of the top

www.nytimes.com

 

[cbjthrowaway]

The better the players outside consensus top-12 and top-19 (Martin, Potter, Kindel, Reschny, Schmidt, Boumedienne, Moore, Fiddler, Cootes, Gastrin, Ekberg...) perform at U18s, the higher the value of picks #13 and #20 will be in June.

my strong preference is to trade at least one of those picks to get an established player for the top half of the lineup, but since in reality hockey management skews boring, they'll probably make both picks.

if that's the case, i love the idea of using the MIN pick to swing big on an undersized impact forward. kindel, potter and schmidt all stand out, but i also really like adam benak.

there's always gonna be a vocal "this team doesn't need small guys" contingent, but waddell's staff in carolina seemed to nail a lot of those draft evals (jarvis, blake, nadeau) and extract a lot of surplus value that way.

McKenzie's Rankings

If Mrtka was available at 11 (where he is ranked here) would you trade 13 & 20 (19?) to move up and select him?

i'd have a hard time passing on that. i think mrtka is going to be a monster.

that said, the guy i've been hoping falls to 13 did on this list (aitcheson) and i'd be ecstatic if he was the pick. i loved lian bichsel in his draft year and while he's a literal giant, i think aitcheson's physicality and skill could have similar impact in the NHL without needing to cook very long.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Anyone watch this kid? Seems to be in the ~15 range on most sites

Don't know a thing about him but I grew up watching the Devils when Scott Stevens owned the blue line so there is that.

 

[majormajor]

I've only seen bits and pieces of Brady Martin at the U18s, so this might not be any closer. But when I think of a great bodychecker who was only about 6'0 and only a little above a point per game in junior, the first guy that comes to mind is Mike Richards. Now getting that type of outcome out of a #13 pick would be unlikely, but if we could get a solid physical #2C, that is something we can use.

 

[stevo61]

I've only seen bits and pieces of Brady Martin at the U18s, so this might not be any closer. But when I think of a great bodychecker who was only about 6'0 and only a little above a point per game in junior, the first guy that comes to mind is Mike Richards. Now getting that type of outcome out of a #13 pick would be unlikely, but if we could get a solid physical #2C, that is something we can use.

When I started reading this the 1st name I thought of was Dustin Brown.

Don't know if Martin has what they had in overall compete but if he does at all any team would love him