Prospect Info: 2025 Draft: We are #1….1

[Zirakzigil]

Dropped down 2 spots. I blame the Islanders. Continue:

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Thread tag would appear incorrect.

 

[Pancakes]

Dropped down 2 spots. I blame the Islanders. Continue:

I am with @SEALBound. That brief moment where the lottery showed our odds at 18% is probably the happiest Pens related minute I've had in years. How delightfully tragic .

I'm not even mad the Islanders and Utah won. It sucks we moved back two spots but if someone that wasn't us was gonna win I hoped it would be someone funny and it was.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Oh for sure... have always felt this way. But I don't see a way they allow that to happen... especially not after backing up the Brinks truck to Sullivan's doorstep to the tune of 35 million dollars.

I think the Rangers likely expect to be better next year than this year, but they're also probably thinking similar thoughts about how crummy this draft seems. I don't think it makes a huge difference either way, no one in that range is projected to be a difference maker and the pick next year will also likely not yield a difference maker.

The pro comparables that Pronman gave out for the tier 4 guys are just super underwhelming to me, where I don't know that you'd be getting a worse prospect next year even if the pick is 10 spots later. He mentions:

-Aitcheson: Trouba
-Bear: Terry
-Reschny: McMichael
-Potter: Duclair
-Smith: Matheson (he gave this for Boumedienne but I think it fits Smith as well)
-Hensler: Severson
-Lakovic: Mantha
-Kindel: Fabbri

I really like Terry but the rest of the group is wildly underwhelming. I'm like 99% sure you can get a prospect on this level with the 2026 pick even if it's in the 20s, and you have the chance it's a similar or higher pick that will yield a much better prospect.

There's also that I'd prefer them to balance out their 1st rounders with not just getting 2 wingers, so if they take Eklund at #11 I'd probably prefer to go C or D with #12. But there are basically no centers or defensemen that look particularly good at #12, you have to have someone from the top-10 to fall to get someone I actually like.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I hope we draft an All-Star.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think the Rangers likely expect to be better next year than this year, but they're also probably thinking similar thoughts about how crummy this draft seems. I don't think it makes a huge difference either way, no one in that range is projected to be a difference maker and the pick next year will also likely not yield a difference maker.

Sure it will because NYR are gonna be horrible!

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sure it will because NYR are gonna be horrible!

Honestly even if the Rangers just repeat next year what they did this year, I think the Penguins will have a legit chance at getting a difference maker upside player with their 1st. A 1st at #10 next year will probably be an equal prospect to someone like Martone.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I hope we draft an All-Star.

Tristan Jarry, come on up

 

[Empoleon8771]

One more draft thought, if all of Martin, O'Brien, Mrtka and Eklund are gone by #11, I'd probably be talking with someone to trade down and then flip for Howard. If you do that #11 for #16 and #41 idea, how much would you need to add to #41 to be able to pull off Howard? Would #41 and one of their 2026 2nds cut it?

If I can't get Eklund at #11, I think I'm shooting for Kindel at about #16 and using some of the assets gained from trading down to acquire Howard. But even with that, I'm kinda iffy on that because it's adding 2 undersized scoring wingers (most likely in Kindel's case) and I'd rather balance out the prospect pool additions.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I hope we draft an All-Star.

The one area I have hope with Dubas is he's not afraid to go for guys in the draft that have some upside, even if they're a bit riskier. I like that. I'd rather swing for the fences for a 1st line upside with 4th line floor versus just opting to take the 3rd liner with 3rd line upside.

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

The one area I have hope with Dubas is he's not afraid to go for guys in the draft that have some upside, even if they're a bit riskier. I like that. I'd rather swing for the fences for a 1st line upside with 4th line floor versus just opting to take the 3rd liner with 3rd line upside.

Aw man are you saying that’s what we did with Pickering?

 

[Ryder71]

Skill wise Reschny is top five in the draft. If all the usual suspects are gone I'd want him! He reminds me of a left handed Brayden Point.

 

[SEALBound]

Skill wise Reschny is top five in the draft. If all the usual suspects are gone I'd want him! He reminds me of a left handed Brayden Point.

I haven't had much time to dive into the U18 stuff. Where was he playing? He's listed as F, C, and LW/C. Versatile but I'd preference the center slot.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I'm 100% taking Bear at #11 if the usual suspects are gone.

Without the achilles Bear is probably in that top 10 tier 3 while missing like 11 games and putting up 40-42-82 in 56 games that prorates out to 48-51-99 in 68 games. Considering his earlier ranking---> consolidated at #13 he's easily a top ten where a team is still selecting him at that consolidated ranking or sooner.

He'll be 3/4 months into that healing process at the time of the draft and like 7 months come Oct. which is about a month away timeline of full healing process. The getting back to games shape starts.

2025 NHL Draft: Carter Bear is perfect mix of skill and work ethic
Carter Bear – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More

Reaching for Kindel is reaching for a much, much later lower ranked Eklund. Smallish wingers. Bear brings much more to the table even if you trade back to 16, but it is no reach with Bear at #11. Pronman has Kindel at 36 which is 2nd round and really reaching at 16 even. He has Bear at #16.

I know who I'm taking. The top ranking forward outside of the top 10 who dropped (not really) due to injury, not play.

I know you like him, not the injury. At his young age I don't fear it.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Reschny was a center both Victoria and Canada at the U-18 tourney. It's a bit interesting that Martin slid to RW to play with Reschny, I would have guessed Martin would stick at center. Also worth pointing out that Kindel was also sliding to wing rather than playing center.

Reschny's problem is a similar problem to guys like Kindel, is he going to stick at center with that size? If he was 6'0" instead of 5'10", I think he'd firmly be sitting in the 9-12 range in the draft. Even as is, Pronman has him at #13 and Wheeler has him at #15.

That said, I do like him but would be pretty bummed out if they went from Eklund to him with their 1st. He's probably the guy I take at #11 if all of the other options are gone, but that said I'd be looking to trade down if all all of the other options are gone.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I’m not the biggest reschny guy. I think he’s a fine gamble in the 20s but reminds me of smaller Sam Steel.

He’s nice player but not sure the tools are enough to overcome his size and become an impact player

 

[Empoleon8771]

I’m not the biggest reschny guy. I think he’s a fine gamble in the 20s but reminds me of smaller Sam Steel.

He’s nice player but not sure the tools are enough to overcome his size and become an impact player

I think the argument I'd make for Reschny is that he seems to have the skillset to be the most likely guy to actually stick at center out of the guys in the 11-18 range. Wheeler had a nice article on him from last week:

Meet Cole Reschny, the hottest prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft: ‘He stirs the drink’

The "professional, driven" 18-year-old from Macklin, Sask., could be the best 200-foot player available in this year's draft.

www.nytimes.com

“I will say this: I don’t know if a player in our league had a better second half than him. (And) I know there’s not one player that I can think of who played better in the playoffs,” Patrick said. “He put this team on his back and his playmaking and compete were elite.”

“People look at size and to the naked eye they always look at height. And you know what, wingspan and length and reach is one way of looking at size and it’s awesome to have, but Cole is built like Sid (Sidney Crosby),” Huxley said. “He’s low to the ice. His legs are super strong and going to be super explosive. And if you watch him down low, he isn’t getting beat off pucks very often and that’s because he’s very, very strong.”

“From the time I got here, he has played a real responsible two-way game,” Patrick said. “And for me coming from the NHL to coaching junior, it was way more pronounced to have some young players who have no clue how to play the game defensively or no desire to play in the D-zone. And in saying that, it’s never even been an issue for him. He feels a responsibility, he’s aware of it, he knows how to play in the D-zone, he’s good at taking away passing lanes, he’s good at ending plays and he will get in the shot lanes. It’s something that he has been willing to do and takes pride in from the time that I got here.”

The production is obviously nice, and I think it's important to note that he started out the year poorly but really exploded in the second half of the year. But I think another argument for Reschny is that he seems like he can actually stick at center in the NHL, while I'm really skeptical someone like Kindel can.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

No matter what, this is not a draft you waste assets trading up in. You're essentially getting a similar quality player through pick 12. If anything, if the board is very favorable and you have some reliable intel on draft day, you drop back a spot or two and pick up an asset that you use in a trade to get a player like Howard or someone else who might shake free because of playing time, change in philosophy, etc.

 

[The Old Master]

No matter what, this is not a draft you waste assets trading up in. You're essentially getting a similar quality player through pick 12. If anything, if the board is very favorable and you have some reliable intel on draft day, you drop back a spot or two and pick up an asset that you use in a trade to get a player like Howard or someone else who might shake free because of playing time, change in philosophy, etc.

we will need to disagree on this.
assets are worthless unless you can turn them into something. and you do that by picking good players. you get good players by drafting high. players drafted in the lower rounds seldom turn into your core players. now if we already had our core players then sure, load up on picks but if you don't have your core players then you need high picks the higher the better. and you keep swinging for the fence till you get them. imo

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I wouldn't say it's a no matter what situation. If by some miracle Hagens or Martone drop to like 8th or 9th, you for sure trade up to try and snag them. I don't think either has that big of a drop, but I would definitely try to jump up a couple spots for those two if they were still available.

Other than those two, yeah, I think you just shrug and hope a guy like Martin or Eklund is there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

we will need to disagree on this.
assets are worthless unless you can turn them into something. and you do that by picking good players. you get good players by drafting high. players drafted in the lower rounds seldom turn into your core players. now if we already had our core players then sure, load up on picks but if you don't have your core players then you need high picks the higher the better. and you keep swinging for the fence till you get them. imo

It's not worth sinking a 2nd rounder just to move up from #11 to #9 if the difference is going to be Eklund vs Martin. The guys being drafted at that level aren't going to be any more likely to turn into a "core player".

I'm only trading up if someone like Martone starts sliding or if I want to make sure I get Eklund instead of one of those tier 4 players. But you're talking about moving up maybe 1 or 2 spots to do that, I'm not willing to spend the assets to trade up further than like #9.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I wouldn't say it's a no matter what situation. If by some miracle Hagens or Martone drop to like 8th or 9th, you for sure trade up to try and snag them. I don't think either has that big of a drop, but I would definitely try to jump up a couple spots for those two if they were still available.

Other than those two, yeah, I think you just shrug and hope a guy like Martin or Eklund is there.

Yeah this is exactly what I'm thinking. I may also look to trade up just to make sure I get one of Eklund, O'Brien, Martin or Mrtka, but we're talking about giving Anaheim a 3rd rounder to swap pick #10 and #11 there.

I'm only spending serious assets to trade up if someone starts sliding. Otherwise I'm either sitting at #11 or trading up to #10 just to make sure I get one of the top-10 guys I like.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Wouldn't have to spend any asset if they just did a better job at losing in an obviously wasted season

f***in imbecilic

 

[DesertedPenguin]

we will need to disagree on this.
assets are worthless unless you can turn them into something. and you do that by picking good players. you get good players by drafting high. players drafted in the lower rounds seldom turn into your core players. now if we already had our core players then sure, load up on picks but if you don't have your core players then you need high picks the higher the better. and you keep swinging for the fence till you get them. imo

There is no one in this draft worth trading up for. You're going to get the same level of player at 11 that you'll get at 7.

Also, teams no longer make draft day trades to move up within the Top 10. It hasn't been done since 2008. Any Top 10 picks that have changed hands have all been part of a deal involving a contracted player, just like the Pens picked up the #8 pick in 2012 in the Staal trade.

The value isn't there and the GMs know it.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

The production is obviously nice, and I think it's important to note that he started out the year poorly but really exploded in the second half of the year. But I think another argument for Reschny is that he seems like he can actually stick at center in the NHL, while I'm really skeptical someone like Kindel can.

I don’t think Reschny has the same compete/motor of Kindel despite what his coaches say in a fluff piece. He’s also more of a lower pace guy who wants to make plays with guys draped all over him. Add in no elite traits at his stature and idk.

Kindel on the other hand plays smart and fast and his feet are always moving. I think better shot and hands as well.