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

[chethejet]

General feelings are Rangers give up the pick. If so Pens even is a suspect draft can still add a quality center and RW or LD. Add in moves Dubas makes like Karlsson and adding picks to get prospects of some quality is the plan.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

Anybody catch the latest on Bear’s injury? If the report is true, that’s my pick.

 

[Jacob]

I wouldn’t put it past a player’s camp to underreport the severity but if true that’s good news.

But still even a partial laceration would impact a player’s skating.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah Bear's stock skyrockets in my eyes if it's only a partially lacerated Achilles. He's firmly my pick at #11 if Eklund is gone, I think he's arguably just as good of a prospect as Eklund to begin with.

Bear being healthy also makes me a little bit more interested in the Rangers giving their 1st this year. Bear and Eklund at #11 and #12 would be a pretty damn nice haul.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

Yeah Bear's stock skyrockets in my eyes if it's only a partially lacerated Achilles. He's firmly my pick at #11 if Eklund is gone, I think he's arguably just as good of a prospect as Eklund to begin with.

Bear being healthy also makes me a little bit more interested in the Rangers giving their 1st this year. Bear and Eklund at #11 and #12 would be a pretty damn nice haul.

If i’m not mistaken, he also has experience playing center as well. Bear is one of the players I can see having a Wyatt Johnston/Robert Thomas type rise in development.

Take Bear 11th and Aitcheson 12th, that’s a tone setting draft imo.

 

[Jacob]

I’d like to know the % of laceration. Karlsson’s was 70% but I guess even that would be considered partial.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Yeah Bear's stock skyrockets in my eyes if it's only a partially lacerated Achilles. He's firmly my pick at #11 if Eklund is gone, I think he's arguably just as good of a prospect as Eklund to begin with.

Bear being healthy also makes me a little bit more interested in the Rangers giving their 1st this year. Bear and Eklund at #11 and #12 would be a pretty damn nice haul.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I can pretty much be convinced to be happy with a lot of the players projected to be drafted between 10-20. Some decent upsides with those players but a number of question marks. Oh well!

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah I think Bear may jump Eklund in my want list if he is healing well. I think Bear and Eklund have extremely similar play styles and upsides, but Bear has the chance of sticking at center and has a bit of size on Eklund. I think the argument to go Bear there is pretty easy to make.

That said, even a partially lacerated Achilles is still concerning and his skating was mostly described as average from what I’ve read. I’d want to get the all clear from his medicals, but if they look good, I may actually prefer him to Eklund.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, I dunno. With guys like McQueen and Bear, I don't care about upside or skillset if they come with pre-existing injuries, and they have questions regarding their skating. One or the other, I could be convinced they'd be the right choice, but both is a no go imo.

Realistically, I'm hoping someone like Martin or Eklund is sitting there. Pipedream is that somehow Martone drops into their lap, or within trade up range, like 8th or 9th, and it'd only cost a 2nd to move up or something.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, I dunno. With guys like McQueen and Bear, I don't care about upside or skillset if they come with pre-existing injuries, and they have questions regarding their skating. One or the other, I could be convinced they'd be the right choice, but both is a no go imo.

Realistically, I'm hoping someone like Martin or Eklund is sitting there. Pipedream is that somehow Martone drops into their lap, or within trade up range, like 8th or 9th, and it'd only cost a 2nd to move up or something.

I don't think Bear and McQueen fall in the same category. Bear is an average skater (which I've since read more reports describing it as good, so maybe I'm wrong about him only being average) who had a bad injury that turned out to not be as bad as what was initially feared. McQueen is a bad skater who has what looks like chronic back problems.

I think Bear, Eklund and Martin all fall in the same category of "high motor wingers", but with Martin being the most physical and Eklund being the most skilled. Bear falls as a middle ground between them.

 

[Jared Grayden]

I’d like to know the % of laceration. Karlsson’s was 70% but I guess even that would be considered partial.

I've seen multiple opinions that Krebs never recovered from his partial laceration. Supposedly his skating never got back to what it was. That skating nerd from EP (Allen) said months ago that most Achilles injuries never fully recover. No idea how he is measuring it though.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't think Bear and McQueen fall in the same category. Bear is an average skater (which I've since read more reports describing it as good, so maybe I'm wrong about him only being average) who had a bad injury that turned out to not be as bad as what was initially feared. McQueen is a bad skater who has what looks like chronic back problems.

I think Bear, Eklund and Martin all fall in the same category of "high motor wingers", but with Martin being the most physical and Eklund being the most skilled. Bear falls as a middle ground between them.

Yeah but an average skater with an achilles laceration is as worrisome as a bad skater with a potentially chronic back issue imo. Achilles issues are pretty gnarly.

Like Jacob said earlier, wouldn't put it past someone to sign off on an all clear just for his sake in the draft. I'd wait until we get some more info about it from independent or team affiliated doctors.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

Yeah I think Bear may jump Eklund in my want list if he is healing well. I think Bear and Eklund have extremely similar play styles and upsides, but Bear has the chance of sticking at center and has a bit of size on Eklund. I think the argument to go Bear there is pretty easy to make.

That said, even a partially lacerated Achilles is still concerning and his skating was mostly described as average from what I’ve read. I’d want to get the all clear from his medicals, but if they look good, I may actually prefer him to Eklund.

I agree, if the medicals are encouraging then that’s a slam dunk.

I also think as he fills out more, he will become an explosive skater. His mechanics are great, just needs more lower body strength.

I would personally draft him and develop him as a center though so maybe that’s why i’m a little higher on him than Eklund. Both great choices nevertheless.

 

[eXile3]

Yeah, I dunno. With guys like McQueen and Bear, I don't care about upside or skillset if they come with pre-existing injuries, and they have questions regarding their skating. One or the other, I could be convinced they'd be the right choice, but both is a no go imo.

Realistically, I'm hoping someone like Martin or Eklund is sitting there. Pipedream is that somehow Martone drops into their lap, or within trade up range, like 8th or 9th, and it'd only cost a 2nd to move up or something.

Injuries could be a way to get value from dropping players. Back issues are iffy though.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah but an average skater with an achilles laceration is as worrisome as a bad skater with a potentially chronic back issue imo. Achilles issues are pretty gnarly.

Like Jacob said earlier, wouldn't put it past someone to sign off on an all clear just for his sake in the draft. I'd wait until we get some more info about it from independent or team affiliated doctors.

I think the concerns with his Achilles are completely legit and I'd want a deep inspection there. Even a partial laceration is really scary, the big thing that makes me more willing to take him now though is that he's not going to be losing half of next year and a bunch of time needing to rehab as well. He may start out slow but he seems like he'll have most of the off-season to still train, at least based on the "he'll be ready for development camp" claim.

Either way, Bear's Achilles is really the only concern I have with him in terms of being a top-10 talent. I think he's more skilled than Martin and bigger than Eklund, I think he'd be a lock for a top-10 pick without that injury. I don't think his upside is appreciably higher, you're still likely looking at a high motor 2nd line winger with all 3 of those guys (even though Martin and Bear could stick at center). But I think he likely wouldn't make it to #11 if not for that Achilles injury, and if he's healing well he may not even make it to #11.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Injuries could be a way to get value from dropping players. Back issues are iffy though.

Sure. That's how this team got Esposito at like 21 or whatever, a guy who was slated to go 1st overall. But that's also how Esposito went from consensus 1st overall to a never-was.

Really don't want this team to take a flier on a guy who has a pre-existing injury concern before he even gets drafted tbh. This isn't a make-or-break pick by any means but this team needs to start really hitting on these picks, and doing so for a handful of years. Keying in on two guys like McQueen or Bear who have serious injury concerns is a mistake imo.

 

[Ulf5]

General feelings are Rangers give up the pick. If so Pens even is a suspect draft can still add a quality center and RW or LD. Add in moves Dubas makes like Karlsson and adding picks to get prospects of some quality is the plan.

Puckpedia has us as having 2 1st without an asterisk? Do they know something we don't?

 

[Ugene Magic]

Sure. That's how this team got Esposito at like 21 or whatever, a guy who was slated to go 1st overall. But that's also how Esposito went from consensus 1st overall to a never-was.

Really don't want this team to take a flier on a guy who has a pre-existing injury concern before he even gets drafted tbh. This isn't a make-or-break pick by any means but this team needs to start really hitting on these picks, and doing so for a handful of years. Keying in on two guys like McQueen or Bear who have serious injury concerns is a mistake imo.

Bear's not as serious or he wouldn't be skating already. After only a couple months.

It seems he missed out on a serious injury part. McQueen not so much.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'd still rather have that Rangers pick next year tbh, but if they sent it over this year and someone like Martone or Hagens somehow falls to around 8th, I'm absolutely trying to jump up a couple picks to snag 'em if the cost is one of the multitude of 2nd rounders the Pens have.

Alternatively, I think coming out of this draft with two guys like Martin and Eklund would be a great thing for having a supporting cast in place for when this team starts landing those top 3 picks and hopefully franchise cornerstones to build around.

 

[Jacob]

It’s been over 2 months since the injury, so light activity including skating would be probably par for the course for even a more significant laceration.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think I've generally come to the stance of "I don't really care" whether the Rangers give up the 1st this year or next year. There are enough prospects I like that I'd be satisfied with getting pick #12 this year, while I'm also totally good kicking that pick to next year in a stronger draft while the pick is unprotected. Either way looks good to me.

If they come out of the draft with 2 of Bear, Eklund, Aitcheson, Lakovic or Reschny with those 2 picks, I'm happy. If they get one of those guys with their own pick and an unprotected 2026 1st with the Rangers pick, I'm happy.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Pronman's latest has Hagens at #11.

Ranking 2025 NHL Draft prospects by skill sets suited for Stanley Cup playoffs

This list of the 2025 draft class emphasizes players who have great pace, physicality and compete level.

www.nytimes.com

1. Schaefer
2. Misa
3. Martone
4. Desnoyers
5. O'Brien
6. McQueen
7. Frondell
8. Aicheson
9. Mrtka
10. Eklund
11. Hagens

 

[plaidchuck]

Eh I'd rather take a chance on somebody with larger upside even if there are recent health concerns, rather than someone whose ceiling is most likely bottom six or third pairing at best. Young bodies heal, unless it something that is already chronic and will only get worse like back or knee.

 

[Jacob]

I know it’s not scientific and medicine is always advancing but I don’t know a single person that had a back injury that just healed and never bothered them ever again.

It’s just kind of a give-in that if you hurt your back once you’re just a back pain guy for the rest of your life.