2025 Draft

[Darth Vladar]

If one of Ryabkin, McQueen, or Desnoyers is still available around in that 11-15 range then I would have no issues trading our better 1st and our 2nd or even both 1sts to move up for one of them. The prospect pool is in decent shape but the lack of a high ceiling C prospect is glaring. I don't doubt our scouts are watching these guys closely to see which they would prefer even though our pick doesn't look to be in that range and we'll likely be handing it off to Montreal anyway.

Personal preference would be McQueen, big kid still growing into his body. Can really shoot the puck and skates well if maybe a little out of control. Been injured most of the year so that's concerning but he's got the package I think is worth taking a big swing on. The kind of puck protection that would make him a playoff matchup nightmare if he pans out.
Second would be Ryabkin, another player having an interesting kind of stuttering year. Great vision and handles. A little like Kucherov with his approach to the game, probably one of the better Russian C prospects since Malkin. Very long way to go both physically and defensive competence and might end up being a winger.
Third would be Desnoyers who I admittedly haven't seen as much of. First impressions are that he's likely to be a well balanced middle 6 type C.

It’s for the above reason that I might actually be ok with hanging onto Razzy until the last year of his deal, unless a trade this year would include a 2026 1st instead of a ‘25. Conny is under no pressure to move him before this deadline if no GM comes along with a deal worth taking.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I would trade basically every pick we have to get Desnoyers or McQueen. We have a bunch of prospects to sign and can only give out so many ELCs.

Ryabkin I could easily see fall to 20+. He’s having a brutal year.

I do like the trade up this year but who knows what our scouts think of the guys in this draft

 

[Darth Vladar]

I would trade basically every pick we have to get Desnoyers or McQueen. We have a bunch of prospects to sign and can only give out so many ELCs.

Ryabkin I could easily see fall to 20+. He’s having a brutal year.

I do like the trade up this year but who knows what our scouts think of the guys in this draft

A lot can change in four or five months, but as of right now, Desnoyers’ projected numbers are actually fairly close to what Zonnon’s are. I’d almost as soon buy low on the latter (depending on how far he climbs up the rankings, as @Dack suggested he might) than move both picks to gamble on the former. Same reason I wouldn’t gamble on McQueen for what else in addition to the two other 1sts it would cost us. We have two picks in ‘26 as well, possibly another if Conny ends up moving Razzy for a package that includes one.

 

[Figgy44]

I would trade basically every pick we have to get Desnoyers or McQueen. We have a bunch of prospects to sign and can only give out so many ELCs.

Ryabkin I could easily see fall to 20+. He’s having a brutal year.

I do like the trade up this year but who knows what our scouts think of the guys in this draft

If we can't move up, what about the idea of trading our later picks for an unknown pick in 26? Similar to what Oilers did last year to draft OReilly?

Worst case scenario, the gamble doesn't pay off and we are a few slots lower than if we drafted this year, but if this year is a problem to trade up, but next year isn't, then maybe doing this allows us to trade up and get what we really need instead?

Agreed I trust our scouts though. It'd be interesting to see what happens.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

A lot can change in four or five months, but as of right now, Desnoyers’ projected numbers are actually fairly close to what Zonnon’s are. I’d almost as soon buy low on the latter (depending on how far he climbs up the rankings, as @Dack suggested he might) than move both picks to gamble on the former. Same reason I wouldn’t gamble on McQueen for what else in addition to the two other 1sts it would cost us. We have two picks in ‘26 as well, possibly another if Conny ends up moving Razzy for a package that includes one.

You can’t trust the list though. If you have your guy at C. Then I say go and get him. Zonnon, O’Brien, Bear would all be good options.

 

[Darth Vladar]

Can’t find a whole lot of tape on Gastrin, but the kid looked downright dominant in an 8 (!) point effort vs. the Swiss last year at the Hlinka-Gretzky tourney.

 

[Yepthatsme]

I would trade basically every pick we have to get Desnoyers or McQueen. We have a bunch of prospects to sign and can only give out so many ELCs.

Ryabkin I could easily see fall to 20+. He’s having a brutal year.

I do like the trade up this year but who knows what our scouts think of the guys in this draft

I’ll play devil’s advocate: this is exactly the wrong year to trade up. The 8/10-20 group and the 20+ group of forwards is pretty “middle 6 guy with a chance at 2C” compared to “middle 6 guy with a chance at 2C with a good amount of question marks”. There also looks to be some pretty talented “top 6 or bust” with heavy question marks late in the round. We could walk out of the 1st with a Ryabkin and Schmidt while sitting in the 20s without losing a single pick. Their is a good chance neither is even an NHL player, but with the plethora of picks we have may as well not be afraid to waste some.

 

[Darth Vladar]

I’ll play devil’s advocate: this is exactly the wrong year to trade up. The 8/10-20 group and the 20+ group of forwards is pretty “middle 6 guy with a chance at 2C” compared to “middle 6 guy with a chance at 2C with a good amount of question marks”. There also looks to be some pretty talented “top 6 or bust” with heavy question marks late in the round. We could walk out of the 1st with a Ryabkin and Schmidt while sitting in the 20s without losing a single pick. Their is a good chance neither is even an NHL player, but with the plethora of picks we have may as well not be afraid to waste some.

I’ll probably change my mind a dozen times before the actual draft, but for posterity’s sake, I’m leaning towards taking Gastrin and Zonnon with our two 1sts. I have a feeling @Dack ’s prediction that the latter rises in the rankings before season’s end will be proven correct. There are still 20ish games to go, not including playoffs. There’s no way he’ll still be there if they wait to take him in the 2nd round.