2025 NHL Draft: Lose a ton for Porter Martone

[Jargon]

I'm content to let this draft come to us. It's totally out of our control and with Celebrini in the bag, we aren't in dire need of that #1OA piece (of course it would be amazing).

But I do want to pick top 4. Upcoming games:

NYI - let's win this one.
BOS - 10am PT start? Woof. But F Boston. Would love to steal it.
B2B vs. NSH - let's hope the guys do a honkey tonk crawl and lose both due to hangovers.
Panthers - Likely loss
PIT - would love to beat them because Dubas sucks, I like their misery I guess, and let's see Celly beat his childhood idol
Kraken - for the tank, hope we lose, but this is eminently winnable

Takes us into Feb. I would "prefer" 3-4 but a likely outcome is 2-5 without injuries.

I want Asky to shut out Nashville..

This team is so strange where they’ll come out and beat the Devils, the Lightning and Detroit (not like the other two but were playing very well) and then get trounced by Utah and Columbus. I have no idea which games they win or lose at any given time.

I guess that’s what happens when you’ve got such a young team.

Schaefer question for @Juxtaposer and whoever else watches him: is he the kind of prospect that plays in the NHL next season or does he need another couple of years?

 

[Hodge]

Schaefer question for @Juxtaposer and whoever else watches him: is he the kind of prospect that plays in the NHL next season or does he need another couple of years?

Considering he was born two weeks too early to be eligible for the 2026 draft and is going to miss half his draft year with an injury, I'd be surprised if he gets more than 9 NHL games next season. If we're lucky enough to draft him it could be a huge advantage to slide the ELC and get two cheap years of both Schaefer and Dickinson when Celebrini and Eklund (and maybe Smith and Askarov) are on their big boy contracts.

 

[Jargon]

Considering he was born two weeks too early to be eligible for the 2026 draft and is going to miss half his draft year with an injury, I'd be surprised if he gets more than 9 NHL games next season. If we're lucky enough to draft him it could be a huge advantage to slide the ELC and get two cheap years of both Schaefer and Dickinson when Celebrini and Eklund (and maybe Smith and Askarov) are on their big boy contracts.

Yeah, that’s fair. Was just curious where he is in his development.

 

[Star Platinum]

2025 NHL DRAFT - MATTHEW SCHAEFER, D, Erie Otters (OHL) - DETAILED SCOUTING REPORT (Attribute Grades + Video)

McKeen's Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, provides a detailed scouting report on 2025 NHL Draft prospect Matthew Schaefer.

www.mckeenshockey.com

 

[Juxtaposer]

I want Asky to shut out Nashville..

This team is so strange where they’ll come out and beat the Devils, the Lightning and Detroit (not like the other two but were playing very well) and then get trounced by Utah and Columbus. I have no idea which games they win or lose at any given time.

I guess that’s what happens when you’ve got such a young team.

Schaefer question for @Juxtaposer and whoever else watches him: is he the kind of prospect that plays in the NHL next season or does he need another couple of years?

Could he play in the NHL next year? Absolutely, he's got the skating and the puckhandling and the smarts. He was already the best player on the Canadian WJC team at 17. Because of how much developmental time he's missed this season between the mono and the broken collarbone, combined with being a little slight, it might be a good idea to send him back to the OHL for a year, but he's good enough to force the issue.

I'm quite curious who, if any, of the top-4 guys will hit the NHL next season. Misa sounds like he likely isn't, and may jump to the NCAA. Hagens should probably do another year without Leonard to build strength and be The Guy at BC. Martone is a tough one, he's an October birthday and doesn't have a whole lot to learn at the OHL level, but could be behind the pace at the NHL level next year. He could get a long look in camp to decide his fate. Schaefer, I think it'll really depend on the team.