HF Habs: 2025 NHL Draft: Part II

[Goldenhands]

Caleb Desnoyers, premier espoir de la LHJMQ en vue du repêchage | RDS

L'attaquant des Wildcats de Moncton Caleb Desnoyers pointe au septième rang de la liste de la Centrale de recrutement chez les joueurs en Amérique du Nord à la mi-saison.

www.rds.ca

We need to get this kid.

2022 Slafkovsky
2023 Reinbacher
2024 Demidov
2025 Desnoyers

That would be a perfect rebuilding haul.

 

[HuGort]

Jake O'Brien is a terrific player & is under valued in this draft. He reads plays so well, is already a solid two-way player, and is a nifty, sneaky playmaker.

He's a classic center.

I don't know O'Brien that well. Where you see him fitting into this team, 3rd line center?

 

[JadedRandom]

I don't know O'Brien that well. Where you see him fitting into this team, 3rd line center?

I'm obviously not the poster you quoted, but I'll answer nonethless.

O'Brien has middle-6 center upside in my opinion, and he'd kind of be in that type of role for the Canadiens if we drafted him and he developed well for us.

Thing is though, O'Brien could also fail to adapt his game to the big leagues and end-up being a AHL/NHL tweener. He's good, and I like O'Brien's game, but he's also far from a sure-thing.

I mean, O'Brien has some interesting upside offensively while being a more-than-decent skater. It also helps that he's overall solid two-way as well and could end up being a strong physical presence in the middle of any NHL lineup though O'Brien isn't inherently that "mean" of a player in the OHL (since he's only 170 or so pounds, and could stand to put up 25+ pounds of muscle on his asparagus-like frame).

The thing is though, if you look at O'Brien's individual offensive skills purely in isolation (playmaking, transition and possession plays, rush offense, sniping, off-puck play, etc.), a lot of his toolset projects as "good, but not great" in the NHL, with no single attribute aside from maybe passing ability that you could definitely say would help O'Brien separate himself from other players.

And then there's also the fact that while I think O'Brien could definitely be a 3C, that his defensive reads and reactions right now don't also project to be anything too special in the NHL barring significant changes.

Simply put, O'Brien's good offensively and generally well-rounded, but for him to make it as a middle-6 center you'd have to bet on the aggregate of these abilities being good enough all added-up for O'Brien to be a good, productive player in the NHL, which could just not materialize.

That's the risk with O'Brien. But one that I'd be more than willing for us to take as the upside could be a good middle-6 player with size and not too many flaws.

But it ultimately depends on who's available when we draft. If a guy like Lynden Lakovic, Justin Carbonneau, or Malcolm Spence is available where we draft, I'd say that we'd need to draft those guys before O'Brien.

 

[SlafySZN]

Jake O'Brien is a terrific player & is under valued in this draft. He reads plays so well, is already a solid two-way player, and is a nifty, sneaky playmaker.

He's a classic center.

A little on the ‘’small’’ side but I really, really like him.

 

[WeThreeKings]

O'Brien is a bust name, you have to consider that.

 

[JadedRandom]

O'Brien is a bust name, you have to consider that.

I'd say that overall you would be factually correct.

Except that Dennis O'Brien was a pretty serviceable NHL defenseman for a couple of years for the North Stars in the 70s.

He just had the misfortune of playing in an era completely dominated by the Canadiens' dynasty team and the strongest Flyers' teams that won 2 Cups.

 

[De Montreal]

Who are the classic two-way guys? Forwards like Luchanko, Helenius, Kasper... with already a mature game and a good defensive acumen?

 

[montreal]

Goal 0:38
Behind Net Pass 2:59
Great Board Work Assist 4:27
2 on 1 Shot 5:55

very impressive game from him, could of had 3 or 4 pts, great effort

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

O'Brien is a bust name, you have to consider that.

I still can't wrap my head around the Flyers taking Jay 19th overall in 2018 when he had 2 points in 7 games as a late birthday with the NTDP lmao

 

[covfefe]

Who are the classic two-way guys? Forwards like Luchanko, Helenius, Kasper... with already a mature game and a good defensive acumen?

If I was in a draft room, probably looking at:

- Desnoyers
- Frondell
- Spence
- Cootes
- Murtagh
- Martin
- McKinney

 

[WeThreeKings]

Anyone had recent viewings on Jack Nesbitt?

Big boy in Windsor, near PPG.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

A little on the ‘’small’’ side but I really, really like him.

He's 6'2. He's only 175 lbs, though.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

If I was in a draft room, probably looking at:

- Desnoyers
- Frondell
- Spence
- Cootes
- Murtagh
- Martin
- McKinney

Cootes draft value is all over the place. I've seen 12-20, 25-40, and late 2nd.

I like his speed & compete, though..

 

[SlafySZN]

L

He's 6'2. He's only 175 lbs, though.

Not sure he’s that tall, he looks much smaller but I guess he could look smaller because he needs to bulk up.

 

[montreal]

Who are the classic two-way guys? Forwards like Luchanko, Helenius, Kasper... with already a mature game and a good defensive acumen?

Eklund, what a work horse from the 2 games i've seen, his board work for a skinny (I often say little when I should say skinny, I think height is overrated and weight underrated) would not mind at all if the Habs ended up with him. (no need for the standing talk as it will just derail the thread, we'll end up where we end up)

 

[WeThreeKings]

Eklund, what a work horse from the 2 games i've seen, his board work for a skinny (I often say little when I should say skinny, I think height is overrated and weight underrated) would not mind at all if the Habs ended up with him. (no need for the standing talk as it will just derail the thread, we'll end up where we end up)

Eklund would be a dream. I don't see him going earlier than 7 so it's not impossible we are able to draft him.

 

[montreal]

Eklund would be a dream. I don't see him going earlier than 7 so it's not impossible we are able to draft him.

just hope he starts eating some cheeseburgers as a late birthdate he's way too skinny but I plan on watching more of him as I am impressed.

 

[Cubebrick]

Cootes draft value is all over the place. I've seen 12-20, 25-40, and late 2nd.

I like his speed & compete, though..

I do understand that there is a bit of questioning as to how his motor influences his offensive output because that kid has to be the hardest working DY prospect, in a draft class that already contains a bunch of hard working players, and there's nothing that screams elite in his toolbox. But he's definitely a 1st rounder imo.

I'd say that everything in his game is still above average and he's a gamer. He battles hard and knows how to make himself effective in any situation. Also one thing that doesn't help him is that Seattle is trash and it skews his numbers unfavorably. I think he's much better than what his stats show. He's always noticeable out there for the good reasons.

He's absolutely a guy I want on my team. He's got NHL stapled all over his game. I'll be shocked if he doesn't make it. Now whether it's on a top or bottom 6 is another question. I personally believe he can become a very good swiss army knife type of player that can be inserted anywhere in the lineup.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

L
Not sure he’s that tall, he looks much smaller but I guess he could look smaller because he needs to bulk up.

That's his reported height. He does look it. He's just super skinny. He needs to bulk up. He's a projection but I think a good one, especially if he can get physically stronger. He has a lot of tools to work with, including a high IQ.

My belief is you can never have too many centers in the system. We still lack depth there. Centers can be moved to wing.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I do understand that there is a bit of questioning as to how his motor influences his offensive output because that kid has to be the hardest working DY prospect, in a draft class that already contains a bunch of hard working players, and there's nothing that screams elite in his toolbox. But he's definitely a 1st rounder imo.

I'd say that everything in his game is still above average and he's a gamer. He battles hard and knows how to make himself effective in any situation. Also one thing that doesn't help him is that Seattle is trash and it skews his numbers unfavorably. I think he's much better than what his stats show. He's always noticeable out there for the good reasons.

He's absolutely a guy I want on my team. He's got NHL stapled all over his game. I'll be shocked if he doesn't make it. Now whether it's on a top or bottom 6 is another question. I personally believe he can become a very good swiss army knife type of player that can be inserted anywhere in the lineup.

Yeah, I see him as a middle 6 energy player that can do spot duty on a top line when they look like they're sleeping. He looks like a player that will drag others into the fight.

He's a high end 3C, though, sort of like a Carbonneau. He's just a really engaged player at all times at both ends of the ice. Modern comparison would be Cirelli, but his speed is better.