HF Habs: 2025 NHL Draft: Part II

[Lockin17]

The latest draft ranking from Sportnet's Sam Cosentino from earlier today.

Sportsnet's 2025 NHL Draft Rankings: May Edition

Sam Cosentino shares his latest rankings of the top 32 prospects for the NHL Draft, with a familiar name once again atop the list.

www.sportsnet.ca

wow Caleb #3

 

[montreal]

When we see a unanimous list of mid first round players across all scouts, teams, and public lists.. then we can say there's clear BPAs at that point in a draft class.

BPA gets extremely more difficult to ascertain the deeper into a draft you get.. and the BPA debate gets heated earlier in more shallow drafts.

I don't agree there either as lists from whom? If you are talking NHL scouts maybe but even then, there's a reason why so many scouts are wrong so often. If you watch all these kids (which I haven't and wouldn't) then to me you can easily make a BPA list. It's the same as if I said rank these 10 Hab prospects assuming you saw all 10 all season long and not 1 or 2 or 5 times.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't agree there either as lists from whom? If you are talking NHL scouts maybe but even then, there's a reason why so many scouts are wrong so often. If you watch all these kids (which I haven't and wouldn't) then to me you can easily make a BPA list. It's the same as if I said rank these 10 Hab prospects assuming you saw all 10 all season long and not 1 or 2 or 5 times.

I can make my BPA list. Then someone else can make their BPA list. Those lists will be different. That's where BPA gets completely murky.

That's why when Bob surveys scouts for Bob's list, you don't see a unanimous ranking of every player at each slot.

 

[Habs Icing]

yeah but do we need a LHD ?
With Guhle. Hutson, in our top 4 ?

Not really, no. I like Aitcheson a lot but I don't see it making that much sense for us.

Still have Matheson, Xhekaj, Struble and Engstrom.

He would be 4-5 years away from the show, and given how teams and injuries unload players, I wouldn't ignore him for that reason.

 

[Lockin17]

He would be 4-5 years away from the show, and given how teams and injuries unload players, I wouldn't ignore him for that reason.

gezz if he's 4 years away he's not that good...

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

yeah but do we need a LHD ?
With Guhle. Hutson, in our top 4 ?

Considering any D that we draft is probably 3-4 years away, with Guhles injury history I wouldn’t be against it. Big, physical, can actually play D and score. I’ll take it

 

[TheBuriedHab]

I don't get the hornyness of drafting "warrior" type players with limited upside in the first round. More often than not that is not a good strategy.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't get the hornyness of drafting "warrior" type players with limited upside in the first round. More often than not that is not a good strategy.

This was once the prevailing theme on guys like Tom Wilson and Will Cuylle.

 

[TomKosto]

I don't get the hornyness of drafting "warrior" type players with limited upside in the first round. More often than not that is not a good strategy.

"Brady Tkachuk doesn't have a high ceilling", heard that so many times in his draft year.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

This was once the prevailing theme on guys like Tom Wilson and Will Cuylle.

Well Cuylle went in the 2nd round where the risk was more palatable.

There has been exactly 1 Tom Wilson in the past 15 years. a 6'4 unicorn that can skate, fight, hits to kill people and now scores 30 goals. If there's a comparable to him in the first, by all means. I don't see one though.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

"Brady Tkachuk doesn't have a high ceilling", heard that so many times in his draft year.

Pierre Dorion said that when they scouted Brady, his center at BU was Jordan Greenway who wasn't actually a center so he would never get the puck but you could see he had the skill.

 

[montreal]

I can make my BPA list. Then someone else can make their BPA list. Those lists will be different. That's where BPA gets completely murky.

That's why when Bob surveys scouts for Bob's list, you don't see a unanimous ranking of every player at each slot.

which is why some teams are better at drafting then others, making these lists is extremely hard but some people get it more right then others. You have to trust your list and go BPA imo.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Well Cuylle went in the 2nd round where the risk was more palatable.

There has been exactly 1 Tom Wilson in the past 15 years. a 6'4 unicorn that can skate, fight, hits to kill people and now scores 30 goals. If there's a comparable to him in the first, by all means. I don't see one though.

And if he was taken in round 1, no one would bat an eye now. The Habs have the skilled stuff pretty much figured out and honestly the names being thrown around with the Spence's and Cootes of the world are not exactly stellar offensive producers you can't afford to pass on either. I've yet to see a name mentioned against them as the 'skilled' type that have a clear advantage where it would make sense to forego the elements that we desperately need to take them for their perceived upside.

which is why some teams are better at drafting then others, making these lists is extremely hard but some people get it more right then others. You have to trust your list and go BPA imo.

I think we are saying the same thing in different ways. You go to the top guy on your list but who that is may not be seen as BPA to other people. It's why I think Mesar was their BPA as he was in a tier of 2 other guys when we went to pick there but you ask many others on the form and they don't even think he was a 1st rounder. That's where a clear BPA is a fictional concept in that sense.

My understanding, though, is that the Habs put players in buckets and tiers. So unless Aitcheson is the only guy in that tier left, they are far more likely to select from the physical forward or right shot defenseman bucket than the left shot defenseman bucket.

 

[Scotianhab]

Leafs along time ago went with Biggs instead of BPA. Sens drafted Tyler Boucher a few years ago he looks like a complete bust. Drafting for need sometimes sets you back. If we’re using both picks then we should be taking best forward available and the best defensemen available that are on the Habs list. Don’t reach for a need.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Leafs along time ago went with Biggs instead of BPA. Sens drafted Tyler Boucher a few years ago he looks like a complete bust. Drafting for need sometimes sets you back. If we’re using both picks then we should be taking best forward available and the best defensemen available that are on the Habs list. Don’t reach for a need.

I think Spence and Cootes will have every bit of a claim to being BPA when we pick than any of these small skilled guys with no jam.

 

[Habs Icing]

gezz if he's 4 years away he's not that good...

He's an 18-year-old d-man. You really think he'll be ready before he's 22 years old?

 

[montreal]

 

[Scotianhab]

NHL will reduce the punishment before the 2026 draft.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

And if he was taken in round 1, no one would bat an eye now. The Habs have the skilled stuff pretty much figured out and honestly the names being thrown around with the Spence's and Cootes of the world are not exactly stellar offensive producers you can't afford to pass on either. I've yet to see a name mentioned against them as the 'skilled' type that have a clear advantage where it would make sense to forego the elements that we desperately need to take them for their perceived upside.

Spence and Cootes are both average sized or below average. If I'm taking a guy that probably projects as a bottom 6 player in the mid first round, he better be 6'3 and up.

 

[TomKosto]

Pierre Dorion said that when they scouted Brady, his center at BU was Jordan Greenway who wasn't actually a center so he would never get the puck but you could see he had the skill.

Yea I heard the interview too, but it was said a lot during his draft years that his ceilling was low, good on Pierre!

 

[WeThreeKings]

Spence and Cootes are both average sized or below average. If I'm taking a guy that probably projects as a bottom 6 player in the mid first round, he better be 6'3 and up.

They project as Dustin Brown, Ryan Hartman types. Guys who can be complementary figures in the top 6. A top 6 line of only skilled, puck possession guys don't work. Someone has to dig in corners. Make hits on the forecheck. Go in with speed and be disruptors. Get in front of the goalie. Make plays in tight around the net.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

They project as Dustin Brown, Ryan Hartman types. Guys who can be complementary figures in the top 6. A top 6 line of only skilled, puck possession guys don't work. Someone has to dig in corners. Make hits on the forecheck. Go in with speed and be disruptors. Get in front of the goalie. Make plays in tight around the net.

I would be very surprised if Spence ends up being good enough to play in the top 6.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I would be very surprised if Spence ends up being good enough to play in the top 6.

and I'd be surprised if Reschny plays anywhere but the AHL and Europe.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

and I'd be surprised if Reschny plays anywhere but the AHL and Europe

Well that's certainly an opinion. Reschny had like what? 12 points alone in one playoffs series vs Tricity. He was going up against Jackson Smith infront of the net and was winning battles. He's really turned his game up in the playoffs. Let's see how this one ages.

 

[Seb]

I'm really surprised, I thought this was a great year to forfeit the pick considering the skill level of the mid to late first round picks available. They must feel confident in their progression for next season I guess.