HF Habs: 2025 NHL Draft: Part II

[JadedRandom]

Bill Zonnon (RW, L, 6’2″, 185, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, 10/03/2006)

Bill Zonnon is a high-effort, two-way power forward with an imposing frame and a versatile skill set. Known for his ability to create offense and dominate puck battles, Zonnon combines a hard shot with excellent vision and playmaking ability. While his physical tools and hockey sense give him a high floor, there are questions about his ability to develop certain elements of his game to unlock his ceiling. He projects as a late first- or early second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, with the potential to become a middle-six forward who can contribute on special teams at the NHL level.


QMJHL: Bill Zonnon - Neutral Zone - Men's

My only problems with Zonnon are skating, and ultimate upside.

At the beginning of the season I had Nathan Behm and Zonnon as two guys whose games I liked but had to rank lower than I would have preferred because of glaring skating weaknesses that could spell trouble for them going forward.

I had Zonnon in the early part of the second-round then, and Nathan Behm roughly at the midway point of the second because his skating is even worse than Zonnon's.

I've yet to see much progression from Behm in that sense, but I did see some changes in skating mechanics, and some amount of improvement on acceleration for Zonnon throughout the year and that has elevated my ranking of him.

Right now, I'd have him at the tail-end of the first-round as a result (#29).

I say that but I still struggle to see a clearly-defined pathway for Zonnon to turn into a top-6 foward in the NHL once everything is said and done, and that affects Zonnon's ranking obviously.

I'd have Zonnon as more of a high-floor rather than a high-upside pick, but the smarts that he has, the consistency of his effort, the physical tools that he possesses, and his effort level on the ice make me rank him highly.

If we get lucky, and Zonnon drops to our first pick in the second-round, we should not be shy at all about selecting him.

 

[Walksss]

I still think this is gonna be one of the most wide open drafts in recent memory. Anyone from 8-20ish could be taken more or less anywhere, could be quite a different looking 16/17 than we are anticipating.

I continue to hope/pray that a high upside guy like McQueen falls to us but there are so many names I'd be happy with. Give me a Bear/Hensler back to back and I'd be beyond happy.

Lately I've been watching some prospects I haven't seen much of and I know they both have their warts but I'd throw both Cullen Potter and Ivan Ryabkin into the mix here as well.

I previously dismissed Ryabkin on character concerns and his drop off in progression from last year to this. I didn't realize that this guy beyond bringing some of the top offensive skills in this draft is also the most fiesty player in the 2025 draft. What a pest. He gets to the middle and into the fight constantly, he is afraid of nobody and needs no invitation to bring the grit and sandpaper we need so badly. If they can find a way to make a pro out of this guy then using a 16th or 17th this year is a no-brainer upside pick. What potential.

 

[Quatre Vingt Treize]

Will Horcoff is a long term project and not typically my kind of player, but this is a big kid with decent skating and great hands, could be worth the gamble early 2nd.

Teammate of Machael Hage, son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff.

First I heard of him but stats look decent. Maybe our 2nd? Where you see him playing bottom 6 center someday?

 

[WinterLion]

Somebody will slip to #41 & #49... I doubt it's Zonnon, but you never know. There will be a bunch of solid picks available for sure! I really hope we keep our top 4 picks.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Do you think the habs should take a swing at Carter Bear if they keep at least 1 of their 1st Rd picks?

 

[montreal]

Somebody will slip to #41 & #49... I doubt it's Zonnon, but you never know. There will be a bunch of solid picks available for sure! I really hope we keep our top 4 picks.

The Habs also have something like 80th, 82nd and 83rd OA picks that they could look to trade up with if someone they like drops into the 40's.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Do you think the habs should take a swing at Carter Bear if they keep at least 1 of their 1st Rd picks?

If they like his medicals.

 

[AHShadow]

Do you think the habs should take a swing at Carter Bear if they keep at least 1 of their 1st Rd picks?

As long as the habs brass are fine with his medicals, I 100% take a swing at him with our 1st round pick. If not for his injury, he's up there with Brady Martin getting drafted in the top 10.

Caufield fell to us to 15 and I hope Bear does the same this year.

I do think that at least 1 of our 1st rounders will be gone by then though. Coming out with Bear + an established 2C would be amazing post draft.

 

[Playmaker09]

My only problems with Zonnon are skating, and ultimate upside.

At the beginning of the season I had Nathan Behm and Zonnon as two guys whose games I liked but had to rank lower than I would have preferred because of glaring skating weaknesses that could spell trouble for them going forward.

I had Zonnon in the early part of the second-round then, and Nathan Behm roughly at the midway point of the second because his skating is even worse than Zonnon's.

I've yet to see much progression from Behm in that sense, but I did see some changes in skating mechanics, and some amount of improvement on acceleration for Zonnon throughout the year and that has elevated my ranking of him.

Right now, I'd have him at the tail-end of the first-round as a result (#29).

I say that but I still struggle to see a clearly-defined pathway for Zonnon to turn into a top-6 foward in the NHL once everything is said and done, and that affects Zonnon's ranking obviously.

I'd have Zonnon as more of a high-floor rather than a high-upside pick, but the smarts that he has, the consistency of his effort, the physical tools that he possesses, and his effort level on the ice make me rank him highly.

If we get lucky, and Zonnon drops to our first pick in the second-round, we should not be shy at all about selecting him.

I'm a fan of Bill and I think the second half of the 1st round is often where you find good 3rd line centers so a lack of top 6 upside doesn't really scare me off. He just brings so much to the table.

I doubt he falls outside of the 1st round, and if we're really set on adding a C with one of our two 1sts, I wouldn't mind trading down 4-5 spots and adding him provided Cootes is already off the board. We'd have 4 years to let him develop until Evans' contract runs out, which works out perfectly.

 

[Apfle Strubble]

Is a trade-up for Viktor Eklund an option? He seems like he'll go around pick 9-13. Per the draft value table on soundofhockey, picks #16 + #41 ought to do it for #9

Out of all the reasonably attainable prospects with a trade up, he's the most interesting one for me. Buffalo might especially be enticed to trade down like they did last year since they already have a lot of smaller talented winger prospects

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is a trade-up for Viktor Eklund an option? He seems like he'll go around pick 9-13. Per the draft value table on soundofhockey, picks #16 + #41 ought to do it for #9

Out of all the reasonably attainable prospects with a trade up, he's the most interesting one for me. Buffalo might especially be enticed to trade down like they did last year since they already have a lot of smaller talented winger prospects

He's fiesty which I'm sure they like but he doesn't really advance the size portion of things, so I don't think they'd be paying the price to get Eklund.

 

[Apfle Strubble]

He's fiesty which I'm sure they like but he doesn't really advance the size portion of things, so I don't think they'd be paying the price to get Eklund.

I agree, but at the same time, it might be the moment to think about Caufield's replacement in 7-8 years. If they really like Eklund's profile and there's an opportunity to do a simple trade up with all the available picks, I'd think about it

 

[WeThreeKings]

I agree, but at the same time, it might be the moment to think about Caufield's replacement in 7-8 years. If they really like Eklund's profile and there's an opportunity to do a simple trade up with all the available picks, I'd think about it

I think they are thinking about how can they win with the group they have, not how do we replace a 24 year old.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Justin Carbonneau is the type of forward we need to grab. Logan Hensler is also a another great target.

If Bear or Martin are available, for sure, I would pick one of them.

But at this moment, at the range we there, Spence, Carbonneau and Hensler are all my targets and they fit perfectly with Habs.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Is a trade-up for Viktor Eklund an option? He seems like he'll go around pick 9-13. Per the draft value table on soundofhockey, picks #16 + #41 ought to do it for #9

Out of all the reasonably attainable prospects with a trade up, he's the most interesting one for me. Buffalo might especially be enticed to trade down like they did last year since they already have a lot of smaller talented winger prospects

I think he is overlooked. He would the perfect linemate to Demidov.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

One player I started to watch that I really like is Vansaghi. Big boy at 6'2 and he's really really physical. Good shot and he's got way better hands than I thought he did. He's real good in front of the net and he creates a ton of space. His skating is an issue, but in transition he's looked good enough. Skating can always be improved anyway.

He played lower in the line up at Michigan state so he didn't get a lot of opportunity to put up numbers.
Interesting player. Definitely a guy I'd love to take at 41 if he's still there.

 

[Apfle Strubble]

I think he is overlooked. He would the perfect linemate to Demidov.

I think that the Habs could have one of their last opportunities to add a blue chip asset without breaking the bank in any way

5'11 isn't too small and Eklund has a great motor and is a hard worker. I like the talent and profile and I would jump on the possibility of trading up and getting him

 

[JeffreyLFC]

I think that the Habs could have one of their last opportunities to add a blue chip asset without breaking the bank in any way

5'11 isn't too small and Eklund has a great motor and is a hard worker. I like the talent and profile and I would jump on the possibility of trading up and getting him

He is a legit talent. Well rounded, hard worker and with great skating.

 

[Goldenhands]

I think they are thinking about how can they win with the group they have, not how do we replace a 24 year old.

Unless you trade Caufield for Lafreniere, then trade up for Eklund, size issue solved.

Ready to get stoned...

 

[Goldenhands]

First I heard of him but stats look decent. Maybe our 2nd? Where you see him playing bottom 6 center someday?

You are looking at a complementary winger on a top 9 if everything goes right.

 

[Nevins]

Max Psenicka is a long-term project who will need time to stabilize his puck management and physical game. His most realistic projection is that of a depth defenseman who can play a defensive role on a third pairing. I expect him to be selected in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Max Psenicka is a Right-Shot Defensive Colossus Who Could Surprise | NHL Draft 2025.

 

[Nevins]

Cole Reschny (C, L, 5’11”, 183, Victoria Royals, 04/04/2007)

Cole Reschny is a high-IQ, two-way center who makes an impact in all facets of the game. His ability to process plays quickly and influence the game through subtle yet impactful decisions makes him a standout among his peers. Reschny combines excellent puck skills, positional awareness, and competitive drive with a well-rounded 200′ game. While he lacks the size and explosiveness of some top prospects, his consistency and ability to elevate those around him position him as a potential top-15 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

His 56% face-off win rate at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup underscores his reliability in critical situations.
He exhibits consistent effort on the backcheck, often breaking up plays with his hustle and positional soundness.

Competitiveness and Work Ethic:
Reschny’s effort level is noticeable shift-to-shift; he battles hard for pucks (winning 52% of his 50/50 battles) and consistently pressures opponents into mistakes.
His willingness to absorb contact and keep his feet moving through traffic highlights his determination to make plays.

Cole Reschny projects as a versatile, high-end middle-six forward at the NHL level, with the potential to play in a top-six role depending on his physical and skating development. His intelligence, puck skills, and two-way reliability make him a valuable asset, especially in match-up roles or situations requiring strong special teams play. If he continues to improve his skating and adds strength to his frame, he could become a consistent top-6 forward who plays center or wing.

WHL: Cole Reschny - Neutral Zone - Men's

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Which draft seems to be bigger crapshoot (in terms of guessing who goes where), this draft or the 2021 draft?

2021 definitely. A lot of the kids didn't even play hockey that year due to Covid restrictions.

I remember at the time thinking we could get McTavish around 14-16 range about where we were finishing. Then he had an unbelievable u18s, and got drafted 3rd overall. We ended up going to the Stanley Cup Finals and drafted 31st. It was a strange year.