HF Habs: 2025 NHL Draft: Part II

[Kennerback]

After the Top 10 it’s quite wide open. There’s going to be a good number of players considered steals in a couple of years. It seems to be full of players that are just on the cusp of having breakouts.

I find the draft peak is not tremendously high but the level doesn’t drop that fast. It’s very much of a free for all in the mid-first round.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Adding to my mock draft; here's a prediction of the entirety of the Habs draft (we will not make all these picks)

16. Carter Bear
17. Lynden Lakovic
41. Henry Brzustewicz
49. Shane Vansaghi
79. Cooper Simpson
81. Elijah Neuenschwander
82. Owen Griffin
108. Jan Chovan
113. Owen Conrad
145. Max Psenicka
177. David Bedkowski
209. Vit Zajesky

Psenicka and Bedkowski are not dropping outside the 2nd round.

 

[Goldenhands]

Dream scenario right here if we were to keep both picks.

There is also Hensler who projects as a reliable, well rounded 2nd pairing RD, would be perfect behind Reinbacher. Then we could use Mailloux in a trade.

 

[koivalev]

There is also Hensler who projects as a reliable, well rounded 2nd pairing RD, would be perfect behind Reinbacher. Then we could use Mailloux in a trade.

I think value-wise I'd prefer to target RD with our 2nds, you can generally find those raw project picks (see Elick, Brunicke, Roberts, etc.) after the 1st, and I don't think any of Hensler, Fiddler, or Brzustewicz are good enough to justify a selection in the teens.

 

[Kennerback]

Haven’t watched Lakovic play but reading the reports on here I can’t help but think of an Armia/Pouliot mix, maybe that’s out to lunch or maybe that’s decent value for a mid 1st in a weak draft but doesn’t excite me to go for size over skill when they don’t use their size enough to be a threat physically or to drive the net.

Pouliot had more known offense on draft day. They both have decent shots. Lakovic is a better skater, at the very least he doesn’t fall over all the time. At this point, Pouliot was a bit more gritty than Lakovic who pretty much is not.

The Lakovic defense is that’s he’s had a very late major growth spurt and hasn’t adjusted yet to take full physical advantage of his very new big body. That he knows this, and because of his character will do for sure.

 

[RationalExpectations]

There is also Hensler who projects as a reliable, well rounded 2nd pairing RD, would be perfect behind Reinbacher. Then we could use Mailloux in a trade.

I like Hensler but he won t be ready to take such a top 4 role on a contender roster until 4 or 5 years most likely.

 

[Goldenhands]

I think value-wise I'd prefer to target RD with our 2nds, you can generally find those raw project picks (see Elick, Brunicke, Roberts, etc.) after the 1st, and I don't think any of Hensler, Fiddler, or Brzustewicz are good enough to justify a selection in the teens.

I dont see Hensler as a project, I see him as a projectable, relatively safe 2nd pairing guy who does alot of things right and who has some untapped offensive upside.

 

[Goldenhands]

I like Hensler but he won t be ready to take such a top 4 role on a contender roster until 4 or 5 years most likely.

Thats fine, we are at least 3 years away from winning a cup.

 

[koivalev]

I dont see Hensler as a project, I see him as a projectable, relatively safe 2nd pairing guy who does alot of things right and who has some untapped offensive upside.

Fair enough, I think you're a bit higher on him than I am. I think his year-to-year progression has been a bit disappointing for me, and I see him as a safer bet for a bottom pairing with top 4 upside if things go right.

 

[Yukon Cornelius Habs]

I’m really getting into Blake Fidler and would be happy to see the habs take him if they keep both picks. Watching him skate how he does at 6’4 is pretty impressive. I know he might not have the sexiest upside but I like his package. (Channeling my inner Tobias Funke with that last sentence.)

 

[Kennerback]

I’m really getting into Blake Fidler and would be happy to see the habs take him if they keep both picks. Watching him skate how he does at 6’4 is pretty impressive. I know he might not have the sexiest upside but I like his package. (Channeling my inner Tobias Funke with that last sentence.)

He’s very young too. Almost, one year less than others.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Pouliot had more known offense on draft day. They both have decent shots. Lakovic is a better skater, at the very least he doesn’t fall over all the time. At this point, Pouliot was a bit more gritty than Lakovic who pretty much is not.

The Lakovic defense is that’s he’s had a very late major growth spurt and hasn’t adjusted yet to take full physical advantage of his very new big body. That he knows this, and because of his character will do for sure.

I don’t buy that a player suddenly realizes he is big and can now play physical. I could see that he now has more impact due to physics but it’s not a switch that suddenly comes on, he’s been big enough at sone point in his development to play physical and hasn’t happened.

 

[Schooner Goon]

I dont see Hensler as a project, I see him as a projectable, relatively safe 2nd pairing guy who does alot of things right and who has some untapped offensive upside.

Yeah. Many in here are likely down on Hensler because he had so-so offensive numbers but he played at a higher level than most D in this draft. He played in all 7 games for the gold medal winning Team USA WJC team and highly coveted coach David Carle certainly had confidence in him. He's #15 on Bobby Mac's last rankings. In a weak draft, getting a perennial top 4 RD in the middle of the 1st would be a great day's worth of work.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Im sure we like Frolov Andreyanov Prokhorov Zharovsky.

 

[Riggins]

Didn't see this posted yet, forgive me if it was already. Monday is Bobby Mac day:

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Stone got a lot of faster, you are just talking about the declining Stone of the past 2 years.
Toffoli, also got faster, but he was starting from so far.
Ryan O Reilly is also past prime
Suzuki will slow down past prime, that's not a shocker either.

That is not true at all.

Stone, O'Reilly and Toffoli have been poor skaters for their entire careers.

 

[SOLR]

That is not true at all.

Stone, O'Reilly and Toffoli have been poor skaters for their entire careers.

Not what I said, I said they improved from where they were at 18 too.
And now are declining since theyve reached 29-30 years old.

 

[JadedRandom]

Lakovic reminds me more of an Anthony Mantha.

Lakovic doesn't play like Mantha though.

Mantha as a draft-eligible had a much better shot and played like a sniper, not really being a predominant puck-carrier or distributor, and he was also MUCH more physically mature back in his draft year than Lakovic is right now.

Lakovic on the other hand is more versatile with his skill set, and leans more playmaker than he does sniper.

I say that, but Lakovic and Mantha are a bit alike in the sense that they're both big players that aren't the most intense or physical, and also not the greatest defensively.

One of the things that I like most about Lakovic, and was basically absent in Mantha's game as a draft-eligible, is how the former is VERY good at gaining the blueline with possession on the rush.

Whilst Mantha would dump the puck in or defer/pass to his teammates almost exclusively on zone entries in his draft year, I'd say that Lakovic is amongst the very best of this draft at gaining the zone with possession and evading the first layer of defense in transition.

Lakovic's rate of success on such plays was just jaw-dropping throughout the season.

And what is even more impressive about this facet of his game is that Lakovic weaves-in multiple skills (defender manipulation, finding open ice, skating ability, puck-handling, sense of timing on passes, speed-changing, spatial awareness of his teammates, etc.) into a whole, coherent package on his zone entries, which gives Lakovic tons of options and thus makes him very, very unpredictable so quite tough to zero-in on/defend for the opposing team when Lakovic is entering the offensive zone.

I personally think that this facet of Lakovic's game is probably the single most projectable part of his entire skillset to the NHL.

So yeah, I really want us to draft Lakovic is what it all boils down to.

 

[vokiel]

I'm thinking whoever grabs Vaclav Nestrasil will have the steal of the draft.

 

[Runner77]

I'm thinking whoever grabs Vaclav Nestrasil will have the steal of the draft.

Sounds like an ENT recommended nasal decongestant. Add Gastrin to promote gut health.

 

[Goldenhands]

I'm thinking whoever grabs Vaclav Nestrasil will have the steal of the draft.

Trading with Columbus for pick #14 and #20 for 16 and 17 might be a good option if there is any interest from the Jackets. This would ensure one of Lakovic/Hensler/Bear + Nestrasil or Prokhorov at 20...

 

[McGees]

Sounds like an ENT recommended nasal decongestant. Add Gastrin to promote gut health.

 

[Seb]

Trading with Columbus for pick #14 and #20 for 16 and 17 might be a good option if there is any interest from the Jackets. This would ensure one one of Lakovic/Hensler/Bear + Nestrasil or Prokhorov at 20...

Trading up AND down from both picks is the best scenario imo, especially if we're able to land one more 1st round pick and move up between 10-14.

 

[BenchBrawl]

This draft is both boring and exciting at the same time.

I looked into more videos of several prospects and I'm hoping for one of McQueen, Prokhorov or Lakovic.

Deep down I want the gamble with Prokhorov. Shoot for the stars, get the unique Russian power bomber.

 

[MasterMatt25]

Did the trade get announced yet