2025 NHL Draft Thread

[Muffinalt]

The party line... was that the Panarin-Anisimov-Kane line?

Panarin and Kane worked so well together. It was a treat to watch them play that season.

I'd love to see Bedard with a sidekick like Panarin was to Kane.

That was the biggest robbery trading away Panarin...

 

[Kevin Musto]

Interesting to me that Hockey Canada invited Martone and Schaefer (and McKenna) to the WJC evaluation and not top 9 picks in the last draft Senneke (#3), Iginila (#6), Yakemchuk (#7), and Parkekh.

Team Canada is weird.

They've just got guys that they don't like, and they refuse to acknowledge them.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Are we using this as the tank thread? Because most teams are starting to pull us now. We’re only within five points of the Sens, Habs and Predators. And those are three teams I expect to pile up some wins eventually.

With the rough upcoming schedule, looks like a strong opportunity to lose ground and further lock up first overall.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Are we using this as the tank thread? Because most teams are starting to pull us now. We’re only within five points of the Sens, Habs and Predators. And those are three teams I expect to pile up some wins eventually.

With the rough upcoming schedule, looks like a strong opportunity to lose ground and further lock up first overall.

We wouldn't lock up 1st overall even if we finished last. We would most likely be picking 3rd in that scenario, which isn't a big deal considering all of Hagens, Misa, Martone, and Schaefer are close for me.

 

[TheFridge]

Interesting to me that Hockey Canada invited Martone and Schaefer (and McKenna) to the WJC evaluation and not top 9 picks in the last draft Senneke (#3), Iginila (#6), Yakemchuk (#7), and Parkekh.

Martone, McKenna and Schaefer are better than all those players listed. What's really interesting is that guys like Howe and Pinelli got invites over the likes of Iginla.

 

[BHawk21]

Count me in on Misa

 

[GIADF]

Misa-Bedard-Rantanen top line next year let’s go

 

[kmwtrucks]

Misa-Bedard-Rantanen top line next year let’s go

rantanen will get over $14 on the open market when you factor everything in. cap going up $92. that said if he gets to UFA I probably do it. dickesno, foligno mikeyeve final year next year. TT would have 2 more, Bert 3 more. also we have 3.66 of dead cap coming off the books. Mcab and bailey.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

rantanen will get over $14 on the open market when you factor everything in. cap going up $92. that said if he gets to UFA I probably do it. dickesno, foligno mikeyeve final year next year. TT would have 2 more, Bert 3 more. also we have 3.66 of dead cap coming off the books. Mcab and bailey.

Fitting rantanen over the next two years isn’t the issue at all. It’s years five, six, and seven when you’re hopefully signing Levshunov, Korchinski, and this year’s high first to monster deals.

And if you aren’t signing those guys to big deals by then, chances are rantanen is not going to make a darn bit of difference anyway because this team just won’t be very good.

I’d love rantanen alongside Bedard because I like him, it just doesn’t do much now. I think this year’s high first needs to be his Rantanen/Marner/Draisaitl. Hawks can sign a star, not superstar, to be the third best forwards once the young guys are ready to drive.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Fitting rantanen over the next two years isn’t the issue at all. It’s years five, six, and seven when you’re hopefully signing Levshunov, Korchinski, and this year’s high first to monster deals.

And if you aren’t signing those guys to big deals by then, chances are rantanen is not going to make a darn bit of difference anyway because this team just won’t be very good.

Very well stated, especially par. 2

 

[u2wojo]

Fitting rantanen over the next two years isn’t the issue at all. It’s years five, six, and seven when you’re hopefully signing Levshunov, Korchinski, and this year’s high first to monster deals.

And if you aren’t signing those guys to big deals by then, chances are rantanen is not going to make a darn bit of difference anyway because this team just won’t be very good.

I’d love rantanen alongside Bedard because I like him, it just doesn’t do much now. I think this year’s high first needs to be his Rantanen/Marner/Draisaitl. Hawks can sign a star, not superstar, to be the third best forwards once the young guys are ready to drive.

The WAY more likely scenerio is somewhere in between all the prospects hit and we are in caphell if we sign a star this Summer and none of the prospects hit and we suck forever. Years 5, 6, & 7 you will have Jones coming off the books to pay for nce things. Even in the "worst" case of all (or even most) of the prospects hit, you do what teams have done since the cap came into being, you sell desireable assets at a discount to gain the capspace you need.

The NHL is driven be elite stars of which we MAYBE have one in Bedard. Rantanen or Marner would give us 1 with hopefully Bedard turning into the other....which by the way, gving Bedard actual NHL first line talent to play with gives you a better shot of getting him there then continuing to play him with 3rd and 4th liners going on year 2.

 

[MHO]

Maybe the Rantanen talk should go to the roster thread and not the draft thread? But just consider that the cap is going to start going up significantly every year.

 

[Castle8130]

Unpopular opinion; Hawks should trade their unprotected 2026 1st round pick + enough assets to land the 4th oa pick so we can scoop the faller between Hagens, Schaefer, Martone, and Misa. That would land us 2/4 elite talents in this draft and we can finally have incentive to put together a competent team for next year

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Unpopular opinion; Hawks should trade their unprotected 2026 1st round pick + enough assets to land the 4th oa pick so we can scoop the faller between Hagens, Schaefer, Martone, and Misa. That would land us 2/4 elite talents in this draft and we can finally have incentive to put together a competent team for next year

I don’t necessarily mind that idea, pretty much the same thing Davidson tried to do in the 2024 draft.

Walking away from this draft with a first line playmaker and first line power forward would be pretty sweet. The first line could theoretically be set for a decade+

 

[MHO]

Unpopular opinion; Hawks should trade their unprotected 2026 1st round pick + enough assets to land the 4th oa pick so we can scoop the faller between Hagens, Schaefer, Martone, and Misa. That would land us 2/4 elite talents in this draft and we can finally have incentive to put together a competent team for next year

I don't think it should be unpopular. I mean think about it. If you have 4th OA in 25, based on the trajectory of the Hawks, would you think there's a chance that they're picking nearly that high the next year? I know they're bad right now but I'd be shocked if they're near the top 5 in 26.

So I don't think any GM in the league would pass on any of those 4 players for a crazy chance at McKenna the next year.

 

[hawksrule]

They should easily be top 5 in 2026. Most top prospects other than Nazar are a full year or more away. Lev, Rinzel, Moore, will all be hogs next year. 2024 picks will next year still be where they are now. Kantserov can’t come over yet. Who knows if the 2025 pick makes the team right away.

 

[GIADF]

Unpopular opinion; Hawks should trade their unprotected 2026 1st round pick + enough assets to land the 4th oa pick so we can scoop the faller between Hagens, Schaefer, Martone, and Misa. That would land us 2/4 elite talents in this draft and we can finally have incentive to put together a competent team for next year

Wouldn't risk losing out on McKenna to do this unless we snag a big UFA at the same time, which I'm all for.

 

[MHO]

They can easily be too 5 in 2026. Most top prospects other than Nazar are a full year or more away.

It's possible but would you bet Misa or Martone on that?

Wouldn't risk losing out on McKenna to do this unless we snag a big UFA at the same time, which I'm all for.

In 2026, the sun will rise in the east and McKenna will end up with Pittsburgh.

 

[hawksrule]

It's possible but would you bet Misa or Martone on that?


In 2026, the sun will rise in the east and McKenna will end up with Pittsburgh.

What’s the argument that we’re not a bottom team next year?

 

[ClydeLee]

Wouldn't risk losing out on McKenna to do this unless we snag a big UFA at the same time, which I'm all for.

If we win the lottery this year, like legit moving up and then can't win McKenna next year. It might be then worthwhile to try to do.

 

[MHO]

What’s the argument that we’re not a bottom team next year?

The team plays hard and responsibly and they just currently cannot score. Add some prospects with another year of seasoning, a major free agent or 2, and in this scenario, 2 of Misa, Hagens, Martone, or Schaeffer, I'd bet we're not in the bottom 5.

 

[GIADF]

UFA/RFAs after this season:
Donato
Hall
Maroon
Smith
Martinez
Kurashev - RFA
Soderblom - RFA

Trade Candidates:
Murphy

Potential Rockford additions this year or the start of next season:
Nazar
Dach
Slaggert
Korchinski

Unless there is a major UFA signing, I don't see how this team significantly improves for next year.

Even if they finish dead last and pick 1 OA in this upcoming draft it doesn't sound like any of these prospects would have an immediate impact in the NHL from day 1 even if you do pick a top forward. Schaefer being a defenseman is likely even further away from the NHL.

Typing all that out goes to show how depressing this rebuild is going.

 

[hawksrule]

The team plays hard and responsibly and they just currently cannot score. Add some prospects with another year of seasoning, a major free agent or 2, and in this scenario, 2 of Misa, Hagens, Martone, or Schaeffer, I'd bet we're not in the bottom 5.

The team doesn’t play responsibly, there are no difference making prospects coming up next year other than Nazar, we’re not signing major free agents (much less 2) this offseason, and who is to say that those four draftees will play in the nhl next year? I think you’re looking through very rose-colored glasses.

 

[Hawkaholic]

I'm not sure why people are/were expecting this team to be anything but dog shit 2-3 years into the rebuild. This is at least a 5 year process. This isn't Football, where you can draft guys and they immediately make a high impact.

 

[MHO]

The team doesn’t play responsibly, there are no difference making prospects coming up next year other than Nazar, we’re not signing major free agents (much less 2) this offseason, and who is to say that those four draftees will play in the nhl next year? I think you’re looking through very rose-colored glasses.

It's possible I'm wearing my rose colored glasses. I think that the Hawks have too many players playing above where they should be and Nazar, a big free agent, and 2 top 4 picks would change that. We may sign a big fish - we may not. But neither you nor I can say that they definitley won't.

I'd be willing to bet that Misa, Martone, and Schaeffer play in the NHL next year. Hagens might stay in college for another year but we'll see about that. I'm not saying they'll contend for a cup nor even make the playoffs but I'm confident they'll be outside the bottom 5.

But back to the original point. When has a GM ever traded a top 4 pick for an unprotected 1st the next year? No matter how bad that team appears to be.