2025 NHL Draft Thread

[TheFridge]

If they take Misa, Martone or Schaefer I hope they consider playing college hockey next year.

None of those guys are immediate nhlers but also comically better than junior.

I think Misa or Martone play in the NHL next year. They're both physically capable, Martone is a late birth year and Misa has had an extra year in the OHL due to his exceptional status. They're dummying the OHL right now. I don't think either would be Calder challengers as rookies, but they probably could play 13-15 minutes a night through the year and get some secondary PP time.

Schaefer I think goes back for another year. Maybe college would be a step up for him but I wouldn't have a problem with him going back to the OHL either. Really want to squeeze as much confidence out of him offensively as I could before making the jump to the NHL. Plus next year, he goes to the WJC and will likely be the captain and their undisputed #1 D for the tourney.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

maybe its the jersey number but the first player that came to mind watching martone clips is corey perry, rangy with size and the skating isnt elite but not a big detriment to production, would prefer Misa over Martone and throw him with Nazar and Bedard

 

[u2wojo]

maybe its the jersey number but the first player that came to mind watching martone clips is corey perry, rangy with size and the skating isnt elite but not a big detriment to production, would prefer Misa over Martone and throw him with Nazar and Bedard

Well Perry and the Tkachuk brothers are the compareables most reference Martone with. Supposed to have some prick to his game or as Pully used to say...jam

 

[Joemoe]

Every time I look at the standings and see the Preds right above the Hawks at this point in the season is hilarious, the off season overhypes teams so badly.

 

[Sinbad]

Given the Hawks likelyvto get a top 3 pickgivennlikelihoodcthey finish lastvirx2nd last ,the rest of this disappointing season will be taken up by the debate on which of Martine,Misa or Schaefer should Hawks take of still on the boardwhen Hawks pick?

All 3 provide de "core" solution needs
:
Schaefer as a 1D and 1LD completes the 4 core D any team would drea of..Schaefer 1LD Vlasic 2LD .. Rinzel 1RD,Levshunov 2RD ...forcing $9.5 into less minutes and 3RD as 5th dman(that would be 26/27 season =last 4 seasons of $9.5 contract..
I agree Schaefer pkays 1 more season of Juniors after his draft before joining the Show ...

OR

Hawks take Martone ..giving them top line Big RW who has both the skills to score and create off his great ability to win puck battles and close to make steals and loosevpuck retrieval and instantly turn them into attack chances...THE Ttypof bog skilked winger with star dominating possession Hawks just lack up front..
However...thus still leaves a hugexhole for the good size center Hawks need who can both score abd drive one if tge top 2 lines.. but also do well on faceoff wins..
Boisvert has an elite shot but can hedrive a line AND win draws?...I believe he was only 44.9% on faceoff wins in an article I read in November..
Misa can driveca li e...gets dmen to back off with his great speed ,can score in various ways and is currently at 54.9% in the dot in the OHL..
So if we draft Misa you have to project honas one of tgex2 top centers for a future Hawks contender.

Thus Schaefer Martine and Misa all provide a needs sokution for a fiture core of stars Hawjsxwill need to fix onplace ona contender team down the line as they get inserted into the Show...butHawks can only draft 1 of tgse needs solutions.

IF we draft Schaefer the D core is secured..butcstill both a hole at 1 ofctge top C's and at a top Wing required for making Cuo ribs.

Thise needs would have to wait theu 2 more drafts....

If we go to a C or a W and fill that need,then searching for a 1LD ,or 2LD bringing ability to control a game Nd pace of pkay and supplying both offebnive production and defensive acumen coukd be harder to find than filling it Now with Schaefer.

So KD will have a tough choice to me as to preference.. C,W or LD each with star pitential abd filling core needs..but only can grab 1 solution per draft.

Remember.. if Hawks finish last and stay with tge #1pick after lotto,then Hawks still are in lotto business for #1in 2026 ..tgey can win a lotto tomorrow upto #1or#2..If Hawks finish 2nd last and move up 1 in Lotto...or finish 3rx last and move up to#1or#2via lotto,they will NOT be able to wina lotto for#1or#2in the 2026 or 2027 drafts ...

Hopefully Hawks finish dead lastxand stay in place so that they get another lotto shot at#1or#2 in 2026 draft.

As greatxas GavinMcKenna is ,he is not goibg to solve any of the 3 positional need types the Cup Core will demand.

He does not bring tge Size+Skill combo wexwill nerdcto complimentvour smaller sjilkex Center(probaly Nazar since Bedard will need to move to wing on that Cup contending squad...Tgey cannot go with 2 "small Centers in Bedarsand Nazar for top 2libes. Neitger can you pkay 2 small but skimkex guys on the same line...ok on PP..but Not for 5x5.

At 6'0 McKenna is average height but not the Big Winger we need to win board and puck battles and get steaks to start transitions or keep possessions extended in thebo-zone

We already have smaller skill with Bedard...Nazar,Lardis and Kantserov..so McKenna really despite great ability,is not goibg to be a pisitjobL solution we NEED.

Luckily 2026 s stacked with talent that can help fill 1 of the 2 remaining top needs after this025 2 draft. So if we do win thec20w6 lotto...I might move down 1 ..give up McKenna who likely will be consensus #1overall..

The objective for the next 3 drafts is to flll those 3 positional types Needs.
Kd will get only 1 of tgese 3 needs filled intge 2025 draft .

Which position type will he choose if 2 or all 3
on the board when we pick?

McKenna is 6’ and doesn’t turn 17 for another week and a half, what makes you think there isn’t room for more growth? Some of these guys will continue to grow until they are 20, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McKenna top out at 6’2 or 6’3.

 

[Muffinalt]

Game sense and hockey IQ are on point that's for sure. KD type skating as well.

Would be something to watch him and Vanacker together stealing pucks and breaking up plays for days.

 

[clydesdale line]

Game sense and hockey IQ are on point that's for sure. KD type skating as well.

Would be something to watch him and Vanacker together stealing pucks and breaking up plays for days.

Great vid. Long said he is my second favorite prospect in this draft after Schaefer. I think he's going to be a fantastic player. Not quite the franchise changing talent but a great top line player. His skating and I.Q. is so good. Not a question in my mind he'll stay at center as well (I see him more of a center long term for example than Bedard). He actually reminds me of Celebrini quite a bit, albeit maybe a step below.

 

[feichter33]

I know me dont need dmen as bad as fwd/g depth, but damn...Schaeffer is one of the best I've seen since Makar.

Ravensbergen is one of the best gs in recent memory too. Dunno if he's worth a liw 1st, high 2nd, but he's good.

 

[HawksDub89]

I know me dont need dmen as bad as fwd/g depth, but damn...Schaeffer is one of the best I've seen since Makar.

Ravensbergen is one of the best gs in recent memory too. Dunno if he's worth a liw 1st, high 2nd, but he's good.

Schaefer is unreal. Not sure I could pass on him at #1.

He could be a legitimate elite 1D. He just does everything well.

 

[Mrfenn92]

BPA number 1

 

[Joemoe]

BPA number 1

I agree, Hawks have endless holes and while a lot of prospects look nice doesn't really mean anything until they show their worth consistently at the NHL level.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Schaefer is my one Misa is my two. Would love either.

 

[ndgt10]

What happened to Hagens?

 

[CallMeShaft]

What happened to Hagens?

Low shooting percentage and not meshing super well with some of his linemates. Though he's been scoring more the last two weeks.

For us, he's not a perfect fit. He'd be another potential top 6 guy under 6ft (to go with Bedard, Nazar, Kantserov, Lardis, Moore). Kind of similar to Schaefer not being a perfect fit because he's yet another defender.

But drafting that early, you pick the best guy and try to make it work from there. Just a lot of debate about the order of the top 4 guys.

 

[ello]

Where's our next 6'2 200-foot PPG centreman already

 

[CallMeShaft]

Where's our next 6'2 200-foot PPG centreman already

Misa is 6ft1. Not impossible for a kid who is still 17 to grow an inch over the next few years. Definitely has PPG potential.

 

[Taze em]

I'm watching clips of guys and highlights and the usual stuff and... is anyone else noticing a significant drop in quality in the CHL? The OHL specifically. Maybe I'm just getting older or going crazy and watch too much NHL and need to recalibrate but it feels like there is literally no defense or structure at all anymore. It's like pond hockey up there. Haven't watched any USHL this year but college looks normal to me. That Misa highlight was wild for this.

 

[MicronMega]

Schaefer is a special player. Martone, Misa, Hagens are all good players as well. I don't think you go wrong in the top 4.

Late in the first Ravensbergen, Carboneau, Kindel and Lakovic would be good targets

 

[TLEH]

I'm watching clips of guys and highlights and the usual stuff and... is anyone else noticing a significant drop in quality in the CHL? The OHL specifically. Maybe I'm just getting older or going crazy and watch too much NHL and need to recalibrate but it feels like there is literally no defense or structure at all anymore. It's like pond hockey up there. Haven't watched any USHL this year but college looks normal to me. That Misa highlight was wild for this.

1) CHL quality has gone down, yes.
2) it was always pond hockey

 

[Kevin Musto]

I'm watching clips of guys and highlights and the usual stuff and... is anyone else noticing a significant drop in quality in the CHL? The OHL specifically. Maybe I'm just getting older or going crazy and watch too much NHL and need to recalibrate but it feels like there is literally no defense or structure at all anymore. It's like pond hockey up there. Haven't watched any USHL this year but college looks normal to me. That Misa highlight was wild for this.

That is the case, yes.

There's a bigger gap between the top players and everyone else.

Scoring has been really inflated as a result.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I'm watching clips of guys and highlights and the usual stuff and... is anyone else noticing a significant drop in quality in the CHL? The OHL specifically. Maybe I'm just getting older or going crazy and watch too much NHL and need to recalibrate but it feels like there is literally no defense or structure at all anymore. It's like pond hockey up there. Haven't watched any USHL this year but college looks normal to me. That Misa highlight was wild for this.

I read a post suggesting one of the reasons these kids are struggling so often in the NHL these days is because it used to be the younger guys would come in and out skate the vets because of their youth.

Now after 10 years of that lots of NHLers are fantastic skaters and these young players are playing catchup with skating as well as the natural mental growth needed to be a pro.

Not sure if that’s accurate because I don’t watch non-NHL hockey

 

[MicronMega]

Is there any concern about Misa's skating? I know Martone is a touch slower, but he is more of a power forward type player

 

[hawksfan50]

Yes there is a clear top4....

However, from a Blackhawks point of view even IF they ranked Hahens 1st on their own list,he does not fit what tgeybNeed ...

You cannot add another small center when Hawks have so many smaller skilled forwards (no matter if Bedard plays centervorcwing)..

Hawks need a sizer sjikked Center (if Bedard 1C then Boisvert maybe 2C) or you add another challenger for 2C who can drive a line...maybe that guy becomes 1C and Bedard 2C or gets shoved to wing.

In No case can Hagens be a sikution for this team..5"10 175 is 10 lbs less than Bedard who gets handlesand shovrdvoff pucks easily by bigger NHL teams..

For the Hawks needs Hagens has to be out of the question...

If Hawks somehow draft only4th ,and if Hagens is still on the board...maybe trade down...

The other 3 of the top 4 do fot Hawks needs..

Schaefer may be actualky THE BPA of this draft...He woukd immediately be Hawks #1D of the future...a very special Dman...6'2 185 he probably tops out at 200llbs when he hits tge show...Ellite speed and skating.+hockey I Q....2 way dman..

Akso YOUNGEST of the top 4...Sept. 5th 20o7 birthday...

Can see him 1 more year in junior rhenstraifht to the Show..

Woukd solve 1LD for Hawks..Woth Vladic 2KDthat solves 2 of the 4 core D Hawks need to compete for a Cuo down the road.

With Ronzel and Levshunov the other core D on the RD side abd shoving $9.5 to 3D ,it shoukd gove HWks best 5 dcorps in the League in a few years ..

Schaefer does solve 1 hole.



But Hawks have 2 other going holes..

If Bedard pkays wing the Hawks need a star 1C with sone sixe and sonexabimity to won draws .

Michael Misa is at a goal
a game pace Iin the OHL and its top points scorer ..elite speed and skating...Checks that KD box..Good size (at least ok) 6''1 185...probably can add 10-15lbs. for the rhow..
He is over 54% on draws and with coaching might get even better at it.

He too solves an elite cebter need with decent size skill skating 2 wY and faceoff package..
If anything lacking maybe physical play...

PORTER NARTONE answers Hawks need for a top line Big power-skill scoribg 2way winger with ohysical edge ..Goodxskater for his size but not the elite soeed loje Misa has.
Howver he has a strong powerful stride and he controls pucks through and around checks,wibs biard bartkeszand makes plays off coming away with pucks off biard battles or from stealing pucks awY on heck and back-checks...Very strong control of his stock which enables elite stealing ability...keeps his team with more offensive attack tine because he gets to puck retrieval and gets puck steals ..he simply gets loose pucks and gets pucks back for his team...can both control pucks tweaking g through checks,stick handling,sheild pucks from checks,make slot passes on sticks,score from hte dirty areas and svore on hard shots from distance though I do not think his shot is "special"...Ratger I think he has very goid "hands"...Maybe tge bests hands of tge forwatds i this draft.He us just tge quintessential Big power +Skill winger NHK teans drool over.
Solves a need Hawks do not have in great supply.


So therexare 3 solutions Hawks need but can get only 1 of them unless they draft 4th or worse..

In that case they still can't get good forwards with size in Malcolm Soence or Roger McQueen
...Maybexeven trade down 1 or 2 pits and land 1 of these 2 ..

But hopefully Hawks get a shot at Schaefer or Martibe or Misa.

The thing is. We would need 2026 and 2027 draft to solve the other 2 needs...

It mat be harder to conebuo with a #1D as good as Schaefer in those drafts...Schaefer can control the ice and dictate play andvoace...And hexsolves both 1D and1LD...Vkadsc is great ....bit imagined he got properly placed as 2LD ...


However those glaring needs uo front woukd remain..

Do we have a Cebner with size and scoring and some indication he can do well at draws who can drive one of the top 2vlinrs?

Not sure Boisvert does all that yet.

Misa woukd fit driving 1 of tgectop 2 lines..
Or that elusive big power +skills elite winger...Martinexfits that need perfectly.


Maybe tge decision us taken from the Hawks if they draft 3rd or eve 4th should Hagebs go top 3 toanotger team.

All I know is...of tge 4 top picks,Hagens does NOT fitxa Hawks need.
When you have Bedard,and Nazar and Lardis and Kantserov filling the smaller skilled forwards infusions to cone ,adding another small forward makes Zero sense.

Hawks cannot and shoukd not draft Hagens.

That is for sure.

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

 

[TheFridge]

That clip from Schaefer is exactly what you want to see for the rest of the year after the WJC. Take the puck and do whatever the hell you want with it because your faster, bigger and smarter than everyone else on the ice.