2025 NHL Draft Thread

[HawksDub89]

Martone is a distant 4th for me personally. His skating worries me. Schaefer is a no doubter at 1 OA and I would be happy with Hagens or Misa at 2 or 3.

I’m not sure how this “Martone can’t skate” narrative got started.

He’s not Jack Hughes, but he’s also not Strome. He’s fine.

 

[ello]

I’m not sure how this “Martone can’t skate” narrative got started.

He’s not Jack Hughes, but he’s also not Strome. He’s fine.

Gotta be the post WJC effect. Gauging draft stock from a 4-7 game stretch intuitively makes no sense but it happens every year. Zadina potted 7 goals as a draft eligible then followed that up with a 0 goal performance the next year. The volatility is insane.

Martone probably touched the puck like 20 times all tournament. Hard to gauge a players skillset when they cant get into a groove.

I remember Mackinnon looked like a lower IQ/skill player in his draft year at the WJC and Drouin has surpassed him on plenty of lists until Mack's Mem Cup performance: Craig Button's top-75 for 2013 NHL draft (March 4th)

 

[kmwtrucks]

SJ, Nash Seattle all won. That helps the tank

 

[Hattrick Kane]

SJ, Nash Seattle all won. That helps the tank

It’s a three way race to the bottom. SJ is 4 points up, Nashville is 5, Buffalo is 7. Everyone else is over 10 up.

Dead last is a guaranteed top 3 pick. Don’t need to win this year.

 

[CallMeShaft]

After tonight's games, Tankathon has us listed as having the 6th toughest strength of schedule remaining. Sharks are at 16 and Nashville has the easiest schedule remaining, all the way down at 32nd for strength of schedule.

So Nashville should have a pretty easy ride for the rest of the year, Sharks are middle of the pack regarding competition, and the Hawks have a lot of hard matches ahead.

 

[Kevin Musto]

After tonight's games, Tankathon has us listed as having the 6th toughest strength of schedule remaining. Sharks are at 16 and Nashville has the easiest schedule remaining, all the way down at 32nd for strength of schedule.

So Nashville should have a pretty easy ride for the rest of the year, Sharks are middle of the pack regarding competition, and the Hawks have a lot of hard matches ahead.

Hope the team has a big therapy budget

These boys are gonna need it

 

[kmwtrucks]

After Nash Thursday, next 8 vegas minn, FL, edm, TB TB CAR CAR. That’s pretty tough

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

Great night for the tank!

 

[ploppsdman]

Your takes just keep getting worse.

I'm advocating for a top D prospect for top F prospect trade. I don't care how they get there, they'd just better get there AND if #3 overall wants to give me a great asset to jump a few spots, perfect.

6 D and there is only so much ice, fellas. Chicago is coming close to having a logjam at the AHL level. You better do something.

 

[Pez68]

I'm advocating for a top D prospect for top F prospect trade. I don't care how they get there, they'd just better get there AND if #3 overall wants to give me a great asset to jump a few spots, perfect.

6 D and there is only so much ice, fellas. Chicago is coming close to having a logjam at the AHL level. You better do something.

A log jam. Lol

Have you even looked at the AHL roster?

 

[CallMeShaft]

I'm advocating for a top D prospect for top F prospect trade. I don't care how they get there, they'd just better get there AND if #3 overall wants to give me a great asset to jump a few spots, perfect.

6 D and there is only so much ice, fellas. Chicago is coming close to having a logjam at the AHL level. You better do something.

Think Pez's criticism had more to do with the hypothetical trading of the 1st overall pick.

Outside of a gigantic overpay, if you get 1st overall, you hold onto it.

I agree with trading a top D prospect in the scenario where we get Schaefer. Vlasic is playing at a top pairing level. We've got Korchinski, who was a high pick. Allan is coming into his own. There isn't room on the left side for Schaefer atm. And we currently have Jones (who I hope is traded), Lev (recent 2nd overall pick), Rinzel (killing it in the NCAA this year), and Crevier (showing that he can at least hack it on the 3rd pair); so it's not like you can just move a lefty over to the right side.

Not to mention we would still need help up front. KK just makes logical sense to be the one to move in that hypothetical scenario. Trade him for help up front.

But don't not pick Schaefer just because we're already loaded on the future backend. Go BPA at that spot and figure the rest out later.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Think Pez's criticism had more to do with the hypothetical trading of the 1st overall pick.

Outside of a gigantic overpay, if you get 1st overall, you hold onto it.

I agree with trading a top D prospect in the scenario where we get Schaefer. Vlasic is playing at a top pairing level. We've got Korchinski, who was a high pick. Allan is coming into his own. There isn't room on the left side for Schaefer atm. And we currently have Jones (who I hope is traded), Lev (recent 2nd overall pick), Rinzel (killing it in the NCAA this year), and Crevier (showing that he can at least hack it on the 3rd pair); so it's not like you can just move a lefty over to the right side.

Not to mention we would still need help up front. KK just makes logical sense to be the one to move in that hypothetical scenario. Trade him for help up front.

But don't not pick Schaefer just because we're already loaded on the future backend. Go BPA at that spot and figure the rest out later.

You dont even need to make a trade next year. If Jones goes in the offseason, you have at least one season to see who’s trending better before you go trading Korchinski or whoever. Doubly so if they dump Murphy off or buyout Brodie.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I'm advocating for a top D prospect for top F prospect trade. I don't care how they get there, they'd just better get there AND if #3 overall wants to give me a great asset to jump a few spots, perfect.

6 D and there is only so much ice, fellas. Chicago is coming close to having a logjam at the AHL level. You better do something.

There is no AHL Logjam. Hawks have 12 defensemen under NHL Contract right now. You typically keep 7 on NHL roster. Injuries open up another spot. You can keep up 8 if you need.

Martinez is expiring UFA this year. Phillips is expiring RFA that they likely part ways with. Murphy is a trade candidate prior to start of next season (will have 1 year left). Brodie can be banished to shadow realm (will have 1 year left). Possible that Jones waives and is traded prior to start of next season as well.

Reserve list Defensemen:
1) Janne Peltonen Aug 15, 2027, random 2nd divison former 7th round pick, obviously not bringing over.
2) Ty Henry - 6th round 18 year old OHL player, obviously playing Junior
3) Taige Harding - likely try and sign (August 15, 2025 Free Agent)
4) Sam Rinzel - likely try and sign (on reserve list for two more years, but ready to go pro)
5) Connor Kelley - probably let lapse, maybe sign, former 7th round at Providence (August 15, 2025 Free Agent)

If Phillips and Martinez go, you sign Rinzel and Harding, you're right back to 12 signed Defensemen.

You could start a year with a run of

NHL
Vlasic-Jones
Korchinski-Murphy
Allan-Crevier
Kaiser
Brodie* (waive/wait around for someone else to be traded/IR'd)

AHL
Del Mastro-Levshunov
Harding-Rinzel
rando-rando
rando
rando

No roster limit in the AHL

Room for someone that is still waiver-exempt to be sent down (Allan/Korchinski) depending on their level of play.. or just waive Kaiser/Crevier depending on their level of play, and if the one who doesn't make the team gets claimed, oh well, and if not, still have AHL spots.

All adding Schaefer would do is potentially force the issue even more for someone else in terms of getting Brodie out of there, trading Murphy away, finding what teams Jones waives his NMC for and kicking tires around on that more. As a Number 1 pick, you'd give him a shot to make the team. If he's a Number 2 or 3 pick, then there's less of a marketing push to keep him on the NHL, in which case a Slide is simple enough.

 

[CallMeShaft]

You dont even need to make a trade next year. If Jones goes in the offseason, you have at least one season to see who’s trending better before you go trading Korchinski or whoever. Doubly so if they dump Murphy off or buyout Brodie.

I agree, said something similar in another post here.

Schaefer shouldn't be in the NHL next season. He's like 2 weeks away from being eligible for the 2026 draft and he's gonna miss months due to his injury. He'll rightfully spend another year in the CHL.

That gives the Hawks time to make a decision or try to boost the value of a D they'd be looking at moving to make room for MS. Still think logically it'd be Korchinski, he's alot like MS but with a lower floor/ceiling. And we wouldn't be hurting for offensive defensemen if we had MS, Lev, and Rinzel; at least one of those guys would already be likely missing PP time considering you only really need one D on each unit.

 

[hawksrule]

Chicago says no.

It'd be something like Chicago trading 1st overall for 3rd overall and San Jose's early 2nd or whatever.

Should take a lot more than a 2nd to move off the 1oa, but it’s a moot point because it won’t happen anyway.