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2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

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Odds are we pick 3 or 4 right?

Martone and Frondell seem to be more boom/bust type prospects with Hagens having a safer pro projection with maybe not necessarily a similar ceiling and seems redudant in our system since imo we have a fairly similar player in Nazar already and obviousy Bedard is also small.

Id be happy with either Martone and Frondell, youre rarely going to find perfect prospects outside of the top 1/2. I think Martone's being overscouted and taking more heat than he should because of where he's expected to be drafte (you can absoutely skate like he does and make it as a 6'3 scoring winger if you figure out the league) but Im still leaning towards Frondell with his steep trajectory this season and playing C.
 
ello said:
Odds are we pick 3 or 4 right?

Martone and Frondell seem to be more boom/bust type prospects with Hagens having a safer pro projection with maybe not necessarily a similar ceiling and seems redudant in our system since imo we have a fairly similar player in Nazar already and obviousy Bedard is also small.

Id be happy with either Martone and Frondell, youre rarely going to find perfect prospects outside of the top 1/2. I think Martone's being overscouted and taking more heat than he should because of where he's expected to be drafte (you can absoutely skate like he does and make it as a 6'3 scoring winger if you figure out the league) but Im still leaning towards Frondell with his steep trajectory this season and playing C.
Click to expand...
what would a worst case Martone look like? Maybe Brandon Saad?
 
ello said:
Hagens having a safer pro projection with maybe not necessarily a similar ceiling and seems redudant in our system since imo we have a fairly similar player in Nazar already
Click to expand...
Well Nazar would then be the redundant one, not Hagens. We could draft Hagens and noticeably upgrade a top 6 position, either keeping Nazar or attaching him to a 1st rounder for an upgrade elsewhere.
 

New Wheeler ranking dropped this morning, no real surprises at the top

Tier 1
1. Matthew Schaefer
2. Michael Misa

Tier 2
3. James Hagens
4. Porter Martone
5. Anton Frondell
6. Caleb Desnoyers

Tier 3
7. Roger McQueen
8. Radim Mrtka
9. Victor Eklund

Tier 4
10. Justin Carbonneau
11. Jake O'Brien
12. Jackson Smith
13. Logan Hensler
14. Kashawn Aitcheson
15. Carter Bear
16. Cullen Potter

Tier 5 (gonna list the whole thing since the Blackhawks 2nd will be at the end of this tier as well)
17. Brady Martin
18. Lynden Lakovic
19. Ivan Ryabkin (mentions he would probably go quite a bit lower if the draft were held today)
20. Cameron Schmidt
21. Cole Reschny
22. Benjamin Kindel
23. Cameron Reid
24. Malcolm Spence
25. Joshua Ravensbergen
26. Blake Fiddler
27. Jakob Ihs-Wozniak
28. William Moore
29. Jack Murtagh
30. Adam Benak
31. Bill Zonnon
32. Jack Nesbitt
33. Braeden Cootes
34. Ryker Lee
35. Milton Gastrin

Really interested to see who is targeted with the Toronto pick. A few forwards in Wheeler's tier 5 stick out as prototypical KD guys (Lakovic, Spence, Zonnon, Cootes). A couple of higher-ceiling, higher-risk guys who have had extremely disappointing seasons will likely be there (Ryabkin and Ihs-Wozniak).

I am personally really curious about Blake Fiddler, though I haven't watched him play at all yet. A huge, mobile RHD with a simple game but decent puck-moving skills sounds pretty perfect behind Levshunov/Rinzel, and the forward options in the mid-20s range are underwhelming. Wouldn't be surprised at all if KD makes another questionable-value trade up to try and grab someone like Lakovic
 
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Schaefer or Misa...Hawks cannot lose by landing either of them..

The consensus top prize on most listscis Schaefer= specialn game controlling 2 wY franchise Dman (LD( which woukd realky make a scary top pairing of Schaefer an dLevshunov...

But tge hawjsxarexdeep with D given Rinzel is coning and the development of EDM and evenly starting to turn it around in Rockford with very encouraging play recently..

Maybe Hawks NEED at 1C is greater than need forcanither top dman eve if that dmam is a franchise dnan and gNe'changer on the vack-end.

If Hawksxtake Schaefer the black hole at 1C remains as Bedard seeming woukd be better as a wibger relieved of the extra work it takes to play cebter defensively ..

Obviously Misa centering for Bedard shoukdvyou woukd think work to be a top scoribg line and add a better fefebsive option i the middle.

I still think you cannot have 2shrimops like Nazarxand Bedard onthe same line..


However gkibgvto pkanB if Hawks land at only #3or#5 overall after the lotto draws.

Can choose among 4 centers Drsnoyers McQueen O'Brien and Frindell.

Y oubcan make a case for each.

They also coukd take Martone as the Big wibger option..but that does not fix the hole at 1C.

I doubtvit woukd be Frindell...onlyv6'0 and lack of skatibgvspeed and lack of a transition game...doubt he is a kibe driver ...A great complimentary player potential with both scoring and goid defensive play and great on tge biards...but notcas a orinevpuck transporting vebter driving a kine.
So notcsurevif he ends up on the wing or stays at cebter..

McQueen is the Big 6'5 C with hands powerful striding drivecthe middle crbter nhl teams dream of ...Comparison to Draisaitk and you can see why scoutsxwabt tk project that pitebtiak impact for him...So very oosdibke Hawks woukd take honat #3..

Desnoyets.. A lot of scoutsclove hosx2 way excellence...not much to criticize his game. Great hockey sense botb offensivekycand defensively...Best defensive Center i this draft..greatvin faceoffs. Used all situations..great leadership.. But somehow the opinion ions only go to a great 2C with sone doubts he hits high enough production to veca 1C..
I guess tou are thinking Toewsvkikevimpact=highv60s t o middle 70s points but a high +/- guy 5x5 abd a great pk guy...Very high conpete level..But probably not a 100 pts giy in the NHL as a ceiling...
Still maybe if hecwas a 1C for Bedard atcwibg the defense to offense ,transition gamee...getting pucks back i the d-zone and exiting for 2 on1 ru she's the other way...r cutting off attacks before the hit the Hawks d-zibe will alk help Bedardto turn his negative plus minuses in 5x5 into positives?
Kind of 2 way Cebter who makes his wingers better. Very high hockey IQ both waysxznd in the neutral zone.Jistxa kot to like overall. High accuracy shooter.. Still needs to add more mass to 6'2lank frame. Will need another year in juniorsxto gain mass Nd mkre strength for the pros.

Jake O'Brien...the mist gifted passer talent in this draft...most gifted playmaker. WILL provide easy tap in goals for his wingers.. Makes a POlethal.
Great hands. GREAT SHOT (though he ) is a pass -first type and low volume shooter ,good work ethic...used all situations...long runway (onlyvturjsx18 in June) ...sjatibgvinorivedvover this season butcstill can get more explosion as hecadds mass and strength to his 6'2 + frame...I think you can project a very foninant pkayer nextcseadon for Brantford as hisxrokecexoanfs from justca 2C to a 1C at 5x5 ..Hits statsxare PP predominant at nealyv49% ofvhis production...but unlike all tgevotger Cebterscubder consodertion hebid the only one who dod not play tge 1C for his team at 5x5 ..He did nktbojaycwith Lardis 5x5 but with Vanacker on line 2 (dodvpkay woth Lardis on their PP1) ...
So I think projecting O'Brien as a 1C would have upped his points even more if he got such opportunity...And remember Vanacker missed a goid chunk of this season andvit took him awhile to get back into his scoring groove till February and March..So had he pkayed with O'Brien for the entire season thise 5x5 scoribg numbers woukd have been higher forcO'Brien.

So I guess it comes down to who has the highest pitential production ceking inpact a few years down the line as a fukky matured nhl pkayer?


I think I might bet on O'Brien as that t highest potential ...

You cannot ignore what Misa has done this season ..so if we draftcat #1or#2 he is the obvious choice right now asxa 1C sokution and he will pkay i the NHL next srsson..I think if Hawks drFt hon they workwith hkn thus summer to add 10-25 lbs more mass on his frame to get hom upto 195-200 to be stronger forctge pro game.

Both O'Brien (hisxyouth and lanky frame) and McQueen (his missing 50 games from tbis season) need another year in juniors to develop before playing the NHL....

Desnoyerszalso needs anotgerseason i junior to add mass on his 6'2 lanky frame..

Misa with 3 seasons in junior already ,(coming in as a special statusx15 year old)is too good and advanced to go back for a 4th season ...hevus NHL ready mentally and abikity-wise but still probably shoukdcadd thise 10 to 15 more pounds of muscle on this summer in prep.for


So Hawks...desperate to improve next season...desperately may hope to land Misa ...if tgey get tge #2 or maybe bypass Schaefer andctake Misa at #1given the 1C NEED...

Schaefer given his very young September birthdate just narrowly gettintg into this draft,will need aniother season to mature in juniors...also because he missed so much of the season in the 2nd half due to his injury at the World Juniors..I doubt any team taking him at #1 will rush hin to the NHL next season.
..Besides it takes all dnen longer ...few at barely turning 18 are going to be NHL ready no matter how great they are .

So Misa isx the immediate help prize guy...so maybe dies take him ahead if waiting ina Schaefer ..

But KD does not control the lotto or who is taken at#1by another team if Hawks not draftibgcat #1.

It is possible anotger team at #1also duecto nerdsat 1C would take Misa first overall...have heard Flyers might to pair Misa and Michkov as their future top libe 1 duo...

Als have heard talk Nashville might also go for Misa at #1.

If SJ shoved down to #2 and Hawks #3 then if Scheafer on the biard at #2SJ grabs himas he perfectly fits their needs for dmen.Even if tgey have to wait a year for him.

None of thev Center solutions left at #3on willbe NHL ready next xeason...if immediate help is KD's fixative priority in tgat case at #3or#4 I can see him takibg Martobe who does have both maturity as onevofvthevoldrst players forxa firstctibecdraft eligible and the physical size to play right away...but tgey maycserl this as the best wibger souktion for Bedardxassuning Brdardcgoes back to a Center position.. but I think pasding on better Cebter options to grab ibstead,wiukdcbeca terrible strategic mistake.
 
bwanajamba said:
I am personally really curious about Blake Fiddler, though I haven't watched him play at all yet. A huge, mobile RHD with a simple game but decent puck-moving skills sounds pretty perfect behind Levshunov/Rinzel, and the forward options in the mid-20s range are underwhelming. Wouldn't be surprised at all if KD makes another questionable-value trade up to try and grab someone like Lakovic
Click to expand...

Defenseman usually get drafted higher than they are ranked. I would be surprised if Fiddler was still on the board with our pick though stranger things have happened.
 
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