2025 NHL Draft Thread

[Kevin Musto]

An unfortunate showing for the Americans

Very one sided game

 

[MTU34]

An unfortunate showing for the Americans

Very one sided game

Weak birth year. Doesn’t help that the top late birthday US players aren’t available (Hagens, Hensler) while the CHL ones are (Martone, Spence)

 

[hawksfan50]

Well Canada did not have Roger McQueen or Ethan Bear for this game ..so they still doninated this USA squad..

MISA had 2A but Martone had no pints...Yet I was very impressed with Martone who pkayex Wing on the line centered by MISA..

There were 2 jaw driving pkayscin this game...1 end to end rish solo effort by Dman Mathew Schaefer who finished it at the net..Highlight reel.

Thevother did not result in a goal...Martone steals puck while checking a dman trying to exit...he then passes to himself as he dekes without the puck past the dman abd gets the pass he tipped to himself then he senses Denoyers streaking to join him as he takes puck towards the net...sends a back pass to Denoyers who was stopped on his shot by the American goalie..

I counted 3 other tines Martone stripped pucks and turned play to attack transition..

Tonight he playedxwibgerxas I said but I can see him using that stripping talent at Center and generating scoring chances off that ability...
He akso kept s kotvofvpkayscgoung longer I thebozone by getting to lose pucks on the boards and then dishing back to tean-mates..
Tonight he did notvscore goalsvor assists but he generated scoribg chances BY GETTING PUCKS from USA pkayers..
He moved puckscwell when dmen sent pucks up the boardsxto hom then he hit teanatesxadvancibg pucks into thevo-zobe..

So he was doing a lot of things very well.

However..he did not shoot much tonight..was deferring to try setting gbuo tomatoes.
He setvup Denoyers twice with good scoring chances at the netcand the same for setting up Misa twice with scoring chances.. nonebofvthese wre finished.

So I can say that Martone is going gvto transition well to the pros because his game often starts without the puck...he gets the puck and then creates off that.Maybebon another night he will shoot instead of deferring forcset-ups.

Itvisx1 thing to chase when you do not have the puck. And fail to get it back...but he gets it back and goes fro there.

The kind of player you want.....therexwax 1 shift he got a pass with his back to the boards at his own bkuekunec...lostvthebouck but then immediately stole it back...shows string hands..thevpintbis...he getscthatvpuck back then can go right into attacking.
But I want to see hom be more selfish and shoot hinself rather than trying to be set-uo guy.as he tried tonight.

 

[HawksDub89]

Martone, Schaefer or Misa please.

(Or Hagens)

 

[clydesdale line]

So happy people got to watch Schaefer. That kid is the goods. I said Dickinson will end up being the best defenseman in the 2024 draft class. Schaefer will end up being the best PLAYER in the 2025 draft class.

 

[CanadianHawks]

Scheaffer is the best player in the class.

Any of the 3 kids from the O would make me happy. I do think Scheaffer is a sure fire number one D. Haven’t seen Hagens play.

I wanted Lev last year and would have no issue doubling down on D. Kid is a stud.

 

[Mjul Qvist]

I think the draft is similar enough 1-4, that if there were a significant sweetener attached to the #3 or 4 pick to move down a spot or 2, I would do it. If someone loves Schaefer at #2 and offered 3 or 4 with a future 1st or an equivalent prospect, I would do that. Until/Unless the draft board changes, I have Hagens, Misa, Martone, and Schaefer relatively equal or in the ball park of each other enough that a 2nd premium asset to pass on one to be left with another would be a win.

Let´s wait and see. Too early to tell. Just like someone said here there will be risers and fallers. Really curios to when McQueen comes back how he will respond.

 

[HawksDub89]

I wanted Lev last year and would have no issue doubling down on D. Kid is a stud.

This is a dilemma for me.

On one hand you gotta get bedard his Malkin/Toews but on the other you gotta make sure you have a 1D.

Schaefer Levshunov
Vlasic rinzel
Korchinski Allan/Kaiser/EDM

You win cups with a D core that deep. But somebody besides Bedard will need to score.

I guess you can’t really go wrong with either direction as long as you get one of those four prospects.

 

[TLEH]

It’s a dilemma for sure. He’s the youngest and in my opinion the best. But we really need a forward. Think you probably just have to take him if hes there when you pick; he’s that good

 

[GIADF]

Hopefully Korchinski plays well to build his value, draft Scheaffer and trade Korchinski at the draft for a young forward.

Also pay through the nose for another forward in UFA. But this time one that is actually good.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

This is a dilemma for me.

On one hand you gotta get bedard his Malkin/Toews but on the other you gotta make sure you have a 1D.

Schaefer Levshunov
Vlasic rinzel
Korchinski Allan/Kaiser/EDM

You win cups with a D core that deep. But somebody besides Bedard will need to score.

I guess you can’t really go wrong with either direction as long as you get one of those four prospects.

if there was a sure fire toews/malkin in this draft would this be a discussion? seems we'll likely end uo in a position of convincing ourselves there is one to justify passing on a dman because of the log jam

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

Hopefully Korchinski plays well to build his value, draft Scheaffer and trade Korchinski at the draft for a young forward.

Also pay through the nose for another forward in UFA. But this time one that is actually good.

Second this. Trade Korchinski as part of a package for a forward and be in on either Marner or Rantanen if one of them hits the market.

 

[HawksDub89]

if there was a sure fire toews/malkin in this draft would this be a discussion? seems we'll likely end uo in a position of convincing ourselves there is one to justify passing on a dman because of the log jam

You’re taking that comp too literal. Just need another A level star forward.

And yes, I think Misa, Martone and Hagens have that kind of upside. (Possibly McQueen too)

 

[RememberTheRoar]

If Schaefer is a sure fire 1D and he’s available when the Hawks pick, logjam at D and need for a forward be dammed. Take BPA, this team still sucks bad. It’s in no position to be passing on BPA.

As @HawksDub89 said, that defensive group makes this franchise a true contender in a few years. But that’s the key, still a few years and that means more time to sign/trade for/draft impact forwards. Just need to have them in place once Schaefer and Levshunov are ready and still playing on ELCs or second contracts.

Seems like some in the media think the competitive window revolves around Bedard, but it’s more likely around Levshunov and whoever is picked in the top five this year.

Also, if Nazar actually does land somewhere between a Trochek and Point type of center, then that will make a huge difference. Obviously remains to be seen.

 

[belfour30]

If Schaefer is a sure fire 1D and he’s available when the Hawks pick, logjam at D and need for a forward be dammed. Take BPA, this team still sucks bad. It’s in no position to be passing on BPA.

As @HawksDub89 said, that defensive group makes this franchise a true contender in a few years. But that’s the key, still a few years and that means more time to sign/trade for/draft impact forwards. Just need to have them in place once Schaefer and Levshunov are ready and still playing on ELCs or second contracts.

Seems like some in the media think the competitive window revolves around Bedard, but it’s more likely around Levshunov and whoever is picked in the top five this year.

Also, if Nazar actually does land somewhere between a Trochek and Point type of center, then that will make a huge difference. Obviously remains to be seen.

I'm really liking what I'm seeing from Boisvert so far. He's looking like a guy that might overachieve his draft slot.

 

[u2wojo]

If Schaefer is a sure fire 1D and he’s available when the Hawks pick, logjam at D and need for a forward be dammed. Take BPA, this team still sucks bad. It’s in no position to be passing on BPA.

As @HawksDub89 said, that defensive group makes this franchise a true contender in a few years. But that’s the key, still a few years and that means more time to sign/trade for/draft impact forwards. Just need to have them in place once Schaefer and Levshunov are ready and still playing on ELCs or second contracts.

Seems like some in the media think the competitive window revolves around Bedard, but it’s more likely around Levshunov and whoever is picked in the top five this year.

Also, if Nazar actually does land somewhere between a Trochek and Point type of center, then that will make a huge difference. Obviously remains to be seen.

Agree with all of this but would probably add Rinzel and Korchinski into the Schaefer & Lev development pile and once we get to at least two of those guys turning into a top pairing and a 2nd pairing guy is when the window will start to open.

Unfortunatley the development curve is usually longer for D (see Vlassic as the most recent and Keith further back as a core piece of Cups where both did not become impactful NHL players until 22 and in Keiths case it was another season or 2 to reach the pinnacle of top handful of D in the league as opposed to just good). Lev is 19, Korch and Rinzel 20, and Schaefer is 17. Even if we ended up adding Schaefer to the prospect pool we are probably looking at 2 seasons out before those guys are starting to sniff their ceilings simply based on age, physical maturation, and going through the growing pains adjusting to pro and then NHL hockey. This development process is why I was not overly "disappointed" in taking Lev instead of Demidov as we need an impact D if we are going to turn the corner and those simply take longer to develop.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Agree with all of this but would probably add Rinzel and Korchinski into the Schaefer & Lev development pile and once we get to at least two of those guys turning into a top pairing and a 2nd pairing guy is when the window will start to open.

Unfortunatley the development curve is usually longer for D (see Vlassic as the most recent and Keith further back as a core piece of Cups where both did not become impactful NHL players until 22 and in Keiths case it was another season or 2 to reach the pinnacle of top handful of D in the league as opposed to just good). Lev is 19, Korch and Rinzel 20, and Schaefer is 17. Even if we ended up adding Schaefer to the prospect pool we are probably looking at 2 seasons out before those guys are starting to sniff their ceilings simply based on age, physical maturation, and going through the growing pains adjusting to pro and then NHL hockey. This development process is why I was not overly "disappointed" in taking Lev instead of Demidov as we need an impact D if we are going to turn the corner and those simply take longer to develop.

Agree.

Rebuilding without a stable of potential impact defensemen seems like a flawed way to go, so I would have no problem with them taking a D again if he’s BPA.

You absolutely need someone like Keith, Doughty, Hedman, Makar, Pietrangelo. But if you can have one of those types paired with a Seabrook, Sergachev, D. Toews, Theodore then you can have a real shot to contend every year.

 

[belfour30]

Agree.

Rebuilding without a stable of potential impact defensemen seems like a flawed way to go, so I would have no problem with them taking a D again if he’s BPA.

You absolutely need someone like Keith, Doughty, Hedman, Makar, Pietrangelo. But if you can have one of those types paired with a Seabrook, Sergachev, D. Toews, Theodore then you can have a real shot to contend every year.

I feel like they have them already.
I'm really high on Levshunov and Rinzel. I think both have a shot to be 1D and even Norris contenders. Not to say they get there.
If you take Schaefer, IMO you trade Korchinski for a forward immediately.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

I feel like they have them already

Like they have who?

 

[belfour30]

Like they have who?

Please read edit.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

I feel like they have them already.
I'm really high on Levshunov and Rinzel. I think both have a shot to be 1D and even Norris contenders. Not to say they get there.
If you take Schaefer, IMO you trade Korchinski for a forward immediately.

Defensemen need time to develop, you don’t know what any of them are yet. No reason to immediately trade Korchinski before you have to/someone offers ridiculous value, imo.

 

[belfour30]

Defensemen need time to develop, you don’t know what any of them are yet. No reason to immediately trade Korchinski before you have to/someone offers ridiculous value, imo.

Yeah true.