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2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

As to Obrien..Remember..though hevis fantastic on the Pp the 5x5 has to be graded with respect to 2 things:

1.He dos notvpjay 5x5xwith Kardis....is not on the top lin at Evens..
Very few if any of the forwards considered in the top 20 or12 play on their team's 2nd line.. theycarexalk I top linecrokes..Not O'Brien...nextseadon he will get such a featured carry the team at evens role.

2.He did nit get to play with Vanacker in the first part of the season as Vanacker was injured..Abd it took Vanacker awhile ( till February) to start producing at higher rates when the rust finally wore off..
Plus there are more considerations
...O'Brien is relatively young forvthe draft (mid June Birthday) ..lots of runway to get better..
Still 98bpoints on a draft year as a 2ndvkine Cis nothing to sneeze at.

He ..lije Drsnoyers isc6'1 170 is lbs..so Nerdsxtobadd mass tonhiscframe before pro-ready...

But given thevyoungvage youknowchecwill getvbigger purtibgbon weight/misclecto the lanky frame.

He has improved skating this season...not ever going to beca burner..but when he adds mass the skatibg stride can get longer and more explosive with working on leg strength there is runway with this kid.

In scoutingvyou must not lok at where a kid is now vs. his oerf group but figure out the projection when he is fukky matured into his body and ifvhe can work on areas to improve or ifyou think a kid might already be plateaued OR has upside once physically matured..

If you seek immediate nextcsesson insertion to the NHL few 18 year olds are that ready...but if you have patience waiting for a kid to be his final version in a man's body ,you might pick a lower ranked top ten and find he turbs out better than the top 4 or5 m"consensus" picks.

There are things O'Brien already has that are better better than anyonevi tge draft.. Elite playnaking..vision..passing ..His shot is very goid but it is just tgat hevisxa pass first type andxa low volume shooter.Wetger next season carryibg the load for Brantford as a 1C he will shoot more remains to be seen.. but in any case he can drive his line with ekitevokaynaking...His hands are the best or 2nd best I this draft..(the other being Alexander Zarhovsky )..

So Obrien presents as a potential relatively Big C once hecadds weight to his frame with ability to drive a line..his vision and passing and ability to control the puck are exceptional..I think though he at this time lacks explosive speed like Misa has is countered by ability to control the puck at speed to get past checks and to open spots ..and he sees the ice so well that he just makes it easy for his linenates to score goals from his set-ups..
I believe hecwill go from 98 points to tge 130s or more next sesdon I Brantford.. Tgerecis so mich upside witbvthisvkid.
When he fills out..look out..you will have a tremendous domibating and super cerebral tactician ...his sjotvus very goid..so if he decides to shoot more he coukd add more goals to his inpressive asist totals.

I think witb Obrien you have to project further upside ..but as it is he is an impressive talent
..used all situations including pk for Brantford.. ABOVE. 50% on draws but once he gets stronger and works on it,eve this aspect shoukd get better.
Considered Martone is 8 months older than O'Brien and has a heftier frame so maybe more ready to play pro in the man's game ..but if you are notcso desperate and wIt for,Obrien to develop into physical maturity and tgexwekggt hecwill play pro at,then I think you get a potentially more imlactfil player..
HE coukd turn out to be the best NHL forward outcof this draft ..

So right now I still think the impact Misa coukd brings g next season means he would be tge #2overal after Schaefer.. but I the #4or #4 If Hawks still want a Cebter I have the 2 guys I would take in thise slots...Desnoyers and Obrien..
They both bring different attributes.
Desnoyers is better devebsjvemy and his defense turns into offense ..you get the transition rushes and 2 on1s ..Witv Obrien you get emute vision and playmaking .botb give effort..
Desnoyers is very very good on drEs.
Botb have great hockey IQ.

I think Obrien has tge higher offebsivecupside ..but Ddsnoyers so gokd 2 ways you can rely on hom to be a high plus 2C I the NHL..

Obrien has 2C elite line command potential..

BUT EVEN IF Obrien like Drnoyers only hits a 2C level I the NHL...his ability to drive a PP with emite vision and ridiculous passing mJing for easy goals from his set ups probably should put hom above Drsnoyers ..

I lkke botb of them for different reasons.
I would advise KD to rank them for the #3and#4 if it goes that wa for the Hawks after lotto
But not sure which set of skills he would covet more...Both have runeay to get better..

But there is 1 final thing...that is that Obrien already has chemistry with Vanacker..As a top line role go to duo next season in Brantford I expect they will terrorize and dominate the OHL...
 
Hull2Roenick2Kane said:
gun to your head who do you guys choose between Martone, Frondell, and Hagans? Or will card pick maybe?
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I’m all about BPA, and since I don’t think there really is a clear cut BPA, I think I’d be happy with anyone other than Hagans because we simply don’t need another small forward.

Probably leaning towards Frondell if it were my call.
 
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Misa isn't having the best playoffs, per se, but I think the team is over-matched by Lardis & Co. By most accounts, he's a 3 dimensional talent and clearly the offense is there. Still, I would probably go with Martone even thought the skating is average at best-----just seems to have the physicality needed to compliment and balance out the Top 2 lines.
 
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giza said:
Misa isn't having the best playoffs, per se, but I think the team is over-matched by Lardis & Co. By most accounts, he's a 3 dimensional talent and clearly the offense is there. Still, I would probably go with Martone even thought the skating is average at best-----just seems to have the physicality needed to compliment and balance out the Top 2 lines.
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He's not playing against Lardis, he's up against Misiak, Henry and Co.

Totally agree with picking Martone if Schaefer and Misa are gone. A lot of people under-rate the added dimension of size, physicality, abrasiveness and being able to play in the trenches. His skating concerns are overblown.
 
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Hull2Roenick2Kane said:
gun to your head who do you guys choose between Martone, Frondell, and Hagans? Or will card pick maybe?
Click to expand...
Hagens

All three have questions to answer, but he has the most skill and best pedigree as a scorer. I think he is the ceiling pick there and has a pretty safe floor as well

As far as wild card picks go: I don't love the offensive ceiling projection for Desnoyers if you're picking where the Blackhawks will be picking, but I really like the player the more I watch him. Very smart, works his ass off, jack-of-all trades type with above-average size and mobility. Not a primary creator but the kind of guy who drives play really well and has enough sense and skill to be a complementary producer. He and Frondell have some capital-b Bastard in them that Hagens lacks. He's having a really nice playoffs right now too for Moncton and I think he's the kind of player that will thrive in tough environments. In a normal draft I'd be happy to get him in the ~5-7 range. In a kind of weak draft.. I might think about him at 3 or 4 this year
 
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Tough playoff series for Misa and the Saginaw Spirit. Now on the brink of being eliminated. It won’t affect his draft stock, but I wonder if this secures Schaefer as 1OA
 
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Miss isnt taking faceoffs consistently and has not driven play at all in this series. I don’t see a sure fire 1C whatsoever, I don’t see anything truly elite about him and you’d want your potential 1/2 pick to dominate and pop off the screen when you watch

Honestly I think he’s a fairly talented kid whos skillset works great in junior hockey and had a career regular season where everything went right but I don’t think the 2ppg is really representative of who he is.

Also this doesn’t really matter, but he’s listed at the same size as Connor McDavid?? No wayyyy, he looks noticeably smaller
 
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ello said:
Miss isnt taking faceoffs consistently and has not driven play at all in this series. I don’t see a sure fire 1C whatsoever, I don’t see anything truly elite about him and you’d want your potential 1/2 pick to dominate and pop off the screen when you watch

Honestly I think he’s a fairly talented kid whos skillset works great in junior hockey and had a career regular season where everything went right but I don’t think the 2ppg is really representative of who he is.

Also this doesn’t really matter, but he’s listed at the same size as Connor McDavid?? No wayyyy, he looks noticeably smaller
Click to expand...
Yeah this draft is making it tough for the 2nd oa pick
 
ello said:
Miss isnt taking faceoffs consistently and has not driven play at all in this series. I don’t see a sure fire 1C whatsoever, I don’t see anything truly elite about him and you’d want your potential 1/2 pick to dominate and pop off the screen when you watch
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In this draft class, you simply won't get that at #2

Schaeffer has moments where he does that though, and that will make him the obvious pick at #1.
 
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ello said:
Miss isnt taking faceoffs consistently and has not driven play at all in this series. I don’t see a sure fire 1C whatsoever, I don’t see anything truly elite about him and you’d want your potential 1/2 pick to dominate and pop off the screen when you watch

Honestly I think he’s a fairly talented kid whos skillset works great in junior hockey and had a career regular season where everything went right but I don’t think the 2ppg is really representative of who he is.

Also this doesn’t really matter, but he’s listed at the same size as Connor McDavid?? No wayyyy, he looks noticeably smaller
Click to expand...
This is a refreshing take. I feel like almost everyone is saying glowing things about him. Interested to hear another opinion.

I thought he had decent size, nhl skating, a good mind for the game on both sides of the ice, as well as the ample skill. I wonder what won’t translate. I don’t have a good enough eye like some here do or at least believe they do.
 
Crow said:
This is a refreshing take. I feel like almost everyone is saying glowing things about him. Interested to hear another opinion.

I thought he had decent size, nhl skating, a good mind for the game on both sides of the ice, as well as the ample skill. I wonder what won’t translate. I don’t have a good enough eye like some here do or at least believe they do.
Click to expand...
Your guess is as good as anyone’s. Development isn’t linear, Misa very well could develop into a superstar all the same. He wouldn’t be the first top pick to have a bad playoff series in the CHL.
 
hawksfan50 said:
Total Words: 913
Total Typos: 118
Total Percentage of Typos: 12.9%
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As for O'Brien... Remember, though he's fantastic on the power play, his 5v5 play must be evaluated with respect to two things:
  1. He does not play 5v5 with Lardis... he's not on the top line at even strength.
    Very few, if any, of the forwards considered in the top 20 or 12 play on their team's second line. They’re all top-line forwards. Not O’Brien. Next season, he will likely get a more featured role and carry the team at even strength.
  2. He didn’t get to play with Vanacker in the first part of the season, as Vanacker was injured. It took Vanacker a while (until February) to start producing at higher rates once the rust wore off.
Additionally, there are more considerations:
  • O’Brien is relatively young for the draft (mid-June birthday), so there’s plenty of runway for him to improve.
  • Still, 98 points in a draft year as a second-line player is nothing to sneeze at.
  • He, like Desnoyers, is 6'1" and 170 lbs, so he needs to add mass to his frame before being considered pro-ready.
But given his young age, you know he will get bigger, putting on weight and muscle to fill out his lanky frame.
  • He has improved his skating this season. He’s never going to be a burner, but when he adds mass, his skating stride can become longer and more explosive. Working on leg strength will give him more runway as he develops.
When scouting, you must not just look at where a kid is now compared to his peer group, but also consider his projection when he is fully matured into his body and whether he can work on areas of improvement, or if you think a player might already be plateaued or has upside once physically matured.

If you’re seeking immediate NHL insertion, very few 18-year-olds are that ready. But if you have patience and wait for a player to develop into his final version in a man’s body, you might pick a lower-ranked player in the top ten and find that he turns out better than the consensus top 4 or 5 picks.

There are things O'Brien already has that are better than anyone in the draft. His elite playmaking, vision, and passing are exceptional. His shot is very good, but he's a pass-first type and a low-volume shooter. Whether he shoots more next season while carrying the load for Brantford as a 1C remains to be seen, but in any case, he can drive his line with elite playmaking. His hands are the best or second-best in this draft (the other being Alexander Zarhovsky).

So, O'Brien presents as a potential relatively big center once he adds weight to his frame, with the ability to drive a line. His vision, passing, and ability to control the puck are exceptional. While he currently lacks explosive speed, like Misa, his ability to control the puck at speed helps him get past checks and open up space. He also sees the ice so well that he makes it easy for his linemates to score from his setups.

I believe he’ll go from 98 points to the 130s or more next season in Brantford. There’s so much upside with this kid.

When he fills out, look out. You’ll have a tremendous, dominating, and super cerebral tactician. His shot is very good, so if he decides to shoot more, he could add more goals to his already impressive assist totals.

I think with O’Brien, you have to project further upside. As it is, he’s an impressive talent.

He’s used in all situations, including the penalty kill, for Brantford. He’s above 50% on draws, and once he gets stronger and works on that, even this aspect should get better.

Consider that Martone is 8 months older than O’Brien and has a heftier frame, so he might be more ready to play pro in a man’s game. But if you’re not too desperate and wait for O’Brien to develop into physical maturity, then I think he will be a more impactful player.

He could turn out to be the best NHL forward out of this draft.

Right now, I still think the impact Misa could bring next season means he would be the #2 overall after Schaefer. But I see O’Brien as the #4 or #5 pick. If the Hawks still want a center, I have the two guys I would take in those slots: Desnoyers and O’Brien.

They both bring different attributes.

Desnoyers is better defensively, and his defense transitions into offense. You get the transition rushes and 2-on-1s. With O’Brien, you get elite vision and playmaking. Both give effort.

Desnoyers is very, very good on defense.

Both have great hockey IQ.

I think O’Brien has the higher offensive upside, but Desnoyers is so good in both directions that you can rely on him to be a high-plus 2C in the NHL.

O’Brien has 2C elite line command potential.

But even if O’Brien, like Desnoyers, only hits a 2C level in the NHL, his ability to drive a power play with elite vision and ridiculous passing for easy goals from his setups should probably put him above Desnoyers.

I like both of them for different reasons.

I would advise KD to rank them #3 and #4 if it goes that way for the Hawks after the lottery.

But I’m not sure which set of skills he would covet more... Both have room to get better.

But there’s one final thing: O’Brien already has chemistry with Vanacker. As a top-line duo next season in Brantford, I expect they will terrorize and dominate the OHL.
 
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