2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

[Castle8130]

short term pain for long term gain, they could still have a positive development year and be in the mix for McKenna, rather this team have a cup contender ceiling than just a mere playoff team that gets bounced every year because it lacks the depth of high end talent

This might be a less popular opinion, but I think Schaefer will be a franchise level defenseman. I mean a defenseman that will be a top 15 defenseman in the league for a long time. He is that good in my opinion. I'd be very happy to win the lottery this year even if that means we cannot win Mckenna next season.

I think it goes;


Schaefer
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-----------
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Frondell/Misa/Desnoyers/Martone/Hagens/Eklund
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Mrtka/O'Brien/Martin/Bear/Mcqueen

 

[TeeEyeFiddyTree]

• Total Words: 257
• Total Typos: 32
• Total Percentage of Typos: 12.5%

I wonder if Michael Misa's poor playoff performance to date through 4 games (Erie leads his Saginaw team 3-1) will change his consensus in the final ranking?

Misa has only 2 goals and 1 assist in 4 games so far in the series, but worse is his -10 rating.

Going back to his last 6 games in the regular season, he was a -6.

So, in his last 10 games, he has a horrible -16. This is from a player considered good two-way, who was +45 for the entire regular season overall.

Makes you wonder if he is playing injured... or got worn out?

Maybe the games got more physical as playoffs approached and ramped up another notch in intensity. Whatever the case, he and his line have been dominated so far in the playoffs.

He faces elimination if Erie wins one more game in the series. If eliminated, he would get a chance to redeem a lousy playoff performance by joining Team Canada at the U-18 World Championships coming in a few weeks.

If he underperforms there, then his stock will surely fall, if not already.

You want to see a prospect rise to the higher challenge of playoffs in a more intense environment—not a player who sags under more pressure.

 

[TLEH]

This might be a less popular opinion, but I think Schaefer will be a franchise level defenseman. I mean a defenseman that will be a top 15 defenseman in the league for a long time. He is that good in my opinion. I'd be very happy to win the lottery this year even if that means we cannot win Mckenna next season.

I think it goes;


Schaefer
-----------
-----------
-----------
Frondell/Misa/Desnoyers/Martone/Hagens/Eklund
-----------
Mrtka/O'Brien/Martin/Bear/Mcqueen

I think there is a decent arguement to be made that top defensive prospects miss a bit more than forwards. Bouwmeester for example was considered to be a crazy franchise talent. But considering Schaefer's age and what I saw this season, he clearly feels like the best prospect in the class.

 

[Castle8130]

I think there is a decent arguement to be made that top defensive prospects miss a bit more than forwards. Bouwmeester for example was considered to be a crazy franchise talent. But considering Schaefer's age and what I saw this season, he clearly feels like the best prospect in the class.

Good point. Ekblad and Power were supposed to be much better than they have looked. It seems to me that there is a higher floor for #1 defensemen, but more than usual disappointment. Schaefer has been dominant in the games I have seen from him. I haven't seen the same dominance from anyone else in this draft or the elite traits that one would want in a 1st oa pick

 

[TLEH]

One odd thing I really like about Schaefer is his ability on his backhand. He could easily play RD no problem as well. He can breakout pass and chip pucks easily on his backhand.

 

[u2wojo]

If Blackhawks ended up with the top pick , would Kyle D or should he entertain a trade ? Philadelphia has Oilers and Avalanche 1st rders along with their own and a few 2nd rders as well. A slide to 7th overall isnt ideal so that would really have to be sweetened .

No...you run to the podium (or camera since it is a virtual draft this year) and pick Schaefer. Pics in the mid to late 20's are not sweet enough to drop that far in this draft that gets thin quickly in the middle. The Hawks are almost certainly in quality over quantity with the quantity of recent picks (and what we have coming) we've made. If we jump San Jose and the choice is moving to #2OA, I definately listen to how badly San Jose wants's Schaefer. But barring we'll give you the #2OA and '26 1st unprotected, I still just taking Schaefer.

 

[ello]

honestly I thought for sure dahlin was going to be what Makar has become, dmen are harder to get a read on but with that being said Schaefer to me is in the same tier as Dahlin as a prospect. Hes like a 6’3 Quinn Hughes

Really annoying draft for us tbh. The best player by a country mile is an dman and frankly none of the top forwards comfortably project as 1Cs. Misa hasnt even been playing C in the playoffs

 

[kmwtrucks]

honestly I thought for sure dahlin was going to be what Makar has become, dmen are harder to get a read on but with that being said Schaefer to me is in the same tier as Dahlin as a prospect. Hes like a 6’3 Quinn Hughes

Really annoying draft for us tbh. The best player by a country mile is an dman and frankly none of the top forwards comfortably project as 1Cs. Misa hasnt even been playing C in the playoffs

I think with a bad playoffs Misa is still probalby #2 but hagens, martone, frondell are probably now in the same tier, Eklund Desnoyers right behind

 

[BHFAN92]

This might be a less popular opinion, but I think Schaefer will be a franchise level defenseman. I mean a defenseman that will be a top 15 defenseman in the league for a long time. He is that good in my opinion. I'd be very happy to win the lottery this year even if that means we cannot win Mckenna next season.

I think it goes;


Schaefer
-----------
-----------
-----------
Frondell/Misa/Desnoyers/Martone/Hagens/Eklund
-----------
Mrtka/O'Brien/Martin/Bear/Mcqueen

I would go even further. With his size/speed/vision/Hockey IQ I would say he has chance to be a top 5 D in this league.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I’m not understanding the crisis here. Forwards impact team defense in a huge way. Defenseman impact team offense in a huge way. Having an elite OFD on our team isn’t going to hurt the team’s or Bedard’s production.

If we get 1st OVR you take the best player and don’t look back. Figure the rest out later.

 

[HawksDub89]

Meant to post this the other day. NHL net radio had Mark Seidel on the other day. (Former nhl scout)

Anyway, he dropped an interesting nugget saying he’s heard from multiple people that Chicago has already Indicated they won’t be taking a defenseman with their 1st. (Which I find hard to believe)

 

[HawksDub89]

Meant to post this the other day. NHL net radio had Mark Seidel on the other day. (Former nhl scout)

Anyway, he dropped an interesting nugget saying he’s heard from multiple people that Chicago has already Indicated they won’t be taking a defenseman with their 1st. (Which I find hard to believe)

Also, side note. This same show Boomer Gordon praised Leo Carlssons development lately and said “frankly, this is what I expected bedard to be doing”

The discourse around bedard by the national media is out of control.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Meant to post this the other day. NHL net radio had Mark Seidel on the other day. (Former nhl scout)

Anyway, he dropped an interesting nugget saying he’s heard from multiple people that Chicago has already Indicated they won’t be taking a defenseman with their 1st. (Which I find hard to believe)

It's very hard to believe. If you're drafting in the top 4, you draft BPA every single time.

Hawks might prefer Misa at 1. But if another team picks Misa at 1 and Hawks had 2nd overall, you pick Schaefer, no questions asked.

 

[u2wojo]

Also, side note. This same show Boomer Gordon praised Leo Carlssons development lately and said “frankly, this is what I expected bedard to be doing”

The discourse around bedard by the national media is out of control.

Lol...Leo Carlsson with 40 pts on an unsustainable 20.4% shooting percentage....yes I wish Bedard was more like Leo.

 

[HawksDub89]

It's very hard to believe. If you're drafting in the top 4, you draft BPA every single time.

Hawks might prefer Misa at 1. But if another team picks Misa at 1 and Hawks had 2nd overall, you pick Schaefer, no questions asked.

Yeah, to be honest I’m not sure I buy it. But thought it was interesting coming from someone who talks to scouts. Seidel knows Davidson really well too. Apparently Kyle was a “stick boy” for him back in the day.

 

[HawksDub89]

Lol...Leo Carlsson with 40 pts on an unsustainable 20.4% shooting percentage....yes I wish Bedard was more like Leo.

I was at the gym running and wanted to launch myself off the treadmill.

This stuff has become insane.

I normally like Boomer, but that take was just willfully ignorant.

 

[clydesdale line]

gun to your head who do you guys choose between Martone, Frondell, and Hagans? Or will card pick maybe?

Hagens. And I say this as a big Frondell fan. I think Hagens is simply the better player. And out of all the under 6 foot guys we have, other than Bedard, he's the best player. You take him and move another guy for help.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

if they really made that comment then they think the gap between schaefer and field is not that much to overcome the need for a top 6 foward

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Also, side note. This same show Boomer Gordon praised Leo Carlssons development lately and said “frankly, this is what I expected bedard to be doing”

The discourse around bedard by the national media is out of control.

Bedard is so talented his C+ game is near PPG and hated by the media, imagine what his A game will look like when he locks in on his weaknesses and the players around him get better

 

[hawksfan50]

As of this afternoon April 4th,our Toronto 1st rounder stands at#26...maybe L.A. can catch them and shove Leafs down to 25th
..butunless Leafs nosedive probaly the team just below L.A. I the standigs seems not likely to catch the Leafs..
But it all could get worse if Leafs win most of their 7 games remaining and rose whike sone teams ahead if them fall.

 

[hawksfan50]

So I just ran Tankathom NHL Draft Simulator again(4th tome in countdown of last 10 games...now we are down to 7 games so this is thec4th of 10 attempts...once before each remaining game.

Results so far are 3 3rd place slots after the first 3 attempts running the sim

Today's 4th and Hawks landed 4th...


Hard to think the hockey godsxwill reward the Hawks with the #2 overall let alone the #1.
...

 

[statswatcher]

So I just ran Tankathom NHL Draft Simulator again(4th tome in countdown of last 10 games...now we are down to 7 games so this is thec4th of 10 attempts...once before each remaining game.

Results so far are 3 3rd place slots after the first 3 attempts running the sim

Today's 4th and Hawks landed 4th...


Hard to think the hockey godsxwill reward the Hawks with the #2 overall let alone the #1.
...

you are an idiot

 

[Darkstar]

I just don't see Misa being an NHL Center. We already have a lot of those players that play center in u23 leagues, but don't play like centers; Boisvert, Moore, Bedard, Nazar (Nazar I can see being a longtime NHL center). His production in the regular season is impressive, but he makes some questionable passing plays.

I see him more as a scorer than playmaker at the NHL level.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

So I just ran Tankathom NHL Draft Simulator again(4th tome in countdown of last 10 games...now we are down to 7 games so this is thec4th of 10 attempts...once before each remaining game.

Results so far are 3 3rd place slots after the first 3 attempts running the sim

Today's 4th and Hawks landed 4th...


Hard to think the hockey godsxwill reward the Hawks with the #2 overall let alone the #1.
...

Bettman

 

[kmwtrucks]

If KD gets the first pick and does not take a hard look at schfaer. that would be crazy he was voted the best skater in the OHL in a coaches poll. and does not turn 18 till mid AUG. is 6-3 and by most accounts he has no flaws. If he wants a forward he needs to trade down if we get the 1st pick. Ideally with who ever gets #2 with the threat that we are also talking to picks 3 and 4 about a swap. Lets for fun say SJ ends up at #3 and we view Misa hagens and frondell all the same. swap picks and add 1 of Musty or Igor chern. both big wingers.