2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

[Castle8130]

Brady Martin is a very KD pick but will likely go between 10-18. Personally I hope Toronto loses in the first round again and we have a shot at Kindel. He still probably goes too early though you never know about a guy his size.

Regardless of who they take, I'd like to see us chase major upside more. We've got enough guys to fill out the middle 6 and bottom lines. We really need to be taking massive swings on forwards with upside. Guys who might flame out entirely.

Enough with the Cootes of the world.

I actually don't think we have a Martin/Cootes type on our roster. There isn't one player outside of maybe Nazar that I feel too confident will be an NHL center.



The guys I see as targets with our 2nd 1st round pick;


Braeden Cootes: This dude has a motor. He reminds me a lot of Beniers. He works his butt off, is defensively sound, and is 100% a center. He wasn't working with much in Seattle and I know he was at just over a point per game, but he did lead his team in scoring. It'd be nice to have a guy in the system that you know will play down the middle and the PK.

Ben Kindel: Strong playmaking skills, good compete level, and a likely Center in the NHL. He is one of the more dominant players in the WHL this year. I like his stick-handling a lot. He is always engaged in the play. Although he is a little undersized he handles physicality perfectly fine. He can win physical board battles against opponents. Two-way player that plays like Nick Suzuki.

Cole Reschny: An offensive facilitator that might end up on the wing. Reminds me more of a Will Smith type. Undersized with great mitts and incredible playmaking skills. He won't win too many physical battles and uses his stick to win board battles instead. He is good at finding the open ice and the motor is okay, but he is always thinking about the game and will back-check hard to cover his man. Not incredibly fast, but his IQ is very high. Even when the game gets more physical, he can find open areas and find himself effective. Already has 12 points in 5 playoff games.


Cole Mckinney: Fits the mold of a two-way center. Has been remarked as an improved player this year.

Carter Bear: He had a big injury to end the year, but is thought of as a top 10 talent by some.

Malcolm Spence: Hard-working high compete level winger with size. On the older side

Jack Nesbitt: Don't know much about him, but he has climbed the rankings of NHL scouts and plays center with size.

Jack Murtagh: Seen as a skilled player that can play a lot of different roles on the wing

 

[TLEH]

I actually don't think we have a Martin/Cootes type on our roster. There isn't one player outside of maybe Nazar that I feel too confident will be an NHL center.



The guys I see as targets with our 2nd 1st round pick;


Braeden Cootes: This dude has a motor. He reminds me a lot of Beniers. He works his butt off, is defensively sound, and is 100% a center. He wasn't working with much in Seattle and I know he was at just over a point per game, but he did lead his team in scoring. It'd be nice to have a guy in the system that you know will play down the middle and the PK.

Ben Kindel: Strong playmaking skills, good compete level, and a likely Center in the NHL. He is one of the more dominant players in the WHL this year. I like his stick-handling a lot. He is always engaged in the play. Although he is a little undersized he handles physicality perfectly fine. He can win physical board battles against opponents. Two-way player that plays like Nick Suzuki.

Cole Reschny: An offensive facilitator that might end up on the wing. Reminds me more of a Will Smith type. Undersized with great mitts and incredible playmaking skills. He won't win too many physical battles and uses his stick to win board battles instead. He is good at finding the open ice and the motor is okay, but he is always thinking about the game and will back-check hard to cover his man. Not incredibly fast, but his IQ is very high. Even when the game gets more physical, he can find open areas and find himself effective. Already has 12 points in 5 playoff games.


Cole Mckinney: Fits the mold of a two-way center. Has been remarked as an improved player this year.

Carter Bear: He had a big injury to end the year, but is thought of as a top 10 talent by some.

Malcolm Spence: Hard-working high compete level winger with size. On the older side

Jack Nesbitt: Don't know much about him, but he has climbed the rankings of NHL scouts and plays center with size.

Jack Murtagh: Seen as a skilled player that can play a lot of different roles on the wing

Kindel likely doesn’t get there but I like him a lot. Feel like guys like Cootes are similar to Vanacker, Moore in the sense that he works really hard and can skate well, compete hard, but the offensive upside maybe isnt the highest. I don’t think they’re going to have problems filling out the roster but they need a Sam Rinzel of forwards.

I’d be fine swinging on Ryabkin even.

 

[Kevin Musto]

I’d be fine swinging on Ryabkin even.

Same.

Very unusual year, but a good one to target with the Leafs pick.

 

[bwanajamba]

Not really a fan of Ryabkin. Would rather grab someone like Spence or Martin even if they wouldn't be unique in the system and then target someone like Ryker Lee in the 2nd round. If a Kindel or Potter type fall to the Leafs pick that would be fine too, just not enthused by Ryabkin's complete absence of GAF and smoke about him being kind of a headache.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Not really a fan of Ryabkin. Would rather grab someone like Spence or Martin

obviously

good luck with getting them to fall that far

 

[Darkstar]

We need to move up from the Toronto pick. This isn't the draft for quantity.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

We need to move up from the Toronto pick. This isn't the draft for quantity.

hopefully toronto loses round one, davidson has traded up in each of his drafts or tried to in case of Moore so decent chance

 

[Castle8130]

Kindel likely doesn’t get there but I like him a lot. Feel like guys like Cootes are similar to Vanacker, Moore in the sense that he works really hard and can skate well, compete hard, but the offensive upside maybe isnt the highest. I don’t think they’re going to have problems filling out the roster but they need a Sam Rinzel of forwards.

I’d be fine swinging on Ryabkin even.

I don't think Moore plays center longterm and Vanackers a winger. I like the upside more-so with Cootes than a guy like Moore. I like the idea of getting a guy I know will play center. I don't think Moore, Boisvert, or Bedard play like true centers. Maybe we get that with our top pick this year, but the only guy at the top I have any confidence in playing center at the NHL level is Desnoyers

 

[TLEH]

I don't think Moore plays center longterm and Vanackers a winger. I like the upside more-so with Cootes than a guy like Moore. I like the idea of getting a guy I know will play center. I don't think Moore, Boisvert, or Bedard play like true centers. Maybe we get that with our top pick this year, but the only guy at the top I have any confidence in playing center at the NHL level is Desnoyers

I don't think Moore or Vanacker are centers either. I guess I'm just saying saying play style rather than in terms of center vs wing.

 

[bwanajamba]

obviously

good luck with getting them to fall that far

I think there was a pretty good chance of Spence falling to the mid 20s before the playoffs. Could still happen. Regardless the point was more about not being bothered by adding some guys with attributes already well-represented in the system as opposed to gambling on Ryabkin

 

[Hattrick Kane]

How much does adding a second to Toronto’s first move us up? And more importantly, where is Lynden Lakovic going to go? I’d add both seconds to Toronto’s first to try to draft him.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

where does Korchinski and Toronto 1st get you? If you want two top 10 forwards

 

[Kevin Musto]

I think there was a pretty good chance of Spence falling to the mid 20s before the playoffs. Could still happen. Regardless the point was more about not being bothered by adding some guys with attributes already well-represented in the system as opposed to gambling on Ryabkin

Spence slipping that far would be such a mistake.

He's basically a surefire 3rd liner in a draft filled with high bust potential bums.

 

[Kevin Musto]

where does Korchinski and Toronto 1st get you? If you want two top 10 forwards

If you're trading those two pieces, it shouldn't be to move up in this draft

Acquire an already drafted player

Someone on the trade board suggested Nate Danielson. Something like that makes more sense to me than the guys in this draft that are 3+ years away from maybe being something.

 

[ChicagoHockeyFan]

Nesbitt would be a nice target with the Toronto first rounder, he has got some nice vision and net front ability. Would complement the current forward pool well.

 

[TLEH]

How much does adding a second to Toronto’s first move us up? And more importantly, where is Lynden Lakovic going to go? I’d add both seconds to Toronto’s first to try to draft him.

Based on what I’ve seen, he’s in that Toronto range unless they go on a run.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Based on what I’ve seen, he’s in that Toronto range unless they go on a run.

I’ve seen him go around 15. He’s huge and hard working, right up Davidson’s alley.

 

[TLEH]

I’ve seen him go around 15. He’s huge and hard working, right up Davidson’s alley.

I guess I didn't realize Toronto had been playing so well. Also I've seen some people have him in the 20s and late 20s at that.

 

[ndgt10]

Sharks are absolutely horrid. They are definitely winning the 1 slot

 

[Darkstar]

I'd like to get up to the 11-15 range for either a falling McQueen, Lakovic or Carbonneau. Bear could be an option if they are comfortable with the medicals.