2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

[Sinbad]

PPG play in the NCAA especially as a true freshman is not mediocre he’s faced better competition and better teams than any CHL player.

It is very impressive when a 17/18 year old can play as a true freshman in the NCAA however, when you compare Hagens results to those of recent draft picks who did the same thing he falls short.

Hagens - 37GP - 11 - 26 - 37
Smith - 41GP - 25 - 46 - 71
Celebrini - 38GP - 32 - 32 - 64
Fantilli - 36GP - 30 - 35 - 65
Leonard - 41GP - 31 - 29 - 60
Perreault - 36GP - 19 - 41 - 60

The last two on that list are particularly interesting given that their numbers from year one with Smith as their centre to year two with Hagens as their centre dropped considerably despite having an additional year of experience, growth etc. on their side.

Leonard - 37GP - 30 - 10 - 49
Perreault - 37GP - 16 - 32 - 48

So I guess the question is, was Will Smith that good? That much better than Hagens?

While Hagens deserves credit for playing in the NCAA, considering the quality of his linemates I would suggest his production was ok and to be honest, a little underwhelming given the preseason hype.

Sacha Boisvert put up the following numbers with a much weaker surrounding cast:

37GP - 18 - 14 - 32

 

[bwanajamba]

West is a longshot project. 64 is the earliest you start to look at a player like that.

You're basically teaching an athlete how to play hockey. He's a physical specimen, but he's way behind his peers.

That is something the Hawks like, but at 25 and 34, you're cleaning up quality fallers. Not the place to jump the gun.

I don't agree that he's quite that raw. He played and produced pretty well in the USHL as an August birthday draft eligible. The bit of tape I've seen, he has solid puck skill and vision so it's not like he's just a pure athlete running around out there with no plan. Will probably end up at a quality Big Ten program and the Hawks can be patient and let him develop for a few years. The profile is honestly strikingly similar to Rinzel. I agree that there may be better choices at 25 but in a weak draft I wouldn't mind the upside gamble at all.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Two years in a row one of the worst teams in hockey begs to differ.

If anybody is in that whole "they're losing on purpose for high draft picks" camp when there's grown ass men playing on that team I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

What's the tally currently on head coaches?

It's 2025, this team can't even figure out how to get their team on cable but the useless gm has a plan?

The players aren't losing on purpose but the management has intentionally stripped the roster down to acquire a lot of good draft capital to rebuild.....if that wasn't and isn't obvious to you then it never will be

 

[unbridledid]

I think Hagens goes first.

Misa at three would be great. I said two years ago Misa will be the player everyone thought Bedard would be. That said I think Hagens is a better offensive player similar to Patrick Kane while Misa turns into a LaFontaine type.

Do we all agree...that the Sharks take Schaefer at 2 if he is there ? It seems to be the
move to make for them..

 

[MHO]

Two years in a row one of the worst teams in hockey begs to differ.

If anybody is in that whole "they're losing on purpose for high draft picks" camp when there's grown ass men playing on that team I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

What's the tally currently on head coaches?

It's 2025, this team can't even figure out how to get their team on cable but the useless gm has a plan?

It's true they've been the 2nd worst team in the league that past 2 seasons and they will likely be quite bad again next year. But we don't talk about how much more talented the league is currently than in the past. Look at talent in the league when Sid/Ovechkin arrived compared to now and going from a bad team to a good team in 2025 just takes longer. There was a ridiculous amount of talent that entered the NHL between 2013 and 2016 and the Blackhawks have none of it. Those players are currently in their prime and will begin to fall off in the next season or 2.

So what would you have preferred? Keep going for it with an aging and flawed roster? Yeah the last few years would have been better but I doubt they make the playoffs. The Caps got lucky this year with Strome, McMichael, and Protas all taking a step forward and the fliers on PLD and Chychrun working. Also other than Ovechkin missing a month, nobody significant got hurt. We'll see if they can repeat that next year.

 

[Kevin Musto]

I don't agree that he's quite that raw. He played and produced pretty well in the USHL as an August birthday draft eligible. The bit of tape I've seen, he has solid puck skill and vision so it's not like he's just a pure athlete running around out there with no plan. Will probably end up at a quality Big Ten program and the Hawks can be patient and let him develop for a few years. The profile is honestly strikingly similar to Rinzel. I agree that there may be better choices at 25 but in a weak draft I wouldn't mind the upside gamble at all.

He had 1 goal... I think he was able to hang but I wouldn't say he produced well.

Look at Jack Murtagh for an August kid that produced well.

I don't think it's the same as Rinzel

Rinzel was behind the development curve because of where he was playing, but that's still a born and bred Minnesota hockey boy, and he was a consensus late 1st rounder.

And the important thing with Rinzel... RHD.

 

[PCAisBest]

The players aren't losing on purpose but the management has intentionally stripped the roster down to acquire a lot of good draft capital to rebuild.....if that wasn't and isn't obvious to you then it never will be

With this logic, the Hawks "intentionally " are losing on purpose for draft picks.

If that's the case, the GM needs to be fired.

 

[PCAisBest]

But we don't talk about how much more talented the league is currently than in the past.

Lol wat? The league has always been talented. The current media has over hyped the current crop of players while the league has done more then its share to create a more player friendly league. Scoring is up while fighting is non existent and with these changes the Hawks still can't find talent while drafting a "generational talent" who last year looked anything but.

So what would you have preferred? Keep going for it with an aging and flawed roster?

I would rather see the Hawks win and the gm put the Hawks in a position to win every year instead of ten years down the road.

Would you rather cheer for players in the minot leagues and juniors or on the hawks?

 

[PCAisBest]

Do we all agree...that the Sharks take Schaefer at 2 if he is there ? It seems to be the
move to make for them..

Kind of think that's a gimme.

 

[MHO]

Lol wat? The league has always been talented. The current media has over hyped the current crop of players while the league has done more then its share to create a more player friendly league. Scoring is up while fighting is non existent and with these changes the Hawks still can't find talent while drafting a "generational talent" who last year looked anything but.

I would rather see the Hawks win and the gm put the Hawks in a position to win every year instead of ten years down the road.

Would you rather cheer for players in the minot leagues and juniors or on the hawks?

Even with the media hype, changing rules, and fighting down, there were no generational players in their prime when the lockout season occurred. Now there is MacKinnon, McDavid, Matthews, Draisaitl, Makar, Quinn Hughes, and then guys like Crosby, Marner, Barkov, Rantanen, Eichel, etc. Back then, I can think of Iginla, Thornton, and Pronger that might have been in their prime back in 2014. That's it. Does Marty St. Louis count?

And I don't think the choice was seeing the Hawks win or seeing them lose. I think it was either have them finish 23rd in the league every year for the next decade or have them finish 31st in the league for the next 4 - 5 years and then contend for a cup after that. So yeah, I'd rather cheer for players in the minors and juniors than watch a middling team not make the playoffs.

 

[hawksfan50]

Hawks could take West off the board earlier with tge #25 if tgey see him as a RSW but check the box good skating tools Big power forward after development several years out.. the development will be in the NCAA.

Hawks took a project late forstvin Ronzel..worked on great.

THIS kid is so intriguing.. scouts may nkt have ranked hom firstvorc2ndcrlubd level duecto tge rawness..but to be fair,the kid cannot get better dividing in high school with 2 sports. .now fully committed to his hockey path...,given pickings at 25 are not that great and are iffy anyway as to becoming stars why not gamble on 6'6 size already when KD's primary tool is there already.. his skating.

Supposedly has the hands too...So it probably is tge ddtails of the game,hockey sense and reads etc. that are at this stage not yet developed..If the kid can improve and refibe those areas the natural athletic and tools aspects he has as well as the size you cannot teach... the package is too intriguing to let sobe other team gamble he develops.

So maybe at 25 ..if not maybe at 34???

 

[PCAisBest]

It is very impressive when a 17/18 year old can play as a true freshman in the NCAA however, when you compare Hagens results to those of recent draft picks who did the same thing he falls short.

Hagens - 37GP - 11 - 26 - 37
Smith - 41GP - 25 - 46 - 71
Celebrini - 38GP - 32 - 32 - 64
Fantilli - 36GP - 30 - 35 - 65
Leonard - 41GP - 31 - 29 - 60
Perreault - 36GP - 19 - 41 - 60

The last two on that list are particularly interesting given that their numbers from year one with Smith as their centre to year two with Hagens as their centre dropped considerably despite having an additional year of experience, growth etc. on their side.

Leonard - 37GP - 30 - 10 - 49
Perreault - 37GP - 16 - 32 - 48

So I guess the question is, was Will Smith that good? That much better than Hagens?

While Hagens deserves credit for playing in the NCAA, considering the quality of his linemates I would suggest his production was ok and to be honest, a little underwhelming given the preseason hype.

Sacha Boisvert put up the following numbers with a much weaker surrounding cast:

37GP - 18 - 14 - 32

Good lord....

Hagens numbers are irrelevant.

Rob Brown put up over 200 pts his draft year yet was taken in the fourth round and couldn't play in the NHL unless he had Mario doing all the heavy lifting.

If numbers> talent then there's something wrong.

 

[statswatcher]

So what would you have preferred? Keep going for it with an aging and flawed roster?

you are talking to the only person in the universe beside stan bowman who thought trade and signing seth jones would extend the kane/toews cup window, so yes.

 

[MHO]

Good lord....

Hagens numbers are irrelevant.

Rob Brown put up over 200 pts his draft year yet was taken in the fourth round and couldn't play in the NHL unless he had Mario doing all the heavy lifting.

If numbers> talent then there's something wrong.

Well Rob Brown put up 200 points the year after he was drafted and it was in the WHL, not college. I'd bet Hagens would have put up 100+ if he played 63 games in the WHL this year like Brown did in 1987.

Plus Rob Brown has been quoted as saying that he couldn't skate and that weakness can be masked better in juniors. Hagens is a fantastic skater so the Rob Brown argument is not particularly relevant.

 

[MHO]

you are talking to the only person in the universe beside stan bowman who thought trade and signing seth jones would extend the kane/toews cup window, so yes.

But it's fun.

 

[bwanajamba]

He had 1 goal... I think he was able to hang but I wouldn't say he produced well.

Look at Jack Murtagh for an August kid that produced well.

I don't think it's the same as Rinzel

Rinzel was behind the development curve because of where he was playing, but that's still a born and bred Minnesota hockey boy, and he was a consensus late 1st rounder.

And the important thing with Rinzel... RHD.

I like Murtagh a lot, would be pretty happy grabbing him in that same range, but I think you know the NTDP is a whole different dynamic than a kid who jumps from MN HS to the USHL at the end of the year. It's a fair point that he only scored one goal. I would have to trust someone who has watched more to determine if that's a product of not generating chances or what. I would freely admit that there is some Riley Tufte risk there and if they make the pick I hope they stay the course patiently (i.e. don't send him to college a year early if a spot opens up like Dean Letourneau)

I'm not sure I get your point about Rinzel being a born and bred Minnesota hockey boy or how that doesn't apply to West, who basically has the bio page of one of the rich kids from Mighty Ducks and played for similar AAA programs as Rinzel growing up.

It'll be interesting to see if his committing to a hockey career changes his position in rankings. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes late first/early second in any case given the lack of upside to be found elsewhere and the number of teams picking in that range who already have a billion picks accumulated in the recent past/near future

 

[dj Mahoney]

Kyle D should seriously consider a deal with NY Islanders for our #3 . What would be considered fair ?

 

[Mjul Qvist]

Kyle D should seriously consider a deal with NY Islanders for our #3 . What would be considered fair ?

Why would you give up assets when the gap between 1st and 3rd pick isn´t that significant? Just keep the pick and go BPA.

 

[u2wojo]

It is very impressive when a 17/18 year old can play as a true freshman in the NCAA however, when you compare Hagens results to those of recent draft picks who did the same thing he falls short.

Hagens - 37GP - 11 - 26 - 37
Smith - 41GP - 25 - 46 - 71
Celebrini - 38GP - 32 - 32 - 64
Fantilli - 36GP - 30 - 35 - 65
Leonard - 41GP - 31 - 29 - 60
Perreault - 36GP - 19 - 41 - 60

The last two on that list are particularly interesting given that their numbers from year one with Smith as their centre to year two with Hagens as their centre dropped considerably despite having an additional year of experience, growth etc. on their side.

Leonard - 37GP - 30 - 10 - 49
Perreault - 37GP - 16 - 32 - 48

So I guess the question is, was Will Smith that good? That much better than Hagens?

While Hagens deserves credit for playing in the NCAA, considering the quality of his linemates I would suggest his production was ok and to be honest, a little underwhelming given the preseason hype.

Sacha Boisvert put up the following numbers with a much weaker surrounding cast:

37GP - 18 - 14 - 32

Cole Caufield 39GP - 19 - 17 - 36
Matty Berniers 24GP - 10 - 14 - 24
Matt Boldy 34GP - 9 - 17 - 26

For the record, Berniers and Boldy were around a point a game in their SOPHMORE college seasons. Most of the guys listed with better frosh production were higher picks or in a deeper draft year than this one. There is a pretty big drop in quality of prospect at #3 unfortunately with how the lotto balls bounced. Any option we have at #3OA is going to have questions surrounding them, maybe more than most years.

 

[u2wojo]

Why would you give up assets when the gap between 1st and 3rd pick isn´t that significant? Just keep the pick and go BPA.

There is a sizeable gap between Schaefer and Misa and again a significant gap between Misa and the next batch of 3 or 4. I can't see the Isles not taking Schaefer and running while they pinch themselves.

 

[unbridledid]

Even with the media hype, changing rules, and fighting down, there were no generational players in their prime when the lockout season occurred. Now there is MacKinnon, McDavid, Matthews, Draisaitl, Makar, Quinn Hughes, and then guys like Crosby, Marner, Barkov, Rantanen, Eichel, etc. Back then, I can think of Iginla, Thornton, and Pronger that might have been in their prime back in 2014. That's it. Does Marty St. Louis count?

And I don't think the choice was seeing the Hawks win or seeing them lose. I think it was either have them finish 23rd in the league every year for the next decade or have them finish 31st in the league for the next 4 - 5 years and then contend for a cup after that. So yeah, I'd rather cheer for players in the minors and juniors than watch a middling team not make the playoffs.

Worst place to be... Once you get to that point, best to rip it down to the studs.

 

[kmwtrucks]

Why would you give up assets when the gap between 1st and 3rd pick isn´t that significant? Just keep the pick and go BPA.

I would consider it if we could trade KK for Perterka and then take scafear. probably take 3 firsts, both this year and FL first as a guess as a min. i think its more likely SJ moves up. they could use a D more then us.

 

[Mjul Qvist]

There is a sizeable gap between Schaefer and Misa and again a significant gap between Misa and the next batch of 3 or 4. I can't see the Isles not taking Schaefer and running while they pinch themselves.

Not everyone thinks that way. It wasn´t so long ago when there was clear cut top 4. Or Hagens was consensus number one. Their potential doesn´t change in few months or so. It´s not sizeable gap at all and we´ll see again after few years that drafting order wasn´t final rank order with these young players.

 

[unbridledid]

There is a sizeable gap between Schaefer and Misa and again a significant gap between Misa and the next batch of 3 or 4. I can't see the Isles not taking Schaefer and running while they pinch themselves.

Perhaps today... Let's see five years from now when they do the "re-draft".

We are going to get a quality piece to continue the rebuild, and have two picks at or near
the end of the first. I for one am excited to see more pieces being added.

Then of course we have trades as players reach their ceilings for perhaps fall short.
Florida has picks one, two and four from the 2014 draft. If they had #3 as well they would be
completely unstoppable.

 

[PCAisBest]

Even with the media hype, changing rules, and fighting down, there were no generational players in their prime when the lockout season occurred.

Jagr was 31
Lidstrom was 33
Brodeur was 33

The last one is a stretch at generational but his numbers put him in the talk of best goalie of his generation.

Point is, there were generational players, actual generational players in their prime.

Outside of McDavid and Sid, thats one more then the current crop of players in my opinion.

And I don't think the choice was seeing the Hawks win or seeing them lose. I think it was either have them finish 23rd in the league every year for the next decade or have them finish 31st in the league for the next 4 - 5 years and then contend for a cup after that.

So it takes losing on purpose? Why can't the GM acquire talent outside of the draft and losing on purpose? That's their job.

This guy was given a supposed generational talent and has done nothing to help him out to the point the kid looked like a chump countless times last year. He's gone thru how many coaches and intern coaches?

What's Dale Tallon doing?