2025 NHL DRAFT

[Porter Stoutheart]

Schaefer, Frondell, Hagens set for NHL Scouting Combine spotlight | NHL.com

Erie defenseman, Djurgarden center, Boston College center among 90 prospects showcasing for 2025 Draft

www.nhl.com

 

[AintLifeGrand]

Playing around with the top 5

Islanders: Hagens
San Jose: Schaeffer
Chicago: Misa
Utah: Frondell

Which leaves us with Martone or Desnoyers .... the more I watch Martone, the more I think he could be a play driver like Forsberg , and even though he's not a center, could be a great pick up.

I think even Eklund could be an option for us at 5

 

[GeauxPreds1]

Playing around with the top 5

Islanders: Hagens
San Jose: Schaeffer
Chicago: Misa
Utah: Frondell

Which leaves us with Martone or Desnoyers .... the more I watch Martone, the more I think he could be a play driver like Forsberg , and even though he's not a center, could be a great pick up.

I think even Eklund could be an option for us at 5

Yea I would lean towards martone or McQueen in this scenario

 

[herzausstein]

Thing with drafting a wing that bothers me is that this is our best chance to grab a high ranked center prospect which we desperately need. Next draft has a bit more positional diversity in the top 10 spots while this one is loaded with centers. Heck there are around 7 centers expected to go top 10 this year. Grab a center this year, we still suck next season (we kept Bruno afterall), and grab a wing/dman then. I know it is very early but next year's draft looks d and w heavy in the top end.

2026 NHL Draft prospects: Gavin McKenna headlines Wheeler’s early top 26 ranking

The 2026 class is headlined by McKenna, a strong Swedish age group, a pair of big OHL forwards and a standout crop of WHL defensemen.

www.nytimes.com

 

[braindead]

If you believe Scott Wheeler, those 6 are top tier(s) in which case I agree you take the center. Some have Desnoyers at 3OA. Probably the best case scenario for the predators is Martone to go top four and then you get your choice of two centers. I’ve been thinking Hagens but recently come around to being thrilled with Frondell. Desnoyers is the one with the least buzz around him but he easily checks all the boxes.

 

[AintLifeGrand]

If we go center , I’ll take the coin flip of

1. Desnoyers
2. Frondell
3. Hagens

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Flyers fan coming in peace. Just wondering if there’s been chatter about what prospect Nashville likes? Feels like from pick 3 on it can go any way and it wouldn’t be a surprise

 

[jumb0]

Flyers fan coming in peace. Just wondering if there’s been chatter about what prospect Nashville likes? Feels like from pick 3 on it can go any way and it wouldn’t be a surprise

Seems like it will be one of Frondell, Hagens and Desnoyers obviously depending on what shakes out in front of us. We have our own thoughts on each player, but no telling what Trotz has in mind.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Flyers fan coming in peace. Just wondering if there’s been chatter about what prospect Nashville likes? Feels like from pick 3 on it can go any way and it wouldn’t be a surprise

Presumption is we will pick a center, but unclear who we prefer (my choice would be Denoyers). Who do y'all prefer? You hoping for O'Brien or Martin or ???

 

[Armourboy]

Zero doubt in my mind Trotz takes a center, he's been trying to move up in the last two drafts to get one. The only question is which one and what he thinks is more important from an attribute perspective.

 

[herzausstein]

Take a center
Trade vegas 1st for Rossi - Askarov becomes Edstrom and Rossi
Future center group looks alot better being filled out with 2025 1st, Rossi, Svechkov, Surin, Nilsson, Edstrom, etc with surplus converting to wing
Suck next season because Bruno reasons
Luck our way into McKenna
Somewhere in there trade RoR and Marchessault after they attempt a mid-season revolt on Bruno

Fire Bruno after the season
Profit

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Presumption is we will pick a center, but unclear who we prefer (my choice would be Denoyers). Who do y'all prefer? You hoping for O'Brien or Martin or ???

One of Hagens, Frondell, Martone, or Desnoyers though some on the Flyers’ board are more bearish on Desnoyers than other boards and don’t want him. Flyers desperately need prospects who can play center but Martone would be too good to pass over. It seems every team needs centers.

I doubt 2 of the above players make it to 6 but I suppose there can be a surprise in the top 5. Weird draft after Schaefer and Misa, the next 4 prospects are more or less interchangeable and it’s tough to gauge who will be there and who will be gone

 

[herzausstein]

 

[Byrddog]

Hope that is factual for the guy but something smells funny. First how do you wait this long for a second opinion to get a diagnosis that is more manageable. Bulging disc will never return to 100% at least that's what the saw bones have told me since 1986. Bulging at l3 and 4 and at C2 you manage the symptoms unless you take a chance on surgery.

Now I have little doubt these guys see the best ortho docs in the buisness and some do fully recover like that Weesel Eichel but you just never know. And it is not limited to just back surgery.

Here's the thing after pick two it's pretty wide excepted the level falls off. So does Trotz gamble on one of those guys that are 50/50 to stick in the league or take a chance on McQueen? If he is in fact 100% or 10-10 it's a no brainer if not the second guessing from fans will last a decade.

 

[wmupreds]

Hope that is factual for the guy but something smells funny. First how do you wait this long for a second opinion to get a diagnosis that is more manageable. Bulging disc will never return to 100% at least that's what the saw bones have told me since 1986. Bulging at l3 and 4 and at C2 you manage the symptoms unless you take a chance on surgery.

Now I have little doubt these guys see the best ortho docs in the buisness and some do fully recover like that Weesel Eichel but you just never know. And it is not limited to just back surgery.

Here's the thing after pick two it's pretty wide excepted the level falls off. So does Trotz gamble on one of those guys that are 50/50 to stick in the league or take a chance on McQueen? If he is in fact 100% or 10-10 it's a no brainer if not the second guessing from fans will last a decade.

I would look elsewhere. His production is not enticing enough to warrant taking that kind of chance. But I'm just a nobody on the internet.

 

[GeauxPreds1]

I would look elsewhere. His production is not enticing enough to warrant taking that kind of chance. But I'm just a nobody on the internet.

I agree I'd pass as well and I really like McQueen but this injury report is concerning to say the least. Can't risk it with the 5th pick. Now if he slides it might be enticing to try and trade up depending the cost though and how far he slides

 

[AintLifeGrand]

If y'all want Mcqueen

Take Desnoyers/Frondell/Hagens/Martone at 5

Package Marchesseault with retention to MTL for #16 and snag him there (he will probably drop unless he has a stand out combine and provides full transparency re medical history)

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Sounds like McQueen is healthy and will do all the physical testing at the Combine, so I think in that scenario the Preds would indeed be likely to take him at 5, right?

Unless somebody blows them away in the interviews, and Trotz decides he just LIKES somebody based on how they talk and project to be cereal winners etc. Which is also always possible.

Some teams picking after us are going to be pretty happy if guys like Frondell or Hagens drop out of the top-5.

 

[Kat Predator]

McQueen is ranked anywhere from 5 to 17 in the various rankings. He's 6'5" and 192.

There is just something about a kid billed as being a "big bodied power forward" and who also has minimal production in the WHL due to back injuries, etc. and looks like a string bean physically. If we take him, I hope he becomes something, but we'd be taking him at the height of his projected window and with pretty hefty risk. Then there is the knowledge that it's Trotz/Bruno pulling the strings. That really doesn't help, since you almost expect whatever decisions those two make to explode in their faces.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Sounds like McQueen is healthy and will do all the physical testing at the Combine, so I think in that scenario the Preds would indeed be likely to take him at 5, right?

Unless somebody blows them away in the interviews, and Trotz decides he just LIKES somebody based on how they talk and project to be cereal winners etc. Which is also always possible.

Some teams picking after us are going to be pretty happy if guys like Frondell or Hagens drop out of the top-5.

That feels like colossal mistake. Way too much risk at 5.

 

[herzausstein]

I know every draft pick is a crapshoot but this is the teams 3rd top 5 pick since it began and the first one since Seth Jones in 2013. We really need this player to pan out. We haven't even had a top 10 pick since 2013. McQueen has too many question marks around his health for my likings. I wouldnt mind trading up for him if he is still there mid teens but not at 5

 

[Scoresberg]

Sounds like McQueen is healthy and will do all the physical testing at the Combine, so I think in that scenario the Preds would indeed be likely to take him at 5, right?

Unless somebody blows them away in the interviews, and Trotz decides he just LIKES somebody based on how they talk and project to be cereal winners etc. Which is also always possible.

Some teams picking after us are going to be pretty happy if guys like Frondell or Hagens drop out of the top-5.

I'm kind of starting to think McQueen comes into play if the top-four shakes out Schaefer, Misa, Frondell and Hagens.

I can see the reasoning of not being completely sold on Desnoyers. Martone's a winger and we need a center here it's obvious. Martone isn't THAT much better than the centers in his range to justify picking him.

All-in-all, I do believe it'll come down to Hagens and McQueen at five. Outside shot of being Martin as our scouts just absolutely love to overvalue the U18's.

 

[Softball99]

He's a huge Islanders fan and local ... Conspiracy theory says Hagens 1stOA, Schaefer to SJ, Misa to Chi. Martone to UT, so Frondell or McQueen?

 

[herzausstein]

He's a huge Islanders fan and local ... Conspiracy theory says Hagens 1stOA, Schaefer to SJ, Misa to Chi. Martone to UT, so Frondell or McQueen?

Personally as long as one of Hagens, Misa, Desnoyers, or Frondell is available then I dont pick McQueen. If all 4 of those are taken, we grab Schaefer because he just pulled a Seth Jones and slid to us

 

[Armourboy]

As much as we need a Center if by some crazy mishap that 4 GM's ahead of us just lose their minds you gotta take Schaefer. Personally I think he goes #1 to SJ and any discussion otherwise is just people trying to stir up attention or clicks around the draft because everyone pretty much already knows who the top 2 picks will be.