Prospect Info: 2025 NHL Draft

[Moloch]

Hey all,

As we get a feel for how our season is going it might be fun to start speculating on the upcoming draft for next year. Its an interesting one. I think our 2024 draft thread was started at the beginning of January last year so I thought we could get going on this ahead of time to keep things interesting around here. If its too early for me to make this thread you guys can just go ahead and ignore me as I talk to the wall.

Currently we have a pick in each round except for 2 and 4, which were both traded away.
Our picks are as follows:

1st rd: #26
3rd rd: #90
5th rd: #154
6th rd: #186
7th rd: #218

Now.. I wouldn't be surprised with a trade prior to the deadline of one of these but I can't see us trading our 1st rounder this year. Eliteprospects, as well as a few other sites have a nice bundle of D men all ranked around the 22-28 mark which is interesting. I wouldnt be surprised if we end up drafting one of these players, in the event our pick doesnt end up in a deal between now and march. With Yager in the mix, and some of our forwards looking quite promising, I think we need more focus on drafting defencemen.

What do you guys think? Do we trade up again, seeing as we need RHD more than LHD? Discuss.

Click to read more...

 

[PhilJets]

If the Jets wins the cup, we can pick anybody

 

[Luc Labelle]

I would like to see us trade down one spot in the sixth round if we can replicate last year's magic.

 

[voyageur]

Hey all,

As we get a feel for how our season is going it might be fun to start speculating on the upcoming draft for next year. Its an interesting one. I think our 2024 draft thread was started at the beginning of January last year so I thought we could get going on this ahead of time to keep things interesting around here. If its too early for me to make this thread you guys can just go ahead and ignore me as I talk to the wall.

View attachment 946037

Currently we have a pick in each round except for 2 and 4, which were both traded away.
Our picks are as follows:

1st rd: #26
3rd rd: #90
5th rd: #154
6th rd: #186
7th rd: #218

Now.. I wouldn't be surprised with a trade prior to the deadline of one of these but I can't see us trading our 1st rounder this year. Eliteprospects, as well as a few other sites have a nice bundle of D men all ranked around the 22-28 mark which is interesting. I wouldnt be surprised if we end up drafting one of these players, in the event our pick doesnt end up in a deal between now and march. With Yager in the mix, and some of our forwards looking quite promising, I think we need more focus on drafting defencemen.

What do you guys think? Do we trade up again, seeing as we need RHD more than LHD? Discuss.

View attachment 946039

I just hope the Jets keep their 1st this year. The worst case scenario for me is losing Ehlers for nothing at the end of the year, and losing a 1st for a rental, then going out in flames in the playoffs.

It's not as though the cupboards are full. People are really getting excited about our 4th and 6th round picks this year, without a 1st round pick, because they are lighting it up in the OHL. But it's no guarantees that translates into major success in the NHL.

And for every hit, there's also secondary picks that haven't hit like 2020: Torgersson, Johannesson, Bauer, or 2019: Lundmark, Nikkanen, Blasidell and Neaton. With the 1st round pick still trying to get into the lineup.

2023's draft has lost some of its lustre already in d+2.

If the Jets go the distance with Ehlers and let him walk, I don't think they can afford to trade their 1st again, unless it's for a term player.

What the position of need is largely depends on how Chevy goes into the offseason next year. With the defensive depth being so thin I don't think you can simply draft BPA, maybe best d-man available. RD seems like a bigger organizational need than LD if Samberg re-signs long term, but that may be a package deal with Pionk, hard to say. Drafting a RD in 2025 would be a timeline to replace a 35 year old De Melo when his contract expires in 2028, if the development process is successful. But if you have Salomonsson and Pionk holding down the top 4 it's less of an issue, or one that can be solved by minor trades, like the ones that brought De Melo, Schmidt and Miller here.

I've seen Annborn and Cameron further down draft lists, Cameron in particular is playing on a terrible Petes team, which may affect his ranking.

The Jets may trade their 3rd round pick away for playoff depth, since the only guy that they have hit on in the 3rd round so far is Lowry. Though Kovacevic was a 3rd round pick

 

[Buffdog]

I just hope the Jets keep their 1st this year. The worst case scenario for me is losing Ehlers for nothing at the end of the year, and losing a 1st for a rental, then going out in flames in the playoffs.

I've wondered if Chevy would trade his 1st for a rental winger better suited to playoff hockey then turn around and deal Ehlers for a first himself

That's assuming that Ehlers is 100% out the door

That was also before Chibs showed that maybe he'd be capable of slotting in on the second line. Maybe we end up with 2 firsts if Chevy deals ehlers AND he can show a little restraint at the TDL lol

 

[Moloch]

Chevy might be holding out on an Ehlers contract until we know for sure how much the cap will be raised. At least the optimist in me says so.

 

[10Ducky10]

Trade our first for Toffoli!!!!!!!

 

[Moloch]

Trade our first for Toffoli!!!!!!!

He's a good player.. but honestly the only good that came out of that trade was Miller

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I hope we keep our 1st. I'm not counting on it though. Chevy has made a habit of trading it away.

 

[Buffdog]

I hope we keep our 1st. I'm not counting on it though. Chevy has made a habit of trading it away.

Agreed

Finishing near the top of the standings means that the late 1sts we do end up with are less likely to hit... so we should have as many as possible

 

[lanky]

Despite swapping McGroarty for Yager, our system depth at LW is still ridiculous and our system depth at every other position is poor.

I hope we keep the 1st and I hope it goes towards a big C or RD who can skate well.

Jack Nesbitt or Blake Fidler are guys in that late 1st zone that would fit my rough criteria.

 

[voyageur]

Agreed

Finishing near the top of the standings means that the late 1sts we do end up with are less likely to hit... so we should have as many as possible

Having a late 1st at least is a tradeable asset. Which could be used at the draft to improve the team. Or if you want to draft down, since the 25-60 range in most drafts has quite a bit of variation on organizational charts, might get an extra pick out of that1st round spot. The Jets have been using mid range picks steadily since 2020 to improve the team, and the drafts have been scarce in numbers. At some point it catches up, the Moose defense might be the prime example, If it wasnt for the falure of the 2021-22 season and the Copp trade this team would be in trouble right now, depth wise. Which is a little ironic considering that drafting defensemen heavily from 2016-2019 led to 2 of them being lost on waivers.

Maybe Ehlers is the rental player for this year. Depending on how the offseason goes the Jets could be filling some departures internally, and at best keeping the depth level up at forward, with recent draft picks.

But long term on defense there's only two prospects who really look to have any value, in the system. And one might be called upon sooner than the other.

 

[lanky]

LW
Connor
Ehlers
Perfetti
Niederreiter
Barron
Chibrikov
Walton
He
Barlow
Rashevsky

(Iafallo-expiring and Torgersson-busting are excluded)

I'm fine with drafting more LWs in the 4th or later, but please no more with earlier picks.

 

[Bender Duster]

Hey all,

As we get a feel for how our season is going it might be fun to start speculating on the upcoming draft for next year. Its an interesting one. I think our 2024 draft thread was started at the beginning of January last year so I thought we could get going on this ahead of time to keep things interesting around here. If its too early for me to make this thread you guys can just go ahead and ignore me as I talk to the wall.

View attachment 946037

Currently we have a pick in each round except for 2 and 4, which were both traded away.
Our picks are as follows:

1st rd: #26
3rd rd: #90
5th rd: #154
6th rd: #186
7th rd: #218

Now.. I wouldn't be surprised with a trade prior to the deadline of one of these but I can't see us trading our 1st rounder this year. Eliteprospects, as well as a few other sites have a nice bundle of D men all ranked around the 22-28 mark which is interesting. I wouldnt be surprised if we end up drafting one of these players, in the event our pick doesnt end up in a deal between now and march. With Yager in the mix, and some of our forwards looking quite promising, I think we need more focus on drafting defencemen.

What do you guys think? Do we trade up again, seeing as we need RHD more than LHD? Discuss.

View attachment 946039

I haven't scouted any of these guys at all...but my spidey senses tell me we should avoid this guy:

 

[Gm0ney]

Agreed

Finishing near the top of the standings means that the late 1sts we do end up with are less likely to hit... so we should have as many as possible

Yeah it's Win-Now mode. Trade the next Vesalainen or Stanley for a legit 2C? Done.

Here are the Jets picks in the 2nd half of the first round:

17th - Connor (star)
25th - Roslovic (45 point player)
18th - Stanley (borderline 3rd pair D)
24th - Vesalainen (bust)
20th - Heinola (probable bust)
18th - Lucius (injury prone)
30th - Lambert (maybe?)
18th - Barlow (trending to bust)

Picks traded away:
2018 29th overall: Rasmus Sandin (top 4 D)
2024 26th overall: Liam Greentree (too early but scoring well in OHL)

Best case, you get another Connor and he's contributing in his D+3 year. Scheifele, Lowry and Hellebuyck are 35 at that point.

 

[voyageur]

LW
Connor
Ehlers
Perfetti
Niederreiter
Barron
Chibrikov
Walton
He
Barlow
Rashevsky

(Iafallo-expiring and Torgersson-busting are excluded)

I'm fine with drafting more LWs in the 4th or later, but please no more with earlier picks.

Except that one of Ehlers or Perfetti is currently a RW, Chibrikov has played mostly RW in his time on the Moose.

Take out Ehlers and one guy moves up the depth chart. And one is still playing his offside.

Barlow's timeline is about that time when Nino is at the end of his contract. Kevin He might be the better option to replace him. But Connor still has to be re-signed, and either Walton or Julien could become centers down the road. Barron is a UFA in 2 years, so that's another possible opening. Rashevsky may never come to Canada.

At RW I'd say Chibrikov is the number one prospect. Lambert could end up down that depth chart too,, depending who steps up at C. Lucius is still in that C/RW fight. Yager looks most definitely like a C.

But Vilardi is 2 and a half years from UFA, so that's important for the future of the position, contract wise. Not sure how many more miles Appleton will get riding along with Lowry. Might be his last ride this year. Nehring doesn't look that promising on the depth chart. And Levis seems like he is heading to college to avoid signing with the Jets. Parker Ford is maybe not more than another Kuhlman in terms of depth, hard to say.

So that is definitely the more questionable side for the future.

Yeah it's Win-Now mode. Trade the next Vesalainen or Stanley for a legit 2C? Done.

Here are the Jets picks in the 2nd half of the first round:

17th - Connor (star)
25th - Roslovic (45 point player)
18th - Stanley (borderline 3rd pair D)
24th - Vesalainen (bust)
20th - Heinola (probable bust)
18th - Lucius (injury prone)
30th - Lambert (maybe?)
18th - Barlow (trending to bust)

Picks traded away:
2018 29th overall: Rasmus Sandin (top 4 D)
2024 26th overall: Liam Greentree (too early but scoring well in OHL)

Best case, you get another Connor and he's contributing in his D+3 year. Scheifele, Lowry and Hellebuyck are 35 at that point.

I can the see the logic in there of going all in. Especially if the window is closing, as you point out.

 

[Buffdog]

Yeah it's Win-Now mode. Trade the next Vesalainen or Stanley for a legit 2C? Done.

Here are the Jets picks in the 2nd half of the first round:

17th - Connor (star)
25th - Roslovic (45 point player)
18th - Stanley (borderline 3rd pair D)
24th - Vesalainen (bust)
20th - Heinola (probable bust)
18th - Lucius (injury prone)
30th - Lambert (maybe?)
18th - Barlow (trending to bust)

Picks traded away:
2018 29th overall: Rasmus Sandin (top 4 D)
2024 26th overall: Liam Greentree (too early but scoring well in OHL)

Best case, you get another Connor and he's contributing in his D+3 year. Scheifele, Lowry and Hellebuyck are 35 at that point.

Hey, I get it. A player drafter 32nd overall only has a 50/50 chance of playing 80 games total in their NHL career

What I'd like to see is Chevy use that trade capital to find a longer term solution with term and team control. Maybe a reclamation project?