2025 NHL Entry DRAFT Thread

[RayMartyniukTotems]

New York Islanders win the 1st overall pick in the lottery. San Jose wins second overall.

So picks 1-16 are:
1. Islanders
2. Sharks
3. Blackhawks
4. Mammoth
5. Predators
6. Flyers
7. Bruins
8. Kraken
9. Sabres
10. Ducks
11. Penguins
12. Penguins (originally the Rangers)
13. Red Wings
14. Blue Jackets
15. Canucks
16. Canadiens (from Calgary)

So with the Isles needing an influx of Forwards and San Jose needing a top quality D-man do the Sharks and Islanders make a deal...Grier has a lot of young Forward prospects that could be appealing for an Islander GM to turn down? And best of all the young Forward prospects would be on ELC to boot!!!

 

[Brodeur]

So with the Isles needing an influx of Forwards and San Jose needing a top quality D-man do the Sharks and Islanders make a deal...Grier has a lot of young Forward prospects that could be appealing for an Islander GM to turn down? And best of all the young Forward prospects would be on ELC to boot!!!

Islanders could use a little bit of everything. Their top two prospects are probably forwards Cole Eiserman and Cal Ritchie. They have some defensive depth but I think Schaefer would still be a consideration.

Romanov (25) - Dobson (25)
Pelech (31 this summer) - Pulock (31 in October)
George (21) - Mayfield (33 in October)

UFA: DeAngelo - Rielly
RFA: Boqvist - Perunovich

We'll see who they end up hiring as GM. But I could see them moving on from all four of their UFA/RFA. Having Romanov/Pelech/Dobson for the next few seasons could insulate Schaefer from having to do too much too soon.

Maybe thinking too hard, but the 2026 top 12 seems to be forward heavy. If the Islanders don't get a forward now they can probably get one next season?

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Kings need to draft Forwards with skill since the ageless wonders on the Kings will soon be hanging them up

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

Braeden Cootes would be good and he's a RC which is something we haven't had in a coon's age if I can say that without someone thinking I'm a racist

 

[Johnny Utah]

The Kings are in a weird spot right now - most of their best prospects are now in juniors OR with the team in the show since they traded 1st round picks in 2022 and 2023.

Clarke, Thomas, Turcotte, Laffy (barely played in Ontario) and Helenius all graduated to LA full time - all draft picks from 2018 thru 2022.

Ziemmer, Lawrence, Dvorak, Booth, Salin and Wright should all be in Ontario. Add Pinelli in that group also. Not sure how much longer Chromiak can stay down there or if he is still considered a prospect at this point.

George, Greentree, Woolley (personal fav) all need to go back to juniors next season - sadly. These are three of the best prospects already.

Ontario will not have much in terms of high grade prospects - most of those players above are 2nd to 5th round picks. Hopefully Kirsanov comes over next summer to add him with the group.

I would argue the depth is only at goal and LHD - there are no top flight centers, no right handed D - Dvorak, Booth, Woolley, and Kirsanov all shoot L, only Salin shoots R.

So they need a Center and RHD.

Once Kopitar leaves, even if you move Byfield up to 1C - who is the 2C or 3C at that point? Danault will be 33 with two years left on his deal. Helenius is the future 4C.

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

I’ve seen McQueen dropping from 11-13 in mock drafts wonder what it would take to move up if he drops. Dude is a beast!

https://thehockeywriters.com/roger-mcqueen-2025-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/