Prospect Info: Draft 2025 - Everyone is trading up, but no one seems to be trading down edition

[Lust for Life]

OK so I've looked into this guy and I'm for sure on board starting in the second round, even.

Certainly not a ton to go on with him but dude is about as intriguing of a profile as I've seen.

Eliteprospects Draft Guide has his "Shade of..." as Drew O'Connor

 

[SomeDude]

OK so I've looked into this guy and I'm for sure on board starting in the second round, even.

Certainly not a ton to go on with him but dude is about as intriguing of a profile as I've seen.

I doubt he makes it to the 2nd. Someone will take a chance with a late 1st. He’s the ultimate boom or bust.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If you can't get a center, I think the best picks for #11 and #12 are Eklund and Smith. Smith has massive flaws obviously, but you're obviously getting a big time upside swing with him and the Penguins desperately need LD prospects.

I think Eklund and Aitcheson is more likely what the Penguins do, but I'd probably go for Eklund and Smith as my 2 preferred picks if you can't get one of the good centers.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Eliteprospects Draft Guide has his "Shade of..." as Drew O'Connor

I doubt he makes it to the 2nd. Someone will take a chance with a late 1st. He’s the ultimate boom or bust.

I feel like this guy could even bust worse than DOC lol but his potential upside is huge. I've never been a beef guy but you can't help but be intrigued by a two-sport ridiculous athlete that stands nearly 7 feet tall on skates and actually has some hands.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

We definitely don't need anymore picks for this year's draft. Defer to future years if/when possible.

We absolutely should trade down. Unless trading up can get you one of the top guys. But even if they move up, the chatter seems to pair us with Porter Martone instead of one of the centers. So not sure I would trade both 11 and 12 for a non-center.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Tons of scenarios man. Look at Buium, Silayev, Dickinson, Helenius… all top 10 guys in the poll that fell last year. I think there’s a chance it’s chalky and boring.. but bigger chance there’s someone no one really thought was a possibility available.

Def will be an interesting draft night

 

[SomeDude]

I feel like this guy could even bust worse than DOC lol but his potential upside is huge. I've never been a beef guy but you can't help but be intrigued by a two-sport ridiculous athlete that stands nearly 7 feet tall on skates and actually has some hands.

Even more impressive to me is his skating. For a guy that big, and until a few months ago not fully committed to hockey, you would assume skating would be his biggest flaw, but he’s a pretty good skater.

 

[The Old Master]

Saw wheeler wrote he'd bet pens take Aitcheson/Smith anf that pens are connected to Lakovic . What a brutal outcome if we cone out with Aitcheson and Lakovic, lol

i would rather take a shot with bear.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Even more impressive to me is his skating. For a guy that big, and until a few months ago not fully committed to hockey, you would assume skating would be his biggest flaw, but he’s a pretty good skater.

Yeah for sure... zero issues with his skating which is wild for a guy his size... edgework even very clean. Chose Michigan State over Boston College, too. So I like him even more.

Scored 27 goals on 44 shots his last year in HS hahaha... and completed 66% of his passes as QB for his team in football with 28 TDs and over 2600 yards, too.

Maybe the Steelers should also be interested.

 

[Jared Grayden]

Saw wheeler wrote he'd bet pens take Aitcheson/Smith anf that pens are connected to Lakovic . What a brutal outcome if we cone out with Aitcheson and Lakovic, lol

I'd rather take the high risk gambles of Smith and Lakovic. I wouldn't love it, but I would understand it. I really don't like Aitcheson.

 

[Jacob]

Take Smith and Aitcheson. Or Smith and Mrtka. Or Mrtka and Aitcheson.

 

[Empoleon8771]

We definitely don't need anymore picks for this year's draft. Defer to future years if/when possible.

We absolutely should trade down. Unless trading up can get you one of the top guys. But even if they move up, the chatter seems to pair us with Porter Martone instead of one of the centers. So not sure I would trade both 11 and 12 for a non-center.

They have the same amount of 1st-3rd round picks this year as they have in 2026 and 2027. Not seeing why they don't need any more picks for this year.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Yeah Hagens is the 2nd most likely guy to slide out of the top-10 in my eyes, after Eklund. It really doesn't take something that unrealistic for that to happen, it just takes a team liking Mrtka and one of Aitcheson, Smith, Lakovic or someone else for that to happen.

My best guess would be Mrtka and Smith going in the top-10 while Eklund and Hagens fall out of the top-10. Have the top-12 be something like:

1. NYI: Schaefer
2. San Jose: Misa
3. Chicago: Frondell
4. Utah: Martone
5. Nashville: Desnoyers
6. Philly: Martin
7. Boston: O'Brien
8. Seattle: Smith
9. Buffalo: Mrtka
10. Anaheim: McQueen
11. Pittsburgh: Hagens
12. Pittsburgh: Eklund

I'm very confident that Mrtka goes in the top-10 while Eklund falls, but I'm not nearly as confident with Smith in the top-10 while Hagens falls. I'm just not sure who I see taking Hagens if it's not Nashville or Boston in that top-10.

If we come out of this with Hagens and Eklund I will dance naked in the street.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Take Smith and Aitcheson. Or Smith and Mrtka. Or Mrtka and Aitcheson.

Honestly Smith and Mrtka would be 2 good picks if they went that route. People will be mad about them going only defense, but those two have really complementary skillsets and that could be the Penguins future top pair if they pan out.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

They have the same amount of 1st-3rd round picks this year as they have in 2026 and 2027. Not seeing why they don't need any more picks for this year.

Kick it down the road. We already have 31 picks in three years. This draft sucks beyond the top 10. I had a bit of hope before Bobby Mac's list came out. Now, it pretty much confirmed it.

I absolutely do not want Aitcheson/Smith and Bear/Lakovic or some such. What a waste of an opportunity.

And in case we have already forgotten, the player everybody is sending off into retirement is STILL our best No. 2 center option for 2026-27.

We need centers, Kyle. We need centers very badly.

 

[Freeptop]

I feel like this guy could even bust worse than DOC lol but his potential upside is huge. I've never been a beef guy but you can't help but be intrigued by a two-sport ridiculous athlete that stands nearly 7 feet tall on skates and actually has some hands.

DOC was an undrafted free agent who has settled in as a bottom six winger in the NHL. He may not have reached the top end of his potential, but he certainly did better than the vast majority of undrafted free agents do. Hard to really call that a bust; just a little disappointing when he'd shown brief flashes of potentially being a lot more than that. (Key word here being "potentially").

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

And in case we have already forgotten, the player everybody is sending off into retirement is STILL our best No. 2 center option for 2026-27.

Meh... I keep telling you... at this point it's a feature not a bug.

 

[lokomotiv15]

I remember Filip Forsberg’s draft year he was a consensus top 3-5 guy and then he suddenly fell. He was my pipe dream pick and ofc we ended up drafting an undersized LHD with a drinking problem. Thanks Ray! (RIP)

I wanted the same, but to be fair, as much of a stretch Pouliot was at 8 (i think he was ranked early teens for NA skaters), he was looking like a really good prospect for a while. He was Canadas best player on a lot of nights at the WJC, and a stud in junior for a powerhouse Winterhawks team. His high ankle sprain at 19 (?) really hurt him as he was already a muddy skater. All those Kokanees in the offseason probably didn't help either but, any draft pick that get's his name on a cup for the Penguins is a small win, right?

 

[Jared Grayden]

Honestly Smith and Mrtka would be 2 good picks if they went that route. People will be mad about them going only defense, but those two have really complementary skillsets and that could be the Penguins future top pair if they pan out.

No Dupont will be the top pairing dman. Mrtka can play a shutdown role.

 

[Ryder71]

Eklund is 1 week younger than Aitcheson.

Eklund is a skilled forward.

 

[Ryder71]

Yes. He's also playing against men

Very good point.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

DOC was an undrafted free agent who has settled in as a bottom six winger in the NHL. He may not have reached the top end of his potential, but he certainly did better than the vast majority of undrafted free agents do. Hard to really call that a bust; just a little disappointing when he'd shown brief flashes of potentially being a lot more than that. (Key word here being "potentially").

I think DOC was fine for a free scratch off. I don't have nearly the hate on for the guy as some others.

He's just an awkward fit on just about any roster if he's not able to hack it as a middle six forward.

 

[TojoP]

And Smith and Aitcheson.

Guessing more, but those 4 were confirmed.

Dubas met enough with Eklund and Frondell overseas that I don't think he felt a need to at the combine. Eklund I think is definitely on their radar.

 

[Jared Grayden]

Dubas met enough with Eklund and Frondell overseas that I don't think he felt a need to at the combine. Eklund I think is definitely on their radar.

Believe the complete list of prospect "dates" was Eklund, Frondell, Martin, Mrkta, McQueen, Smith, Aitcheson.

 

[Empoleon8771]

From talking with some Kraken fans, I think there is a legitimate possibility that the Kraken draft Smith at #8. You already had some scouts in McKenzie's draft rankings listing Smith as high as #6, plus Seattle's LD prospect pool is entirely empty after Ryker Evans. Their best LD prospect is basically just Pieniniemi, another late 3rd rounder from 2023 who had a productive year in the CHL this year.

If that's who they want, I think you could make a pretty reasonable package to move up from #11 to #8. Smith is likely available at #11 as well while the Penguins can jump up to grab Hagens.

Believe the complete list of prospect "dates" was Eklund, Frondell, Martin, Mrkta, McQueen, Smith, Aitcheson.

They also had a sit down with O'Brien as well, but not a dinner.