Official 2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

[TheKingPin]

Actually no - Pronman, Wheeler, Peters and Robinson all saying the same thing, there's a clear top 7 (right now) with Schafer, Misa, Hagens, Desnoyers, Martone, O'Brien and Frondell!

They all keep saying teams have 3-7 is different orders (assuming they mean Schaefer and Misa as 1-2)

They also saying the 2 wildcards are McQueen and Martin (lol)

I would think that O’Brien is at the bottom of most people’s top 7 at best from what I’ve read. It will be Desnoyers at 6 if he’s there. That’s not too bad since they got pushed back two space, but wouldn’t want him at 6. Same goes for JOB now. If you have a later pick than us it’s pretty good but we shouldn’t be drafting him unless we trade back.

Wonder if we try an trade up to 7 or 8...if we could draft Martone/Desnoyers at 6 and one of O Brien/Martin would be really interesting... so much draft capital and some expendable players (York/Drysdale) could make it interesting

Id really like to get a player like Frondell or Desnoyers and McQueen. I think you could make a deal with Buffalo with roster players and picks.

 

[BiggE]

Moving up to get another pick in the top 12 won’t be easy. However St Louis only has 3 total picks in the draft and probably would like to add more. I’d offer the Edmonton 1st and a 2nd (other than #36) to the Blues for #19 and see if they’ll bite.

 

[IronMarshal]

Pronman has Hagens at 11 lol

Not really. He has him projected as the11th best draft eligible as a Stanley Cup Cup performer. His actual rating is in the top 6 like everyone.
He think Hagens is a small but skilled offensive guy who plays too much on the perimeter to be expected to be a highly effective player during the playoffs.
I’m not saying I agree with him, but the is the context of his 11.
To be fair, the playoffs and regular season are two distinctly different games. He is approaching it, rightly ir wrongly from that viewpoint.

 

[BigToe]

Not really. He has him projected as the11th best draft eligible as a Stanley Cup Cup performer.

Saw that after I posted. Originally saw a cutout of Hagens and Prokhorov at 11 and 12 and didn't click on the link.

 

[FLYguy3911]

The best guys in the regular season are generally the best guys in the playoffs. People just ignore shooting percentages and want to believe in playoff narratives.

 

[flyersnorth]

At the time, I was a US citizen working remotely for a firm based in NYC.

Croatia was beautiful but just not my kind of lifestyle. That doesn’t mean it’s bad or anything of course. It just means any info I give is going to be skewed. That’s not fair to you. Montenegro I’ve never seen.

Southern Italy is something I would STRONGLY suggest you attempt to immerse yourselves in before uprooting your lives. I have never been to Apulia to the best of my recollection, but I have family in Calabria and spent some time in places like Scilla and Amantea. Maybe it varies from east to west coast, but I found it to be a completely different animal compared to the north. There was some culture shock for me personally. Nothing off-putting. But definitely different in ways I don’t think would fit my personality well permanently.

Oh wow, good to know. Thank you for the heads up.

The south (I didn’t necessarily mean Sicily) seemed appealing because of the sub tropical climate, but that northern Mediterranean cradle next to France is also appealing.

We have a lot of research to do.

 

[flyersnorth]

Yeh, right in the centre of Lisbon! The Algarve is very cool too. Different as not technically full on Atlantic Coast.

The sea temperature in Portugal does not drop that low... it doesnt drop below around 15c all year! People are often out surfing on Christmas Day.

For example this is the main beach just south of Lisbon: Costa da Caparica Beach Water Temperature / May 2025/ Portugal | World Beach Guide

From Lisbon down the country has basically Central California winters... not quite LA or Santa Barbara but warmer than places like Monterray... maybe similar to San Luis Obispo looking at the map?

Even in Winter almost no days drop below 10c air temp... average day from December-February is about 12-14c air temp.

I love Morocco. Helps my girlfriends family are from there... but just a very special country.

Oh nice! I really liked Lisbon. The biggest thing I remember were all those roasted chestnut vendors everywhere. And a guy trying to sell me drugs out of his coat just like a movie cliche haha.

We are planning to go in the fall or spring. I may hit you up for some recommendations

 

[flyersnorth]

I lived in Italy for 2 years and did a reno project that lasted over 10 years and involved a court case. Portugal is one of the most open countries for expats (although US remote workers driving up housing prices and rents have pissed some people off). Italy is one of the best countries to visit, but they do not like foreigners. It is voted as one, if not the worst countries for expats to live.

Edit: 48th of 53 countries: Expat Insider 2024: Of Visa & Working Woes in Italy

Portugal:

Expat Insider 2024: Portugal’s Trade-Off: Stellar Nature & Safety but Job Woes

Expats in Portugal are impressed with the quality of life of but must grapple with less than stellar career prospects. Find out more with Expat Insider.

www.internations.org

That’s a bummer about Italy - but I guess it makes sense. So many European countries have fought with each other over millennia, borders have changed, rulers have changed.

Did you have a good experience in Italy?

 

[Appleyard]

Oh nice! I really liked Lisbon. The biggest thing I remember were all those roasted chestnut vendors everywhere. And a guy trying to sell me drugs out of his coat just like a movie cliche haha.

We are planning to go in the fall or spring. I may hit you up for some recommendations

Aha, must have been Autumn or Winter. They love a roasted chesnut at that time of year. Even though it is usually still like 60f ahaha.

Yeh, the fake drug dealers in the centre are famous... the thing is that cannabis is decriminalised here... but those guys are mainly not selling cannabis and hash, they are selling oregano and beef stock ahahaha.

For sure! Such an awesome city with so much to do.

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I'm not necessarily advocating for McQueen at 6 but it sounds like but-for the injury he'd be gone well before 6, I think at one point he was discussed as a possible #1 overall. Would it be the worst thing to take a swing there? Obviously it sounds like there is a high potential that he doesn't rebound well enough from the injury and the Flyers obviously have a terrible history with injuries, but if he comes back strong would a McQueen/Michkov tandem be a potential world-beater duo if both live up to their potential? Depending on who is there at 6 I would maybe try to move back and target McQueen if there isn't anyone there you love. Could be risky because if you don't get him wherever you trade back then you are screwed. Or is the injury just that bad and not worth even considering that type of gamble? Seems like there are guys with worse injuries and surgeries than McQueen that came back fine, and others with less that didn't.

I know people sometimes hate the "safe" pick and want to take swings, but at 6 and dealing with injuries I don't think I would do it, but I also don't think it would be the worst thing in the world, knowing the riskiness involved in advance.

 

[Rebels57]

I'm not necessarily advocating for McQueen at 6 but it sounds like but-for the injury he'd be gone well before 6, I think at one point he was discussed as a possible #1 overall. Would it be the worst thing to take a swing there? Obviously it sounds like there is a high potential that he doesn't rebound well enough from the injury and the Flyers obviously have a terrible history with injuries, but if he comes back strong would a McQueen/Michkov tandem be a potential world-beater duo if both live up to their potential? Depending on who is there at 6 I would maybe try to move back and target McQueen if there isn't anyone there you love. Could be risky because if you don't get him wherever you trade back then you are screwed. Or is the injury just that bad and not worth even considering that type of gamble? Seems like there are guys with worse injuries and surgeries than McQueen that came back fine, and others with less that didn't.

I know people sometimes hate the "safe" pick and want to take swings, but at 6 and dealing with injuries I don't think I would do it, but I also don't think it would be the worst thing in the world, knowing the riskiness involved in advance.

Yes, it would.

Did you already forget about Nolan Patrick? Do you have the memory of a goldfish? lol

 

[renberg]

Hope is a bad strategy

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Yes, it would.

Did you already forget about Nolan Patrick? Do you have the memory of a goldfish? lol

Ha, no I know that's why I said I am not advocating for it. Concussions through I feel like are a lot trickier than a back injury. Both are very serious but I feel like we see guys come back from back injuries with and without surgery and still have good results (we also see guys that don't, so I get that). Just thinking if we are in the thick of things here and let's say by 6 we aren't enamored with whomever is left. Do we take a guy we think is a middle sixer with a shot at a top line regular or do we maybe trade back and take a big swing at McQueen? Personally I would take whomever is left among Hagens, Desnoyers, and Frondell as I am guessing those will be 4-5-6 in any order, but I probably wouldn't freak out if we took McQueen or traded back and took him. Not my first choice but I don't think I would hate it until of course he announced his retirement in 20278.

 

[Rebels57]

Ha, no I know that's why I said I am not advocating for it. Concussions through I feel like are a lot trickier than a back injury. Both are very serious but I feel like we see guys come back from back injuries with and without surgery and still have good results (we also see guys that don't, so I get that). Just thinking if we are in the thick of things here and let's say by 6 we aren't enamored with whomever is left. Do we take a guy we think is a middle sixer with a shot at a top line regular or do we maybe trade back and take a big swing at McQueen? Personally I would take whomever is left among Hagens, Desnoyers, and Frondell as I am guessing those will be 4-5-6 in any order, but I probably wouldn't freak out if we took McQueen or traded back and took him. Not my first choice but I don't think I would hate it until of course he announced his retirement in 20278.

Back injuries are very concerning for a big guy that young. I would definitely not touch him with a top 10 pick. If he was head and shoulders above the prospects in that range, then maybe it's worth discussing. But they really can't afford to waste another top 10-15 pick. Already wasted the Gauthier pick and the Luchanko pick isn't looking super promising relative to where they took him.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

I'm not necessarily advocating for McQueen at 6 but it sounds like but-for the injury he'd be gone well before 6, I think at one point he was discussed as a possible #1 overall. Would it be the worst thing to take a swing there? Obviously it sounds like there is a high potential that he doesn't rebound well enough from the injury and the Flyers obviously have a terrible history with injuries, but if he comes back strong would a McQueen/Michkov tandem be a potential world-beater duo if both live up to their potential? Depending on who is there at 6 I would maybe try to move back and target McQueen if there isn't anyone there you love. Could be risky because if you don't get him wherever you trade back then you are screwed. Or is the injury just that bad and not worth even considering that type of gamble? Seems like there are guys with worse injuries and surgeries than McQueen that came back fine, and others with less that didn't.

I know people sometimes hate the "safe" pick and want to take swings, but at 6 and dealing with injuries I don't think I would do it, but I also don't think it would be the worst thing in the world, knowing the riskiness involved in advance.

spoiler..

he will crash n burn if signed here...

 

[Hanover Fist]

Moving up to get another pick in the top 12 won’t be easy. However St Louis only has 3 total picks in the draft and probably would like to add more. I’d offer the Edmonton 1st and a 2nd (other than #36) to the Blues for #19 and see if they’ll bite.

Habs have 16 and 17…. Avs pick plus pick 48 plus a 7th rounder for 17 and a 7th rounder

 

[iceman42]

I'm not necessarily advocating for McQueen at 6 but it sounds like but-for the injury he'd be gone well before 6, I think at one point he was discussed as a possible #1 overall. Would it be the worst thing to take a swing there? Obviously it sounds like there is a high potential that he doesn't rebound well enough from the injury and the Flyers obviously have a terrible history with injuries, but if he comes back strong would a McQueen/Michkov tandem be a potential world-beater duo if both live up to their potential? Depending on who is there at 6 I would maybe try to move back and target McQueen if there isn't anyone there you love. Could be risky because if you don't get him wherever you trade back then you are screwed. Or is the injury just that bad and not worth even considering that type of gamble? Seems like there are guys with worse injuries and surgeries than McQueen that came back fine, and others with less that didn't.

I know people sometimes hate the "safe" pick and want to take swings, but at 6 and dealing with injuries I don't think I would do it, but I also don't think it would be the worst thing in the world, knowing the riskiness involved in advance.

Its crossed my mind but 6 is too high for a slider with multi year injury concerns unless your training staff and doctors sign off and you are stacked with prospects. The Flyers don't have a training staff or doctors that I trust and we certainly are not stacked with prospects where we can fumble a top pick like we did last year. If McQueen slides to the 2nd pick then I might be more comfortable with the gamble.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

If I had to bet money on who the Flyers will draft I’d say Desnoyers. They might even trade up a couple spots for him if they can

Hard to say what Briere thinks about Hagens and Frondell.

Martin is probably best used as a winger. If he plays C it’s possible he becomes a Bennett or a Schenn type of 2C. If he reaches his 95% percentile maybe he’s a Mike Richards or O’Reilly type of C. On the wing he’s probably safely projectable as a Callahan type of player, if he reaches his upper percentile maybe he’s a Landeskog or Brady Tkachuk. Since Overhardt is his agent I think he won’t be the pick though

O’Brien I see as a bit of a boom or bust. He can be a star if he improves his weaknesses but his comparables right now are a little scary

McQueen probably isn’t an option with Nolan Patrick still fairly fresh in the Flyers’ memory

 

[StoneColdAnimal]

If I had to bet money on who the Flyers will draft I’d say Desnoyers. They might even trade up a couple spots for him if they can

Hard to say what Briere thinks about Hagens and Frondell.

Martin is probably best used as a winger. If he plays C it’s possible he becomes a Bennett or a Schenn type of 2C. If he reaches his 95% percentile maybe he’s a Mike Richards or O’Reilly type of C. On the wing he’s probably safely projectable as a Callahan type of player, if he reaches his upper percentile maybe he’s a Landeskog or Brady Tkachuk. Since Overhardt is his agent I think he won’t be the pick though

O’Brien I see as a bit of a boom or bust. He can be a star if he improves his weaknesses but his comparables right now are a little scary

McQueen probably isn’t an option with Nolan Patrick still fairly fresh in the Flyers’ memory

The Flyers have a history of repeating the same mistakes. I wouldn't count McQueen out.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

The Flyers have a history of repeating the same mistakes. I wouldn't count McQueen out.

I think with McQueen it’s going to come down to his medicals. He wouldn’t be my choice but I would group him in that O’Brien/Martin tier, with McQueen and O’Brien being more feast or famine and Martin being more safe but possibly not worthy of #6. If McQueen was the pick I’d be tentatively optimistic; he has high upside so if he works out that’s awesome, if he doesn’t then Flahr is probably gone. Win-win in a way

 

[mize370]

We should just trade every draft pick we have. After all, they are all going to be busts anyways. Luchenko is already one according to everyone here.

 

[hystyk1921]

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Curious what his backup plan is if Desnoyers goes top 5 which he might. This draft is hard to read from like pick 3-10 and can go any way

 

[Magua]

Back injuries are very concerning for a big guy that young. I would definitely not touch him with a top 10 pick. If he was head and shoulders above the prospects in that range, then maybe it's worth discussing. But they really can't afford to waste another top 10-15 pick. Already wasted the Gauthier pick and the Luchanko pick isn't looking super promising relative to where they took him.

As far as I’m aware, the condition McQueen has is a stress fracture (spondylolysis). There’s a very similar sounding degenerative arthritis condition (spondylosis), but he doesn’t have that. Not a dentist, but it’s possible it’s just an age related thing. Lindstrom missed all year with a back injury, after being drafted 4th. Now, I wasn’t his biggest fan in a better class, but would I hesitate to take him 6th in this class, knowing he had a back issue? Nope.

The lede to me is: does McQueen actually have enough talent boom to justify the risk? Any home run talk isn’t worth taking seriously; his upside is not high.

But I went back just now and watched a game from last spring; it was the best sample I’ve seen, and it’s not like I wasn’t already cautiously complimentary of him as a high floor guy. I thought he had decent feet for his size, but the stride looked better. I already knew his functional skill and feel is high enough to play, but it looked slightly better than functional. He’s a smart projectable center who takes good routes and loads up well on exits, so same old there. Is it possible Desnoyers and McQueen are way closer in talent and NHL value than I thought? I wonder. But remember how I feel about Desnoyers’ upside. A lot of the same stylistic positives and minuses.

 

[BigToe]

but the stride looked better.

Did you question it before? I thought his stride was one of the more noticable things with him.