Official 2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

[Magua]

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

No, I always thought he moved respectably for a 6’5 guy. I really look to the short area footwork. I’d say he was a fine strider? Wouldn’t rave; wouldn’t criticize. But it looked even better in that game from a year ago. Thought it allowed him to blend his puck handling better. Maybe he felt more comfortable physically?

He’s probably a useful 3C, given health. But I’d at least entertain a firmer middle 6 potential. And if I think that, is he really far behind Desnoyers? They’re both consistent, intelligent, decent movers, edge to Desnoyers in playmaking but both connective passers, can’t run a PP through either (but McQueen you can stick in front), more functional than creative skill. Desnoyers probably is just more likely to hit his median ceiling. But am I really looking at different profiles? They’re both guys I’d feel fine about in a normal 15-20 range.

 

[Larry44]

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

I’ve been watching a bit of the Q finals. Desnoyers is impressing me less and less. Not involved physically at all. Makes nice passes, skates well but no fast. Meh.

O’Brien reminds me of watching Wyatt Johnston in OHL playoffs vs Hamilton Bulldogs. Scrawny awkward kid with good hands. Skating is ok too but not dynamic.

Eff it, roll the dice on McQueen… Mario Jr. bad back and all.

 

[Magua]

I’ve thought pretty hard about O’Brien and went back to watch 2 more games the other day (including one of the better samples I’ve gotten!).

My major issue is I don’t like his escapability + urgency 5v5. But what I realized is: if I’m playing against him, I wouldn’t hesitate to skate directly at him in OZ situations. I have seen him freeze up in those situations too many times — a sluggish spin off that doesn’t work, a puck bobble, not knowing what to do. I can’t deny he’s a good passer, and he can make quick dishes in those situations, which is why I should be way higher on him. But NHL close-outs are a different animal, and it’s a weakness of his. Where he excels is against saggier coverage (like a PK) where he can play a face-up game without bull rushes.

There are brilliant connective passing moments, along with chance creation. But his individual space creating isn’t always there. The individual skill ceiling is still hard for me to grasp. But I don’t think I’m buying the daydreamy 1C ceiling stuff.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I’ve been watching a bit of the Q finals. Desnoyers is impressing me less and less. Not involved physically at all. Makes nice passes, skates well but no fast. Meh.

O’Brien reminds me of watching Wyatt Johnston in OHL playoffs vs Hamilton Bulldogs. Scrawny awkward kid with good hands. Skating is ok too but not dynamic.

Eff it, roll the dice on McQueen… Mario Jr. bad back and all.

There are strengths and weaknesses to all those guys after Schaefer and Misa so I’m not going to get too worked up who they pick as long it is one of Hagens, Martone, Desnoyers, Frondell, O’Brien, Martin, or McQueen. I’d prefer Hagens most out of all of them though.

 

[BigToe]

No, I always thought he moved respectably for a 6’5 guy. I really look to the short area footwork. I’d say he was a fine strider? Wouldn’t rave; wouldn’t criticize. But it looked even better in that game from a year ago. Thought it allowed him to blend his puck handling better. Maybe he felt more comfortable physically?

He’s probably a useful 3C, given health. But I’d at least entertain a firmer middle 6 potential. And if I think that, is he really far behind Desnoyers? They’re both consistent, intelligent, decent movers, edge to Desnoyers in playmaking but both connective passers, can’t run a PP through either (but McQueen you can stick in front), more functional than creative skill. Desnoyers probably is just more likely to hit his median ceiling. But am I really looking at different profiles? They’re both guys I’d feel fine about in a normal 15-20 range.

I think most of these guys are middle six projections. I only have them three spots apart and that's mostly because of the sample size difference this year. Desnoyers is more of my kinda guy with his overall decision making too but I wouldn't really argue with people that have McQueen higher.

 

[renberg]

Here’s the problem. These guys are all incomplete players. They all have deficiencies that hopefully development can cure. Add to that that the U18s competition was weak makes it even harder to determine their future chances. Maybe the Memorial Cup series will show something. However I don’t trust late, late risers versus a full resume of play.
Right now it seems that Hagens is slipping. If that happens and he falls to the Flyers it would be silly to let the guy who was a potential top pick in the fall slide by.

 

[Magua]

I think most of these guys are middle six projections. I only have them three spots apart and that's mostly because of the sample size difference this year. Desnoyers is more of my kinda guy with his overall decision making too but I wouldn't really argue with people that have McQueen higher.

That’s where I’m at: ambivalence. None of these guys have great ceilings. If someone said McQueen has a higher 90th percentile ceiling, I might agree. Desnoyers plays in a weaker league, McQueen is an October birthday with a bum back. McQueen probably has more upside on the walls because he does shield it well in ways Desnoyers can’t. But Desnoyers is smoother in space; slight edge in hands.

We’re just headed towards a “like the player, not satisfied” pick. Unless it’s Brady Martin, whose best skill is tying his laces. Can’t teach that loop technique.

 

[BigToe]

That’s where I’m at: ambivalence. If someone said McQueen has a higher 90th percentile ceiling, I might agree. Desnoyers plays in a weaker league, McQueen is an October birthday with a bum back. McQueen probably has more upside on the walls because he does shield it well in ways Desnoyers can’t. But Desnoyers is smoother in space; slight edge in hands.

We’re just headed towards a “like the player, not satisfied” pick. Unless it’s Brady Martin, whose best skill is tying his laces. Can’t teach that loop technique.

Ya, I'm more interested in who they target with the late firsts and seconds at this point.

 

[Magua]

Ya, I'm more interested in who they target with the late firsts and seconds at this point.

Right up until they make the pick.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Either way, after this draft we should have a good idea what type of team Briere envisions for the future. I have a feeling Potter is a target at 22

 

[renberg]

I’m hoping for Sasha Boumedienne at 22. He might not be there then. I know that he’s a lefty but he’s come a long way this year at BU. Not great at anything yet but improving at everything. He played a good part of his freshman year at seventeen. His father played the game do he understands what it takes to play this game. He’ll grow his game at BU and end up being at least a solid second pair defenseman. If you can do that with pick 22, you can’t complain.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Question, why are you supposedly tipping your f***ing hand for the draft?

 

[Larry44]

Question, why are you supposedly tipping your f***ing hand for the draft?

Deception, my friend, remember, they are the smartest guys in the room.

 

[BigToe]

I've gone through about 4 Radivojevic games in the past couple of days and I have no idea why he isn't ranked much higher by most. Idk how he hasn't produced more either. I'm a fan.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

I've gone through about 4 Radivojevic games in the past couple of days and I have no idea why he isn't ranked much higher by most. Idk how he hasn't produced more either. I'm a fan.

You know why, Toe.

 

[Magua]

Radivojevic

Is that Slovakian for “Radiohead”?

 

[FLYguy3911]

I've gone through about 4 Radivojevic games in the past couple of days and I have no idea why he isn't ranked much higher by most. Idk how he hasn't produced more either. I'm a fan.

Tosepher. You know why. What was the number again? Three defensemen under six foot drafted last year?

How’s his skating? Didn’t seem like a huge plus in the little that I saw against Canada that would make me feel like teams would draft him in an appropriate range at his size.

Stats are acceptable for the USHL. Led draft eligible D in points and that was after coming over mid year.

 

[Devonator]

Does anyone know if there have been any rumblings potentially about the Flyers perhaps trading one of their later firsts to move up in this draft ....lets say from 6 to 4 so we could snag Hagens? I have to think that that must be an option that needs to be considered depending on how much it would cost us....

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Does anyone know if there have been any rumblings potentially about the Flyers perhaps trading one of their later firsts to move up in this draft ....lets say from 6 to 4 so we could snag Hagens? I have to think that that must be an option that needs to be considered depending on how much it would cost us....

From what I can tell Utah would be more interested in an established player, especially a top 6 C (but that’s like every team minus a few). That’s at least the vibe I’m getting from fans on the site. What the GM is interested in could be anyone’s guess but it seems he wants to make a splash. I would hope Briere is doing his due diligence. As far as I can remember Briere’s trades came out of nowhere

 

[BillDineen]

In French. When Briere is asked about Desnoyers, he says with his second half and playoffs he doesn't know if he will be there at 6!

https://www.tvasports.ca/2025/05/16/le-telephone-de-daniel-briere-sonne-pour-le-6e-choix

 

[TheKingPin]

Can’t say I’d be disappointed in him at 6. At 4, yes. But 6 is a lot different than 4 in this draft. Take a good 2C and swing for 1C, D, BPA after and next year. If they can move to 4 or somehow get lucked into to Hagens that would be amazing.

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.

You are correct on the terminology and the scenario from what I have read. If you look at the spice from the side he would have nondisplaced “defects” of the pars interarticularis. This is bone that communicates with the vertebra in the front and posterior elements including facets in the back. It’s commonly called a defect over a fracture given the mechanism which may be from trauma but may be more indolent and is often not a single event. It’s something you see not too infrequently in healthy asymptomatic people and gymnasts. Although it is technically a fracture, it doesn’t have to be unstable. The risk is if there is slippage due to the defect which can compress the nerves and then would be surgical. Sounds like this is not the case now though and it may never be the case.

This is not a disc bulge or something like that from what I have read and would be more what likely couts and others have dealt with. It’s more like in the middle of a fracture and degeneration. This is not arthritis but can lead to it. I personally am not as worried drafting him with the info I have but there are certainly more risks than if he did not have the defects.

 

[Appleyard]

Yeh, my concern with McQueen is not really the injury...

more that I have a hard time seeing him end up more than a solid 2C if things go well.

I am still of the firm opinion that you take whoever of Hagens, Martone, Frondell or Eklund are there at 6. Unless things go awfully in terms of non-hockey stuff with them the likely worst case scenario are solid 2nd liners in Frondell and Eklunds case... and in Martone and Hagens case more like low-end 1st lines.

So were it me in charge I would not even be thinking about Desnoyers, McQueen, O'Brien etc... because their ceilings are worse or at best similar to those guys with lower floors.

 

[flyersnorth]

In French. When Briere is asked about Desnoyers, he says with his second half and playoffs he doesn't know if he will be there at 6!

https://www.tvasports.ca/2025/05/16/le-telephone-de-daniel-briere-sonne-pour-le-6e-choix

Thanks for the link.

He also says he's been getting a lot of calls about the #6 pick. Mentions possibly moving up or moving back.

Says he has "two other picks in the top 20" but I'm guessing it's a misquote / article typo.

 

[Appleyard]

In terms of 5v5 P/60...

Misa, Desnoyers and Martone? Over 4 P/60.

Bear, Kindel, Reschny and McKinney? Between 3.4-3.9 P/60.

Lee and Schmidt the other two guys over 3.0 P/60.

Martin, McQueen, Moore, Benak? At or under 2.5 P.60.

Basically everyone else who is notable is in the same 2.5-2.9 range.

 

[DAVIDE1333]

Is there a chance Martone is available at #6? If so, should that be the Flyers' pick?