Official 2025 NHL DRAFT Thread

[Gregor Samsa]

I had some different choices as you get further into the draft.

I do think the actual draft will be a lot different than the consensus after like pick 15-20 and onwards. The fc hockey mock is just kinda disappointing being left with the same choices more or less every time

 

[iceman42]

I do think the actual draft will be a lot different than the consensus after like pick 15-20 and onwards. The fc hockey mock is just kinda disappointing being left with the same choices more or less every time

When you have large number of players ranked similar on the teams draft boards then it becomes more about organization need and fit. Theres so much 'Meh' after the first few players you might end up with a few surprise picks and a few surprise sliders, like wait no one has taken this guy yet.

 

[BiggE]

Tried it again, wanted to see if I got different options. Ended up with:

6 Martone RW
22 Bear C/W
31 Boumedienne D
36 Schmidt LW
40 Gastrin C
48 Zharovsky RW
68 Fondrk C

I would be pretty happy with this.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Martone
Bear
Ryabkin
Zharovsky
Nilson
Mooney
Svrcek
Kevan
Osmanis
Nordlund
Isayev

Toe, if we pick someone with the last name of "Kevan" I am going to hold you personally responsible.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

If Martone is there at #6 & like a Hagens isn’t (which I don’t expect) you gotta pull the trigger. Don’t force a need again. You need potential higher lineup impact type of players & he sounds like the best bet.

 

[Flyerfan4life]

Toe, if we pick someone with the last name of "Kevan" I am going to hold you personally responsible.

#buckle in...

 

[Magua]

I’m hoping Martone falls, but gun to my head, I think Bear is on the same tier as the top 3 forwards, and his tape this year was the most consistently impressive. If you asked me where I’d slot him with those guys, I’m not even sure how crazy I’d get.

I’m rarely this confident, but he will blow Desnoyers and O’Brien and most everyone not on that tier out of the water barring health, and he’s already skating again. Of the field, the highest skill + most compete + highest pace + fastest thinker……these profiles practically never miss; in fact, they overperform. If O’Brien is heralded as some elite passer, Bear is better as a passer at 5v5 (Bear played bumper on PP for reasons?) and in every way it’s more scalable to NHL pressure. If I’m nitpicking, he needs to lengthen his stride, but it’s above average today and his edges/balance are plus.

I don’t see a tier difference between Potter and Eklund either, and I prefer Potter because he’s a legit center with better puck transporting. Frondell is probably my favorite chalk pick of the bunch. But he’s a complementary mid-ceiling guy, and I know that.

This will be a major let down.

 

[BiggE]

I’m hoping Martone falls, but gun to my head, I think Bear is on the same tier as the top 3 forwards, and his tape this year was the most consistently impressive. If you asked me where I’d slot him with those guys, I’m not even sure how crazy I’d get.

I’m rarely this confident, but he will blow Desnoyers and O’Brien and most everyone not on that tier out of the water barring health, and he’s already skating again. Of the field, the highest skill + most compete + highest pace + fastest thinker……these profiles practically never miss; in fact, they overperform. If O’Brien is heralded as some elite passer, Bear is better as a passer at 5v5 (Bear played bumper on PP for reasons?) and in every way it’s more scalable to NHL pressure. If I’m nitpicking, he needs to lengthen his stride, but it’s above average today and his edges/balance are plus.

I don’t see a tier difference between Potter and Eklund either, and I prefer Potter because he’s a legit center with better puck transporting. Frondell is probably my favorite chalk pick of the bunch. But he’s a complementary mid-ceiling guy, and I know that.

This will be a major let down.

It’s the Flyers, always be prepared to be let down and disappointed. It’s been their m.o. for well over a decade.

 

[hystyk1921]

Tried it again, wanted to see if I got different options. Ended up with:

6 Martone RW
22 Bear C/W
31 Boumedienne D
36 Schmidt LW
40 Gastrin C
48 Zharovsky RW
68 Fondrk C

I would be pretty happy with this.

Who needs defense

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

I'm loving that everyone is loving Martone.

Just gotta convince Cap to get on board.

 

[Appleyard]

Really think this starts to get massively overlooked towards the draft... but yeh, this is really the reality of it.

 

[Magua]

It’s the Flyers, always be prepared to be let down and disappointed. It’s been their m.o. for well over a decade.

At least we’ll have the usual 2-3 years of whichever bang average player they draft being the next Bergeron, Timonen, Niedermayer, or Giroux. The good times.

 

[renberg]

We’re reaching the silly season with a month left until the draft. There was a leak last week that purported that the Sens were going to swap Tkachuk to the Hawks for Bedard. So much click bait going on. This guys is rising; that guys a stiff. Just to use his name but if Pronman was so smart why is he writing for The NY Times instead of working for a NHL clubs scouting service. Appleyard gets a pass here because he’s building his resume to get there eventually and very well could. Right now my caution is to be wary of

 

[Magua]

Really think this starts to get massively overlooked towards the draft... but yeh, this is really the reality of it.

I think about some former top 5ish guys. I had Dach and Hayton ranked like #15-18. Did I hate them? No. I just saw plenty of flaws (pace really) that irked me. Viable paths to being realistic 50ish point guys. But not easy projections.

Desnoyers is someone who in my head is that range of player. Sorta McQueen too. Less flawed than the above but less highs. You have these guys every class, adjusted by range. I see these skill-sets go in the 20s plenty. I’m sure you know: you do this long enough, you know what a top 5 or 10 player looks like in a vacuum.

 

[Appleyard]

I think about some former top 5ish guys. I had Dach and Hayton ranked like #15-18. Did I hate them? No. I just saw plenty of flaws (pace really) that irked me. Viable paths to being realistic 50ish point guys. But not easy projections.

Desnoyers is someone who in my head is that range of player. Sorta McQueen too. Less flawed than the above but less highs. You have these guys every class, adjusted by range. I see these skill-sets go in the 20s plenty. I’m sure you know: you do this long enough, you know what a top 5 or 10 player looks like in a vacuum.

100% how I think of it! It is rare a guy goes top 15 I hate and dont have in my own top 50 basically... (it happens but not tooo often)

But very often guys are going top 5-10 who I have say 20-30

 

[PDX Flyer]

I think about some former top 5ish guys. I had Dach and Hayton ranked like #15-18. Did I hate them? No. I just saw plenty of flaws (pace really) that irked me. Viable paths to being realistic 50ish point guys. But not easy projections.

Desnoyers is someone who in my head is that range of player. Sorta McQueen too. Less flawed than the above but less highs. You have these guys every class, adjusted by range. I see these skill-sets go in the 20s plenty. I’m sure you know: you do this long enough, you know what a top 5 or 10 player looks like in a vacuum.

Curious where you had Cody Glass. I am nowhere near your intellect and others when it comes to scouting but as a Winterhawks fan, watching Glass than Seth. Jarvis I couldn’t understand how Glass was a top five pick and Jarvis slipped.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Different people scout differently and the beautiful thing about teams sports is that there are different ways of being successful. There are different styles of play and each player has his own attributes that are absorbed into the whole team. A small speedster, a big grug tier net front presence, puck moving dman, stay at home dman, etc can all be key cogs on a contending team. It isn’t one size fits all and different people have different eyes for different things, valuing certain things over others so you get polarizing views at draft time.

 

[Magua]

Curious where you had Cody Glass. I am nowhere near your intellect and others when it comes to scouting but as a Winterhawks fan, watching Glass than Seth. Jarvis I couldn’t understand how Glass was a top five pick and Jarvis slipped.

It’s funny because I remember this one vividly. I did not like Cody Glass as much as others in my first few games. I moved him up because I wasn’t as confident back then. I thought he had good, not elite skill. Thought he was an NHL wing. I liked him. But my issue was he had serious issues physically. Lost it a lot, had trouble holding onto it with guys on him. Played more off puck in the OZ. He was competitive though, so you did wonder if physically he’d catch up. But he didn’t really, and the pace and the escapability just weren’t there to compensate.

It’s really easy to look good motoring up through an empty NZ in juniors….and then have no idea how to create space for yourself in the NHL. Because it isn’t just “there.” I need SOMETHING. Can you shield it exceptionally? Is it your burst? Do you have zero panic with sticks in reach? I struggle to like guys who I can’t imagine evading NHL checking and winning 1v1 somewhere someway. Short space skill + maneuvering is king. That’s why Cody Glass couldn’t cut it.

More WHL. I know why Yamamoto was a bust. I didn’t know what I know now. And I know why Stankoven wasn’t. Benson will be a fun case study. I’m pretty confident he’ll still get there for similar reasons. I can envision how he’ll win.

I didn’t watch Jarvis’ class at all. @FLYguy3911 was a huge fan though.

 

[PDX Flyer]

It’s funny because I remember this one vividly. I did not like Cody Glass as much as others in my first few games. I moved him up because I wasn’t as confident back then. I thought he had good, not elite skill. Thought he was an NHL wing. I liked him. But my issue was he had serious issues physically. Lost it a lot, had trouble holding onto it with guys on him. Played more off puck in the OZ. He was competitive though, so you did wonder if physically he’d catch up. But he didn’t really, and the pace and the escapability just weren’t there to compensate.

It’s really easy to look good motoring up through an empty NZ in juniors….and then have no idea how to create space for yourself in the NHL. Because it isn’t just “there.” I need SOMETHING. Can you shield it exceptionally? Is it your burst? Do you have zero panic with sticks in reach? I struggle to like guys who I can’t imagine evading NHL checking and winning 1v1 somewhere someway. Short space skill + maneuvering is king. That’s why Cody Glass couldn’t cut it.

More WHL. I know why Yamamoto was a bust. I didn’t know what I know now. And I know why Stankoven wasn’t. Benson will be a fun case study. I’m pretty confident he’ll still get there for similar reasons. I can envision how he’ll win.

I didn’t watch Jarvis’ class at all. @FLYguy3911 was a huge fan though.

Thank you for the insightful reply. Yeah Glass had Bitner as a power forward clearing up space for him also. Can’t remember the other winger. Those hawks teams were stacked too.

I might be mixing up years but iirc Carter Hart knocked Glass out two years in a row . They just couldn’t score in him. What could have been….

 

[BiggE]

I think about some former top 5ish guys. I had Dach and Hayton ranked like #15-18. Did I hate them? No. I just saw plenty of flaws (pace really) that irked me. Viable paths to being realistic 50ish point guys. But not easy projections.

Desnoyers is someone who in my head is that range of player. Sorta McQueen too. Less flawed than the above but less highs. You have these guys every class, adjusted by range. I see these skill-sets go in the 20s plenty. I’m sure you know: you do this long enough, you know what a top 5 or 10 player looks like in a vacuum.

Scouts once had Pat Falloon as the 2nd best player in his class, ahead of Scott Niedermayer and Peter Forsberg. Bet San Jose would like a do over.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Benson will be a fun case study. I’m pretty confident he’ll still get there for similar reasons. I can envision how he’ll win.

Benson was already a monster at 19. I don’t think you have to wait. HockeyViz had him being just as good as Tage this year as their best Forwards. Evolving Hockey had him as Buffalo’s best Skater.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but his defensive impacts via non-traditional methods were downright superb.

 

[Magua]

Scouts once had Pat Falloon as the 2nd best player in his class, ahead of Scott Niedermayer and Peter Forsberg. Bet San Jose would like a do over.

That’s ancient history though. Our information pool today is an ocean, not a pond. And we can stream any prospect in any league. We don’t have to pretend scouts are hockey Lewis and Clark.

And yet predictable mistakes keep getting made. It’s not a science. It’s still hard to know what’s right. But I think knowing what is wrong is actually not that hard. I said the other week: my negative side is scarily accurate, with only 2-3 exceptions over the years.

 

[Magua]

Benson was already a monster at 19. I don’t think you have to wait. HockeyViz had him being just as good as Tage this year as their best Forwards. Evolving Hockey had him as Buffalo’s best Skater.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but his defensive impacts via non-traditional methods were downright superb.

I’ve watched him only 2-3 times in the NHL, haven’t looked at a single paywall stat. If you told me he was mediocre, I wouldn’t have even minded given his age. I can describe every facet of his game like deadhead describing a prospect’s musculature. I KNOW how he was going to win despite or because he was one of the most non-traditional prospects I’ve watched.

Make sure you watch Carter Bear. Because he’s my Benson this class but with more normal NHL physical attributes. It’s so obvious that I’ll laugh in hindsight. Every way he wins on the ice scales up.

 

[Magua]

double post

 

[BiggE]

I’ve watched him only 2-3 times in the NHL, haven’t looked at a single paywall stat. If you told me he was mediocre, I wouldn’t have even minded given his age. I can describe every facet of his game like deadhead describing a prospect’s musculature. I KNOW how he was going to win despite or because he was one of the most non-traditional prospects I’ve watched.

Make sure you watch Carter Bear. Because he’s my Benson this class but with more normal NHL physical attributes. It’s so obvious that I’ll laugh in hindsight. Every way he wins on the ice scales up.

Don’t know if you do rankings but if so, who are your top 10 for 2025?

Mine are
1 Schaefer
2 Misa
3 Hagens
4 Martone
5 Frondell
6 Eklund
7 McQueen, yeah health is a big ?? but I think he has a higher ceiling than many
8 Bear
9 Desnoyers
10 Mrtka