Post your 2025 draft list
- Thread starter PatrickMcC
- Start date
As of August 2024, I really like this list as a synthesis of both last season and things we’ve seen and heard this summer, taking into account some trajectories and projections. Feels contemporary, with nods towards HG with risers like Schaefer, Martin, Fiddler, Stebetak, etc without feeling reactionary. And I think you’ve handled tile placement of the “micro-forwards” - Benak, Mooney and Schmidt - in a reasonable and realistic manner. Top five is also exactly as I would see it at the moment.
Questions would be…
- Highest I’ve seen Gastrin…love what I hear about him but is he dynamic enough to go that high? Is he that much better than say, Eric Nilson?
- Is Sjostrom also dynamic enough to go that high as an undersized blueliner?
- I think McKinney will rise this year for sure. I’d probably put him more where Gastrin is.
- He has his faults but I think Kevan deserves to be top 50 right now. I’m also not sure I’d rise Fiddler quite that much, as good as he’s been. I agree with PB, Rombach for me maybe is the more toolsy upside guy on that US HG blueline.
Nice job!
Can’t wait for PB and some others to do some post-Hlinka tweaks to their lists.
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Odd, laptop must have an old account!
Thanks for the feedback. I liked what I saw from Gastrin last year, and seeing him at the Hlinka confirms to me that he’s taken the next step! I could be too low on Nilson, but I feel Gastrin is tiers ahead.
I’d be curious to see updated sizing on these guys, Sjostrom looks like he’s grown a bit to me, I’d be curious to know where he’s at now.
McKinney is a rise potential for sure, especially with the space opening up on that team with the recent departures, him and Moore will be ones to keep a close eye on!
Kevan is 51, didn’t make for a nice sounding list though.
Very strong crop overall, stronger than the 2024 class, but the 2026 class looks even stronger!
Feel like Pablo Sanchez could be in the conversation for first overall this year
What do you think about some of the other Russians outside of Rybakin? Gotta believe the top 50 will have more than just him and Andreyanov when all is said and done from Russia. Just taking more of a wait and see approach with ranking them? Does not seem like a vintage class, although as a group, just hard to rank this early without some of the international exposure.
Limatov and Vilchinsky profile as big boy defenders who seem popular these days and I've seen both squarely in that late 1st/2nd round range. Murashov and Karimov intrigue up front although I don't know if either is a true top 50 guy. It'll be cool to see Karimov play in the OHL this year to get a read on him. Frolov seems very worth watching in net as well...I've seen some like him as much as Andreyanov. Hard to go wrong taking a Russian goalie prospect these days.
This also seems like a really strong goalie class year overall. Really strong.
Ravensbergen has the elite size and production that may give him a chance to go very high. Ivankovic is just awesome…I feel like his size may hurt his position a little but man is he good and a cool cucumber. Harenstam and Andreyenov have been hyped forever and have done little to stem any optimism. Stebetak looks like the real deal at HG. I mentioned Frolov…his stats weren’t far behind Andreyanov, he’s got better size and he’s Russian which bodes well for his draft stock. The Swedes have a slew of humongous project goalies. I know OHL followers are secretly pretty bullish on Jaeden Nelson. And it appears there are a few Swiss goalies worth following for sure.
Lots of talented and lots of big, athletic goalie prospects coming eligible for the first time. And who knows who may be this next year’s Nabokov or Gamzin overager or USHL find like Yegorov.
Ravensbergen has the elite size and production that may give him a chance to go very high. Ivankovic is just awesome…I feel like his size may hurt his position a little but man is he good and a cool cucumber. Harenstam and Andreyenov have been hyped forever and have done little to stem any optimism. Stebetak looks like the real deal at HG. I mentioned Frolov…his stats weren’t far behind Andreyanov, he’s got better size and he’s Russian which bodes well for his draft stock. The Swedes have a slew of humongous project goalies. I know OHL followers are secretly pretty bullish on Jaeden Nelson. And it appears there are a few Swiss goalies worth following for sure.
Lots of talented and lots of big, athletic goalie prospects coming eligible for the first time. And who knows who may be this next year’s Nabokov or Gamzin overager or USHL find like Yegorov.
Could change throughout the season, but it doesn’t feel like a particularly strong Russian crop this year. The 2008s look very good.
This class has a top 5-10 caliber guy in Ryabkin, and a contender for top goalie, in a year where there’s 3-4 strong contenders. But I haven’t seen much else to get excited about.
It's very early but my first impressions of this draft is that there is a solid top 5 (or so) but the quality seems to drop off pretty quickly after that and the depth is not remarkable. Much weaker first round than 2024. And unlike 2024 where there were a lot of talented big players, 2025 looks like there is an abundance of smaller players at a time when the NHL is going big. Too harsh?
- Jul 25, 2007
- 4,032
- 4,301
It does feel too early for this assessment IMHO. Last year in the fall, all the scouts and online lists were complaining that 2024 was an extremely weak draft year outside the top 6 D, including Celebrini being an uninspiring 1OA. By June, it was a high end 1OA and a very solid top 13-15 and then a very big mediocre tier from like 20-60 but overall an "average year." So who knows what's going to happen with the top 5, 10, 32.
Yes, mine was more of an impression than an assessment. A lot can and will change in the coming months.
Bounces R Way
Registered User
Ryabkin is definitely the real deal! Whether he goes top 5, I would already say unlikely because of how strong of a draft it looks to be, but he’s on pace to be a top 5, and maybe even top 3 talent in this class, regardless of where he gets picked.
He just smashed the U17 scoring records in the MHL.
He just smashed the U17 scoring records in the MHL.
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GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Here is my updated Ranking after the Hlinka.
| # | Name | Position | Team | League | Date of Birth | Height | Weight | Shoot |
| 1 | James Hagens | F | Boston College | NCAA | 2006-11-03 | 5'10" | 172 | L |
| 2 | Matthew Schaefer | D | Erie Otters | OHL | 2007-09-05 | 6'1" | 174 | L |
| 3 | Ivan Ryabkin | F | MHK Dynamo Moskva | MHL | 2007-04-25 | 6'0" | 170 | L |
| 4 | Anton Frondell | F | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-05-07 | 6'0" | 196 | L |
| 5 | Porter Martone | F | Brampton Steelheads | OHL | 2006-10-26 | 6'3" | 170 | R |
| 6 | Malcolm Spence | F | Erie Otters | OHL | 2006-09-22 | 6'2" | 192 | L |
| 7 | Roger McQueen | F | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 2006-10-02 | 6'5" | 190 | R |
| 8 | Logan Hensler | D | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2006-10-14 | 6'2" | 196 | R |
| 9 | Cole McKinney | F | U.S. National U18 Team | NTDP | 2007-03-16 | 6'0" | 190 | R |
| 10 | Reese Hamilton | D | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 2007-03-26 | 6'0" | 172 | L |
| 11 | Charlie Trethewey | D | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-08-02 | 6'1" | 190 | R |
| 12 | Michael Misa | F | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 2007-02-16 | 6'0" | 174 | L |
| 13 | Caleb Desnoyers | F | Moncton Wildcats | QMJHL | 2007-04-11 | 6'1" | 179 | L |
| 14 | Émile Guité | F | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 2007-05-31 | 6'1" | 174 | L |
| 15 | Victor Eklund | F | Djurgårdens IF | HockeyAllsvenskan | 2006-10-03 | 5'11" | 161 | R |
| 16 | William Moore | F | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-03-24 | 6'2" | 161 | L |
| 17 | Kurban Limatov | D | MHK Dynamo Moskva | MHL | 2007-03-20 | 6'4" | 187 | L |
| 18 | Sascha Boumedienne | D | Boston Univ. | NCAA | 2007-01-17 | 6'2" | 183 | L |
| 19 | Jakob Ihs-Wozniak | F | Luleå HF J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-02-01 | 6'3" | 185 | R |
| 20 | Jake O'Brien | F | Brantford Bulldogs | OHL | 2007-06-16 | 6'0" | 168 | R |
| 21 | Conrad Fondrk | F | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-06-01 | 5'11" | 174 | L |
| 22 | Alex Huang | D | Chicoutimi Saguenéens | QMJHL | 2007-07-30 | 6'0" | 170 | R |
| 23 | Radim Mrtka | D | HC Oceláři Třinec | Czechia | 2007-06-09 | 6'6" | 198 | R |
| 24 | Carlos Händel | D | Malmö Redhawks J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-03-31 | 6'1" | 168 | R |
| 25 | Carson Cameron | D | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 2007-06-27 | 6'1" | 174 | R |
| 26 | Jackson Smith | D | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 2007-05-13 | 6'3" | 190 | L |
| 27 | Milton Gästrin | F | MoDo Hockey J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-06-02 | 6'2" | 179 | L |
| 28 | Karl Annborn | D | HV71 J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-03-06 | 6'1" | 187 | R |
| 29 | Luka Radivojevic | D | Örebro HK | SHL | 2007-01-03 | 5'10" | 161 | R |
| 30 | Eric Nilson | F | Djurgårdens IF J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-05-11 | 6'0" | 154 | R |
| 31 | Benjamin Kevan | F | Des Moines Buccaneers | USHL | 2007-01-03 | 6'0" | 172 | R |
| 32 | Cullen Potter | F | Arizona State Univ. | NCAA | 2007-01-10 | 5'9" | 161 | L |
| 33 | Jordan Gavin | F | Tri-City Americans | WHL | 2006-11-13 | 5'11" | 181 | L |
| 34 | Filip Ekberg | F | Almtuna IS | HockeyAllsvenskan | 2007-04-14 | 5'10" | 168 | L |
| 35 | Benjamin Kindel | F | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 2007-04-19 | 5'10" | 176 | R |
| 36 | Blake Fiddler | D | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 2007-07-09 | 6'4" | 207 | R |
| 37 | Brady Martin | F | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 2007-03-16 | 6'0" | 176 | R |
| 38 | Bill Zonnon | F | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 2006-10-03 | 6'2" | 179 | L |
| 39 | Jesper Kotajärvi | D | Tappara | Liiga | 2007-07-24 | 5'11" | 179 | L |
| 40 | Quinn Beauchesne | D | Guelph Storm | OHL | 2007-03-01 | 6'0" | 183 | R |
| 41 | Artyom Vilchinsky | D | SKA-1946 St. Petersburg | MHL | 2006-09-16 | 6'6" | 240 | L |
| 42 | Max Westergård | F | Frölunda HC J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-09-03 | 5'11" | 161 | L |
| 43 | Jack Ivankovic | G | Brampton Steelheads | OHL | 2007-05-22 | 6'0" | 179 | L |
| 44 | Cam Reid | F | Wichita Thunder | ECHL | 1991-08-25 | 6'2" | 187 | L |
| 45 | Eetu Orpana | F | Tappara U20 | U20 SM-sarja | 2007-04-17 | 6'0" | 194 | L |
| 46 | Aiden Lane | F | St. Andrew's College | U18 AAA | 2007-02-04 | 6'1" | 183 | R |
| 47 | Pyotr Andreyanov | G | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva | MHL | 2007-01-22 | 6'0" | 207 | L |
| 48 | Yegor Murashev | F | MHK Spartak Moskva | MHL | 2007-07-20 | 5'10" | 174 | L |
| 49 | Adam Benák | F | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 2007-04-10 | 5'7" | 157 | L |
| 50 | Cole Reschny | F | Victoria Royals | WHL | 2007-04-06 | 5'10" | 183 | L |
| 51 | L.J. Mooney | F | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-03-08 | 5'6" | 146 | R |
| 52 | Viktor Klingsell | F | Skellefteå AIK J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-02-10 | 5'10" | 183 | L |
| 53 | Semyon Frolov | G | Ladia Togliatti | MHL | 2007-01-17 | 6'3" | 172 | L |
| 54 | Shamar Moses | F | Barrie Colts | OHL | 2007-05-06 | 6'1" | 209 | R |
| 55 | Ruslan Karimov | F | Sarnia Sting | OHL | 2007-04-27 | 6'0" | 198 | L |
| 56 | Cameron Schmidt | F | Vancouver Giants | WHL | 2007-01-19 | 5'8" | 152 | R |
| 57 | David Lewandowski | F | Düsseldorfer EG | DEL | 2007-02-20 | 6'1" | 172 | L |
| 58 | Kashawn Aitcheson | D | Barrie Colts | OHL | 2006-09-21 | 6'0" | 172 | L |
| 59 | Travis Hayes | F | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 2007-09-03 | 5'11" | 168 | R |
| 60 | Yaroslav Bryzgalov | F | Team Belarus U18 | Belarus Vysshaya | 2007-03-23 | 6'3" | 205 | L |
| 61 | Patryk Zubek | D | Barani Banska Bystrica U20 | Slovakia U20 | 2007-04-18 | 6'3" | 201 | L |
| 62 | Tyler Hopkins | F | Kingston Frontenacs | OHL | 2007-01-23 | 6'1" | 185 | L |
| 63 | Jan Skok | D | HC Plzeň | Czechia | 2006-10-31 | 6'0" | 198 | L |
| 64 | Jack Murtagh | F | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-08-22 | 6'0" | 185 | L |
| 65 | Max Bleicher | D | Owen Sound Attack | OHL | 2007-02-14 | 6'0" | 181 | L |
| 66 | Asher Barnett | D | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-05-16 | 6'0" | 185 | L |
| 67 | Caden Taylor | F | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 2007-03-31 | 6'3" | 185 | L |
| 68 | Joshua Ravensbergen | G | Prince George Cougars | WHL | 2006-11-27 | 6'4" | 181 | R |
| 69 | Andreas Straka | F | HK Poprad | Slovakia | 2007-07-04 | 6'1" | 183 | L |
| 70 | Zachary Morin | F | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 2007-01-25 | 6'1" | 187 | L |
| 71 | Carter Bear | F | Everett Silvertips | WHL | 2006-11-04 | 6'0" | 172 | L |
| 72 | Donato Bracco | D | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-07-26 | 5'10" | 161 | L |
| 73 | Drew Schock | D | USNTDP Juniors | USHL | 2007-02-07 | 5'10" | 159 | L |
| 74 | Luca Romano | F | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 2007-06-25 | 5'11" | 172 | R |
| 75 | Maxim Agafonov | D | Tolpar Ufa | MHL | 2007-04-10 | 6'0" | 179 | R |
| 76 | Nathan Behm | F | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 2007-04-18 | 6'2" | 198 | R |
| 77 | Peyton Kettles | D | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | 2007-09-01 | 6'5" | 190 | R |
| 78 | Braeden Cootes | F | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 2007-02-09 | 5'11" | 181 | R |
| 79 | Lucas Karmiris | F | Mississauga Steelheads | OHL | 2006-09-27 | 5'11" | 174 | L |
| 80 | Lynden Lakovic | F | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 2006-12-12 | 6'4" | 185 | L |
| 81 | Mikkel Eriksen | F | Färjestad BK J20 | J20 Nationell | 2007-09-13 | 5'11" | 181 | L |
| 82 | Matej Pekar | F | Ambrì-Piotta U20 | U20-Elit | 2007-09-08 | 5'10" | 159 | L |
| 83 | Tanner Lam | F | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 2007-07-14 | 5'10" | 150 | R |
| 84 | Kieren Dervin | F | St. Andrew's College | U18 AAA | 2007-03-31 | 6'1" | 170 | L |
| 85 | Vít Záhejský | F | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 2007-08-10 | 5'10" | 170 | R |
LeProspector
AINEC
- Feb 14, 2017
- 5,339
- 6,177
I like how the 3 tiny dynamic forwards are listed back-to-back-to-back. Imagine if they were all at least 6’? They’d all have a claim at being top-5 picks I’d think.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Handel is that good, he was a wagon for Germany at the Hlinka. Great two way game, strong skater and has size. Can’t see him getting picked past the second round. He’s legit.
Limatov is a horse also, fantastic size, mobility and defensive fundamentals while having some offensive creativity also. I know not many people have seen much of the Russian ‘07 class - But Limatov will go in the first round this season. And has potential to go top-10.
what can you say about the two Russian centers Gleb Semenov and Kirill Yemelyanov? and what place would they take in your ranking? because now there is a big problem that few scouts watch Russian players, although there are really good hockey players there.
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GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Yemelyanov is a guy I think has the potential to move up lists as the season goes by. Love his motor, work ethic and ability to maintain possession of the puck in tight spaces - naturally he’s a very good net front player as a result and he hasn’t even begun filling out his frame yet, so there is potential for further growth here! He’s a smart player who is able to read plays well and positions himself accordingly to best support the play at either end of the rink. His shot is great too, it has a snappiness to it that lead’s me to believe it could get more dangerous as he matures and gets more confident in letting it fly more. There’s a lot to like from Yemelyanov, I personally do.
As for Semenov - I’m not as sure about him yet, I think that as a big guy, he has a surprising amount of finesse, I’ve seen him make some pretty difficult passes and he is flat out unfair when he gets possession of the puck down low, he is so good at leveraging his size and strength advantage. I think he could be a great net front presence in the OHL this year - but I don’t hold much hope he gets drafted.
flamebird
Registered User
- Jul 28, 2007
- 948
- 163
#44 Cam Reid -- OHL, Kitchener -- needs his information updated. Currently has information of another Cam Reid
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
Here’s 10 thoughts I have from this class early on:
1: I see a lot of people early on with Sacha Boumedienne pretty high on their initial lists (some top-10) I don’t see him that high, he gives me thoughts that maybe he peaked at an earlier age and is starting to show less and less progression as others around him have started to accelerate with their progression and passed him. Something to watch this year.
2: Expect Brady Martin to really explode this season - he has a lot of tools to really like and if he can find the offence we saw before he got drafted into the OHL, he could be a guy that challenges for a top-10 pick this year. People talk about Porter Martone as a modern day power forward and I think Martin has similar qualities but hasn’t found the offence yet in the OHL.
3: For the first time in a while, Quebec and the maritime region looks to have a strong crop that could produce multiple first round selections. Caleb Desnoyers and Emile Guite lead the charge and look to be potential top-10 challengers but you also have Alex Huang who is one of the smoothest skaters in the draft and a guy that comes in the mould of the Quinn Hughes/Cale Makars that people love as of late, and Zachary Morin who is looking to have a great draft season in the USHL.
4: It might be just me, but had anyone been disappointed in the progression we have seen from Michael Misa? Maybe it’s a case of a guy that wasn’t able to showcase his true potential on a couple of really good Saginaw teams but I can’t help but feel he hasn’t lived up to his “Exceptional Status” billing. He isn’t as disappointing as say Sean Day - but maybe he’s more of a Joe Veleno instead.
5: I have already shared my opinions on Kurban Limatov and how good I think he is, but another Russian prospect I think will surprise this year is Yegor Murashev - he has that “it” factor that a lot of talented offensive prospects have, is a fantastic skater, great vision and high offensive IQ - he is a guy I can see get taken pretty high if things go his way this season. He reminds me of Artemi Panarin and may be taller than his listed 5’10 measurement on EP. Maybe an underrated kid to look at this year.
6: Super weak year from Finland - Kotajarvi is similar to Oliwer Sjostrom in that they’re talented puck moving defenders that haven’t seen significant growth leading up to their draft seasons so although talented, they may not be big enough to really get teams exited on draft day. As of now, I don’t know if I see a first round Finnish prospect - and their best bets seem to be Eetu Orpana, Max Westsrgård and Lasse Boelius
7: This is going to be a good year for Germany, you will see a minimum of 2 Germans drafted this year in Carlos Handel and David Lewandowski unless things go terribly wrong for both. Handel, I think will challenge for a first round selection. That being said, it may not be as good as once anticipated. One of the nations most talented players in Dustin Willhöft who many of us Germans were excited about is only 5’7” and although has the “it” factor, is much too small to warrant a selection barring a massive season. The Grivas twins are great internationally but lack the nessadary skating refinement to be considered legitimate prospects for the draft. Max Bleicher who I’m particularly bullish on has similar deficiencies as the Grivas in that his skating isn’t great and will need a great season in the CHL to be considered a legitimate option by NHL teams. Matheu Spath, Elias Schneider, Sebastian Zwickl and Rio Kaiser have potential also, but will need great seasons to legitimately get on the map of NHL teams. We’ll see, I hope I’m wrong.
8: James Hagens is the clear #1 favourite right now - that being said it’s not like he doesn’t have any challengers. You have two OHL guys in Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer that could poise a challenge for the spot. Martone is the best player on one of the projected best teams in the CHL plays a power forward style game that NHL teams love and a player type that becomes infinitely more valuable come playoff time. Schaefer projects at an all situations #1 that really doesn’t have a flaw in his game. He needs to show an uptick in his offence since that was nowhere to be found last season but there is an elite player here that could make a push for #1.
#9: the goaltending depth in this class looks quite good from the offset lots of potential here and although some guys are lacking size, they have shown well consistently internationally for their nations. Ivankovic, Andreyanov, Frolov, Haremstam, Kerkola, Ravensbergen, Pradel, Neuenschwander, Goos, Denault among many other have shown promise. This could be a very good goalie year.
10: for my last point, I’ll give you 5 players that I really like that are flying under the radar right now.
1: Yaroslavl Bryzgalov
Intelligent centre man with great vision but a lack of pace. Like his ability to create when given space, deadly on the PP. Want to see what he does in better league this season.
2: Briir Long
This is a long shot, but I was one of Long’s biggest fans leading up the the 2023 OHL draft, he went later than I was expecting but he responded with an outright dominant season in the GOJHL. He has high end offensive potential and has the tools to be a play driver in the OHL. Question will be if he has the pace to keep up.
3: Eddie Genborg
Physical power forward that is always giving his all when on the ice. May not be able to drive play much but could be a very could complementary piece to more talented linemates.
4: Kadon McCann
With the season Gavin McKenna just had, it’s pretty easy to forget about McCann - the big forward is very smart and can read plays very well. He goes to the front of the net and uses his size well to gain positioning in front. Could be a big season ahead for McCann. Also shoutout to Jack Kachkowski from Medicine Hat, also.
5: Aiden Lane
A fantastic two-way player, Lane will be the guy to watch that comes out of St. Andrew’s College this season. Very smart player that can put the puck in the net. Good at getting in good spots to score. Expect a big year for SAC this season
1: I see a lot of people early on with Sacha Boumedienne pretty high on their initial lists (some top-10) I don’t see him that high, he gives me thoughts that maybe he peaked at an earlier age and is starting to show less and less progression as others around him have started to accelerate with their progression and passed him. Something to watch this year.
2: Expect Brady Martin to really explode this season - he has a lot of tools to really like and if he can find the offence we saw before he got drafted into the OHL, he could be a guy that challenges for a top-10 pick this year. People talk about Porter Martone as a modern day power forward and I think Martin has similar qualities but hasn’t found the offence yet in the OHL.
3: For the first time in a while, Quebec and the maritime region looks to have a strong crop that could produce multiple first round selections. Caleb Desnoyers and Emile Guite lead the charge and look to be potential top-10 challengers but you also have Alex Huang who is one of the smoothest skaters in the draft and a guy that comes in the mould of the Quinn Hughes/Cale Makars that people love as of late, and Zachary Morin who is looking to have a great draft season in the USHL.
4: It might be just me, but had anyone been disappointed in the progression we have seen from Michael Misa? Maybe it’s a case of a guy that wasn’t able to showcase his true potential on a couple of really good Saginaw teams but I can’t help but feel he hasn’t lived up to his “Exceptional Status” billing. He isn’t as disappointing as say Sean Day - but maybe he’s more of a Joe Veleno instead.
5: I have already shared my opinions on Kurban Limatov and how good I think he is, but another Russian prospect I think will surprise this year is Yegor Murashev - he has that “it” factor that a lot of talented offensive prospects have, is a fantastic skater, great vision and high offensive IQ - he is a guy I can see get taken pretty high if things go his way this season. He reminds me of Artemi Panarin and may be taller than his listed 5’10 measurement on EP. Maybe an underrated kid to look at this year.
6: Super weak year from Finland - Kotajarvi is similar to Oliwer Sjostrom in that they’re talented puck moving defenders that haven’t seen significant growth leading up to their draft seasons so although talented, they may not be big enough to really get teams exited on draft day. As of now, I don’t know if I see a first round Finnish prospect - and their best bets seem to be Eetu Orpana, Max Westsrgård and Lasse Boelius
7: This is going to be a good year for Germany, you will see a minimum of 2 Germans drafted this year in Carlos Handel and David Lewandowski unless things go terribly wrong for both. Handel, I think will challenge for a first round selection. That being said, it may not be as good as once anticipated. One of the nations most talented players in Dustin Willhöft who many of us Germans were excited about is only 5’7” and although has the “it” factor, is much too small to warrant a selection barring a massive season. The Grivas twins are great internationally but lack the nessadary skating refinement to be considered legitimate prospects for the draft. Max Bleicher who I’m particularly bullish on has similar deficiencies as the Grivas in that his skating isn’t great and will need a great season in the CHL to be considered a legitimate option by NHL teams. Matheu Spath, Elias Schneider, Sebastian Zwickl and Rio Kaiser have potential also, but will need great seasons to legitimately get on the map of NHL teams. We’ll see, I hope I’m wrong.
8: James Hagens is the clear #1 favourite right now - that being said it’s not like he doesn’t have any challengers. You have two OHL guys in Porter Martone and Matthew Schaefer that could poise a challenge for the spot. Martone is the best player on one of the projected best teams in the CHL plays a power forward style game that NHL teams love and a player type that becomes infinitely more valuable come playoff time. Schaefer projects at an all situations #1 that really doesn’t have a flaw in his game. He needs to show an uptick in his offence since that was nowhere to be found last season but there is an elite player here that could make a push for #1.
#9: the goaltending depth in this class looks quite good from the offset lots of potential here and although some guys are lacking size, they have shown well consistently internationally for their nations. Ivankovic, Andreyanov, Frolov, Haremstam, Kerkola, Ravensbergen, Pradel, Neuenschwander, Goos, Denault among many other have shown promise. This could be a very good goalie year.
10: for my last point, I’ll give you 5 players that I really like that are flying under the radar right now.
1: Yaroslavl Bryzgalov
Intelligent centre man with great vision but a lack of pace. Like his ability to create when given space, deadly on the PP. Want to see what he does in better league this season.
2: Briir Long
This is a long shot, but I was one of Long’s biggest fans leading up the the 2023 OHL draft, he went later than I was expecting but he responded with an outright dominant season in the GOJHL. He has high end offensive potential and has the tools to be a play driver in the OHL. Question will be if he has the pace to keep up.
3: Eddie Genborg
Physical power forward that is always giving his all when on the ice. May not be able to drive play much but could be a very could complementary piece to more talented linemates.
4: Kadon McCann
With the season Gavin McKenna just had, it’s pretty easy to forget about McCann - the big forward is very smart and can read plays very well. He goes to the front of the net and uses his size well to gain positioning in front. Could be a big season ahead for McCann. Also shoutout to Jack Kachkowski from Medicine Hat, also.
5: Aiden Lane
A fantastic two-way player, Lane will be the guy to watch that comes out of St. Andrew’s College this season. Very smart player that can put the puck in the net. Good at getting in good spots to score. Expect a big year for SAC this season
You're sleeping on Reschny. He's Brayden Point. Wait and see. Someone is going to get an absolute steal in the back half of the 1st round or early 2nd. He's going to be a top 5 player from this class.
Briser la glace
Registered User
This is way too early, it changes every week, and I haven't scouted every player, but here's what I have for now :
1. HAGENS, James
--
2. MARTONE, Porter
3. SCHAEFER, Matthew
4. RYABKIN, Ivan
5. FRONDELL, Anton
--
6. MCQUEEN, Roger
7. MISA, Michael
8. SPENCE, Malcolm
9. HENSLER, Logan
--
10. LAKOVIC, Lynden
11. O'BRIEN, Jake
12. DESNOYERS, Caleb
13. FIDDLER, Blake
14. CARBONNEAU, Justin
15. TRETHEWEY, Charlie
16. BENAK, Adam
17. RESCHNY, Cole
18. EKLUND, Victor
19. FONDRK, Conrad
--
20. MRTKA, Radim
21. RHEAUME-MULLEN, Dakoda
22. MOORE, William
23. GUITE, Emile
24. IHS-WOZNIAK, Jakob
25. KEVAN, Benjamin
26. ROMBACH, Jacob
27. ANNBORN, Karl
28. HUANG, Alex
29. AITCHESON, Kashawn
30. GASTRIN, Milton
31. SIMPSON, Cooper
--
32. ZAHEJSKY, Vit
33. BOUMEDIENNE, Sascha
34. ZONNON, Bill
35. KLINGSELL, Viktor
36. VILCHINSKY, Artyom
37. MCKINNEY, Cole
38. LEWANDOWSKI, David
39. STURGEON, Connor
40. VANSAGHI, Shane
1. HAGENS, James
--
2. MARTONE, Porter
3. SCHAEFER, Matthew
4. RYABKIN, Ivan
5. FRONDELL, Anton
--
6. MCQUEEN, Roger
7. MISA, Michael
8. SPENCE, Malcolm
9. HENSLER, Logan
--
10. LAKOVIC, Lynden
11. O'BRIEN, Jake
12. DESNOYERS, Caleb
13. FIDDLER, Blake
14. CARBONNEAU, Justin
15. TRETHEWEY, Charlie
16. BENAK, Adam
17. RESCHNY, Cole
18. EKLUND, Victor
19. FONDRK, Conrad
--
20. MRTKA, Radim
21. RHEAUME-MULLEN, Dakoda
22. MOORE, William
23. GUITE, Emile
24. IHS-WOZNIAK, Jakob
25. KEVAN, Benjamin
26. ROMBACH, Jacob
27. ANNBORN, Karl
28. HUANG, Alex
29. AITCHESON, Kashawn
30. GASTRIN, Milton
31. SIMPSON, Cooper
--
32. ZAHEJSKY, Vit
33. BOUMEDIENNE, Sascha
34. ZONNON, Bill
35. KLINGSELL, Viktor
36. VILCHINSKY, Artyom
37. MCKINNEY, Cole
38. LEWANDOWSKI, David
39. STURGEON, Connor
40. VANSAGHI, Shane
1. James Hagens
2. Matthew Schaefer
3. Porter Martone
4. Ivan Ryabkin
5. Michael Misa
6. Anton Frondell
7. Logan Hensler
8. Roger McQueen
9. William Moore
10. Caleb Desnoyers
11. Brady Martin
12. Charlie Trethaway
13. Malcolm Spence
14. Radim Mrtka
15. Cole Reschny
16. Carter Amico
17. Artyom Vilchinsky
18. Emile Guite
19. Kurban Limatov
20. Jakob Ihs-Wozniak
21. Adam Benak
22. Jake O'Brien
23. Conrad Fondrk
24. Sacha Boumdienne
25. Cole McKinney
26. Jack Ivankovic
27. Luka Radivojevic
28. Joshua Ravensbergen
29. Kashawn Aitchison
30. Jackson Smith
31. Cullen Potter
32. Justin Carbonneau
2. Matthew Schaefer
3. Porter Martone
4. Ivan Ryabkin
5. Michael Misa
6. Anton Frondell
7. Logan Hensler
8. Roger McQueen
9. William Moore
10. Caleb Desnoyers
11. Brady Martin
12. Charlie Trethaway
13. Malcolm Spence
14. Radim Mrtka
15. Cole Reschny
16. Carter Amico
17. Artyom Vilchinsky
18. Emile Guite
19. Kurban Limatov
20. Jakob Ihs-Wozniak
21. Adam Benak
22. Jake O'Brien
23. Conrad Fondrk
24. Sacha Boumdienne
25. Cole McKinney
26. Jack Ivankovic
27. Luka Radivojevic
28. Joshua Ravensbergen
29. Kashawn Aitchison
30. Jackson Smith
31. Cullen Potter
32. Justin Carbonneau
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