pre-Hlinka 2025 Preliminary List

[Draftin Europe]

Freely available at the bottom of this post:

pre-Hlinka 2025 List – Draftin Europe

It's a first-time-draft-eligible skaters-only list, featuring almost 70 players ordered by tier.

This release provides a free look over our pre-Hlinka full board pertaining to countries attending the tournament, and it is the starting point (for those countries) for our draft-season evaluation process that eventually leads to the final rankings.
Obviously, it also opens the door for discussions here.

For now we have six A-rated prospect, would obviously be at least seven if Russia was included.
The plan is for this preliminary list to become full (i.e. to include EU-based prospects from other countries as well, most notably Russia) with the Summer Blue Dispatch. Hopefully that number will increase by then.

The Summer Blue Dispatch release is tentatively scheduled for September 16, around the same time Bob Mckenzie's pre-season list usually comes out (so I guess we can also still call "pre-season rankings" our Summer Blue Dispatch lists, despite the late summer release ).
On top of overall and by-country rankings for 2025, that publication will also cover future drafts and profile players.

It will also be the last time prospects leaving to spend their draft season in North America will appear on our rankings.

Click to read more...

 

[Erikfromfin]

Like your list of Finns. Personally I have 2 other longshots Frans Viita who is small weak winger really bad on boards and battles but has done good job scoring in juniors. And also Rasmus Baggström stands out among Finns as most physical and tackling bulky player, is that enough to garner interest among NHL team since he can score goals too.

Looking forward to Summer BD.

 

[Czechboy]

Benak as a B is concerning.. he's already dropping. Mrtka is an A is very encouraging.

 

[Draftin Europe]

Like your list of Finns. Personally I have 2 other longshots Frans Viita who is small weak winger really bad on boards and battles but has done good job scoring in juniors. And also Rasmus Baggström stands out among Finns as most physical and tackling bulky player, is that enough to garner interest among NHL team since he can score goals too.

Looking forward to Summer BD.

About Viita, what you mentioned about his boards play and battles is certainly part of the decision to leave him out (at least for now), but another issue is his skating, which didn't look good enough in our viewings.

Baggström's production has always been underwhelming, I'd say concerning enough to take a conservative approach and see what he can do this season

 

[Draftin Europe]

The pre-Hlinka Top 20 has also been released

2025 Pre-Hlinka Top 20 – Draftin Europe

Unlike the tiers list, this pertains to all European countries (Russia included)

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I see 10 names. Not six.

 

[Draftin Europe]

I see 10 names. Not six.

Not sure why there should be six?

Above your post is the top half of a Top 20 ranking

 

[GettingYourMoms]

Benak as a B is concerning.. he's already dropping. Mrtka is an A is very encouraging.

Not concerning at all, Benak does not give a single one. There´s alot of mrtkas making those rankings on draftineu.net

 

[Draftin Europe]

There´s alot of mrtkas making those rankings on draftineu.net

That is to say?

 

[Draftin Europe]

Benak as a B is concerning.. he's already dropping. Mrtka is an A is very encouraging.

Re: Benak

https://x.com/i/web/status/1820527742905102625

another obvious thing is so far he has struggled to be effective at his size vs older/stronger opponents.

An encouraging trait he has is the effort on the other side of the puck is consistently there, for a skill player it's nice to see. With his skills and attitude on the ice there is a good base to become a decent player at least, hopefully he'll manage to add some more deception to his finishing attempts

 

[Czechboy]

Re: Benak

https://x.com/i/web/status/1820527742905102625

another obvious thing is so far he has struggled to be effective at his size vs older/stronger opponents.

An encouraging trait he has is the effort on the other side of the puck is consistently there, for a skill player it's nice to see. With his skills and attitude on the ice there is a good base to become a decent player at least, hopefully he'll manage to add some more deception to his finishing attempts

I don't disagree but I will say that I've never seen him play players his own age. He's always playing above his age group. Extraliga is men. Hlinka last year as an under ager. Curious how Hlinka goes as that is first time I will see him play players his age.

 

[Draftin Europe]

About the tiers full list, use this link if you are checking that out on mobile:

https://www.draftineu.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/pre-Hlinka-prel-List-fix.pdf

that website table is awful to view on mobile
(the mobile link above was also added to the release website post, but most probably didn't see it)

 

[BKarchitect]

Great stuff as always...for those of us who are mostly stat and highlight clip watchers, especially when it comes to guys across the pond, it is always enlightening to hear from sourced that clearly actually spend time watching these kids!

 

[Hinterland]

You really think Ekberg isn't more than a 4th/5th round candidate? Schenk isn't even a 6th/7th round candidate?

 

[BKarchitect]

@Draftin Europe Can you tell us a little more about Kucharcik? You've got a 'B' (2nd/3rd) round grade on him. I've seen very little talk about him even from Czech watchers - maybe because he was playing second-tier even at U20 last year. But he did make the Czech Hlinka team so obviously you aren't the only ones who like him.

What is his game and projection like?

Likewise for Zeb Lindgren among the Swedes...little talk of him even on the Sweden sub-forum and he is the other guy in the A/B group that I've really heard nothing about. Like Kucharcik, he made his nation for Hlinka so another guy who looks rising.

 

[Draftin Europe]

@Draftin Europe Can you tell us a little more about Kucharcik? You've got a 'B' (2nd/3rd) round grade on him. I've seen very little talk about him even from Czech watchers - maybe because he was playing second-tier even at U20 last year. But he did make the Czech Hlinka team so obviously you aren't the only ones who like him.

What is his game and projection like?

Likewise for Zeb Lindgren among the Swedes...little talk of him even on the Sweden sub-forum and he is the other guy in the A/B group that I've really heard nothing about. Like Kucharcik, he made his nation for Hlinka so another guy who looks rising.

They are both among the most intriguing prospects in this class for us, because of some projectable traits we like and the room for progress we see.

Like this suggests, there is more projection involved in those players' rating than with most others listed. Realistically, we shouldn't expect them to outplay some other readier lower-rated prospects at the beginning of the season. Even less so in this tournament, played in the smaller rink, something they are not used to and that doesn't help with their current limitations.

Both players were already included in the 2023 Summer Blue Dispach btw, that was one full year ago, so we have been liking them for a while and this past season they kept trending in the right direction for us.

Kucharcik is a lanky center that can use his stickhandling to beat opponents one-on-one and likes to drive the slot. It's early in his development to predict what he could become (if anything) at the next level, but middle-six centerman is what we are hoping for long term.

LIndgren is a rangy defenseman that we think will have the reach and mobility to be effective at the next level. Can defend the rush and once fully developed size should be a strength. He is competent with the puck as well, he can occasionally show it on the breakout for example. Maybe still not quick and confident enough to make more than basic plays with the puck at the Hlinka, though.

They are the kind of prospects that at this stage need a bit more time and space to show their stuff.