Prospect Info: The 2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[S E P H]

Las Vegas Sphere, Las Vegas, NV (Placeholder)
The Draft will be held on June 28th and 29th, 2024 (Placeholder)​

Rankings
Bob McKenzie's Preliminary: James Hagens in pole position for top spot at 2025 NHL Draft | TSN
Bob McKenzie's Midseason: N/A
Bob McKenzie's Final: N/A

Scott Wheeler 2025 Preseason: N/A

HockeyProspects Rankings: N/A

Mock Draft

2025 NHL Mock Draft | 2025 NHL Draft | NHL Draft

2025 NHL Mock Draft and NHL Draft History. 2025 NHL Draft prospect videos, stats, and written profiles updated throughout the year.

www.mynhldraft.com

2025 NHL Mock Draft with Lottery Simulator | Tankathon

2025 NHL Mock Draft with lottery simulator to see where the top NHL prospects could be drafted. Order updated after every game. Some team needs are factored into each draft simulation result

www.tankathon.com

Database of Players

Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

List and rankings of all top prospects eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft

www.eliteprospects.com

Click to read more...

 

[henchman21]

Luka for nepotism.

 

[BobRossColton]

What?! No goalie??

 

[S E P H]

What?! No goalie??

Ivankovic looks really good, as well as Elijah Neuenschwander. I am not sure Avs draft any goalers now after drafting three this summer.

 

[BobRossColton]

Ivankovic looks really good, as well as Elijah Neuenschwander. I am not sure Avs draft any goalers now after drafting three this summer.

I was mostly joking, but forgot the . Good to know for goalies though.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Can’t draft anyone named Ivan. When playing next to Ivan Ivan they might get an inferiority complex for being Ivan-deficient.

Is every 4th 17-20 year old named Caleb? Do parents realize that this name means dog?

Anton Frondell would involve too much time explaining that it’s not Anton Lundell.

Why are there so many hyphenated names? How many times can one kid be adopted? Wake me up when there are at least two hyphens.

Going with Hagens, Hensler, or McQueen.

Maybe it’s a Steve McQueen bias but Roger McQueen seems to ooze success. Plus imagine all the chess puns like “they brought the McQueen out early”.

 

[McMetal]

The most important question is: what sarcastic pneumonic mantra will tanking teams be using this year? Hagens is a tough one to rhyme with, there's no easy "Fail for Nail" or "Lose for Hughes" for that one.

Fadin' for Hagens? That's weak, I know, but we have to start working on this now before the season starts so we know how to properly wail and moan in the GDTs every time we lose.

 

[Metallo]

The most important question is: what sarcastic pneumonic mantra will tanking teams be using this year? Hagens is a tough one to rhyme with, there's no easy "Fail for Nail" or "Lose for Hughes" for that one.

Fadin' for Hagens? That's weak, I know, but we have to start working on this now before the season starts so we know how to properly wail and moan in the GDTs every time we lose.

I'm winded just trying to think of one.

 

[S E P H]

James Hagens in pole position for top spot at 2025 NHL Draft | TSN

The Boston College freshman centre is the near-unanimous choice for No. 1 on Bob McKenzie's annual Pre-Season Ranking for the 2025 draft.

www.tsn.ca

 

[Pokecheque]

Keanu Reeves was pretty good in Johnny Pneumonic.

 

[Foppa2118]

Can’t draft anyone named Ivan. When playing next to Ivan Ivan they might get an inferiority complex for being Ivan-deficient.

On the bright side, we can save cap space by icing a line with three Ivan's, but only paying for two.

 

[John Mandalorian]

On the bright side, we can save cap space by icing a line with three Ivan's, but only paying for two.

You’re saying an Ivan divided against itself can stand? Also, do you really trust a line capable of pulling Crazy Ivan’s?

 

[Foppa2118]

From training camp thread:

I think its just a result of how bad we draft and not the team intentionally giving opportunities/projecting players who arent ready. Maybe we should just never draft players in positions of need and just go with BPA and then make trades? Maybe will work.

I've been wondering about this for a long time, and I think the issue might be their over emphasis on "skill" outside the top 10.

The Avs as an organization are great at identifying skill. Both their amateur and pro scouts.

But we've seen so many skill players just never make it, because they're too one dimensional, or not willing enough to battle through the adversity to make the NHL, or not willing to adapt their style to what works in the NHL, especially in Bednar's system, to show that skill.

IMO they need to target more players with grit.

If a young player plays with grit, they likely have the mental fortitude to battle through the adversity to make the NHL. Like LOC.

If a young player plays with grit, they're likely a hard worker, with a high compete level. Both needed attributes in a bottom six role on a Bednar team, and aspects missing from their skill prospects that never make it.

If a young player plays with grit, they're not a top 6 or bust prospect, they can be a 4th liner, or even a 13th forward. Both roles they're always looking to fill and don't always do so adequately.

If a young player plays with grit, that means they're willing to do the dirty work, which means there's a better chance they're "coachable" and willing to focus on the details the coach wants, not just looking for opportunities to show their skill. Like LOC and Kovalenko.

If a young player plays with grit, they're showing their desire to do what's needed to make the NHL in any role they can, which means they may be willing to improve their puck skill. Again like LOC and Kovalenko did after being drafted.

Outside the top 10, where their ability to identify skill has really helped them, they should focus on skating and grit, with some modicum of puck skill. They don't have to have a good shot, or produce a lot of points, but they should just be able to handle the puck decently while skating.

They should always be looking for guys like LOC and Kovalenko IMO. That's the prototypical Bednar player, and both look to be the rare example of Avalanche draftees finding an NHL role.

 

[Pokecheque]

From training camp thread:


I've been wondering about this for a long time, and I think the issue might be their over emphasis on "skill" outside the top 10.

The Avs as an organization are great at identifying skill. Both their amateur and pro scouts.

But we've seen so many skill players just never make it, because they're too one dimensional, or not willing enough to battle through the adversity to make the NHL, or not willing to adapt their style to what works in the NHL, especially in Bednar's system, to show that skill.

IMO they need to target more players with grit.

If a young player plays with grit, they likely have the mental fortitude to battle through the adversity to make the NHL. Like LOC.

If a young player plays with grit, they're likely a hard worker, with a high compete level. Both needed attributes in a bottom six role on a Bednar team, and aspects missing from their skill prospects that never make it.

If a young player plays with grit, they're not a top 6 or bust prospect, they can be a 4th liner, or even a 13th forward. Both roles they're always looking to fill and don't always do so adequately.

If a young player plays with grit, that means they're willing to do the dirty work, which means there's a better chance they're "coachable" and willing to focus on the details the coach wants, not just looking for opportunities to show their skill. Like LOC and Kovalenko.

If a young player plays with grit, they're showing their desire to do what's needed to make the NHL in any role they can, which means they may be willing to improve their puck skill. Again like LOC and Kovalenko did after being drafted.

Outside the top 10, where their ability to identify skill has really helped them, they should focus on skating and grit, with some modicum of puck skill. They don't have to have a good shot, or produce a lot of points, but they should just be able to handle the puck decently while skating.

They should always be looking for guys like LOC and Kovalenko IMO. That's the prototypical Bednar player, and both look to be the rare example of Avalanche draftees finding an NHL role.

I dunno, they kinda went the "grit" direction under Pracey and came up with absolutely nothing, so many "jack of all trades, master of none" types. You could argue Mitchell Heard was a "grit" pick. A meathead through and through if his online presence is any indication. And a lot of teams who just decided they needed to get tougher (Buffalo did this under Regier) utterly decimated their organizations.

I think the philosophical change that started under Hepple was absolutely the right way to go, it was the execution that sucked. Most people who are in the know (or claim they're in the know) say you should take home run swings whenever you can in the draft. Go for skill as much as possible. Problem is, the Avs still absolutely suck at picking the right players. What seems to trip them up more than anything is skating. More often than not they always pick a guy with the puck skill, but then he moves with the agility of a beached whale carcass. And then when they DO get a guy with the size, the speed, and the skill, he's Sampo Ranta.

To a point, I agree with you, it comes down to finding projectable traits. I'd look at skating first. If they have NHL-level speed or something approaching it, then obviously they have still have to have other qualities, but the bar isn't quite as high. But if they don't, then any other skills they got have to be, like, off the charts good, whether it's hockey sense, puck skill, etc. So whether it's a grinder or a sniper, speed is the first hurdle they gotta clear.

 

[Foppa2118]

I dunno, they kinda went the "grit" direction under Pracey and came up with absolutely nothing, so many "jack of all trades, master of none" types. You could argue Mitchell Heard was a "grit" pick. A meathead through and through if his online presence is any indication. And a lot of teams who just decided they needed to get tougher (Buffalo did this under Regier) utterly decimated their organizations.

I think the philosophical change that started under Hepple was absolutely the right way to go, it was the execution that sucked. Most people who are in the know (or claim they're in the know) say you should take home run swings whenever you can in the draft. Go for skill as much as possible. Problem is, the Avs still absolutely suck at picking the right players. What seems to trip them up more than anything is skating. More often than not they always pick a guy with the puck skill, but then he moves with the agility of a beached whale carcass. And then when they DO get a guy with the size, the speed, and the skill, he's Sampo Ranta.

To a point, I agree with you, it comes down to finding projectable traits. I'd look at skating first. If they have NHL-level speed or something approaching it, then obviously they have still have to have other qualities, but the bar isn't quite as high. But if they don't, then any other skills they got have to be, like, off the charts good, whether it's hockey sense, puck skill, etc. So whether it's a grinder or a sniper, speed is the first hurdle they gotta clear.

True, but Pracey also went after a lot of smaller skill players too. I'm not sure they had a well thought out philosophy in general back then, so they ended up with a lot of misses.

They're not all gonna pan out, but if they pick more guys with grit, they improve their chances IMO. Looking for skill outside the top 10 seems seems to be a failing strategy.

As long as they can skate, and have decent puck skills, these guys can play lots of roles up and down the lineup, and they also have a chance to improve their skill level like LOC and Kovy did.

It's a better bet to hope a gritty hard worker who can skate, can improve his puck skills to an NHL level, than it is hoping a softer, often smaller skill player, can improve their defense, grit, and intangibles to an NHL level. That's often just inherent to who someone is.