Upside Hockey's 2025 NHL Draft Rankings — January Edition Top 224

[UpsideHockey]

Just released:

Our Top 224 rankings with a new number one rated prospect

- Our exclusive rankings go well beyond the first round - over 350 prospects included in this version
- Check out the tabs along the bottom such as Defense, Under 5'11, etc. for various unique rankings
- Quick access to Elite Prospects profile linked for each prospect for updated stats; click on the respective prospect name
- We have in-depth scouting profiles from our profiler Sandman embedded/linked within the rankings spreadsheet. As the prospect profiles are completed on our dedicated 2025 profiles page, they will under the third column "UH" (Upside Hockey) - simply click on that to be taken to that respective profile. For the 2024 NHL draft, we completed over 240!

Upside Hockey's 2025 NHL Draft Rankings — January Edition

^link to the full rankings spreadsheet in the above Substack post

Click to read more...

 

[UpsideHockey]

Who's...too high? too low? omitted?

 

[jtechkid]

I don’t see Hensler at # 10 - he does nothing really good and has been fading in lot mock drafts . Only reason he’s there outside Schaefer it’s really weak draft for dmen

 

[UpsideHockey]

I don’t see Hensler at # 10 - he does nothing really good and has been fading in lot mock drafts . Only reason he’s there outside Schaefer it’s really weak draft for dmen

Thanks jtechkid - appreciate the feedback!

This was our own Trevor Curtis's prospect profile on him: 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profiles: Will Moore and Logan Hensler

 

[Castle8130]

I have yet to see any draft list that is significantly different than others. It feels like one of those drafts where most people can predict a good amount of the players in round 1.

I will say for my own personal tastes, I think Cameron Reid is the 2nd best defensive prospect in this class. Having said that, I would not draft him in the top 10. There is a large group of defenders that I feel should be drafted in the 15-25 range of the draft that project as low-end 2nd pair guys. Smith, Hensler, Boumidienne, and Fiddler fit that mold. The 3 guys I really like in Reid, Aitcheson, and Mrtka feel like high end 2nd pair guys. Eiither way, I think this defensive class is pretty weak as a whole. There aren't a whole lot of sleepers for me

 

[Czechboy]

Not the most Czech friendly.lol

Mrtka at 8 is higher than most so that's great. he's in that 10 to 12 range pretty consistently.

Then a long wait till Poletin and I would be a bit surprised if Poletin was the next Czech to go.

I'd have Nestrasil and Psenicka ahead of him personally.

Benak is a wildcard and is ranked low here but that's totally fair because no one agrees on where he should be drafted.lol

Appreciate the Czech tab (doesn't generate Psnecka though).

 

[Czechboy]

Who's...too high? too low? omitted?

Galvas as OA1?

 

[jtechkid]

I have yet to see any draft list that is significantly different than others. It feels like one of those drafts where most people can predict a good amount of the players in round 1.

I will say for my own personal tastes, I think Cameron Reid is the 2nd best defensive prospect in this class. Having said that, I would not draft him in the top 10. There is a large group of defenders that I feel should be drafted in the 15-25 range of the draft that project as low-end 2nd pair guys. Smith, Hensler, Boumidienne, and Fiddler fit that mold. The 3 guys I really like in Reid, Aitcheson, and Mrtka feel like high end 2nd pair guys. Eiither way, I think this defensive class is pretty weak as a whole. There aren't a whole lot of sleepers for me

Pronger list just came out at The Athletic :
He had for dmen : Schaefer, smith , Henry B( london knights ) , Reid , Mrtka in his top dmen ranking . Hensler didn’t even make it . FYI - He said it’s a very weak year for USA and Finland . Not one kid from NTDP or USHL made his top tiers.