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Way Too Early 2025 26 NHL DRAFT Discussion

sigma six said:
Where my brain was at over the past month or so of pre-draft speculation was that the Kraken were going to get a top-five pick. That being the case, McQueen didn't really figure in to my thinking-- I figured that swing for the fences you mention would be the teams picking like 8-12.

Now we're that team, and the "surer bets" are out of reach, so I think you're onto something there that I wasn't even thinking about previously.
If the FO is comfortable that the stress fracture has healed and won't be a chronic issue, I'd say hell yeah to the kind of talent McQueen would bring. He's very slick for being so big. I like how he can skate the puck all the way in before deciding whether to shoot it or make one of those deft passes. This would be a welcome sight after all the dump and chase.
Click to expand...
McQueen is another Lindtrom is another Dach...stay the hell away...injury prone,red flag red flag red flag
 
Dead Coyote said:
Mostly fuming that Utah went up 10 f***ing spots. If Gary loved Arizona half as much as he loves Utah we wouldn't have moved. Oh well. It's cool that hopefully Hagens and Eiserman will play together for many years.

I'd actually be in favor of moving up if the price is right. Otherwise I'm relatively okay with just staying where we are..not happy about it but it is what it is.
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I don't know why I am being so optimistic but my top-7 has never been how it has ever gone at the draft. There are always surprises and I expect it to be more likely given how some rankings still have McQueen and Jake O'Brien in the top-8 and Eklund out of it.

I think Botterill (and Francis) wait till our pick incase someone they really want drops to us. If not, they trade down or even move the pick completely.
 
I’d prefer Mrtka. With a solid goalie like Daccord, build from the crease out.
In lieu of that, McQueen is such a polarizing but tantalizing prospect if he’s still there when the Kraken pick. If he’s healthy, he’s an impact player. If he’s not, he’s the next Nolan Patrick. I’d do it, we’d do it, but would a rookie GM like Botterill do it?
 
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kihei said:
The "can't miss" group contains two players. Though almost certainly unavailable to us, the rest of those guys would be more tempting, but there are no guaranteed sure things among them.
Click to expand...
I disagree. They are not sure things to be top line players but I'd be shocked if guys like Desnoyers or Martone don't become good NHL players. I think the top 6 are all sure fire NHLers of varying degree. After that is where it gets tricky.
 
RainyCityHockey said:
Some post lottery mock drafts.

Pronman on the Athletic(behind paywall) has us taking Radim Mrtka.
www.nytimes.com

NHL Mock Draft 2025: Matthew Schaefer to Islanders as we pick for every lottery team

Following the lottery, a collection of our NHL reporters combined for a mock draft of the first 16 picks.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com

Noteable guys left:
Eklund, McQueen,, Bear, Smith

Sam Cosentino(Sportsnet) has us taking Radim Mrtka
www.sportsnet.ca

NHL Top 16 Mock Draft: Who will Islanders take after surprise lottery win?

With the results of the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery in, Sam Cosentino provides a projected mock draft of the top 16 prospects.
www.sportsnet.ca www.sportsnet.ca

Noteable guys left:
Bear, Eklund, O'Brien,

Chris Peters(FloHockey) has us taking Radim Mrtka.
www.flohockey.tv

NHL Mock Draft Following 2025 NHL Draft Lottery Results - FloHockey

The New York Islanders won the NHL Draft Lottery, earning the No. 1 pick from the No. 10 spot. Chris Peters shares the lottery results and first mock draft.
www.flohockey.tv www.flohockey.tv

Noteable guys left:
O'Brien, Eklund, Smith, Bear

Craig Button(TSN) has us taking Anton Frondell
www.tsn.ca

Craig Button’s Mock Draft: New York Islanders take defenceman Matthew Schaefer at No. 1 | TSN

The New York Islanders will select first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft after winning the draft lottery and TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button has them addressing the blueline, selecting Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer at No. 1.
www.tsn.ca www.tsn.ca

Noteable guys left:
Mrtka, McQueen, Eklund, Smith

MyNHLdraft has us taking Rogre McQueen

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

Noteable guys left.
Eklund, Mrtka, Smith, Bear

Daily Faceoff has us taking Jackson Smith
www.dailyfaceoff.com

2025 NHL Mock Draft: Post-draft lottery top 32

Schaefer, Misa and Hagens are among the top projected picks in 2025.
www.dailyfaceoff.com www.dailyfaceoff.com

Noteable guys left:
Eklund, Mrtka, Bear, McQueen

SBNation has us taking Anton Frondell
www.sbnation.com

NHL mock draft 2025: Instant projection after lottery determines order

The NHL Draft lottery is complete. Here’s an instant mock draft.
www.sbnation.com www.sbnation.com

Noteable guys left:
Mrtka, O'Brien, Bear

Bleacherreport has us taking Radim Mrtka
www.bleachernation.com

2025 NHL Mock Draft: Post-Lottery First Round Projections - Bleacher Nation

What complicates a mock draft with the Islanders picking first is they don't currently have a decision maker. So we'll have to stay tuned to see who is
www.bleachernation.com www.bleachernation.com

Noteable guys left.
McQueen, Eklund, Bear
Click to expand...
Looks like my top seven should now be a top six as Eklund has an overall ranking among these outlets definitely outside of the top ten, more in the 11 to 13 range. As Frondell's stock has gone up, his line-mate Eklund's has gone down. Two of the above guys actually have Frondell dropping to us, which would be a major steal, but I think the odds are very long against that happening.
 
The WJC isn't something I like to base all of my ratings off of and I think there's always a ton of recency bias in rankings.

But with that said Frondell really did not look impressive or special in much of any way. Eklund wasn't even invited, and Jackson Smith and Mrtka looked okay but not amazing.

Most of the guys who were impressive were touted as late picks or post 1st round so while I'm certainly still comfortable drafting a guy like Eklund, I think our team will continue to swing for the fences. I see a McQueen in our future if he drops to us, or maybe a d-man.
 
I haven't had a lot of time to look into prospects this season... work is destroying my soul. I just dove in last night for a couple of hours and from what I see in the range of our pick, Mrtka seems like the best bet. Big guy, his skating is good, and he's a defense first player that might slip down. Seems like the type of player we are going to need about the time that he's ready. I just don't think he lasts until 8. Certain teams are going to see him and see his size above other good traits and pick him. I do think at 8 he's best OA and thus should be selected. He seems like the type of player that's going to play a long time in the NHL.

When it comes to Eklund, everything I've read isn't as positive as other potential 8's. In fact, I don't see him in that conversation at all.

Do you take a chance with McQueen? I wouldn't myself, but I'm not much of a risk taker. Do we take him for his potential value if he finds long term health? That might be a good move.

If Frondell, Desnoyers and Mrtka are left at 8, you'd have a lot to think about, but that would mean somebody like McQueen went higher than expected.
 
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ECH first talks about the draft, starts around the 45:00 minute mark.


I agree with them that we should swing for the fences and I really like Eklund's potential.
Even if it takes a year longer.
Dillon also seems to think the Kraken go with a forward and only has Jackson Smith as a real possibility looking at defenseman.

Let's see what the Kraken actually do and if they even make the pick.
 
The Marquis said:
I haven't had a lot of time to look into prospects this season... work is destroying my soul. I just dove in last night for a couple of hours and from what I see in the range of our pick, Mrtka seems like the best bet. Big guy, his skating is good, and he's a defense first player that might slip down. Seems like the type of player we are going to need about the time that he's ready. I just don't think he lasts until 8. Certain teams are going to see him and see his size above other good traits and pick him. I do think at 8 he's best OA and thus should be selected. He seems like the type of player that's going to play a long time in the NHL.

When it comes to Eklund, everything I've read isn't as positive as other potential 8's. In fact, I don't see him in that conversation at all.

Do you take a chance with McQueen? I wouldn't myself, but I'm not much of a risk taker. Do we take him for his potential value if he finds long term health? That might be a good move.

If Frondell, Desnoyers and Mrtka are left at 8, you'd have a lot to think about, but that would mean somebody like McQueen went higher than expected.
Click to expand...
I don't think Desnoyers makes it to 8. The 5 prospects I expect to be gone for sure:

Schaefer
Misa
Martone
Hagens
Desnoyers
-----------
Very likely we miss out on Frondell as well, but beyond that, I don't know how things go.

O'Brien - Late riser. He has started getting into top-10 conversations
Smith - Needs work putting it together. Very high end skill and skating.
Eklund - I really like his game. The big concern with him his size/muscle. He does not play soft which is great but he needs to pack some muscle to play this way at the NHL level.
McQueen - Injuries and small sample size is worrisome. Ceiling is very high though.
Mrtka - Could arguably already play NHL minutes in a sheltered 3rd pairing role. Offense needs to improve though if he wants to justify being picked in the top-10.
Bear - I really like him and his game.

I would be pretty satisfied with all of these guys at 8, though Mrtka still worries me with regards to his upside.
 
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Fistfullofbeer said:
O'Brien - Late riser. He has started getting into top-10 conversations
Smith - Needs work putting it together. Very high end skill and skating.
Eklund - I really like his game. The big concern with him his size/muscle. He does not play soft which is great but he needs to pack some muscle to play this way at the NHL level.
McQueen - Injuries and small sample size is worrisome. Ceiling is very high though.
Mrtka - Could arguably already play NHL minutes in a sheltered 3rd pairing role. Offense needs to improve though if he wants to justify being picked in the top-10.
Bear - I really like him and his game.

I would be pretty satisfied with all of these guys at 8, though Mrtka still worries me with regards to his upside.
Click to expand...
I agree the above are our most likely possibilities.

O'Brien: oddly though this might seem, he reminds of an OHL defensemen who the Leafs drafted in the 2nd round and eventually let go, Travis Dermott, currently barely hanging on with his fourth team, Minnesota. Like Dermott, O'Brien looked promising at the junior level, but never developed his skills at the next level. Same kind of vibe I get from O'Brien. Don't want him.

Smith: If he puts it together, he could be a steal. He seems to be the available defenseman with the highest upside. Would definitely look good in our prospect pool.

Eklund: Though I worry about his size, I sure wouldn't complain if we nab him. He has quite the motor, though. Love the compete level. Might be the type of player that raises his teammates by example.

McQueen: If he has something approaching a clean bill of health come draft day, he's the guy. Of course, if he has a clean bill of health by draft day, he is very unlikely to fall to 8th in the draft.

Mrtka: While I like him, does he have the kind of upside that suggests he could be an impact player on the Kraken? The more I watch him, the more lukewarm I get. Like I would have rated him 7th among last year's collection of defensemen. Trust the scouts on this one, I guess.

Bear: I haven't watched him enough to say.

To sum up:

If McQueen is healthy and available, he's the no-brainer pick. Take the money and run.

Failing McQueen, I would be very happy indeed with either Eklund or Smith, and I wouldn't grumble too much if it turns out to be Mrtka.
 
Fistfullofbeer said:
I don't think Desnoyers makes it to 8. The 5 prospects I expect to be gone for sure:

Schaefer
Misa
Martone
Hagens
Desnoyers
-----------
Very likely we miss out on Frondell as well, but beyond that, I don't know how things go.

O'Brien - Late riser. He has started getting into top-10 conversations
Smith - Needs work putting it together. Very high end skill and skating.
Eklund - I really like his game. The big concern with him his size/muscle. He does not play soft which is great but he needs to pack some muscle to play this way at the NHL level.
McQueen - Injuries and small sample size is worrisome. Ceiling is very high though.
Mrtka - Could arguably already play NHL minutes in a sheltered 3rd pairing role. Offense needs to improve though if he wants to justify being picked in the top-10.
Bear - I really like him and his game.

I would be pretty satisfied with all of these guys at 8, though Mrtka still worries me with regards to his upside.
Click to expand...

I personally have Jackson Smith over Mrtka and would only consider him if the Kraken go for a defenseman.

Though, I don't think the team is as bothered by not having selected a defenseman in the first round so far and wouldn't be bothered it staying the same way.

To me Eklund is a really interesting prospect with loads of upside potential and I'd go for something like that even if the player takes a year longer.
 
RainyCityHockey said:
I personally have Jackson Smith over Mrtka and would only consider him if the Kraken go for a defenseman.

Though, I don't think the team is as bothered by not having selected a defenseman in the first round so far and wouldn't be bothered it staying the same way.

To me Eklund is a really interesting prospect with loads of upside potential and I'd go for something like that even if the player takes a year longer.
Click to expand...
kihei said:
I agree the above are our most likely possibilities.

O'Brien: oddly though this might seem, he reminds of an OHL defensemen who the Leafs drafted in the 2nd round and eventually let go, Travis Dermott, currently barely hanging on with his fourth team, Minnesota. Like Dermott, O'Brien looked promising at the junior level, but never developed his skills at the next level. Same kind of vibe I get from O'Brien. Don't want him.

Smith: If he puts it together, he could be a steal. He seems to be the available defenseman with the highest upside. Would definitely look good in our prospect pool.

Eklund: Though I worry about his size, I sure wouldn't complain if we nab him. He has quite the motor, though. Love the compete level. Might be the type of player that raises his teammates by example.

McQueen: If he has something approaching a clean bill of health come draft day, he's the guy. Of course, if he has a clean bill of health by draft day, he is very unlikely to fall to 8th in the draft.

Mrtka: While I like him, does he have the kind of upside that suggests he could be an impact player on the Kraken? The more I watch him, the more lukewarm I get. Like I would have rated him 7th among last year's collection of defensemen. Trust the scouts on this one, I guess.

Bear: I haven't watched him enough to say.

To sum up:

If McQueen is healthy and available, he's the no-brainer pick. Take the money and run.

Failing McQueen, I would be very happy indeed with either Eklund or Smith, and I wouldn't grumble too much if it turns out to be Mrtka.
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If McQueen has close to a clean bill of health, we should be all over the pick. I know teams are going to be extra cautious after the way the Lindstrom pick has played out so far.

Eklund and Smith would be next for me. I would rank Eklund above Smith. I really liked what I saw of Bear but he does not have the high end offensive ceiling like Eklund. He is slightly bigger in size though and likely has a higher floor IF he is able to recover from the achilles injury.
 
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Fistfullofbeer said:
If McQueen has close to a clean bill of health, we should be all over the pick. I know teams are going to be extra cautious after the way the Lindstrom pick has played out so far.

Eklund and Smith would be next for me. I would rank Eklund above Smith. I really liked what I saw of Bear but he does not have the high end offensive ceiling like Eklund. He is slightly bigger in size though and likely has a higher floor IF he is able to recover from the achilles injury.
Click to expand...

Achilles injuries rob players in any sport of that explosive first step, it seems. It’s brutal when it happens to young athletes who had all the quickness and speed you’d want.
 
Fistfullofbeer said:
That sucks. I really do wish him the best and hopefully he can still have a good career.
Click to expand...

I love the type of player Bear is, he's got some of that Yanni Gourde / Mike Richards in him.
I was watching Simon's scouting report on him and he said something interesting - that his style of skating might actually make the achilles injury less of a factor? Unless I misunderstood him.

Even so, I'd guess Bear is more of a 10-20 pick guy. He'll be perfect for a team that already has a killer first line.
 
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My top picks are still Mrtka, Smith, and Eklund. Frondell has dropped a lot for me. I don't see a reason to draft him over Eklund. I will say that Brady Martin has quietly sneaked up some rankings and I could be possibly convinced to draft him in the top 10. Honestly I'm hoping for either Mrtka/Smith or to trade down or trade the pick the most though.
 
Dead Coyote said:
My top picks are still Mrtka, Smith, and Eklund. Frondell has dropped a lot for me. I don't see a reason to draft him over Eklund. I will say that Brady Martin has quietly sneaked up some rankings and I could be possibly convinced to draft him in the top 10. Honestly I'm hoping for either Mrtka/Smith or to trade down or trade the pick the most though.
Click to expand...
What about Brady Martin have you come to like? What do you think makes him a potentially good candidate for us at 8OA?
 
kihei said:
What about Brady Martin have you come to like? What do you think makes him a potentially good candidate for us at 8OA?
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I've liked his play internationally a lot and I've had a chance to watch him more than most of the other prospects in the draft other than Misa, Martone, O'Brien and the other OHL players.

What strikes me the most about Brady is that if he was even two inches taller he'd be in the conversation for top 5 overall.

He's small, relatively, but he's built like a tank. He isn't afraid to mix it up and is super physical, he goes to the net HARD and is always all over the place. Even when he isn't producing he's impacting the game with his forecheck, hitting, and deflections and screens. He's a good skater and he also has that tantalizing mix of skill. I haven't been super high on him offensively but I think he finally showed in the WJC that he has the ability to take it to the next level and produce. He's going to be a guy that shows up great at the combine and that will be picked earlier than people think and will look good in another year or two.

He just has everything I want in a player except size- but if I wanted to draft a forward I think I'd rather have him than anyone but the top 5 guys. And if he does grow, boy watch out. He already plays like a bull in a china shop, if he puts on another inch or two and another 20lbs he's going to be unstoppable.
 
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Seems like Carter Bear wasn't injured as badly and is now already skating again.


Someone the Kraken most likely are and should be looking at.

BTW: Post Lottery Mock Draft by the Hockey Writers,
The have us taking Eklund at #8.
 
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I would not usually counsel doing this with a top ten draft pick, but I keep thinking that this might be a good year to move down the draft a little. After the top six--Schaefer, Misa, Desnoyers, Hagens, Martone, Frondell, the second tier seems to contain seven or eight players who are good but maybe not the bluest of blue chip prospects, for whom one can mount a decent argument either way. Unless the scouts are really in love with someone, why not move down a bit and still nab a good prospect and a little asset on the side?

The Maple Leafs annual debacle once again shows the importance of a good motor, a high compete level and a desire to win come Cup time. So if we do keep the pick, I'm leaning to Victor Eklund if he is still available at 8OA. He seems to possess those characteristics in greater abundance than the other tier two guys.
 
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