Wheeler's Top 64 February Rankings

[Corso]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6101718/2025/02/13/nhl-draft-2025-ranking-wheeler-midseason/

Misa is starting to get some love....but Shaefer retains the number one spot

Click to read more...

 

[Mathieukferland]

I think I would lean Misa at 2 now as well, he’s just going to be such a projectable minimum 30 goal scorer in the NHL

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I’m being a hypocrite bc I hate when people talk about a drafts strength but man there really doesn’t seem like a lot to get excited about after pick 4 or 5

 

[Stewie Griffin]

I’m being a hypocrite bc I hate when people talk about a drafts strength but man there really doesn’t seem like a lot to get excited about after pick 4 or 5

Not at all. Not even trying to be rude towards fanbases when I say this, but this is an awful year to miss the playoffs and draft like 8-10th overall. You sucked and you're just getting an alright prospect.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Not at all. Not even trying to be rude towards fanbases when I say this, but this is an awful year to miss the playoffs and draft like 8-10th overall. You sucked and you're just getting an alright prospect.

Does seem that way. Lot of guys around that 8-14 range in rankings that look like late 1sts in other years.

2017 turned out ok though. Who knows. But definitely not enthused as of now.

 

[SlafySZN]

I’m being a hypocrite bc I hate when people talk about a drafts strength but man there really doesn’t seem like a lot to get excited about after pick 4 or 5

I agree mostly

How i see it is that from 1-4 it’s the best spot, then some centers like Desnoyers/Frondell and maybe a defenseman will be taken, that’s where i find it meh, from 5-8 i’d say and then guys like Bear, O’Brien, Lakovic will be taken which is more exciting than the 5-8th position. After that it’s pretty thin when guys like Ryabkin, Spence and Martin are gone.

Don’t know where McQueen fits in there, though, but if he comes back healthy i probably take him 4 or 5.

 

[Czechboy]

Czechs?

 

[Nabrules]

Does seem that way. Lot of guys around that 8-14 range in rankings that look like late 1sts in other years.

2017 turned out ok though. Who knows. But definitely not enthused as of now.

I'd say this is true after about pick 12. Guys like Frondell, McQueen, Smith, Mrtka, O'Brien are pretty standard 6-12 range guys. Larger centres and Dman who project as top 6 forwards and top 4 D. That's what you typically get within that range

 

[msboylan]

Czechs?

Mrtka at 8, Benák at 30. Wheeler is pretty effusive about Benák, just with the usual reservations on his size. Wheeler also has Cihař, Poletín, Pšenička, and Roszíval as honourable mentions.

 

[HawksDub89]

I’m being a hypocrite bc I hate when people talk about a drafts strength but man there really doesn’t seem like a lot to get excited about after pick 4 or 5

There really isn’t.

Obviously someone will out perform their spot, but on paper, it’s not exciting.

I think outside of the top 8 its pretty bleak.

 

[Czechboy]

Mrtka at 8, Benák at 30. Wheeler is pretty effusive about Benák, just with the usual reservations on his size. Wheeler also has Cihař, Poletín, Pšenička, and Roszíval as honourable mentions.

Thanks. Surprised about no nestrasil. Benak is ranked all over the place. No one seems to agree about him. Everyone agrees he's too small and that is about it lol

 

[Castle8130]

An underhwelming draft to say the least. In 2017, the draft was very unclear at the top, but it was deep 1st round. This year you are getting an average #1, an average top 5, a very weak europe class, a weak middle of the first, weak depth, and an uninspiring defensive class after Schaefer. The goalie group is solid from what I heard. I can't evaluate a goalie for my life

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I’m being a hypocrite bc I hate when people talk about a drafts strength but man there really doesn’t seem like a lot to get excited about after pick 4 or 5

I'm getting more excited about Bear, O'Brien, & Kindel with the way they've been coming on this season, but generally agree with you about 2025. The US group is very weak this year overall.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I'm getting more excited about Bear, O'Brien, & Kindel with the way they've been coming on this season, but generally agree with you about 2025. The US group is very weak this year overall.

Basically no NTDP crop to speak of in the top half of RD1, and the few Americans are young college freshman so hard to get read on.

Def thins out the herd…

Like I said we will see. 2017 was supposed to suck and it’s not too bad in hindsight.

 

[Just Linda]

If you were to merge the 2023 and 2025 drafts (somehow making them all the same age)... how many of this draft would go first round?

Top 4 would still be Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson, and Smith. Then seems like you have a good chunk of the two drafts merged together, I'd probably go Schaefer and Michkov in that range with a Misa/Yager/Leonard/Hagens/Bear some of those guys all being in the same range. After that... it seems to be all 2023 guys that I would take, there seems to be such a huge gap between the drafts.

I look at a guy like Andrew Cristall or Gavin Brindley who were second rounders that year and I have to wonder if they'd be picked in the 10-15 round range of this draft. I look at guys like Kalan Lind, Etiene Morin, Carson Rehkopf, and Riley Heidt and wonder if they would be first round picks.

I'm falling more out of love with this draft every day.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If you were to merge the 2023 and 2025 drafts (somehow making them all the same age)... how many of this draft would go first round?

Top 4 would still be Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson, and Smith. Then seems like you have a good chunk of the two drafts merged together, I'd probably go Schaefer and Michkov in that range with a Misa/Yager/Leonard/Hagens/Bear some of those guys all being in the same range. After that... it seems to be all 2023 guys that I would take, there seems to be such a huge gap between the drafts.

I look at a guy like Andrew Cristall or Gavin Brindley who were second rounders that year and I have to wonder if they'd be picked in the 10-15 round range of this draft. I look at guys like Kalan Lind, Etiene Morin, Carson Rehkopf, and Riley Heidt and wonder if they would be first round picks.

I'm falling more out of love with this draft every day.

Will Smith would never go ahead of James Hagens.

 

[Just Linda]

Will Smith would never go ahead of James Hagens.

I would take Smith over Hagens without a second thought.

I feel both have floors to be second line centres. I feel Smith has a lot more skill to surpass that.

If you combine the 2 drafts, I'd take Smith 3rd and Hagens 6th (though Leo Carlsson has a lot of potential to make me look silly by having him as the 4th best centre).

 

[ViD]

Strong year for Russian goalies, otherwise brutal class for the Russians

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I would take Smith over Hagens without a second thought.

I feel both have floors to be second line centres. I feel Smith has a lot more skill to surpass that.

If you combine the 2 drafts, I'd take Smith 3rd and Hagens 6th (though Leo Carlsson has a lot of potential to make me look silly by having him as the 4th best centre).

I don't think there are any Americans that would do so, but I guess the people who don't know their games as well know better.