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Welcome to my May ranking of the top 64 prospects eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft.
This post-U18 Worlds top 64 (plus a list of 65 honorable mentions) follows my way-too-early top 28, my preseason top 32, my preliminary top 64, my February top 64 and my March top 64. It’s my penultimate ranking and will be followed by my final top 100 (released in June).
The 2025 class is led by the twosome of Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer and exceptional status Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa. They’re followed by Boston College center James Hagens, Swedish center Anton Frondell, Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone and Moncton Wildcats center Caleb Desnoyers, who round out the top six of this year’s crop for me.
As always, the ranking is packaged in our fully sortable user interface and broken down into tiers. There are seven tiers in this ranking. They are: 1-2, 3-6, 7-12, 13-20, 21-35, 36-55, 56-64+. Niagara forward Ethan Czata, Russian forward Daniil Prokhorov, Slovak defenseman Luka Radivojevic and forward Michal Svrcek, Latvian forward Bruno Osmanis, Norwegian forward Mikkel Eriksen and Swedish forwards Theo Stockselius, Filip Ekberg and Viggo Nordlund were the final cuts. They are Tier 7 prospects and would round out a top 70 or so.
Note that while I consult scouts, coaches, general managers, team staff and those around these players (their agents, skills coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, etc.), the following evaluations and rankings are strictly my own.
Here are full reports on the top 64 (honorable mentions sorted alphabetically).
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Schaefer, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 OHL draft, emerged as a front-runner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft despite missing much of his draft year with mono to start it and then a broken collarbone suffered in the second game of the World Juniors (he didn’t get back skating until March 13). Even with the shortened year, Schaefer impressed scouts so much over the last year and a half — domestically and especially internationally — that he put himself in the pole position. He regularly logged mid-20s minutes for Erie as a rookie last year. He led Canada White to gold at world under-17s as captain and a big-minutes player, pushing 30 per game when it mattered. He was impactful as an underager at U18 worlds in Finland. He was outstanding at Hlinka as Canada’s No. 1 defenseman and captain for a second time. In the 17 OHL games he did play between mono and the injury at the World Juniors, he was phenomenal for the Otters, making a number of highlight-reel, coast-to-coast plays. He was a standout at the two-game CHL-USA Prospects Challenge. He was a standout at the red-white scrimmages and his USports game in selection camp for the World Juniors, and when the puck dropped on the actual tournament, I thought he’d looked like Canada’s top D through three and a half periods before he got hurt. You get the point. Even with the lost time, the performances have really started to pile up. You won’t hear scouts poking holes in his game, either.
When you consider that Schaefer was less than two weeks away from being eligible for the 2026 draft, and the maturity and smarts that already exist in his game, there’s a lot to get excited about. But it’s his brilliant, frankly incredible skating (he’s the best-skating D in the class) that really elevates his projection as a potential No. 1 D and two-way transition monster. He’s got great posture and glide. He’s a balanced and flowing skater with light edges and great posture on his heels skating backwards as well as his toes going forward. He’s mobile in all four directions. But his ability to fly north-south, transport pucks down ice, track back when he’s carried end-to-end, go back and get pucks, and catch guys defensively is elite. He also manages play in front of him. He’s got a good stick and an ability to close out on carriers, be disruptive and then advance and steer play down the ice. He’ll occasionally over-skate his gaps and close-outs and get beat one-on-one, but he recovers so effortlessly. His game is poised and efficient with the puck while also maintaining big play upside. He’s mature beyond his years in terms of reads and decision-making. He’s competitive and is, by all accounts, a great kid who leads by example. Schaefer looks like a projectable No. 1-2 defenseman who covers a ton of territory, can influence play in all four corners and three zones of the rink and is never in a bad spot because of his ability to flow and gallop across the ice.
Brandon Soto / OHL Images
Misa, the OHL’s eighth exceptional status player, drew headlines when he broke Connor McDavid’s OHL Cup scoring record with 20 points in seven games while playing up a year with the Mississauga Senators in what became his final year of minor hockey. He then followed that up with an impressive 15-year-old season in the OHL, missing 20 games after fracturing the top of his tibia in a knee-on-knee collision and still leading the Spirit in scoring. If not for the injury, he might have broken John Tavares’ exceptional status year scoring record of 77 points. Last season, in what should have been his rookie year in the OHL, he finished second to Zayne Parekh on the Spirit in regular-season scoring and finished the year with 91 points in 89 combined regular-season, playoff and Memorial Cup games on the would-be Memorial Cup champs. Two summers ago, he also played his way up Canada’s lineup at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and registered eight points in five games as an underager (he skipped last summer’s tournament while dealing with some back tightness).
Entering this season, scouts wanted to really see him take charge more and take over as the guy for the Spirit and that’s exactly what he did, answering the questions some had of him with an emphatic draft year in which he led the league in scoring, was its top player basically from start to finish, and tied John Tavares for the most points by a U18 skater in the OHL since 2000 with 134 (in two fewer games than Tavares). I also thought he was one of the standouts of the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge. He didn’t have the same impact in Saginaw’s first-round sweep to Erie but he was also playing banged up for a second consecutive playoff run. A natural center coming up, Misa played mostly on the wing in his first two seasons but found another level in the move back to the middle this year, playing to nearly a goal per game and over two points per game.
Misa is a beautiful skater with some quiet explosiveness and a real knack for weaving, cutting, turning and spinning in control of the puck to either shake defenders under pressure in the offensive or defensive zone or slip past them in transition with his speed and agility. He’s also a very smart player who makes his linemates better with his playmaking, vision and ability to execute while tightly covered. Off the puck, he’s willing to track, stick with plays and compete (I’ve seen him sacrifice the body to block shots, etc.), hallmarks of his game in minor hockey that have also been more consistent this year — though I’d argue they were always present and he played a more well-rounded game last year than he was given credit for by some. He finishes his checks and has good defensive instincts on interceptions and support. He gets the puck a lot and then protects it beautifully. There are times when he’ll turn over pucks, or when I’d like to see him work to get open and glide less, but he has done a nice job cutting back on both of those this season and has been a top player in the OHL at five-on-five, on the penalty kill (where he leads the league in short-handed points), and on the power play.
Misa’s a slippery player in the offensive zone. He’s a weaving skater in transition and has developed more of a scorer’s mentality and started to look for his own looks more, using his natural curl-and-drag wrister more intentionally and getting to the guts of the home-plate area with more consistency. And there’s natural skill and playmaking layered in, which lights up when he gets the puck inside the offensive zone.
The move back to center really involved him in more plays and highlighted the value of his skating, which is most useful when he’s getting touches lower in the zone. He’s also now almost 6-foot-1 (up from 5-foot-11 in his exceptional status season). I projected his production to jump to the 90-to-100-point range in his draft year, and for him to climb back into the top-five mix, but he took it a step past that and showed some real star quality this year. He has a strong case to be the first player — and an even stronger one to be the first forward — picked in the draft and I strongly considered ranking him No. 1.
Read more in our feature here.
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
Hagens, after two years as the top dog at the NTDP and two record-setting international events at U17 and U18 worlds, entered this season as a front-runner to go No. 1. His draft year was good without being a star-making campaign, though. He played to a point per game as a freshman at BC and was a driver of positive results who often played over 20 minutes for the Eagles. At the World Juniors in Ottawa, he was also the No. 1 center on a gold medal-winning Team USA, leading their forwards in ice time (20:33), and was their fourth-leading scorer with nine points in seven games. I’m still very high on Hagens but some scouts wanted to see him score more and get to the net more than he did in college (there were a couple of games against bigger, older, heavier college teams where it hasn’t come as easily as it has against his peers). For a while, I thought he and Misa were neck-and-neck as the top forwards in the class, but I think a gap emerged as the season progressed. Still, Hagens is a top-five pick all day for me.
Hagens’ game is about skating and playmaking. He’s extremely breezy as a skater, making his patterns look easy out there. To use a hockey cliche, he’s on top of the ice, he’s agile and his stride and edges are dynamic, light, mobile and adjustable, with legitimate speed and quick acceleration through his crossovers and cuts (he often beats guys on angles and loses them on cutbacks). He’s got high-end touch and handling and real finesse as a passer or in playing pucks into space for himself. He’s very aware of spacing and timing on the ice and does a good job hitting his spots off the puck to present an option in motion to teammates as well as finding teammates when they’re open with his vision through layers. He’s got an impressive small-area game and an even more impressive game in open ice, with an ability to take his first touch and put opposing defenders on their heels when he gets the puck. He makes a lot happen in transition with his ability to flow up ice and make plays at pace, because the puck just sticks to his stick and he moves with control of rare quality. He’s got phenomenal dexterity and reflexes catching passes into his first touch. He’s crafty and has a game that mixes delays with one-on-one skill that pulls defenders in and then beats them. He’s got drive and wants to take charge on the ice. As soon as he gives it, he’s dashing to get open. He tries things and has the skill to pull off bold decisions when he makes them. His game has detail. He’s got some sneaky jam and competitiveness, with more of a willingness to put his nose in dirty areas than some scouts give him credit for, in my opinion. He’ll engage in battles. He’s an impressive athlete, with natural strength for 5-foot-10/11 that certainly isn’t overpowering but allows him to stay on pucks. He’ll also stand his ground post-whistle. He’s well-conditioned and doesn’t tire over the course of games or shifts. He’s slippery off the cycle and has a nifty release (I expect the goals will come next year). But it’s his combination of skating, skill and craft that defines him.
Hagens profiles as a top-of-the-lineup, play-creating center in the NHL with a similar profile to Utah’s Logan Cooley. I remain a big believer in him and his game.
Read more in our feature here.
Eric Canha / Imagn Images
Because of his October birthday and advanced game and size, I’ve seen a lot of Martone live (in Switzerland and Finland for two under-18 worlds, in Mississauga and now Brampton over three years in the OHL instead of two pre-draft, in Plymouth for the World Junior Summer Showcase, in London and Oshawa for the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, in Brantford for the OHL Top Prospects Game, in Ottawa for selection camp for the World Juniors and then the tournament, etc.). Entering his draft year, Martone already had a ton of prestige. He’d already scored 33 goals in the OHL as the Steelheads’ second-leading scorer. He’d already captained Canada to gold with 23 points in 14 combined games across two U18s. Then he got off to one of the hottest starts in the OHL in his draft year and scored the overtime winner at the OHL Top Prospects Game. He played a limited role at the World Juniors and had a limited impact early in the tournament, though, and some started to wonder whether his average pace/skating is a potential limiter to a game that otherwise looks like it has NHL star potential as a highly skilled modern power forward. His production also leveled out a little as the season went on, though he still finished with 98 points in 57 games (a 117-point, 68-game pace) and was the Steelheads’ best player in their first-round loss to Oshawa for me, winning his minutes. He remains a legitimate top prospect.
Martone plays a physical, direct game with real skill and scoring ability. My viewings before this year had honestly been a bit of a mixed bag, with game notes in which I thought he looked like a stud and others in which I left the rink not feeling like he made much of a mark and wasn’t in line with the hype. This year, though, he looked dominant more consistently and completely took over some Steelheads games I was at.
Martone’s got a pro game and frame. He battles, goes to the net, finishes his checks and will drop the gloves. He handles the puck smoothly for his size and can be quite noticeable in possession when he’s playing with confidence and intention. I’ve seen him make individual skill plays, cleanly beat goalies from midrange with his strong shot and release and execute low-to-high plays from below the goal line or off the cycle. He’s got a nifty toe-drag (both release and one-on-one handles) and slick handles for a nearly 6-foot-3 player, regularly making individual skill plays on the puck. He’s got a deceptive release point. There have been games in which I’ve wanted to see him keep his feet moving and reach in a little less off the puck, and where his discipline on (in terms of play selection/turning it over) and off the puck (bad penalties, losing his man to chase, not finding open space, etc.) have been an issue. His skating can kick out from the knees a little bit, too, and his skating will need to improve if he wants the rest of his game to really pop at the next level. But he has a lot of attributes (size, strength, power, shot, puck skill) and he’s going to score goals, make plays and potentially impose himself in the NHL when he really comes into his own. He’s a stud and most NHL clubs love his skilled power forward game, even if some have softened on him.
Read more in our feature here.
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
Desnoyers was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 QMJHL Draft after a run to a silver medal at the Telus Cup (Canada’s under-18 championship) and captaining Quebec at the Canada Winter Games. He was one of the top young players in the Q as a rookie last season, regularly playing 20 minutes per game as a forward for a good Wildcats team, and wore a letter for the gold medal-winning Canada White at under-17s as well as for Team Canada at the Hlinka. I thought he had a tough time as a center in a limited role at U18 worlds (despite registering five points in five games) last spring and his numbers didn’t pop out of the gate this season, but he has been one of the best players in the QMJHL for the six months and has really elevated his game — and, importantly for scouts, his production — as the top forward on the top team in the QMJHL. That has been stamped yet again by an outstanding playoff run that has seen him play to two points per game, too. He’s a good-sized center with room to add muscle, and scouts love him as a projectable top-six center who plays a smart, detailed, well-rounded two-way game with good skill, smarts and poise.
Desnoyers is competitive and has great habits. He’s committed to playing defense, supporting pucks, staying in good positions and not cheating for offense. He gets glowing reviews as a kid and winner that people gravitate around. He’s opportunistic and gets open really well. He involves himself in play, he can carry and hold pucks or play off his linemates in give-and-gos, he’s got a real feel for the game offensively and he’s consistently impactful. While he’s not a dynamic skater or individual creator, I see plenty of skill and have seen him make plenty of plays (including a Michigan goal and a ton of high-IQ plays in tight/in traffic) and he’s a better skater than his older brother Elliot, a Philadelphia Flyers prospect, was at the same age. He’s firmly in the top-five conversation now for NHL clubs, and while he doesn’t have the skill or skating of Misa or Hagens, if he can add a little more pace, he’s going to have a long career as an important center who contributes to winning on good teams. He has had a very comparable QMJHL career and impact to Nico Hischier and Pierre-Luc Dubois, who were both top picks. He’s more Hischier than PLD, too.
David St. Louis / Moncton Wildcats
The top Swedish prospect in the 2007 age group, Frondell dominated at the J20 level last year and excelled internationally at the World Junior A Challenge, the world under-17s and particularly the U18 Five Nations (both last year’s, when he was dominant as an underager, and this year’s in Helsinki). He struggled to create offence at this year’s U18 world, though, and while he arrived late and was coming off a run to SHL promotion with Djurgården and dealing with jet lag, his final showing was a disappointing one. He looked as if he belonged with the Djurgården pro team in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan as a 16-year-old before hurting his foot in late February and later his knee (requiring surgery), two injuries that combined to keep him out for most of 2023-24 and the start of this season. After jumping back into the men’s team’s lineup in limited minutes right away this year, Frondell looked early on this season at both the pro and junior level like he was still finding his game, pace and conditioning. He really stood out over the final few months before playing a bit of a lesser role in the playoffs, too, with a couple of four-point games in Allsvenskan and that aforementioned second standout showing at Five Nations that included a two-goal, three-point game against USA. All told, it has been a bit of a mixed bag for Frondell this year, with some real highs and some real lows. His HockeyAllsvenskan production is very strong in a historical context, though.
There’s a lot to like about Frondell’s game. He’s heavy but plays with intention, strength and some power (there are some questions about his fitness level/weight after the time off but also belief that he’ll work on it and that it would come around once he got into game shape). He’s competitive. He’s got legitimate skill on the puck as a protector (which, again, we saw more of late in the Allsvenskan regular season). He engages himself on and off the puck, offensively and defensively, to get involved in impacting play in all three zones. He’s got quick hands, a natural release and a good sense for spacing and attacking. He’s got an ability to both create his own looks, challenge defenders and find and use open ice to play off and to his linemates. He can be relied upon defensively and does a good job supporting play and picking up his assignments when he needs to help out the D. Though he has played mostly wing for Djurgården’s men’s team, he’s a natural center and I’ve liked him at both positions but he projects as a center. He’s got pro quality and tools. I’ve wondered enough times about whether his pace (he can look like he’s got big boots out there at times) and whether his playmaking is high-end enough to rank him at the back of Tier 2 though.
Still, Frondell projects as a productive two-way second-line center in the NHL with continued development.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Mrtka is a towering right-shot defenseman who skates extremely well and played huge all-situations minutes for Czechia at the Hlinka last summer and more recently Seattle in the WHL and the national team again at U18 Worlds in Texas (where he was outstanding in the tournament opener against Team USA but didn’t stand out in the same way in Czechia’s other games). His minutes in the Czech Extraliga (and Champions Hockey League) with Trinec were quite limited to start the season, prompting a move to Seattle. With the Thunderbirds, he was phenomenal, playing to nearly a point per game on a low-scoring team, logging an average of 27 minutes and often 30, and going over the boards first on both the power play and penalty kill. There has been debate in this draft class as to who the second-best D is, but for me, it’s Mrtka. He’s one of the most intriguing prospects in this class.
Mrtka can transport pucks down ice, activate and join the rush, walk the line and even side-step pressure in control. He shows poise and comfort on the puck with a willingness to hold onto it and make a play in small areas (though I think he can be indecisive at times). He’s got a good shot that he keeps low and on target and can occasionally really attack into (which I’d like to see him do more of). He’s super smooth moving around the ice. He defends well with his long reach and standout skating ability. He’s got a good stick. With his length and mobility, his defensive upside is high. I’ve seen him play physical and impose himself that way as well, though there are scouts who want to see him play a little harder at times and coaches may try to push him that way at the NHL level.
Mrtka’s a June birthday who should be able to take advantage of his extra runway and already doesn’t have some of the kinks you expect a D his size and age to have. I think his ceiling is quite high. His skating and calm with the puck are both very rare attributes in a player his size.
Read more in our feature here.
Brian Liesse / Seattle Thunderbirds
I’ve got a lot of time for Eklund, but most do. He’s a 2006 who played 30 pro games in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan last year, registering 10 points and looking like he belonged. He then took another step this season, producing regularly at the pro level on a Djurgarden team that earned promotion into the SHL and impressing as one of Sweden’s better forwards at the World Juniors. He also stood out on a team that needed him to be an impactful top-six player as a 2025 at last year’s U18 worlds and had a strong World Junior Summer Showcase leading into the season.
The younger brother of Sharks first-rounder William Eklund, Victor gets above-average grades for his smarts, skill and skating, but he’s also a standout competitor who works and plays hard for a 5-foot-11 winger. He wins races. He keeps his feet moving. He gets inside body positioning. He can play the bumper or the flank on the power play. He finishes his checks. He’s got great edges and handles, and a quick and accurate wrister. And he plays an intuitive, heady game on and off the puck. I think he’s got the tools to develop into a nice top-six player in the NHL. He’s a smallish winger, but as with William, Victor has proven through smarts, skill, good feel for the game and determination — William was always a determined player, but Victor checks that box with even more emphasis — that he can make it work. I don’t expect him to get picked as high as his brother, who was drafted seventh by the Sharks in 2021, but he looks like a worthwhile top-10 candidate in this class to me. He’s a very good, likable hockey player.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
O’Brien was the OHL’s Rookie of the Year last season after playing to above a point per game and leading all rookies in points and assists. He didn’t grab me in repeat live viewings in the OHL last year and early on this season, but he really took off as the year went on and sold me in the second two-thirds of the year. He created a lot for the Bulldogs and drove his line (while not playing with OHL leading goal scorer Nick Lardis at five-on-five, and without his usual running mate of Marek Vanacker until the end of November). He was a little quiet at two separate tournaments for Hockey Canada, but he was definitely a little snakebitten in his scoreless Hlinka last summer and didn’t play the typical top-six role he has in the OHL. He nearly broke 100 points by year’s end, finishing with 98. He then had 11 points in 11 playoff games and played a lot for the Bulldogs in their final four games after Lardis went down.
He’s a finesse player with tons of feel, skill, poise and craftsmanship on the puck and as a passer (he seems to know where guys are even when they’re in his blind spot). The IQ and passing ability are high-end tools. He’s got a high-end ability to put pucks into spaces for both his linemates but also himself. He’s a fast skater who uses fluid crossovers to build speed and weave up the ice in control. I wanted to see him own his ice and put the puck in the net more this season and he has done a better job of that. He’s extremely smart on and off the puck. He’s also viewed as a competitive enough center (though he supports play well off the puck, I’d like to see him involve himself more in the fight and he lacks a physical element) who should fill out his frame (which should also help him in the faceoff circle, where he struggles). It’s also worth noting that he’s a June birthday and the son of two high-level hockey players, so the athleticism is there and the muscle should come. The skill, sense, IQ and pace are all very appealing when you consider he’s still a lean almost-6-foot-2.
Read more in our feature here.
Brandon Taylor / OHL Images
Martin is a well-rounded, fearless, workhorse, pro-style forward whose combination of competitiveness and strength has endeared him to scouts and OHL coaches and players alike. He played huge, all-situations minutes for the Soo this season, often clocking 25-plus minutes as a forward, and then wore a letter for Canada at U18 Worlds and was one of the best players in the tournament. He plays extremely hard, he plays in the guts of the ice, his effort level and physicality get the highest grades in the draft and he stays involved in all three zones, constantly seeming to make things happen and have an impact on shifts and games. He’s strong on his feet and finishing checks, delivering some of the hardest hits I saw all year and doing it seemingly every game without being a dirty player. He’s got good hands and reflexes on tips and redirects around the net. He’s got some raw power and should continue to get even stronger. He’s got a B and C game that allows him to consistently impact games in a variety of desirable ways. While I wouldn’t call his skill or skating extremely dynamic, he’s very talented, regularly attacking at and challenging defenders with his hands and middle-lane drive and beating goalies with his quick release (he’s got an NHL shot already). So he’s not just a worker type with secondary skill; there’s some play-driving and individual playmaking to his game as well. He’s going to have a long career as a productive up-and-down-the-lineup center in the NHL and should be an excellent and unique middle-six C at minimum. There’s some untapped potential yet with him and his development curve as well. He’s very early in it, and while he’s a quick skater and a very powerful player, both of those things still have another level. I don’t think there’s a more competitive, honest, stick-to-it, high motor player in the class. His stock is at an all-time high right now, too. I thought about ranking him higher here.
Read more in our feature here.
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
A standout October 2006 with size and some real skill, McQueen is a big, right-shot center with talent on the puck and skating that has come a long way over the last couple of years to fall into place more naturally. The big question with McQueen has been about his health. He impressed for Canada at U17s, Hlinka and U18s — where after a standout first game he got injured in the second game of the tournament — and has had stretches of dominant play for Brandon in the WHL, including early on this season after a four-goal game to kick-start his draft year. He missed 15 games with a back injury midway through last season, though, and after returning for the playoffs and U18s and getting off to that hot start this season while still trying to manage it, it flared up enough that he and his team felt it was important for him to step away from his draft year and get it right. (He initially said the injury was a bulging disc but recently said it was actually a pars fracture, or a spondylolysis — a stress fracture of the spine.) After missing almost his entire draft season, he returned to play in early March and looked like he was getting back into the swing of things early before getting closer to form down the stretch and finishing with 20 points in 17 games on the year. But he wasn’t himself in Brandon’s first-round playoff series against Lethbridge and missed the final two games of it again.
Teams are going to have a hard decision to make on McQueen at the draft because on talent, upside and pedigree he’s a top-10 pick and was viewed as a potential top-five one at one point. But the lost development time and the way his back impacted him across two seasons raise questions that teams and their doctors will need answered to use a high pick on him. As a player, I like his tenaciousness/willingness to go get pucks and then stick with them when he has them. When he was younger, he lacked strength, and his skating dragged behind/never properly loaded because he was trying to cheat his mechanics to keep up, but it has started to come, and there’s belief it will continue to develop as he adds strength (he moves well now) if he can stay healthy. He uses his linemates well. But it’s his ability to control and manipulate pucks in tight to his body, with his length, that I think distinguishes him and gets scouts excited. He can carry pucks into traffic and problem-solve in ways that players his size typically struggle to do. He can also go to the net and make tuck plays/rebounds with good dexterity, which has helped him play the net front successfully on the power play, a translatable role for him. His shot is pinpoint accurate around the home-plate area and even from tough angles. There are the makings of a really unique player there, and the payoff could be significant, especially given how quickly his skating has improved. When he’s on the ice, he looks like a potential top-six center with some really unique attributes. Teams want to make sure the medicals are square and the back problems won’t linger, though, making him a real wild card in this class.
Jeremy Champagne / Brandon Wheat Kings
Carbonneau is on the older side as a November 2006 birthday, but he broke the 30-goal mark as the Armada’s leading goal scorer and second-leading point-getter last season and then broke the 45-goal mark this year as one of the Q’s leading scorers before scoring three goals in five playoff games in a first-round loss to Sherbrooke (in a series I thought he was owed more in; he averaged 5.6 shots per game). In a rebound year for the Q as a whole, he’s the league’s clear second-best prospect after Desnoyers. He also played well in the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, which I think is important for the Q kids to demonstrate.
Carbonneau’s a talented offensive-zone player with naturally quick hands, a quick release that can beat goalies from midrange and change angles on defensemen and strong athletic tools as a solid kid and sturdy skater with a pro frame. He can challenge defenders and threaten offensively on or off the puck. He’s got good outside-in hands pulling pucks across his body. He’s got a good wall game. He can make plays for himself or play in and out of give-and-gos. He’s a volume shot generator without sacrificing shot quality. And he has really grown into the body of a power forward, with a very strong physical build and an ability to play through contact. When there’s an opportunity inside the offensive zone, whether it’s off a broken play or in tight, he’s usually there to capitalize and make something happen. I don’t think he’s got star power but he looks like he’s quite skilled — skilled enough to project as a strong and productive top-nine forward. He should be a mid-first at minimum (there are some similarities between him and the Red Wings’ 2024 No. 15 pick Michael Brandsegg-Nygård).
Aitcheson was a big-minutes player for Team Canada at last year’s U18 worlds — where his ice time rose when the games and the shifts mattered most, especially in defensive situations — and has been a big-minutes player for Barrie the last two seasons (this year, he also wore a letter and was a go-to contributor on both the power play and penalty kill). He’s a powerful, bullish defender who is hard to play against, defends firmly and commands his ice. He knows who he is and plays with confidence and aggression, often directing his teammates and always talking (to his teammates and opponents). He’s strong on the PK. He’s chippy and extremely physical, looking for every opportunity he can to lay a hit, get in someone’s face or give someone a shot. He’s eager to drop the gloves. He’s a willing shot-blocker. He’s got step-up physicality and likes to knock guys around (I’ve seen him lay some huge hits in visits to Barrie). He’s got a hard shot, scored 26 goals this season as a D, scored half a dozen more in the playoffs and makes a good first pass. He’s a strong enough skater (though his feet can splay and kick a little when he’s in a hurry and he’s still got work to do on his stride mechanics, which I know have already been a focus) and a physically mature athlete with some real power and presence about him. He’s got a good stick, so his defending isn’t completely reliant on his physical play. His discipline and decision-making can get him into trouble, and he takes a lot of stick penalties and will make the odd mistake, but he can play in all situations and has a lot of the tools you look for in a hard-nosed two-way type. He’s going to have a long career in the NHL as a two-way competitor with some real bite.
Read more in our feature here.
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
Bear is a late ’06 who scored 25 goals and 57 points for the Silvertips last year and this year wore a letter, broke 40 goals and was their leading scorer and a go-to forward before suffering a skate laceration on the back of his leg during a March 9 game against Portland. He has had some really strong showings this year both in play-driving and play-creation. He possesses quick, soft hands, legit skill, good speed and a natural shot but he also stays around it, plays with intensity, works extremely hard and goes to the net and inside ice. Though people talk about him for his motor and pro style, I saw him make some impressive skill plays this season and dance goalies and defensemen. But he can also beat you with his work ethic, and I like both the intentionality of his game and the way he uses his skill to play to the middle third. He works his tail off. He can push play at five-on-five, make things happen all over the ice and contribute on both special teams. He was a bit of a late bloomer but he looks like a player now and should become an impactful top-nine worker with skill in the NHL. The more I watched him this year, the more I appreciated his game, his approach and his identity.
Caroline Anne / Everett Silvertips
One of my favorites in this draft class, Reschny broke 90 points this season and was sensational for the Royals in the playoffs, taking his game to an entirely new level and finding the scoresheet in every game. He’s a player I’ve really enjoyed watching over the last couple of years. He’s highly skilled but also highly competitive and has driven both play and creation as a 5-foot-10.5 center who is athletic, very strong, involved and committed in all areas of the ice. He’s got a motor and defensive zone knowhow and commitment but he’s also a natural playmaker, including when under pressure and with limited time and space. He creates chances for himself and his linemates, is a natural handler, finisher and passer (he sees it at a very high level) and then will work off the puck and takes pride in his play in all three zones. He’s one of the best 200-foot players in this class and also one of its smartest offensive players. Though some scouts wonder about his first three steps, I think he’s a good skater and certainly a better one than he gets credit for, and I have no issues with his speed or pace whatsoever. He’s got very quick hands. He’s stronger on pucks and in battles than his height might suggest at a glance, with a thick lower half and an ability to protect pucks and shed contact low in the zone. He plays an excellent, trustworthy, dependable and consistent three-zone game. He’s got the IQ component on both sides of the puck. He’s got finesse on the puck and a natural shooter’s shot, with an ability to create angles around sticks and feet or place pucks through them into space for himself or his linemates. His hands and feet also move in unison, giving him dimension one-on-one, even if he’s not a burner out of the blocks. He impressed at world under-17s and the Hlinka, and the Royals have relied on him and counted on him to create offense and carry the load as both a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old. In both seasons, his linemates had career years playing with him. This season, he led them in scoring while playing to team-best goal differential results (plus-42) and really driving play at five-on-five (he’s also a top penalty killer for them). There were some who were starting to question if he was a first-rounder after a slow start in the fall but after a quiet first game at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, he went bar down for the series-clinching 3-2 goal with just over a minute left in the second game and was as hot as any player in the WHL down the stretch before stamping his season in the playoffs. I think he’s got a chance to be a heck of a top-nine player in the NHL, and I see a little Seth Jarvis in him. I’m higher on him than most, though, and he’ll go later than this.
Read more in our feature here.
Kevin Light / Victoria Royals
The best-skating forward in this age group by a margin for me, Potter is a smallish but talented and extremely fast player who uses his electric speed to put defenders on their heels, back them off, create opportunistic chances, get out in transition and jump onto loose pucks. He’s a fun player to watch with his ability to go inside-out and outside-in on players, his ability to round corners on them and his desire to attack off the rush and challenge D by turning on the jets and burning them wide or blazing into a quick stop-up. He’s tough to catch in straight lines or track in and out of cuts. He’s got some cleverness one-on-one. He can be creative with the puck on his stick. He can really get going in a hurry and has shown an ability to finish plays as well, with a great release. It sounds like he’s not done growing, either, which could upgrade his projection. His decision to leave the program to join Arizona State was a testy one and some questioned whether he and his game were ready for the NCAA level, but while he was inconsistent at times in the first half, I felt he really popped late in the year with the Sun Devils before rejoining Team USA for U18 Worlds. At U18s, he made some skill plays, drew some penalties with his speed, had a goal disallowed, had some third assists and had several chances around the net that he was probably owed from. But he also came and went a little too much for some and didn’t take over like they wanted him to. He has regularly flashed and occasionally even thrilled with his speed and legit puck skill. His skating truly is on another level, both through his edges and through a uniquely wide straightaway base. There’s still some real learning of the game and how to deploy his speed that needs to happen, but there’s also a real draw/appeal/upside to his game. If Frank Nazar could get picked 13th as a smallish center/winger hybrid who relies on speed and skill, I think Potter belongs in a similar range (he’s an even better skater, too, which is saying something). He’s an exciting player to watch when he winds up, and I’ll be interested to see at which point in the draft a team decides to bet on that because there are mixed opinions on him out there (Nazar was also more consistent/responsible), but the talent and speed are undeniable.
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
Smith, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft, had a solid 16-year-old season in the WHL last year with Tri-City and made an impact in his minutes and role at the Hlinka, playing 18-19 minutes per game for Canada’s gold medal-winning squad. This season, he tried to play a more aggressive and ambitious offensive style and drove more offense while playing big minutes (23-24 per game) for the Americans. I’ve always had a bit of a tough time with him and his game, though. It can be pretty high-event hockey at both ends at times (for better and worse), and while he’s got all of the physical attributes and has made some high-end plays in junior, I’ve questioned his hockey IQ both in moving pucks under pressure out of his zone and in defending. I thought he struggled at times with his decision-making and man-to-man defense at U18 Worlds as well.
Smith’s a big, strong, powerful left-shot defenseman who plays hard and can impact play in a variety of ways. He can skate pucks through the neutral zone. He’s got good edges opening up in the offensive zone. He’s strong through his pushes as a skater, regularly beating the first layer of pressure laterally. He walks the line proficiently and gets his shots through, opening up well. He can make plays in open ice. He can shoot the puck. He’s capable of playing the game firmly and even boldly at times. He’s got transition value. He’s competitive and strong. But his reads and processing still need some fine-tuning, he can skate himself into trouble, he can take bad routes defensively, and I’m not sold on him as a true power-play guy up levels. He has pretty well all of the makings of an NHL defenseman and he’s still got some untapped offensive and defensive upside. He should have a long career as a potential top-four NHL D if developed properly, but I just haven’t been able to fall in love with his game. I did think about ranking him a couple of spots higher here, though.
Hensler, who because of his October birthday played his two years at the program pre-draft and played his draft year as a freshman with the Wisconsin Badgers, consistently impressed me in early viewings in his U18 season and then left me wanting more pretty often in the second half before finishing better at U18 worlds and acquitting himself nicely at the World Junior Summer Showcase. This season, he played top-four minutes (more than 18 per game) for a Badgers team that lost more than it won and contributed on their power play. He was also OK in a third-pairing role at the World Juniors, where he clearly tried to simplify and play more mistake-free. I thought he was better than the numbers indicated at Wisconsin, especially given his age and the context of his team, but there are some who aren’t sure what his identity/role will be in the NHL and I’ve also had a tough time with his projection at times.
Hensler’s clearly a talented player and good prospect but he’s not a no-doubter offensive defenseman or a lockdown defensive D type. He’s a smooth, mobile, balanced skater. He can use his feet to attack and create lanes. He’s a good athlete. He keeps his head and eyes up. He’s skilled with the puck. He’s got a decent stick and defensive instincts. He reads the play well on both sides when he’s dialed in (there are times when it can feel like he’s just out there for a skate, though). There are also times when it seems like he doesn’t know his identity as a player. I’ve really just wanted to see him take charge more on blue lines both at the NTDP and Wisconsin that could have really used a horse. Even as one of the younger players on all of his teams with both USA Hockey and the Badgers, he’s got the talent to be more impactful than he has been (and he has been good for both). It can feel like he’s unsure of himself at times out there and his game can miss that grab-it mentality. He has moments when he jumps up in transition and makes something happen and shows some exciting qualities and instincts. I want to see more of that, and an equal assertiveness defensively. My viewings were mostly positive this year but I’m still waiting for him to jump off the page at me. He’s capable of it. He’s really fluid in and out of his edges. He’s got pro size. He’s got good handles. He’s got balanced posture on his heels and toes, and he’s capable of using it to play strong stick-on-puck gaps and carry and lead in transition. He’s got poise and comfort in all three zones. He’s got skill and offense. He’s a righty. It’s in there. If it all comes together, there’s a skating, transitional, PP2 second-pairing NHL D in there. I think there’s some risk that he doesn’t take that next step and just becomes a fine depth five-on-five guy who can move pucks, though, too.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Lakovic is a 6-foot-4 winger who can really fly and blends good handles and scoring touch into his movements nicely. He protects pucks well, can get off the wall and has taken strides to keep his head up on the puck and survey/use his linemates better and better. He’s still got room to improve his scanning, off-puck play and decision-making, and his physicality needs to be more consistent, but his ability both in transition and protecting pucks in the offensive zone can really pop and he’s got clear top-nine projectability with good coaching. When he’s on pucks and up and under sticks and winning inside body positioning, he can be really noticeable in a game with his skating, strength, power and skill. He’s got quick hands and can take D one-on-one as well. Lakovic was a standout of one of the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge games and was on a 13-game point streak when he went down with a fractured collarbone that sidelined him from the end of December to the middle of February (he heated back up after returning with Moose Jaw team that has entered a full rebuild post-deadline, too). He’ll be a mid-first-rounder.
During his rookie season, Lakovic was suspended indefinitely (a suspension which was eventually lifted after 17 games) along with three other Warriors teammates for “an off-ice incident while on a team road trip in Edmonton.” The Edmonton Police Service investigated the incident and said that it was not criminal in nature, but the players were found to have violated the WHL’s standard of conduct policy. The Warriors were also fined $25,000 for the incident.
Nick Pettigrew / Moose Jaw Warriors
Kindel was one of the most productive players in junior hockey this season and did most of his damage at even strength to finish one point shy of 100. He also wore a letter for the Hitmen this year and reminds me a little of 2024 first-rounder Terik Parascak as a slightly undersized but opportunistic player whose great sense for timing and spacing helps him get open (though I think his engine runs hotter than Parascak’s). He’s a worker with legit skill and smarts. That combination of effort, sense and talent really blends well together at the junior level, and though he looks a little lean, it doesn’t present itself in his game because of his work rate off the puck. I do find he can slow the play down a little too much at times but he thinks it at a very high level. He’s also got quick hands in tight to his body. His production has skewed toward a setup man profile but his most dangerous weapon offensively might actually be his nifty wrister release, which comes off his stick effortlessly quickly and he’s using more this season. He’s not a super physical player but he wins pucks back with his instincts, drive and positioning and can be relied upon to penalty kill. I’m not sure how his game will translate up levels but he has some believers and he’s a very intellectual, hardworking and skilled junior player. He also has positional versatility and has successfully played both the wing and center after a move back to the middle this year (he played the wing as a 16-year-old).
Read more in our feature here.
Reid was a bright spot for the Rangers all season, playing big minutes to 0.8-0.9 points per game and wearing a letter in his draft year after a strong rookie season last year (despite playing the second half injured). I also liked him at the OHL Top Prospects Game (where he had three assists on four West goals and also wore a letter). He wasn’t as productive for Kitchener in their playoff run to the conference finals but he was being asked to do a lot for that team and they went as far as they could. He’s a good athlete and a smart, engaging, well-liked kid. He’s a plus skater whose game is shaped by his smarts, movement and mobility. He can influence play with his feet, whether that’s defending and closing gaps, escaping pressure, transporting pucks or getting open and active off the puck. He’s a heady, offensively inclined player, but he defends well with a good stick and sense for timing and disruption and has been a major driver of two-way results for the Rangers. I see a modern defenseman and a worthy first-rounder; he reminds me a little of top young Blue Jackets D Denton Mateychuk. I’m a big fan of the skating-smarts combo he brings. He was tremendous this year — I never saw him have a bad game in my viewings. There are some who wonder if he’s dynamic enough offensively at 5-foot-11/6-feet, but he’s an excellent player in a draft with few of them.
Read more in our feature here.
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
Spence is a competitive, fast, detailed, hardworking player who can get out in transition or attack off the wall. He plays the game with intention, sticks with plays and has decent-though-not-dynamic skill. He plays with pace on and off the puck, keeps his feet moving and gets up and under sticks to win back possession. He has worn an “A” and been a real play-driver for the Otters the last two years as a late 2006 birthday. He again wore an “A” for Canada and stirred the drink with his pace, effort level, skating and shot at last year’s U18 worlds. He was invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase. Though he primarily plays the wing, he has played a few games at center over the last year and a half and has some real versatility to his game. There are upside questions about his skill level and playmaking (is he just going to be a really good third-liner?) but he’s a very likable style of player. He’s competitive. He can be a bit of a pest but also plays an honest, straight-line game. He’s got a quick catch-and-release motion. He’s consistent. And he was owed more on the stat sheet this season than his numbers indicated (he had plenty of looks in my viewings). He looks like more of a late-first than a mid-first now because the offense hasn’t really popped, though he did still have a very respectable 82 points in 74 combined regular season and playoff games.
I hate the cliche, but he embodies “plays the game the right way,” and he can really drive down ice with his skating and straight-line speed. He’s going to be a good 200-foot forward at the next level for a long time.
Brandon Soto / OHL Images
Cootes is a well-liked, well-rounded center who played in all situations for Seattle this season, was named co-captain in the fall and led the low-scoring Thunderbirds in scoring at just above a point per game. He was also outstanding as Team Canada’s captain at U18 Worlds, playing well in each game and impacting play when he was on the ice. He’s a strong skater who plays with energy and detail, earning the trust of coaches with his diligent, complete game. He’s a good athlete. He plays the game with determination. He’s a good penalty killer and five-on-five driver. He plays the bumper on the power play well because of his nose for the net and competitiveness to get to pucks. He gets open. He’s got a good wrister. He always seems to be lurking around the slot and involved in everything. He works and makes little plays, arriving on time in good spots. I’ve wondered throughout this year about whether he has enough skill to become a top-six type but there aren’t many players in this draft that confidently project as top-nine NHLers and he looks like one. His U18s sold me a little more on his skill and the lack of talent around him in Seattle last season as well. He’s got some secondary skill and can make plays, even if it’s not the focal point of his game and he becomes more of an excellent complementary player for his linemates. He could go as high as the teens but I’m just a little lower on him. His combination of pace, smarts, competitiveness and reliability are appealing and projectable.
Lee, a Michigan State commit, was one of the top players on a Shattuck St. Mary’s U18 team that had three players drafted last year and was one of the most purely skilled players in the USHL this season. After getting a taste of the USHL last spring, he was Madison’s leading scorer as a rookie in the league (albeit as a late birthday who turned 18 in the fall) and really popped with the puck on his stick at the Chipotle All-American Game as well.
Lee’s an extremely talented offensive winger with really quick hands who can take and beat defenders one-on-one with his individual skill level. I’ve seen him score some pretty, pretty goals dancing defenders. He’s a crafty offensive forward who can make plays inside the offensive zone, off the rush and on the half-wall on the power play. He thinks the game at a very advanced level offensively. His skating could use another step and his play off the puck defensively could use some rounding out, and that, combined with his average size and competitiveness as a winger, will mean he’ll likely be a second-round pick rather than a late first. But I think he’ll be one of the most talented players taken on Day 2. They called him “The Wizard” at Shattuck and he lives up to it. The lightning-quick, puck-on-a-string hands. The shiftiness. The clairvoyant vision and eyes on the back of his head. The touch and finesse on passes. The feel. The natural release. He’s also, I’ve been told, an awesome kid who has a great energy about him and loves the game. Not that long ago, he was 5-foot-7, and now he’s closer to 6-feet and he still has room to grow and get stronger. If he can improved his skating, he’ll become a top offensive player in college and be one of the only players taken outside the first round with top-six talent/potential.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Ihs-Wozniak was the most productive 2007 at Sweden’s J20 level last year, even playing to a slightly higher point-per-game rate than Frondell. However, he underwhelmed at U18 worlds and the Hlinka, didn’t live up to expectations at the World Junior A Challenge — where a player with his skill set should have filled the net — and got off to a slower-than-expected start to his draft year in J20, underwhelming scouts with his inconsistency and perimeter play at times. After a five-point game at the end of October and a promotion to the SHL (scoring his first pro goal on his first shot), though, Ihs-Wozniak tore up the J20 level offensively in the second half, putting together a string of multi-point games and making plays at the Five Nations tournament and a second U18 worlds for Sweden (he also showed more of a physical side and competitiveness in the second half and at worlds). He’s a first-round talent, and I think based on his recent play that he belongs in this range.
Ihs-Wozniak’s a compelling and talented player. He’s a 6-foot-2 forward with a clean catch-and-release shot, a dangerous one-timer on the flank, an ability to handle pucks in tight or protect them out wide and a good sense of when to slow the game down. His actual posture can look a little funky, with a very upright stance from the hips up and legs that can trail behind, but he’s actually pretty fast. He can play one-on-one, he can play off the puck as a shooter, he can make skill plays for his linemates and he’s got an ability to finish with his hands and quick release. He kind of reminds me of Kraken first-rounder Eduard Sale, though, in that he relies on the power play and has been known to come and go in games a little too much, casting doubt about his projection (it feels a little top-six or bust). For that reason, it was nice to see him winning more battles at U18s while still striking quickly offensively, flashing in moments of one-on-one skill, and looking dangerous on the power play. He’s going to be one of the only players in the late-first/early-second range in this draft with legitimate skill grades/PP skills, and that’ll make him an interesting bet for the right team.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Gastrin has been the captain of this Swedish age group and has centered Sweden’s very successful top line with fellow 2025 prospect Viktor Klingsell and top 2026 talent Ivar Stenberg across multiple events (though he missed the Five Nations due to injury and they were eventually spread out during U18 Worlds), making waves with an eight-point game against Switzerland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer. He played well in my viewings with MoDo’s J20 team this year as well, driving his line and contributing in different areas.
Gastrin’s got size, he’s a natural center, he’s a strong enough skater (it can look a little sloppy but he generates decent power with it regardless) and he plays well off his linemates, offering a responsible and heady two-way game. His habits and details are there at an early age. He’s not a dynamic offensive player but he handles it well, makes plays around the net and below the goal line, and seems to really understand timing and spacing. He’s also got a natural shot and release that I expect him to show more of as he learns to attack for himself more. Add in a good stick around the net, a willingness to drive and play in the middle third, an ability to go get pucks, and a lot of the little plays he makes and there’s a likeable and projectable NHL player there. I do wonder a little about his upside but he looks like a projectable middle-sixer and I think a late-first/early second rating is the correct spot. He’s also a June birthday.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Ryabkin is one of the most mercurial prospects in this draft and one of its toughest to slot. There are a lot of teams that will just steer clear, and I’d bet he’s a Day 2 pick now. Ryabkin entered his draft year with some excitement after a historic season in the MHL a year ago, had a three-assist, 22-minute first game of the year in the MHL this year and then was quickly promoted to the KHL. But that excitement cooled just as quickly when he couldn’t find the back of the net, his discipline on the puck (and in the penalty box) wavered and he was eventually a healthy scratch at the MHL level, which led to a move to Muskegon in the USHL only to get suspended for slew footing before he’d barely got started. Even before this year, there was talk of him being difficult to coach and work with coming out of Russia, too. And yet, he broke Matvei Michkov’s U17 scoring record in the MHL last year and put up comparable numbers to Ivan Demidov in his draft-minus-two season while being four and a half months younger than Demidov was. He has also been productive for Muskegon, finding the back of the net more and rebuilding his confidence while continuing to come and go in games and in discipline. I don’t know where I’d feel comfortable taking him but I’ve slotted him here on talent. I’d treat drafting him differently than I would other kids and would want to do my due diligence in interviews before I made a decision. He also needs to decide where he wants to play next year.
Ryabkin’s got a quick release. I like his instincts off the puck offensively to get open and jump into gaps in coverage. He’s got soft hands and makes a lot of plays off his backhand. He sees the ice well when there are plays to be made and has the finesse and touch to execute difficult passes. I like him in give-and-go plays and one-on-one inside the offensive zone. On the puck, he’s got a legit individual skill level. He’s got some real craft and creativity to his game. But his decision-making on the ice can leave a lot to be desired and he’s got some work to do to get into better shape (he’s actually a solid skater, which is why he could stand to benefit from working on his fitness). He showed last year a willingness to pursue and track pucks and looked like a player who could potentially stick at center up levels (though some are now questioning that). His work rate wavers, though, and there were some rumblings about him not being the easiest kid to play with/coach even before this season. I also find he can get ahead of the play at times (he can engage and finish his checks but needs to play the right way more consistently if he wants to be trusted enough to go out there and make his skill plays). It’s hard to find centers with his skill and offensive instincts/intuition in the second round, though, for example, and he remains a talent. But he’s now going to have to continue to prove himself.
I thought about ranking him closer to the back of this tier in the late 30s.
Courtesy Muskegon Lumberjacks
Ravensbergen was one of the stories of the WHL season last year. He was undrafted into the WHL, pitched a shutout in his first start and emerged to challenge Canucks draft pick Ty Young for starts in the regular season with Prince George, playing to an even split and then winning the net in the playoffs, where he was outstanding (his .931 playoff save percentage set a new WHL benchmark for a rookie goaltender). That play, combined with his 6-foot-5 frame, earned him an invite to the World Junior Summer Showcase from Hockey Canada and made him the consensus top goalie prospect in the draft entering this season. However, he dealt with a hip injury that limited his training in the offseason when he could have really used some time in the gym to get stronger (he has never really worked out and is quite lean). This season, he was good without putting up typical first-rounder numbers, playing a lot to a save percentage just above .900 after a strong start to the year (he had a couple of off nights early in Prince George’s first-round loss to Portland as well but played really well in Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7).
Ravensbergen’s a rare southpaw as a right-catching goalie. He moves very smoothly in the net for his size. He’s smart in his reads and anticipation. He can go post-to-post or low-to-high to get to difficult saves with his length and has definite room to get more powerful through his pushes. He’s got a competitive fire. He reads the play well and fills the net to take away options from shooters with sharp, challenging angles. He’s got some natural standout attributes and the size to match. He’s a competitive kid. I’ve seen him look vulnerable, or get frozen, or give up low-danger shots through his body (including at the WJSS, where he wasn’t at his best), though, as well. His upside is real, though, and there is untapped potential in his game if he can get into the gym and really build up his body. The tools are all there. He’s got the highest ceiling of the goalies in this class. That’s what you’re betting on, and I thought about ranking him a few spots higher.
Read more in our feature here.
James Doyle / Prince George Cougars
One of the standouts at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Fiddler captained Team USA and had a couple of the better games of the tournament. That strong play then spilled into a step forward with the Oil Kings — where he played 22-23 minutes per game in all situations to strong two-way results (it also resulted in an invite to USA Hockey’s selection camp for the World Juniors). I do think his Hlinka has buoyed him a little, though, and I think he’s a little vanilla as a prospect (he was fine-to-good at U18 worlds as USA’s No. 1 D, but rarely grabs you and can leave you wanting more skill and hardness). The son of Vernon Fiddler, he’s a big, right-shot D who defends at a good level at an early age with a developing game on the puck. He’s smart in the defensive zone. He defends the rush well with good gaps and a good stick. I don’t think his offense is as natural as it looked in some moments at the Hlinka (his hands aren’t super comfortable), but he moves well for a 200-plus-pound teenager and he has shown some poise in possession. He’ll try to break past pressure or carry pucks up, even if the execution isn’t always there. He can skate pucks out. He’ll close gaps early in the neutral zone. I want him to lean on guys and impose himself more at times, though. His decision-making and reads still need some refinement but have also come along step-by-step, and there’s clearly a strong foundation and a projectable role for him in the NHL as a two-way five-on-five D with length. Fiddler’s game is primarily about his ability to take up ice, defend the rush and break up plays in-zone but progress made in other areas and his confidence in involving himself in the play offensively was just enough to keep him in this range and could give No. 4 upside (he should become a third-pairing guy at minimum). He’s also a summer birthday, so there’s hope that this is the start of a steep trajectory and that there will be more offense next year. He’s not a sexy prospect but he’s an effective player who’s on an NHL track. I thought about ranking him a couple of spots higher here.
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Moore is a dual citizen and former minor hockey teammate of Misa’s who also applied for exceptional status that year but didn’t get it and then chose to go to the NTDP after another year of minor hockey instead of going to the OHL where he would have been a top pick as a 16-year-old. The 2007 age group is a weak one for the NTDP, with questions from scouts about each of their top players (Moore included), but he led last year’s U17 team in points per game and led last fall’s world under-17s in scoring. He has been one of their more dangerous players this season and has taken enough of a step in the last couple of months (he has played better) to remain in my first round, though I do think there’s a chance he’s a second-rounder.
Moore is a 6-foot-2 center who can challenge offensively and go directly at players with his skill and skating but can also at times drift to the perimeter and just needs to attack and create more consistently. When he plays to the middle and gets off the wall to the inside, he can show skill and scoring and be a lot to handle in protection. He can make plays off of his backhand. But inconsistency has been an issue and he needs to get stronger and play with more drive/push at times. He has quick hands one-on-one, which allows him to play pucks under the sticks of defenders. He’s a natural, flowing skater. He’s capable of dropping a shoulder and attacking at guys from out wide, or pushing to the net for a jam play/wraparound, or going to the front of the net and lurk for opportunistic chances off the puck, but you want to see him do that more than he actually does. He can also work to get to pucks and win races, though some want to see him be more involved in all areas of his game (he’s decent in the faceoff circle, though). He’s got some wiry strength and power with room to fill out and add lean muscle mass to a very rangy frame. He’s not the most cerebral player or a dynamic facilitator, though, and he’s got work to do to round out his game off the puck. But he’s got good instincts on the puck and some untapped upside because of his skill, skating and shot. With the right development and a bit of an adjustment to his mindset, he’s got legit NHL potential. He’s got some developmental boxes he still needs to check, though, as well. In spurts, he has looked like a real talent. As this season has gone on, he has also upped his effort plays, better supported pucks and started going to the net more, which is a good start.
Read more in our feature here.
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
Zonnon is a third-year QMJHLer who had 58 points in 68 games last season and broke 80 as a big-minutes forward who wore a letter for the Huskies this year as one of the more productive forwards in the league. He also had a decent playoffs, leading the Huskies to the third round of the Q playoffs with a team-high eight goals and 16 points in 13 games.
He plays a versatile game that impresses both on but especially off the puck, where he keeps his feet moving, works, finds space, gets to loose pucks, forces turnovers and tracks. Nobody works harder. He can play both center and wing. He’s fast and he plays like it. He’s got a real B game, playing in bursts to apply pressure and win a ton of races and 50/50 pucks. He’s competitive and has a good stick on lifts and disruptions. He makes plays quickly. He can be a menace on the forecheck. But he’s also got some vision, with an ability to find the secondary wave on the ice and get pucks off the wall and to the interior. His handling and skill aren’t dynamic but he can make plays and execute when opportunities present themselves and I’ve seen him push through plenty of holes in control. I expect him to have a long, successful pro career and think he’s got middle-six upside and a depth floor in terms of an NHL projection because of the way he involves himself in the play.
Nesbitt was one of the most improved players in the OHL this season, emerging to play significant all-situations minutes for the Spitfires. He’s a big, tall, strong center who looks like a man and yet still has room to get stronger. He’s also strong in the faceoff circle, reliable on and off the puck, with some of the complementary skills you look for in a bigger pivot, including good hands in tight and on tips and a willingness to battle, go to the net and then release into the corners to get pucks back and go to work on the cycle. He’s competitive. He’s got some secondary vision/sense on the puck and reads and anticipates well on and off the puck. He’s got some puck skill. He’s physical and will drop the gloves. He’s got some meanness to him. He works to track back. He can take pucks off the wall to the dangerous areas and hold them on the cycle. He’ll carry pucks through neutral ice even though his skating needs work. He’s got a good wrister from mid-range. He has learned to survey better and find guys. He can make some plays with guys on him. There’s a lot to like. He needs to get a quicker, for sure, and a disappointing impact at U18 worlds did soften some of the buzz around him this season. If he continues to make the progress he did this season, he’ll have a long career in the NHL. He’s still going to be a first-rounder in June, too.
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
I’ve been hearing about Boumedienne for some time, and he’d lived up to the billing before a disappointing showing at Hlinka (he impressed as a rookie in the USHL to play his way onto its All-Rookie Team and internationally with the Swedish national under-17 team). He’s a plus-skater with a long and fluid stride that is complemented by good footwork and balanced four-way mobility. He’s got natural glide but can also stay on top of the ice and flow through his skating patterns in straight lines. His puck management/decision-making in control needs work though as he doesn’t think the game particularly well and relies too much on his instincts both with and without the puck (he can take an extra second to make his read at times and is prone to turning the puck over). He’s got a good stick defensively and can take away time and space with his length, skating and timing in neutral ice, though. He can also try to do too much for his skill level with the puck and put himself in bad spots at times. He’s also going to get stronger and fill out his frame further to add some more power to his game (which he did even this year, adding nine pounds in season).
After an up-and-down start at BU, he took major steps as his freshman year this year went on, playing his best hockey down the stretch and logging significant minutes alongside Canucks first-rounder Tom Willander. After playing in the teens through much of the year, he was logging 21-26 minutes into the national tournament for the Terriers. After wanting to see him play a more assertive, sure-of-himself game on both sides of the puck in the first half of the year, he also began taking action more proactively in games and jumping into the play more confidently/at better times. By year’s end, he was playing to positive results and even helping out on the penalty kill after making what some believed (myself included for a time) was a too-early move to college. He also led all D in scoring at U18 Worlds after his college season was over, putting up big points and playing a lot while still struggling at times with giveaways and defensive zone reads. He just needs to move it a little quicker and cleaner at times. There were positives in his play defensively in some areas at U18s as well (he got first touch on a lot of pucks with his skating on the penalty kill and cleared the zone, skated a lot of pucks out, made some effort plays, and blocked some shots). When he looks to create and plays decisively you can see it. He also wants to make a difference and can be very involved in offence when he’s activating, walking the line, and swinging off the point. Once his game matures and the execution/decision-making/getting caught up ice trying to do too much starts to improve, he’s got upside with his skating to be an NHLer. There’s definitely a better player/prospect in there than the one we saw at Hlinka, and while he didn’t look like a first-rounder to me in the summer and fall, he has looked like one in stretches recently and I think the late 20s/30s is appropriate. His skating should carry him and there’s some untapped potential there still (I expect him to become a power-play guy in college even if he hasn’t been one as a freshman, for example).
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I’ve got a lot of time for Murtagh and felt entering this year and early on in it that he was a little underrated. He didn’t have the name cachet coming into the NTDP that forwards such as William Moore, Conrad Fondrk, L.J. Mooney and Cole McKinney (and previously Cullen Potter before his move to ASU) had but he looked in line with them in my viewings last season and produced in line with them, too. He missed some games early on this year due to injury as well but stood out in a bunch of my viewings after getting back (though part of that is by proxy to a weak ’07 forward group at the program). He was an offensive catalyst for them in stretches, is one of their only players with some presence to his game with the puck and was one of their only guys who took and owned ice with the puck at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in November. I wanted more at U18 worlds, and he has struggled with the consistency of his habits and details, but he still finds ways to find the scoresheet. He’s also got a late August birthday and is one of the younger players in the draft.
Murtagh’s a strong skater and athlete who can play through strong strides and push tempo in straight lines, or round corners with speed to get to his spots. He’s got a dangerous and deceptive in-motion NHL release, which he hides well pre-shot, and a comfortable and confident one-timer. He plays the game with intention offensively and a desire to score and make a difference in the offensive zone. He’ll make power moves and likes the wraparound play. I think he’s got the tools to become a stronger defensive player, too, because of his athleticism, strength and skating. I’ve seen him make skill plays and score big goals. He’s confident on the attack and will try to go right at guys. He carries a lot of pucks through neutral ice and pushes through bumps and contact. He’s not a perfect player but I’ve got time for him and his makeup, and he’s undoubtedly got pro attributes and a pro build. I think he could be a bit of a sleeper if he lingers in the second round.
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Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
Nilson is a lean but intelligent center who is one of the smarter forwards in the draft on both sides of the puck. He takes smart routes with and without the puck, finds space in possession, always has his head and eyes up and processes the game at an advanced level. He’s got a slick first touch and catch-and-release shot. The puck comes off his stick quickly and accurately. He’s proficient on both special teams and will block shots. He’s also a light, breezy, plus-skater who can make plays at pace and sees the ice so well that he makes his linemates better. He’ll need to get stronger to improve his faceoff proficiency and to get the most out of his heady defensive play and tracking, but once that comes, he’s got legit NHL prospects. He knows how to win back pucks with his skating and body positioning, protect them and then escape or find inside ice with his sharp edges. He’s a winning player. He’s got one-on-one skill and finesse. I would have liked to see him score more this year, but he’s an interesting prospect who still has a lot of development opportunities in front of him, and I thought he was a standout at U18 Worlds. I expect him to go the college route as well, which I think will be good for him to get into the gym and play and continue to develop at that level. He’s a very good hockey player.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
There are three little guys of note in this draft and I decided to bunch them together once I got through the players I felt deserved first-round consideration in this age group, becuase I think they’re a cut above on talent from a group of second-round candidates that I really don’t like if I’m being completely honest. Schmidt is actually the most frustrating of the three players and the one I like watching the least but his ability to score gave him the edge because players his size almost always benefit from having a plus-level shot.
Schmidt is a high-end skater, handler and natural goal scorer who scored 31 goals for the Vancouver Giants last year and the golden goal for Canada White (his fifth in eight games) at U17s. This season, he then led a mediocre Giants team in goals and points, scoring 40. And though he often ran hot or cold (including at U18 Worlds, where he made a couple of highlight reel plays but was mostly quiet and left me wanting more), he produced a lot of his own offense.
Schmidt plays the game to attack, challenge and score, with an ability to threaten inside the offensive zone and off the rush, both pouncing and being opportunistic around the slot but also knifing past defenders on cuts or attacking into his heavy curl-and-drag wrister (he really settles it into his pocket and then uncorks it). He’s a worker who will get after it, jump on loose pucks, win races and then manufacture offense out of it in quick bursts. He’s small but he’s sneaky strong, and because of his speed and work rate, his size doesn’t present itself as an issue very often (though he does have work to do to become a more committed defensive player). He can score from range with his shot but also really build great speed when he winds up and can catch defenders flatfooted rounding corners on them. His shot selection can leave a lot to be desired at times, though, too often shooting into shin pads or forcing looks when there are other plays there. His body language isn’t always great either. But he also doesn’t back down from the fight and plays with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I think his talent, pace, shot and skating could carry him to a career as an interesting and unique NHLer with speed and scoring punch. Still, his projection comes with risk factors.
I’ll be fascinated to see what range he goes in on draft day, because he’s not for everyone and could really fall. I thought about ranking him lower here, too, but this is the point on my board where I started to struggle with all of the kids. If he can learn to use his linemates a little better and counter-balance his trigger-happy game a little, he’s got some upside despite his size.
Benak has been the top Czech player in his age group for years and has now played at two U17s, two U18s and two Hlinkas, having broken the latter’s all-time scoring record after back-to-back 10-point performances in the event. At his first Hlinka, he looked like maybe the best 16-year-old Czech I’ve watched at that age and was certainly ahead of where Martin Necas and Eduard Sale were at the same age. This season, after making the move to the USHL with Youngstown, he played to above a point per game and led the team and all U18 skaters in scoring. He has also had some brilliant performances, from an early exhibition game where he dominated the NTDP through to a standout showing at the Chipotle All-American Game.
Benak is tiny but he’s also one of the best skaters and smartest forwards in the draft and the more I’ve watched him and asked around about him the more inclined I’ve been to trust he has a real chance to defy the odds of his size.
His skating, skill and smarts all get very high marks, with a standout quickness from a standstill that matches his quick reads of the ice. He’s got jump and high-end straight-line speed. He’s got slick hands and feel on the puck. He’s a superb facilitator and passer. It can feel, because of his anticipation, smarts and skating, like he’s constantly one step ahead of the game when he’s playing against his peers. And while he’s small, he’s competitive enough, he stays on pucks and tracks, he’s good on stick lifts, he’s fearless, he defends well and he plays a mature off-puck game with an advanced understanding for his age of how to angle and track and a willing work ethic to do it. He’s cerebral and poised. He’s fast. He’s anticipatory. He’s confident on the puck. His projection is complicated, especially as a center, but he’s got the tools and brain you look for in a smaller player. I know his dad, a former longtime pro in Czechia, is 5-foot-10, and if he could get even an inch or two he could be a player.
He’s one of the top players in this age group right now, it’s just a matter of whether he projects that way at the NHL level. And there are some who have their doubts, as there always are with players of his size. I’m a fan, though he’s going to go lower than the average fan who is already familiar with him expects.
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Scott Galvin / Youngstown Phantoms
Mooney is — and will be — a fascinating case study. He’s one of the most talented and complete players in the 2007 age group at the program, the cousin of Utah’s Logan Cooley, and has been talked about for years for his skill, skating, the player he was in minor hockey and the player who came up and played really well as an underager with the 2006s last season. But he’s also incredibly tiny, and that makes him a real test for NHL teams to figure out in terms of where he should be slotted and whether he can overcome it. At the start of the season, NHL Central Scouting gave him a “B Rating” which “indicates a 2nd/3rd round candidate” on the back of his excellent second half and strong showing at last year’s U18 Worlds where, despite how small he is, he stuck at center and more than held his own as an underager. This year, though, he was impacted by injury and struggled at times in his return to action to have the same impact and score (he also moved between center and the wing on and off). He came on late in the year, though, and really sold me again with an outstanding showing at his second U18 Worlds, where he dominated games with his skating and maneuverability but also played physical, had the puck all the time and once again showed himself to be a true competitor. NHL Central Scouting slotted him 208th on their midterm list and 206th on the final list but that came out pre-U18 Worlds, and he’d be higher now.
Because of the injury, he lost some of his runway to show teams that he’s got what it takes. He has always been a top player in his age group (if you put him in an All-Star game of this draft class right now, he might stand out and make his linemates better). But can he be what he is against teenagers against pros someday, especially if he doesn’t get an inch or two and struggles to add weight to the skinny frame that he does have?
I love the player. He’s got lightning-quick hands in traffic/one-on-one, quick feet, a quick release, a quick processing of the game and a unique ability to make plays. That combination of skating ability (he’s got natural acceleration and tremendous edges and can put defenders on their heels from a standstill and spin off them with ease) and skill is complemented by a willing work ethic and attention to detail defensively. He supports play well. He positions himself well off the puck. He doesn’t cheat for offense. He plays with determination and takes a ton of pucks to the guts of the offensive zone and even the front of the net, with a desire to get to the middle consistently. He’s crafty and knows how to play to his strengths and put pucks into space for others. He’ll flash skill off the rush and inside the offensive zone with his maneuverability. There are times when he’s deferential (in part because of his size) but his quickness helps him manage his deficiencies to be a very well-rounded player. He can also flat out make guys miss and can put them in the spin cycle, his edges are elite slipping through holes, he wins his fair share of battles, and I’ve seen him bowl over bigger players.
A lot would have to go right for him to play in the NHL someday but I’d be willing to take him in the middle rounds and he reminds me a little of Hurricanes prospect Justin Robidas, a small center with speed and two-way knowhow who was drafted in the fifth round in 2021 and had an excellent rookie season in the AHL for the Wolves and will probably play NHL games at some point. He’s more dynamic than Robidas, too.
I’ve got all three of the little guys higher than they’re going to go in this draft but I think each have a chance and I also just don’t think there are many players in this range that have more than “a chance” either.
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
I believe there are a handful of legit goalie prospects in this draft, and Andreyanov is firmly No. 2 for me now. The 6-foot, 207-pound Russian might lack ideal height but he fills the net for his size and looks like a heavy, powerful goalie between his posts without his weight slowing down his footwork and mobility. He’s a strong, sound goalie with good hands and technical ability who tracks and anticipates well, competes and can stay square to swallow the first shot or go post-to-post to make more difficult saves. He’s got good hands, tracking and reflexes. He’s comfortable playing the puck. He had some big performances this season and looks like a stud to me. Andreyanov gave up more than three goals just twice this season: A 6-5 shootout win where he made 52 saves on 57 shots and a 4-3 playoff loss where he stopped 41 of 45. That’s remarkably consistent, even in the MHL, where save percentages tend to skew higher.
Viewed by some as the top forward in the 2007 age group at the NTDP, McKinney, a Michigan commit, was the first player the U18 team called up from the U17 team last year. He looks and plays more like a pro than those in his age group, though I do wonder about his offensive upside, and it’s a weaker year from a talent standpoint up front at the NTDP. His game has never grabbed me and popped but he has consistently been a good player for that team and he got better as this season progressed, finishing strong (though I thought he was just OK at the year-end U18 Worlds, he played some really good hockey leading into it). He finished the year above a point per game as their top scorer and he’s a center who has been counted upon to play an important role on both special teams (he tracks and angles well on the PK, is strong, protects pucks well and took on defensive assignments) and is credited for his well-rounded game on and off the puck. He’s got above-average skating, tools and work ethic, with an eager and involved approach and an ability to make plays when they’re there and execute. His skill level isn’t flashy but he sees and reads the game well and has some secondary skill. He’s strong in the faceoff circle. I like him working in and out of stops and starts along the wall. He’s got a pro build. He’s well-liked as a projectable pro center, fits as a second-rounder for me (and most others) and could be a solid third-liner someday after he develops some more at Michigan. He played well at the February Five Nations as well, and I expect he’ll be one of Team USA’s centers at next year’s World Juniors as an 18-year-old. He’s a little vanilla in terms of his puck play but he’s a solid two-way center who should play in the NHL.
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
Genborg played a bottom-six role this season for a strong Swedish U18 team that had 2025s Anton Frondell, Viktor Klingsell, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Milton Gastrin, Filip Ekberg and Eric Nilson as well as top 2026s Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Bjorck. He only played about 13 minutes per game between the Hlinka, the WJAC, the Five Nations and U18 Worlds. But he was one of the most productive 2007s in Sweden’s J20 level with Linkoping, has already scored his first couple of SHL goals and did play the net-front on Sweden’s power play at times. He’s a good-sized winger with some secondary skill who also plays hard and can really shoot the puck. He’s physical, he’s heavy, he can play the cycle and he’s going to have to be a bottom-six player in the NHL. But he also controls and handles pucks well in tight to his body, has strength and did score some nice goals going right at defenders this year. His stride can be a little choppy and he needs to move a little quicker at times but he’s got some strength and power, he makes plays to the interior off the wall and he can gain and hold body positioning. He also goes to the net and battles for his ice, he’s competitive, he forechecks hard, he keeps his feet moving, he finishes his checks and he can play in and out of give-and-gos to free himself for his shot but also has some feel on the puck. He’s got a real chance to play.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Vansaghi is a heavy, strong, powerful winger who plays with big boy pants on and can bully opponents. He played mostly a bottom-six role at both the NTDP and Michigan State, but has done it well and drove into, past and over some college players this season. He can drop a shoulder and push through contact and knock guys over along the wall. He plays with drive and knows who he is. But he also protects pucks well out wide, does a good job protecting pucks below the goal line, and can play with real presence when he’s keeping his feet moving and his head up. He filled in well at the net-front on the power play when they needed him to at MSU this year and was productive in the second half. He’s got a hard shot when he leans into it. He’s a strong, sturdy skater. There were some offensive flashes this season as his softer skill begins to improve. He can get off the wall and drive from the outside to the net when he builds a head of steam. He’s got some work to do to improve some of his reads on and off the puck (delaying occasionally to wait for support instead of always driving, pre-scanning, etc.), and he needs to play with a little more pace at times, but Vansaghi is a high-floor, low-ceiling player who looks like a potentially solid bottom-sixer.
MSU Athletic Communications
One of the stories of this draft, Wang is a 6-foot-6 defenseman born in Beijing who is committed to play for Boston University, attracted 20-plus NHL scouts to his games with the King Rebellion in the OJHL in the front half of this season and has now made the jump to the OHL with Oshawa. With the Gens, he was clearly settling in and finding his way on a top team in early viewings. In the playoffs, he only played 9-12 minutes per game on a deep Oshawa blue line’s third pairing, but he handled the better competition well. He’s still figuring things out and remains quite raw.
Wang’s an extraordinarily mobile player for his size, with impressive skating technique through his inside and outside edges laterally and flowing mechanics going north or back to pucks. And while his handling still needs a little refinement, he’s got some skill, can play with fearless confidence and has the heavy shot you’d expect. There’s work to do to tighten his gaps, but there’s a lot to like. The skating component is clear but his reads are coming, his on-ice communication is really strong (he’s constantly talking to his partner), he has learned to play a more physical style and it just feels like once he learns the decision-making component on offense a little better (he’s got a real ability to join the rush and make plays) and gets stronger on his feet (he’s big and he can bowl guys over but he can get knocked around when they engage in contact) that there could be something really interesting there. He covers a lot of ground quickly and is cast in a mold that teams are excited about. He’s also a summer birthday and it feels like he’s still very, very early in his development curve. He’ll be an interesting bet on Day 2.
Read more in our feature here.
Tucker Nadon / OJHL Images
Limatov is the top U18 D out of the MHL this season. While he cooled off after a hot start in the second half of the regular season, he was excellent for Dynamo Moscow in the playoffs, played huge minutes and was productive in the context of his age, team and league on the year. He’s a pro-sized D who moves well and likes to involve himself in the play offensively on the puck, where he’s confident in control, but also off it to get open, showing good instincts on when to jump and activate. He’s got some talent and confidence on the puck when he’s got time and space to attack. He also played to positive two-way results, driving play and on-ice outcomes on a good team. Defensively, he engages himself physically, has a good stick and seems to make good reads/decisions. He’s got some believers as a legit second-round pick, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen (though it would have been nice to see him in more VHL/KHL action against men as well).
Maksim Konstantinov / Getty Images
Zharovsky is a highly talented winger who scored some beautiful individual goals in the MHL this season and made skill plays in bunches, lighting it up in the second half after starting the year in a more limited role. He was streaky early on in those minutes but really began to make a ton of plays both at five-on-five and on the power play once he was elevated and started getting more touches. He’s lean and needs to add some weight but he’s a slick puck carrier with a knack for taking pucks to dangerous areas and beating his man one-on-one. He’s got great hands. He’s got poise on the puck. Despite lacking strength, he’s a decent skater and will play through bumps to get to his spots. He can drift in games and can lack focus at times, but when he gets the puck, his eyes light up and he’s got the skill to execute and make things happen. He’s going to take some time but has the gifts.
Huang is a talented defenseman who was heavily recruited by top NCAA programs before he decided to go the QMJHL route via Chicoutimi (which took him with the No. 5 pick in the Q draft). He was named the top defenseman in Quebec’s competitive U18 AAA loop and created a ton of offense from the back end for the Sagueneens last season, after also helping Canada White to gold at U17s. He also played well for Canada at the Hlinka, registering four points in five games and making some important plays. His production didn’t upticked like I thought it would this season, though. I expected him to have a close to point-per-game season in the QMJHL this year with Chicoutimi and he finished with 44 points in 75 combined regular-season and playoff games (which is still very respectable and included a strong second-half that saw him play 25-30 minutes in the second round of the playoffs against the Memorial Cup hosts from Rimouski). He has also shown some two-way value and that he isn’t just an offensive type, playing to positive results, developing other areas of his intelligent game and playing to positive results. But a so-so U18 worlds in a depth role on Canada’s blue line softened his second-round case for some I think, and there are times when he can look a little soft.
I still like a lot of what his game offers, though. Huang’s a righty with skill, hockey sense, skating and overall intelligence. He’s a flowing north-south skater, an agile adjuster on his edges and a clever and talented player on the puck who sees the play develop early, identifies and finds lanes before the opposition as a passer and has made some nice skill plays in the Q over the last two seasons. He can carry it, play it with finesse and poise and make guys miss (though I don’t think this is as high-level a tool as I thought it was, he does move well on the puck). He angles well, can play in small areas and make little slip passes, will jump into the rush, has good offensive instincts, and has some poise. But he has also struggled against bigger competition at times. His game defensively is mostly about his stick and positioning, but I believe his talent, vision, problem-solving and planning could translate up levels into a smooth and smart NHL player and that in time he’ll be one of the most productive D in the Q. He would have been on my Team CHL for the CHL USA Prospects Challenge and I think NHLCS has been a tad low on him (they gave him a C grade, which “indicates a 4th/5th round candidate,” ranked him 90th in North America on their midterm list, and ranked him 77th on their final list). He’s also a summer birthday. I expect him to be a riser post-draft if he goes in the mid-to-late rounds.
Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Mooseheads
Ivankovic is a small but excellent goalie who has played at a consistently excellent level for Hockey Canada and the Steelheads and has the high-end tools across the board that you look for in a 5-foot-11/6-foot netminder. He plays an incredibly calm, controlled, positional style, especially for an undersized goalie, staying square to shooters, getting set early, holding his edges and controlling his rebounds so well it can look like he’s not moving in the net (and when he does move too much and loses his posts, he battles to get back into his spots and get to pucks on scrambles). His goalie IQ and anticipation are elite. But he’s also ultra-competitive, mobile and athletic, fighting for pucks in the crease and regularly getting to pucks he shouldn’t. Add in strong puck-playing ability, excellent hands and dexterity and dialed-in tracking, and you’ve got a goalie who consistently steals games. Despite being smaller, he’s also great down low and up high, staying on his feet long enough so that guys can’t pick corners on him but also quick to drop down and kick out pucks.
Ivankovic is a very impressive goalie and while his save percentage this year (which hovered around .900) didn’t look glossy and he wasn’t great in the playoffs for the Steelheads, I thought they struggled in front of him and the Oshawa team they played in the first round had a lot of firepower. I believe in him as a future NHL goalie and one of the top goalie prospects in this draft. He was head and shoulders above all of the other goalies at U18 Worlds this year. The 27 stops he made on 29 shots in the two USports games (.931, the best in camp) at Canada’s World Junior Selection Camp also aren’t included in his data, either. Plus there’s at least some hope he’ll get an inch or two and have a late growth spurt (he wears size 12.5 shoes and his dad, Frank, is 6-foot-5).
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Charles Warburton / Brampton Steelheads
Romano is a great skater and natural center who plays the game with jump and speed. His numbers didn’t leap off the page with the Rangers this season but he’s also a late June birthday, he impressed at the OHL Top Prospects Game and he passes the eye test from a skating/skill standpoint. Romano thrives in transition skating pucks out of the defensive zone, through neutral ice and into the offensive zone to create a ton of zone exits and entries. He’s got skill off the rush and can make plays at pace. He’s got a quick release. And he’s got some two-way habits and work ethic, even if he’s not the biggest or most physical player. He’s also a natural athlete who should get stronger (which should help his two-way game and his need for improvement in the faceoff circle). Consistency has been his big issue. There are games where you can really see the potential and others where you’re left wanting more. Importantly, when he plays with speed, he doesn’t drop his head and tunnel vision when he’s flying around out there (a common issue for faster players), keeping his eyes up and on a swivel. He’s a worthwhile second- or third-rounder who has some fans around the OHL and among NHL scouts, even if he’s got more to give. The talent, skating and tools are there for him to take a big step next year in his post-draft season.
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
Fondrk is a very skilled player who can make plays in space and was owed a better fate in his time at the program both in terms of production and health. He has played stretches of hockey where he looked like one of the program’s best and most talented players, and teams will have to weigh that against the smaller sample of that play. He’s got a dangerous midrange shot, individual skill/hands and good overall skating. The talent level and the ability to execute finishing plays have appeared top-end in stretches. There are some who thought he could have really sold himself down the stretch if he’d been able to stay healthy. There were questions, even as he led the U17s in scoring a year ago, about his B-game but I thought he’d taken big steps to round out his game in his two years at the program when I got updated viewings (he’s good in the dot, has good instincts off the puck defensively, penalty killed for them and I’ve seen him play hard even if he doesn’t involve himself physically all that much. I think if he’d played more he could have been a late first or early second. He has made some pretty plays and he’s definitely a threat when the puck lands on his stick in the slot/with time. If he’d stayed healthy, I think he could have separated himself from an uninspiring pack at the program. He’s got real talent and I could see it come out in college at BU. He’s also a June birthda, so maybe he can take advantage of that runway and stay healthy.
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
Kevan, an Arizona State University commit and the latest Californian to garner draft attention, was one of the top young players in the USHL over the last two seasons, playing to a point per game with Des Moines last season (rare for a 16-year-old season and enough to land him on the USHL’s All-Rookie Team) and just under this year. He joined Team USA for U18 worlds as well and after starting as the extra forward became one of their only fourth-line forwards who seemed to have the puck and create offence (something Casey Mutryn, Teddy Mutryn and Matthew Lansing each struggled with).
He’s got wheels and can get out in transition and make plays at speed off the rush or rotating around the offensive zone. He’s got a natural release and plays the point on the Buccaneers’ power play, though he doesn’t finish as much as I’d like him to. He’s quick in and out of twists and turns and stops and starts. He’s a good athlete, the skating is legit and the skill level is above average (though, again, his execution and finishing aren’t always there at the end of a sequence). I do wonder about his IQ as well. There are times when he tunnel-visions or doesn’t see an open man when he’s playing at a high pace. Still, he can adjust to coverage, go get pucks, comes up with steals, and can play with pace in straight lines or in and out of cuts and crossovers, which is more than a lot of players in this range. I’m not entirely sure what to make of him and he might be more of a mid-rounder than a second-rounder but there’s enough to go with the skating to slot him this range I think.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Behm was a riser in the first half of the season before leveling off a little in the second half. He probably lands somewhere in the second round now (there was a time when some thought he might be a late first). He was an important part of the Blazers, playing 18-19 minutes per game as a go-to forward at five-on-five and on the power play (he didn’t penalty kill for them) and the team’s second-leading scorer, breaking the 30-goal mark and finishing with 66 points in 59 games. Behm was a first-rounder in the WHL and is a good-sized winger with some skill, but I’ve had a tough time with him because I don’t think his skill level is dynamic/screams top-sixer; his off-puck play defensively needs some development and he needs to be more consistent in his competitiveness and physicality if he wants to become a bottom-sixer. But he’s also almost 6-foot-2 and over 190 pounds, he’s got a quick and natural release, good skill, he skates well enough (I like him on cuts/attacking on angles) and he gets open and finds his way onto chances around the slot with good instincts inside the offensive zone. If he can work on some of his habits and work rate, he’ll be a good player. I just view him as more of a 40s/50s guy than a 30s guy.
After playing a limited role in his rookie season with London (the standard), Brzustewicz played more than 20 minutes per game in the regular season this year (though that dropped into the 16-18 range in the playoffs) and was relied upon at times by the Knights in all situations. He skates well moving forward (though he can look a little choppy and is a stocky kid) but also opens up and adjusts and uses his feet to get open off the puck, play in and out of give-and-gos, create zone exits and step up and close gaps defensively, with a willingness to play physically, compete and a desire to snuff out and end plays. He has shown some confidence with the puck and assertiveness without it, even if he won’t be an offensive type up levels. He can break up plays with his stick as well as the body. He’s a decent skater and strong athlete with a sturdy pro build and a balanced, wide posture (too wide at times, which can limit quickness even if he’s strong). He keeps his head and eyes up and on a swivel. He has shown he can be active and involved in the offensive zone. There has been the odd mistake/misread with the puck but I think part of that is just him adjusting to all of the touches/decisions he now has to make over the course of a game in his minutes. I’ve also watched him struggle with the pace of better teams at times. I’ve been impressed by his development on the whole, though, and view him as a potential second-rounder and two-way depth NHL D someday as a potential third-pairing guy. I think this is the appropriate range, though I did think about slotting him in the mid-40s instead.
West is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. He’s a two-sport athlete at Edina High in both hockey and football. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 27th among North American skaters in their final rankings, but he’s also a three-star quarterback recruit who has offers to play football at Miami, Marshall, Kent State and South Dakota. He’s also an August birthday who is nearly 6-foot-6. He has been an honorable mention on my lists this year because I wanted to see him play in the USHL before slotting him. He played well enough for Fargo down the stretch (nine points in 10 regular-season games, his first games in the league) to warrant a second-round rating, though.
You can see some of the natural athleticism in his skating (which could still use another step but isn’t awkward for his size), handling and dexterity. He can make plays into space and can catch and tip pucks. He also sees the ice well and plays the game with good poise and his eyes up, though there’s even some room to grow and develop his game there as well. He’s also a natural center, though there are some who view him as a winger up levels. Teams are very intrigued by both his raw talent and athleticism and strength but also the runway he still appears to have ahead of him.
Marissa Schiock / Fargo Force
Horcoff is a big center who wasn’t getting better at the program and left after Christmas to join Michigan for the second semester. He then got off to a strong start with the Wolverines and NHL Central Scouting ranked him No. 28 in North America at midseason and No. 24 on their final list, both of which I felt were a little high (and I know I wasn’t alone in that, although he is getting first-round consideration from some) but signaled that he was a better player/pro prospect than the player we’d watched at the NTDP. He also returned to the team for U18 worlds and was a solid contributor in Texas, though I don’t think he was as good there as a couple of folks I talked to did. He also regressed back to the mean a little late in the year with the Wolverines, and was playing the wing and not center there. Still, he contributed and generated good shot attempt totals in his 14-16 minutes per game for both teams and has size and some pro tools.
The son of Shawn Horcoff, William was a force in minor hockey, is a strong kid, can shoot the puck and just needs to build some more pace (not in terms of skating, he can actually really hustle and get going, but in terms of reads and decision-making with the puck). He can look a little upright and heavy through his stride when he really has to come to a standstill but he’s a strong, powerful skater who can drive down ice, forecheck, and hang in transition. He’s also good on the net-front on the power play, and when he plays in the guts of the ice at five-on-five he can make things happen and be a handful driving the net or planting himself there. He’s also physical and has a hard one-touch shot and some secondary skill. I think he’s more talented than his statistical profile to date indicates and that with proper development at Michigan could emerge from college as a solid potential bottom-six pro player.
A riser in this draft class, Nestrasil’s numbers don’t leap off the page but he started the year with eight points in his first 21 games and finished it with 34 points in his final 40 games. His minutes rose from 10-15 per game to 17-20 per game as the season progressed, too, and he also played well in the playoffs for Muskegon. He took such big steps in the second half that UMass moved his commitment up from 2026-27 to 2025-26. Scouts are intrigued by his rangy frame, his room for physical growth and his blend of work ethic and sneaky skill. I expect the college level to come with a learning curve next season but he skates well for his size, he gets in on the forecheck, he hunts and wins pucks with his body positioning and a great stick and he showed some playmaking sense and skill this year. The belief is that once he fills out his frame, he could become a pretty unique third-line winger with the right patience. I don’t see the 20s/30s range that some do, but he looks like a top 64 prospect to me.
Courtesy Muskegon Lumberjacks
Medvedev was one of the breakout stars of this year’s draft class in the first half, playing to excellent results as a rookie with the Knights before veteran tandem mate Austin Elliott grabbed the net in the second half and into the playoffs. Medvedev was 5-foot-11 when London drafted him in the second round of the 2023 OHL draft, and after spending his 16-year-old season in the Jr. B GOJHL, he’s now over 6-foot-2. He moves well, is competitive on second and third chances/scrambles, and while he plays behind a top team, he has been consistently good for them. I have found that he can play a little deep in his net and look small with the bit of a hunch that he has (a hunch over his toes that a lot of Russian goalies have as their stance), but he makes up for it with his quickness, talent and good hands. He’s also, by all accounts, a really hard worker. There are some who believe he’s the second- or third-best goalie prospect in the draft behind Ravensbergen, and while I’m not quite there on him and thought his play leveled off down the stretch, he looks like a legit prospect and has a lot of the tools you look for in a goalie. He’s also one of the youngest players in the draft, which has some excited about his continued development.
Cihar played this entire season at Czechia’s top pro rung and was an effective player at both five-on-five and in the bumper on the power play (a role he has also played successfully for Czechia’s U18 national team). He was also a part of Czechia’s bronze medal-winning team at this year’s World Juniors, though in a depth role.
Cihar is a well-rounded winger and strong skater. He has a quick release, can play through contact, keeps his feet moving, has good instincts offensively and defensively and is willing to go to the net and finish off plays around the crease. He’s also got a good one-touch shot that serves him well in that bumper role. Add in pro size with room to get stronger and his positive impact on play against men this season, and he belongs in the second-round conversation (though I think NHL Central Scouting have him a little high as their No. 4 European skater). He’s a good player.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Klingsell is a skilled, at-times-dynamic winger with an NHL release, quick hands and an ability to slice up coverage both on the puck or through his touch and vision as a passer. But he didn’t pop at the J20 level as consistently this season as I expected he would. He has flashed a ton with the national team but also plays high in their lineup with very talented players and hasn’t quite been able to have the same impact more on his own with Skelleftea’s junior team (which, outside of fellow 2025 Viggo Nordlund, doesn’t have a lot of talent up front). He’s a ton of fun to watch manipulate, shoot and play-make with the puck but he’s also ultimately a 5-foot-9/10 winger who hasn’t produced off the charts domestically in line with his talent. On talent, he’s one of the more dangerous wingers in the draft in open ice. His slick handling and offensive acumen are also complemented by a fairly stocky build for his size as well. He tries things. He’s opportunistic when he gets a chance in open ice. He’s got a nasty snapper that can beat goalies from long range. He’s clearly a top offensive player in the age group and a weapon for the national team but being a top offensive player at the U18 level internationally and in the NHL are two different things. He’ll be one of the more talented players available in into the middle rounds, though, so I’ll be interested to see which team decides to bet on his talent and where.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Conrad is a big, strong, heavy two-way defenseman who impressed folks around the QMJHL with the immediate impact he had in Charlottetown as a rookie last season. This year, he remained a solid player without taking major steps in his development. He looks and plays like a much older defenseman, and had a stretch of play in January and February where he really impacted and dominated some games, producing more offensively and leading a mediocre and low-scoring Islanders team on a bit of a winning streak. He also played 22-23 minutes per game and contributed on both the power play and penalty kill. I’ve seen him really command shifts in some viewings, especially defensively at times.
Conrad’s got a hard shot, he’s got some real defensive upside and he tends to play a decisive, what-you-see-is-what-you-get game on and off the puck. There can be a presence about his game. His skating can kick out and occasionally look a little clunky, and scouts want to see him make more plays with the puck beyond the simple ones he executes (which, again, he did more of late), but he actually has some real power and gets around the ice well enough for his size in my view. There’s a lot to like/work with, even if he’s not perfect. I could see him take a step next season similar to the one that Utah prospect Tomas Lavoie (a Q No. 1 pick who played a mature game but didn’t take his steps post-draft more than pre-draft) did in the QMJHL this year to become one of the league’s top players and someday potentially a solid third-pairing NHL D.
Hamilton, viewed by some as a first-round candidate last year, had an impressive rookie season in the WHL at 16, registering 31 points in 42 games (high-end totals for a 16-year-old D) and earning an invite to U18 worlds with Canada, where he was a reserve as an underager. Given his track record coming in, his draft year was an odd one, though. He played a depth role for Canada at Hlinka and didn’t produce like expected offensively for either of the Calgary Hitmen or the Regina Pats following a trade despite featuring on both of their power plays (including with top offensive D Carter Yakemchuk with Calgary) and playing 20 minutes per game (though the Pats really struggled to score as a team).
Hamilton is a smooth-skating, heads-up defenseman whose impressive mobility allows him to transport pucks, walk the line, gap and re-gap and get back to pucks. He’s a zone-exit machine and should have room to really develop a free-roaming game inside the offensive zone as he gets older in the WHL. There are times when his game could use a little more fight/physicality defensively, but he plays tight gaps, he’s competitive enough, he reads the play well, he has smart offensive instincts and there’s more skill and offense to his game than the numbers indicate. His skating is the real premium, though. It’s effortlessly smooth and should allow him to develop into an entry/exit/escapable/rush defense/tight gap D. There’s another level in there, even if he hasn’t found it or figured it out yet. I just want to see him own it and really lean in on both sides of the puck a little more.
Gard is a big, strong center who can really skate, and that combination always gets the attention of scouts. He can get after guys on the forecheck, finishes his checks and wins his battles when he’s on top of them, can support play in the defensive zone and still jump into the rush with his skating, gets free for breakaways and has made just enough plays this season to be a talking point among scouts. He’s good in the dot and should be a projectable penalty killer up levels because of his length and skating. His production doesn’t scream NHLer but he does have some developing skill and feels like he’s early in his development curve and could really take a step in the WHL next season. He’s got a chance to have a long career as a bottom-sixer in the NHL.
Lane is a Harvard commit who won a GTHL championship and registered four points in four games with the St. Michael’s Buzzers in the OJHL in his U16 year and has been a top player for St. Andrew’s College (SAC) the last two seasons. He was immediately productive with the Brampton Steelheads once college eligibility was opened up to CHL players and he signed in the OHL so that he could test himself against better competition. He did have a tougher time creating in Brampton’s first-round series against a fast, veteran opponent in Oshawa, though. Lane’s committed to play at Harvard next year, but there are some who feel he could benefit from a full year in the OHL with Brampton first. I don’t think that would be a bad idea, though he does have enough skill for college.
He’s a good-sized winger with some real puck skill, scoring touch, smarts, a level of physicality and good competitiveness that puts him in the mix of everything that happens on the ice. He does the little things right, plays with drive and commitment and can penalty kill but also has handles and control, makes his linemates better and has touch and skill around the net and even from midrange so that he’s impactful on the power play and can finish and make plays at five-on-five. He’s a below-average skater, though, and work done to add some explosiveness and smoothen out his skating mechanics will determine whether he’s a top-end college player with a chance to play in the NHL. Outside of his feet, there’s a lot to like otherwise, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen in multiple live viewings over the last couple of years, both at SAC and with Brampton. He’s a sneaky-good prospect in this draft, especially if his skating scares some teams off. He’s a good and talented player.
One of the top Slovak players in the ‘06/’07 age groups, Pobezal played in the Hlinka two and three summers ago, scoring a lacrosse goal and looking like a standout in the summer 2023 tournament as a 2025 draft-eligible (albeit one of the oldest as a late September 2006). He then played in his second U18 worlds last spring, captaining Slovakia and leading the team in goals with four in seven games. This season, as the next in a line of top young Slovak players to play for Nitra’s pro team in their draft year, Pobezal played to very respectable results at both ends of the rink as a pro, scoring double-digit goals and contributing on both special teams in a men’s level as an 18-year-old on a team that went to Game 7 of the championship in Slovakia’s top flight. I did think he struggled to create looks for himself (which has been a strength oddly enough with pros) despite playing 17 minutes per game in his first World Juniors, showing his age a little there for the first time in a couple of years watching him — and I wonder if that will linger with scouts.
He’s a little undersized and he’s not a burner/high-pace player, which does create some questions about his NHL upside even if he has already shown some pro upside, but he’s got good poise/game sense, good hands and touch and he’s willing to go to the net, drive pucks and compete and battle for his space/possession on the ice. He’s going to have a long career and feels like the kind of player teams should target in the middle rounds once the guys they’re excited about on their list are gone. His good skill, smarts and willingness to play a team game could carry him, and I would think he should become a solid AHLer and call-up option at minimum.
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
Trethewey is a head-scratching evaluation that I’ve had a really tough time with. He started as one of the top 2007s at the program, even though his August birthday makes him one of the younger players in the draft. He’s a standout athlete who has, in brief stretches, looked like a talented and confident right-shot defenseman with pro size, a big shot (his slap shot and wrister are both high-end), stability over his skates and some command of the game on the puck. But his game also often looks choppy and his decision-making and execution with the puck aren’t nearly consistent enough. After starting on the power play at the program as a U17, he wasn’t on it as a U18. This was a down year for the NTDP and Trethewey had the tools to distinguish himself but just didn’t take the steps forward that some thought he would coming into the year. He remains a relevant pro prospect and mid-round pick because of his tools and he was still one of their top-four D in usage this year, but he’s going to have to show people more consistently in college that he can put it all together. He can sometimes attack, he can sometimes beat the first layer laterally in control, he defends hard (though his decisions/reads/timing need polishing) and there’s pro attributes to his game that should refine as he continues to get reps. He’s also very strong. His game lacks execution and doesn’t always seem buttoned up, though, and he can tend to look for the shot too much, raising concerns about his IQ. He’s got the potential to be a good player in college if he develops, and he’s got the makeup to defend hard and firm, but there are a lot of ifs. I expect the coaching staff at BU will allow him to play his game and come into his own at his own rate, but I debated not ranking him here. Someone will bet that his best hockey is still ahead of him, but he looks like a gamble right now.
Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP
(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos of Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa and Anton Frondell: Michael Miller / Getty Images)
