1. Matthew Schaefer, D<\/strong><\/p>\nSept. 5, 2007 | 6-foot-2 |185 pounds | Shoots left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 1 in 2025
Tier: NHL All-Star<\/p>\n
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Above NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Schaefer was tremendous, when healthy, this season. The No. 1 pick in his OHL Draft, Schaefer was arguably the best player at the Hlinka Gretzky and the CHL\/U.S. NTDP series. He was also Canada\u2019s best player at the World Juniors up until he broke his clavicle. Schaefer missed time at the start of the season due to mono as well. His main asset is his skating. He\u2019s a powerful, effortless skater who will be able to close gaps and transition up ice at a clear NHL level. He uses his feet to attack often, leading and supporting rushes very well. Schaefer is a very intelligent defenseman with legit offensive skills. He creates a lot of chances due to his skating, but he can also break down opponents one-on-one with his hands, and finds a lot of seams to make plays. He closes on checks at a high level due to his athleticism, but Schaefer is also a great competitor. He uses his size to make stops, gives a great effort every shift and projects to be able to stop top players in the NHL. He\u2019s a great talent who has already overcome tremendous personal adversity in his life. He projects as a star No. 1 defenseman in the NHL.<\/p>\n2. Victor Eklund, RW<\/strong><\/p>\nOct. 3, 2006 | 5-foot-11 |170 pounds | Shoots right<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 16 in 2025
Tier: Top of the lineup player<\/p>\n
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Eklund, the younger brother of Sharks winger William Eklund, was excellent this season versus men in the Allsvenskan as well as for Sweden\u2019s World Junior team. Victor is an excellent skater. He has good speed, but his edge work is what separates his skating ability and how elusive he is in tight. He\u2019s a very skilled forward who makes creative plays and can do so in the tough areas. Eklund is undersized, but he plays like a big man. He\u2019s a tenacious competitor who hunts down pucks and is great at creating chances around the net. He projects as a top-line winger.<\/p>\n3. Kashawn Aitcheson, D<\/strong><\/p>\nSept. 21, 2006 | 6-foot-2 | 198 pounds | Shoots left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 17 in 2025
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player<\/p>\n
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Aitcheson was one of the better defensemen in the OHL this season. He has been a major-minutes player for Barrie as he was for Canada\u2019s U18 team last spring. He\u2019s a hyper-competitive defender who doesn\u2019t back down from physical play and likes to agitate. He has the bite NHL teams will love, even if he does go over the line at times. He\u2019s a good skater with strong enough hands and hockey sense to make plays at higher levels and a solid point shot, too. Aitcheson won\u2019t run a power play, lacking the natural sense at times with the puck, but he projects to have secondary NHL offense and has put up significant offense this year. Even if his puck play is just decent, with his athletic tools and being a menace to play against, he can be a great top-four defenseman.<\/p>\n4. Calum Ritchie, C<\/strong><\/p>\nJan. 21, 2005 | 6-foot-2 | 190 pounds | Shoots right<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 27 in 2023
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player<\/p>\n
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Ritchie made Colorado out of camp before being sent down to the OHL, where he was a top player at that level again. His World Juniors underwhelmed, and he was then a key part of the trade sending Brock Nelson to Colorado. Ritchie is very talented and is 6-foot-2 with NHL speed and skill. He makes a ton of difficult offensive plays on the move through defenders and to teammates and can break shifts open. Ritchie can play a bit too much on the perimeter at times, and can frustrate with his consistency, but his effort level is good enough that it shouldn\u2019t be a liability in the NHL. He projects as a potential top-six forward with the potential to be a second-line center if he hits.<\/p>\n5. Danny Nelson, C<\/strong><\/p>\nAug. 3, 2005 | 6-foot-3 | 212 pounds | Shoots left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 49 in 2023
Tier: Middle of the lineup player<\/p>\n
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: High-end<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Nelson was a major-minutes center for Notre Dame and one of Team USA\u2019s best players in their gold-medal effort at the World Juniors. He\u2019s a 6-foot-3 center who can skate well and has some offense. His skill isn\u2019t what makes him appealing; it\u2019s his compete and hardness to go with his natural athleticism. Nelson is physical, gets to the net, is responsible without the puck and kills penalties well. He doesn\u2019t make a ton of plays, but he could chip in goals at the next level. He projects as a highly likable third-line center.<\/p>\n6. Daniil Prokhorov, LW<\/strong><\/p>\nApril 27, 2007 | 6-foot-5 | 218 pounds | Shoots left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 42 in 2025
Tier: Middle of the lineup player<\/p>\n
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Prokhorov has trended up significantly as the season has progressed, including a great recent performance for Russia\u2019s U18 team. Prokhorov is a huge winger with very good hands. He can make a lot of skilled plays in open ice, at full speed and in traffic. He\u2019s a very physical forward who leans into guys with his big body and plays a direct style. Prokhorov isn\u2019t blazing fast, but he moves well for his size and can skate at the higher levels. He isn\u2019t a natural playmaker or scorer, and he can force plays, but he should generate enough chances, especially in the high percentage areas, which leads to being a coach\u2019s favorite. He could be a hard-to-play-against top-six winger.<\/p>\n7. Marcus Gidl\u00f6f, G<\/strong><\/p>\nSept. 28, 2005 | 6-foot-6 | 212 pounds | Catches left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 147 in 2024
Tier: Middle of the lineup player<\/p>\n
Skating: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Gidl\u00f6f had a strong season against men in the SHL. He also went down at the very end of the year to help Djurg\u00e5rden advance to the Allsvenskan. His pro projection is highly intriguing as a 6-6 goalie who moves well for his size. His pure quickness side-to-side isn\u2019t explosive, but he can make tough saves and is difficult to beat laterally. Gidl\u00f6f tracks the play well and often stays square with the puck. He plays aggressively as well. He can be prone to bad goals at times and needs to be more consistent, but with development, he can become a legit tandem goalie in the NHL.<\/p>\n8. Cole Eiserman, LW<\/strong><\/p>\nAug. 29, 2006 | 6-feet | 196 pounds | Shoots left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 20 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games<\/p>\n
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: High-end<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Eiserman had a productive freshman season for BU, scoring 25 goals in 39 games. He has always been one of the best pure goal scorers in any game he\u2019s in. He has a lethal wrist shot and one-timer, often being a threat to score from the faceoff dots, and a power play can flow through his goal-scoring ability. The debate is what he provides to an NHL team other than his shot. Eiserman is a good skater, puck handler and passer, and plays reasonably hard, but nothing about his game truly jumps out, and he\u2019s not a premium play-driver at even strength. There have been times I\u2019ve thought his skill has risen to that level, but not as much lately. He will play because of how he can help a power play, but I can see the NHL level truly testing him and a coach\u2019s patience.<\/p>\n9. Burke Hood, G<\/strong><\/p>\nApril 30, 2007 | 6-foot-3 | 192 pounds | Catches left<\/p>\n
Drafted: No. 170 in 2025
Tier: Projected to play NHL games<\/p>\n
Skating: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average<\/p>\n
Analysis:<\/strong> Hood had an impressive season, being a reliable starter for the Giants coming out of midget hockey the prior season. Hood is a goalie with decent size who moves like a pro. He isn\u2019t explosive laterally, but has the quick twitch in his lower half to make difficult saves. He\u2019s mostly efficient in his movements, tracking pucks well. I don\u2019t think any aspect of his game truly stands out but he\u2019s a steady goaltender who makes a lot of stops and could be a potential backup.<\/p>\nHas a chance to play*<\/p>\n
Kamil Bednarik is a competitive two-way center with good speed and hands, although he\u2019s not a natural scorer. Jesse Pulkkinen is a huge defenseman who can skate and has some skill, even if he\u2019s not a natural puck-mover. Isaiah George played NHL games last season. His skating is quite good, and he\u2019s good enough with the puck. He is average-sized, though, and it\u2019s not clear which special teams unit he would play on.<\/p>\n
Kamil Bednarik, C<\/strong><\/p>\nMay 26, 2006 | 6-feet | 185 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 61 in 2024<\/p>\n
Quinn Finley, LW<\/strong><\/p>\nAug. 8, 2004 | 6-feet | 179 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 78 in 2022<\/p>\n
Dmitri Gamzin, G<\/strong><\/p>\nApril 8, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 174 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 115 in 2024<\/p>\n
Isaiah George, D<\/strong><\/p>\nFeb. 15, 2004 | 6-foot-1 | 196 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 98 in 2022<\/p>\n
Tristan Lennox, G<\/strong><\/p>\nOct. 21, 2002 | 6-foot-4 | 196 pounds | Catches left | Drafted: No. 93 in 2021<\/p>\n
Tomas Poletin, C<\/strong><\/p>\nApril 30, 2007 | 6-foot-1 | 205 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 106 in 2025<\/p>\n
Jesse Pulkkinen, D<\/strong><\/p>\nDec. 27, 2004 | 6-foot-6 | 220 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 54 in 2024<\/p>\n
Luca Romano, RW<\/strong><\/p>\nJune 25, 2007 | 5-foot-11 | 176 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 74 in 2025<\/p>\n
* Listed in alphabetical order<\/p>\n
Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2025, regardless of how many NHL games they\u2019ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.<\/p>\n
Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). \u201cAverage\u201d on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.<\/p>\n
Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.<\/p>\n
(Illustration: Will Tullos \/ The Athletic. Photo: Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Islanders\u2019 system got a shot in the arm at the 2025 NHL Draft, led by No. 1…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":179688,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[1301,293,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-179687","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-new-york-islanders","9":"tag-nhl","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115100705478972546","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179687"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179687\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}