interesting prospects and stories in this draft<\/a> and becomes the highest-drafted China-born player in NHL history. If he makes it, he\u2019s already signed with talent agency WME in China and could become one of their first major team sport athletes since Yao Ming. His career is bigger than him for the growth of Chinese hockey. Sharks fans are going to love cheering him on.<\/p>\nI liked the Cole McKinney selection at No. 53 as well. McKinney is a strongly built center who excels in the faceoff circle, cares about detail and checking off the puck, and was productive on an NTDP team that didn\u2019t have a star or a first-round pick. I think he has a very clear path to becoming a 3C for them behind Celebrini and one of Misa\/Smith.<\/p>\n
Overager Zack Sharp showed enough on the NCAA-champion Western Michigan University Broncos to warrant getting drafted where he did as well. And I\u2019ve got a ton of time for the small but consistent in work ethic and impact Richard Gallant, even if he\u2019s a long shot.<\/p>\n
The only Sharks pick that left me scratching my head was the selection of Teddy Mutryn in the third round. I didn\u2019t view him as a draft pick.<\/p>\n
Otherwise, I thought they did really well.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2222544157-1-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Lynden Lakovic, drafted with the 27th overall pick, has legit skill, scoring and skating. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)Washington Capitals<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019ve really liked what the Capitals have done at the last three drafts. In Lynden Lakovic, they added some size to a pool that skewed a little smaller, while still prioritizing the skill they\u2019ve consistently targeted. He\u2019s 6-4 with legit skill, scoring and skating. With a little more consistency to his game, he has legit NHL potential. I really liked the selection of center Milton Gastrin early in the second round as well. He\u2019s a well-rounded, complete player at an early age who gets a ton of respect from the other players in this class. I think they drafted their 3C of the future there.<\/p>\n
And though German Maxim Sch\u00e4fer didn\u2019t quite make my top 100, he was an honorable mention and No. 96 was an appropriate range. He looked quite impressive at U18 worlds, where the Capitals had the largest contingent of scouts, and he has size and some skill.<\/p>\n
Overtime winnersNashville Predators<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Predators chased identity, physicality and competitiveness by taking Brady Martin \u2014 a player I love but who gives back some production upside to guys like James Hagens and Porter Martone \u2014 at No. 5, but they crushed their next two picks, taking two of my favorites in defenseman Cameron Reid (who fans will love on and off the ice) and Ryker Lee (who has the best hands in the draft for me).<\/p>\n
After taking Reid with their second first, I wondered if they\u2019d prioritize getting a bigger D early in the second (Reid and Tanner Molendyk are both 5-foot-11\/6-feet). And that\u2019s exactly what they did at No. 35, taking Jacob Rombach, who I viewed as more of a late second but was an early second for most in the league. Rombach is a huge defender with some other pro attributes. He\u2019s another lefty (as Reid and Molendyk are), but I think there\u2019s a world where those three become their three lefties at some point.<\/p>\n
I had heard a few days ago that the Preds were high on Jack Ivankovic, which prompted me to mention that I wasn\u2019t convinced they\u2019d take a goalie in the first and could target him in the second. And that\u2019s exactly what they did. If you followed my work this year, you already know I\u2019m a big believer in the undersized Canadian goalie. His compete, talent and anticipation are all high-end for me.<\/p>\n
They got a right-shot defenseman I\u2019m higher on than the consensus in Alex Huang (my No. 55-ranked prospect) at No. 122 as well. Wang is average-sized and needs to be firmer on both sides of the puck at times, but he has skill, vision, smarts and good skating that has areas for executable improvement. I expect him to break out offensively in the QMJHL next season and to become a productive D at Harvard who gives himself a chance to get an entry-level contract as a fourth-round pick. I think he\u2019s probably an offensively inclined AHL D at minimum.<\/p>\n
They got another highly mobile defender in smooth-skating overager Daniel Nieminen, who was on my board last year, in Round 6.<\/p>\n
If they\u2019d taken Hagens or Martone at No. 5, they would have been winners here. I liked the rest of their draft a lot and thought about slotting them as winners regardless, because I really do like Martin as well.<\/p>\n
Boston Bruins<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m very confident James Hagens will be a riser in a re-draft when we start doing those for this class years from now, and I think people are going to come to that realization as early as next year when he\u2019s one of the best players in college hockey and stars (again) at the World Juniors. The Bruins needed a premium, potential top-of-the-lineup forward and preferably a center at that pick, and I think it could and should sail over the wall for a home run.<\/p>\n
They went back to the Boston College well with William Moore (remember Dean Letourneau a year ago and Oskar Jellvik before that as well, etc.) at No. 51, which was one of my favorite picks of Round 2. Moore\u2019s skating needs to improve, and he needs to fill out his frame and play a little harder at times, but he has made progress on the former and the latter, and the muscle should eventually come. He\u2019s also a talented, smart player who I know is going to put in the work. I think he\u2019s capable of becoming a high-end college player as an upperclassman if he hits some development checkpoints.<\/p>\n
Those two picks made the draft for the Bruins, even if I didn\u2019t love the rest of what they did and felt Liam Pettersson, their second second-rounder, was a round or two too high.<\/p>\n
Minnesota high school goal-scoring dynamo Cooper Simpson is a really solid third-round swing, too. He showed he could do it in the USHL in his time there as well.<\/p>\n
Detroit Red Wings<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Red Wings got two players I\u2019d mocked to them at different points in Carter Bear and Eddie Genborg. They\u2019re both competitive, hardworking, committed, pro-style players. Bear has top-six talent and potential, and Genborg\u2019s profile is a bottom-six one, but nobody will ever be able to question future teams in Detroit for their work ethic.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll never fault a team for taking a goalie in the middle rounds, either. Once the top goalies in the draft were gone, and they were by No. 75, the big Michal Pradel was in that next tier and was a fine third-round pick. The Red Wings aren\u2019t a team that\u2019s desperate for young goalies either, so they must really like him.<\/p>\n
My favorite pick for the Red Wings was Slovak forward Michal Svrcek in the fourth round. He was No. 70 on my board; they got him at No. 119, and I\u2019ve yet to see him play a bad game. He attacks and scores against his peers, and I think they could look back on that pick like the Dmitri Buchelnikov one because I think he has legit skill and he\u2019s an SHL\/AHL top-sixer for sure.<\/p>\n
Also in the fourth round, Minnesota high schooler Brent Solomon is an interesting dice roll. He has a long way to go but he can rip the puck.<\/p>\n
Minnesota Wild<\/strong><\/p>\nTheodor Hallquisth, who was the Wild\u2019s first pick of the draft at No. 52, was my mock for them and someone who always felt like their type as a competitive, physical, effective, efficient defenseman who makes the smart play consistently. He projects as a solid depth defenseman in the NHL, and while I viewed him as more of a third-rounder than a second-rounder, the Wild weren\u2019t alone in their assessment.<\/p>\n
I love the swing on Adam Benak, another player I tied to them, too. Benak is one of the smartest players in this class and one of its best skaters. He\u2019s extremely tiny, and that\u2019s going to make it hard, but in the fourth round, I don\u2019t think you can go wrong with that bet. He\u2019s fearless, too. I think he could surprise some people, and I know there were a few other teams that were pretty high on him and were prepared to pick him shortly after the Wild did at No. 102.<\/p>\n
I liked the Lirim Amidovski pick at No. 121 as well. He really grabbed me at the OHL Top Prospects Game, and I spent a good amount of time on him after that before ranking him in my final top 100. Amidovski has a pro frame, pro skating, and can play in straight lines. I could see him take a big step next season.<\/p>\n
Carter Klippenstein, their third fourth-rounder, has a path to becoming a fourth-liner if he develops well because of his athleticism, skating, size, strength and unending work ethic.<\/p>\n
In Victoria Royals captain and overager Justin Kipkie, the Wild get one of the WHL\u2019s better D last season. He may top out as an AHLer, but he\u2019s going to play pro.<\/p>\n
I thought the Wild did well with what they had.<\/p>\n
Seattle Kraken<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Kraken have used all of their premium draft capital on forwards since they entered the league, but I still liked the decision to take Jake O\u2019Brien at No. 8. He was the consensus No. 8 prospect in this class. They then went out and traded up to draft Blake Fiddler when he slipped out of the first round and was available on Day 2, and drafted a second D at No. 68 in Will Reynolds and a third one at No. 134 in Maxim Agafonov to begin to add some blue line depth.<\/p>\n
Fiddler\u2019s puck game is pretty vanilla, but he\u2019s a 6-foot-4\/5 right-shot D who should have a long career in the league.<\/p>\n
Reynolds is a player I highlighted earlier this week as a late riser. He\u2019s a big, strong, highly mobile D who took some major steps in the second half of this season to emerge as a late-second\/early-third candidate for multiple teams. He could become a depth option for them in time.<\/p>\n
Agafonov\u2019s game comes with some highs and lows, but he made enough plays for a 6-foot-2 defenseman in the MHL this season that I ranked him at No. 91 on my board.<\/p>\n
Even seventh-rounder Karl Annborn, another D, makes a lot of sense for them. Annborn was once viewed as a top prospect in the Swedish age group, and that\u2019s probably enough to warrant a late-round selection even if he hasn\u2019t met expectations.<\/p>\n
I liked the Kraken\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Flyers<\/strong><\/p>\nPorter Martone has star potential and gives the Flyers pool some of the size it needed. Jack Nesbitt has middle-six potential and gives the Flyers some more of that size. I love the Martone pick. I was less enthused about the Nesbitt selection at No. 12 and think there\u2019s some risk there if his feet don\u2019t take some real steps that they left some upside on the board (especially after moving up to do it).<\/p>\n
They tripled down on adding size with Carter Amico at No. 38. Amico was viewed as a potential first-rounder entering the year, but comes with some risk now after losing almost the entirety of his draft year. He is huge\u00a0and can move and defend, though.<\/p>\n
I liked the Jack Murtagh pick two spots later and the Shane Vansaghi and Matthew Gard picks a little behind that in the second round as well. Murtagh is a strong, physically mature goal-scoring winger who loves to put the puck in the net and adds a potential middle-six scorer to their pool. Vansaghi is one of the strongest, heaviest forwards in the class and projects safely as a future bottom-sixer. Gard is a 6-5 forward who skates really well. He needs to show more offense but has a pretty translatable bottom-six profile to work with.<\/p>\n
Though fifth-rounder Max Westergard didn\u2019t quite make my list, he was one of my honorable mentions. He\u2019s small and his skill level isn\u2019t dynamic, but he was productive at the J20 level this year, he can skate, and he works.<\/p>\n
They clearly set out with a plan with their six picks in Rounds 1-2 and accomplished it by adding size\/strength at each of them. I didn\u2019t love the Nesbitt and Amico picks, which I think come with some risk, but I liked the other four, and Martone\u2019s a big deal.<\/p>\n
Anaheim Ducks<\/strong><\/p>\nI thought the Ducks had a nice draft. Roger McQueen was a swing worth taking exactly where they took him, and while he comes with some risk, there\u2019s serious upside there, and he\u2019s a unique player and talent. I viewed Eric Nilson as one of the top prospects available on Day 2, and liked where they took him at No. 45 as well. He has to fill out his frame, but he\u2019s a very intelligent player who can skate, make plays and understands the game, and I expect them to be developed well at Michigan State.<\/p>\n
Lasse Boelius, the first Finn taken in the draft all the way at No. 60, was a little high there for me. He\u2019s a plus-level skater who has average to above-average tools everywhere else. I actually thought he should have gone closer to the range they took Drew Schock in at No. 101. They\u2019re very comparable prospects for me in a lot of ways. I liked the Shock pick in the fourth. He\u2019s going to be a very good college player by the time he\u2019s a junior or senior, and then you go from there.<\/p>\n
All of Swiss goalie Elijah Neuenschwander, big Baie-Comeau D Alexis Mathieu, talented low-pace shooter Emile Guite, and the hardworking Anthony Allain-Samake have something that makes them at least relevant\/worth following as well.<\/p>\n
The only pick they made that I felt was out of range was London forward Noah Read in the third round. I don\u2019t see much there. They had a decent draft, though.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2222535086-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Roger McQueen was a swing worth taking exactly where the Ducks too him. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)Montreal Canadiens<\/strong><\/p>\nAs I reported prior to the draft, Alexander Zharovsky\u2019s name was hot coming out of Gold Star\u2019s camp in Florida, and it looked like he was trending to be a late first\/early second. The Habs pounced, moving up to take him at No. 34. Zharovsky is one of the most physically immature prospects in the draft, and some were scared off by just how much physical development he has in front of him. When you\u2019ve got a long way to go, it can be viewed as a plus. When you\u2019ve got a long, long way to go, some start to wonder if you\u2019ll get there. Zharovsky is one of the most skilled players on the puck in the draft, though, and if he hits, he has top-six talent\/point production upside.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got a lot of time for third-rounder Hayden Paupanekis (taken No. 69, ranked No. 81 on my board). He\u2019s a big player with a lot of pro attributes who still feels very early in his development. I expect him to be a big part of the Memorial Cup hosts in Kelowna next year and to take a real step forward. He\u2019s very interesting.<\/p>\n
After the top overagers started to go in the late second and into the third, I liked their decision to take Medicine Hat\u2019s Bryce Pickford as well. He has an NHL shot, had a huge year in huge minutes on the best team in the WHL, and plays firmly on both sides of the puck. I think he will play NHL games someday.<\/p>\n
Belarusian goalie Arseni Radkov was the first player of the draft that I hadn\u2019t watched with the very next pick at No. 82, so I won\u2019t comment on him. (I typically don\u2019t watch more than the top dozen or so goalies, because there will never be that amount in my top 100, and nobody ever told me I had to watch him.)<\/p>\n
I love that the Habs were the team to take a chance on L.J. Mooney as well. I\u2019m a big believer in him, as tiny as he might be and as hard as the climb may be because of it. He is going to be a tremendous college hockey player and grades near the top of this draft in skating, skill, smarts and work ethic. I hope he beats the odds and won\u2019t be surprised if he plays NHL games.<\/p>\n
German D Carlos Handel, their first of two sixth-round picks, was a mid-to-late-round pick for me as well. His game lacks a standout quality, but he\u2019s a good player in this age group and should become AHL depth at minimum.<\/p>\n
New Jersey Devils<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Devils didn\u2019t pick until No. 50, and they took a cut \u2014 which I always respect \u2014 by drafting Conrad Fondrk, who I had ranked just one spot in front of where they took him at No. 49 on my list. Fondrk, like Amico, missed most of this season due to injury and was missed at the program when he wasn\u2019t in the lineup. His skill is first-round level but the production hasn\u2019t aligned with it. I have no issue with them taking a chance there.<\/p>\n
I liked the roll of the dice on Ben Kevan at the end of the second round as well. He has to finish off more plays, but he\u2019s one of the better skaters in the draft, was a second-rounder for me, and should become a very good college player.<\/p>\n
I think Mason Moe is an interesting pick in the late-third as well (he ranked seven spots ahead of where they took him on my list, and that was right in his range). He was overshadowed by Ryker Lee in Madison this year but he played off him well as well and has some pro tools. I could see him becoming a really solid college player who earns a pro deal coming out of the University of Minnesota. Patience will be important there, though.<\/p>\n
The Devils opened Round 6 by taking Czech forward David Rozsival, who I think plays pro hockey and was an honorable mention for my board, even if the NHL is a bit of a long shot. He\u2019s strong over pucks and plays with drive.<\/p>\n
Fourth-rounder Gustav Hillstrom worked his way onto my list this year and has some quality as well.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t spend time on 6-foot-8 CCHL goalie and Owen Sound third-stringer Trenton Bennett, a St. Lawrence commit, but big goalie tends to equal relevancy and his numbers were really good in a small sample with the Attack.<\/p>\n
Carolina Hurricanes<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Canes did what the Canes do and, to the surprise of no one, moved out of the first round and then back again from there before making their first three picks at No. 41, No. 49 and No. 62 with three selections in the second round. Then they picked three very Canes prospects.<\/p>\n
They selected Russian goalie Semyon Frolov with the first pick, adding a high-end goalie prospect to their pool and filling an area of need. Frolov was viewed as going in the late first\/early second and as one of the top goalie prospects in the draft by a good portion of the league. There are camps of people who believe he has legit starter upside.<\/p>\n
It shouldn\u2019t surprise anyone that the Canes were the first team to take an overager, either. Charlie Cerrato was a top-six center for a Frozen Four team last year at Penn State, and I believe the Penguins were going to target him with one of their third-round picks if the Canes didn\u2019t get out in front of them. He plays hard and has secondary skill.<\/p>\n
And of all of the teams to take a swing on the skill and question marks of Ivan Ryabkin, I could have told you the Canes were likely the most likely. The concerns about his fitness, attitude and on-ice decision-making are very real. But he\u2019s a first-round talent. If they can whip him into shape and get him back on track a little, there\u2019s some potential reward there. It\u2019s not without risk, but late in the second round, you can afford to take that risk.<\/p>\n
Sixth-rounder Viggo Nordlund always had Canes pick all over him as a sub-6-foot winger who plays fast, produces and works. I liked him there. And certainly seventh-rounder Filip Ekberg, this year\u2019s U18 worlds MVP, who has looked like a dynamic offensive zone player with the Swedish national team but is undersized and didn\u2019t pop in Ottawa (after dealing with an illness throughout the fall), is my kind of seventh-round pick.<\/p>\n
I liked the Canes\u2019 draft on the whole, as I tend to.<\/p>\n
Buffalo Sabres<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Sabres are going to challenge the Mammoth for the biggest blue line in the NHL. Rasmus Dahlin. Owen Power. Mattias Samuelsson. Adam Kleber in the second round a year ago. And now Radim Mrtka at No. 9 and David Bedkowski at No. 71. Mrtka was my second-ranked D and has legit skating and poise in his nearly 6-foot-6 profile. Bedkowski, who ranked No. 100 in my top 100, is nearly 6-foot-5 and can also skate. Bedkowski\u2019s one of the most physical players in this age group as well, and while his offense is limited, he can make the simple play.<\/p>\n
Czech forward Matous Jan Kucharcik, Rouyn-Noranda goalie Samuel Meloche and Acadie-Bathurst Titan D Noah Laberge were fine picks in Round 4 and 5 even if I wouldn\u2019t have been banging the table for any of them (I\u2019m slightly higher on Laberge, the fifth-rounder, than the two fourth-rounders and expect him to take a step with the relocated Newfoundland Regiment next season).<\/p>\n
I thought they had a fine draft.<\/p>\n
Columbus Blue Jackets<\/strong><\/p>\nI thought Jackson Smith was the right pick for the Blue Jackets at No. 14, and while I thought No. 20 was a little early to take Pyotr Andreyanov, I\u2019m still very high on Andreyanov, and the Blue Jackets clearly filled two needs with their two first-rounders.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got time for rugged and physical defenseman Malte Vass as a mid-round pick, even if I wouldn\u2019t have taken him at No. 76 as well. He has a path to becoming a hard-to-play-against third-pairing D, and the real believers in him see a little Radko Gudas.<\/p>\n
My favorite of their Day 2 picks was the Owen Griffin selection at No. 160, though. Griffin became an excellent junior hockey player this year, and while he was one of the final cuts for my top 100, I\u2019ve seen him play a ton in Oshawa, and he has skill, drive, skating and a lot of what you should be betting on in an undersized late-rounder.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2222527343-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Chicago drafted Anton Frondell with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)Chicago Blackhawks<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Blackhawks walked away from Round 1 with what they were looking for: More size and a second top young forward to play with or behind Connor Bedard in Anton Frondell. Vaclav Nestrasil is more of a second-rounder than a late-first for me, and he\u2019s going to have to continue to develop down the steep trajectory he started on this year, but he could become a really solid third-line checking winger with size and some sneaky skill. West is a complete wild card and felt a little cute to me as a trade-up chase, but there\u2019s no denying he has some real attributes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got a lot of time for Nathan Behm as an early third-rounder and viewed him as a mid-to-late-second this year. His game lacks a dynamic trait, but he\u2019s a solid, projectable player who could become a contributing bottom-sixer.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got a lot of time for overager Julius Sumpf, who was one of the best players in the QMJHL this year, as well. I do wonder with Sumpf whether he just becomes a really good second-line AHLer, but he\u2019s going to have a long pro career, and I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if he plays NHL games.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t see it with giant Brantford forward Parker Holmes, who wasn\u2019t listed by NHL Central Scouting and scored one goal with the Bulldogs last year, especially in the fourth round, but they would be familiar with Nick Lardis and Marek Vanacker there.<\/p>\n
The Blackhawks\u2019 draft doesn\u2019t get me excited like some of their recent ones have, but I thought they addressed some needs.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Kings<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m lower on first-rounder Henry Brzustewicz than the Kings appear to be and felt he was more of a late-second than a late-first, but I thought the draft\u2019s hosts did well on the whole and either ranked or nearly ranked every one of their picks.<\/p>\n
Vojtech Cihar is already a pro and is going to have a long pro career, though there are some questions as to his ultimate upside.<\/p>\n
Overager Kristian Epperson was one of the more talented prospects taken in the third round and can get after it when he\u2019s playing his best.<\/p>\n
Jimmy Lombardi, who they got No. 125, was No. 97 on my list and gets credit for his smarts even if he doesn\u2019t have a standout pro attribute.<\/p>\n
Overager Caeden Herrington probably plays pro after he\u2019s done at the University of Vermont, though I haven\u2019t seen NHL upside. And if you tuned into the 2025 World Juniors, you\u2019ll remember the standout performance of fifth-round goalie and overager Petteri Rimpinen, who is undersized but had a good year in Liiga and obviously internationally.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got time for Slovak forward Jan Chovan and overager Brendan McMorrow as late-round selections as well. McMorrow\u2019s a super competitive player. I liked the Kings\u2019 Day 2 fine.<\/p>\n
Defenseman Will Sharpe, who they took in the seventh round, is a bit of a chicken with his head cut off out there, but has enough tools that I ranked him in my top 100. I expect him to take a big step next year.<\/p>\n
New York Rangers<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Rangers didn\u2019t pick until No. 43, but they got a player in Malcolm Spence that I view as a pretty clear late-first quality player in this age group. Spence didn\u2019t pop this year, but I\u2019m very confident he\u2019s going to have a long career in the NHL as an up-and-down-the-lineup top-nine winger who skates, works and can contribute offensively.<\/p>\n
Norwegian forward Mikkel Eriksen, whom they took at No. 111, was one of my favorite late-round picks as well and ranked No. 69 on my board. He has made plays every time I\u2019ve watched him domestically or internationally, and while there\u2019s a chance he just becomes a second-line AHLer, I like the roll of the dice.<\/p>\n
Outside of those two picks, I was a little uninspired, though. Sean Barnhill is a big man with real athletic attributes, but No. 70 was early for me. So is Evan Passmore. And the rest is a mix of long shots and longer shots. The Spence and Eriksen picks carried this rating for me, though.<\/p>\n
Ottawa Senators<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Senators did well to move back a couple of spots and draft Logan Hensler where they did in the first round. His game lacks a bit of identity, but he has the tools to be a top-four two-way five-on-five D in the NHL who could contribute on both second special teams. Between Jake Sanderson, Carter Yakemchuk and Hensler, they\u2019ve got a good mix of D to build around.<\/p>\n
I thought the decision to take a swing on Minnesota high school standout Blake Vanek in the third round was a little early. He\u2019s a big, north-south winger with some definite pro attributes and an NHL shot, but he\u2019s going to have to take a lot of steps to get signed. They likely saw enough from his brief but strong showing with the Chicago Steel to believe he\u2019s going to keep taking steps in Wenatchee in the WHL next season.<\/p>\n
I really liked the selection of goalie Lucas Beckman with the first pick of the fourth round, though. Beckman was one of six goalies in my top 100 and was excellent for Baie-Comeau in the Q this year. He\u2019s a technically sound goalie and decently mobile goalie who just makes saves.<\/p>\n
Croatian Bruno Idzan\u2019s a nice story. He\u2019s an overager who was very good after coming over to the USHL this year. They clearly trust Mike Hastings and the University of Wisconsin staff, too, because that\u2019s now Blake Montgomery, Hensler and Idzan all there or going there.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/USATSI_26547669-scaled-e1751077431835.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Justin Carbonneau gets high grades in this draft class for his hands and shot. (Kirby Lee \/ Imagn Images)St. Louis Blues<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Blues were one of my winners of Day 1 with the Justin Carbonneau selection at No. 19. I\u2019m a big believer in Carbonneau, gave him high grades in this class for his hands and shot, and believe he has 30-goal upside in the NHL.<\/p>\n
Both of their Day 2 picks are long shots but were draft picks in this class. Russian Mikhail Fyodorov is a small but crafty player (the kind you draft late and then wait on and find out). I\u2019m not a big believer in Swedish goalie Love Harenstam, but he\u2019s been a go-to for their national team.<\/p>\n
Utah Mammoth<\/strong><\/p>\nCaleb Desnoyers was the right pick on Day 1 and profiles perfectly to slot in as their 2C of the future behind Logan Cooley.<\/p>\n
They drafted a Mammoth with their first pick of Day 2 at No. 46 in the 6-foot-5 Max Psenicka, who I know was going to go right there in that range if the Mammoth didn\u2019t grab him. He adds more length to an organization that really covets it in their D prospects. He can also skate and has some sneaky offense to his game. There\u2019s some upside there.<\/p>\n
Stepan Hoch is a big, pro-built, pro-style forward who is probably a really solid AHLer\/depth at minimum.<\/p>\n
Their four picks in Rounds 4-6 aren\u2019t prospects for me, but Desnoyers should be a central piece of the future, and Psenicka should be a solid NHL D.<\/p>\n
Vegas Golden Knights<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Golden Knights didn\u2019t make their first pick on the draft until late in the second round, but they moved up to do it, got a player with first-round talent in Jakob Ihs-Wozniak. He\u2019s a winger and teams wanted to see him play harder and be more consistent at times this year, but I thought he made good progress on both fronts, and he can score, which, in case you haven\u2019t heard, is the hardest thing to do. He\u2019s also 6-foot-2. If he hits, he could be a middle-six scorer with PP2 upside, which isn\u2019t often found on Day 2.<\/p>\n
Mateo Nobert was taken exactly where I thought he belonged at No. 85 as well. He had a quietly very good year alongside Carboneau with the Armada. He needs to get stronger, but there\u2019s some smarts\/feel\/playmaking there.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t view overager Alex Weiermair as a prospect, though he did seem to figure it out a little after leaving Denver to go to Portland.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Jets<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Jets didn\u2019t have quantity, but I thought they did well with what they did have over the two days. They needed to add a D prospect to their pool, which, outside of Elias Salomonsson, had arguably nothing else before Friday night to project onto an NHL blue line. They got another Salomonsson-calibre prospect in countryman Sascha Boumedienne, a 6-foot-2 D who can really skate and has physical and decision-making development in front of him.<\/p>\n
Owen Martin was a third-round pick all day for me as well. He\u2019s a pro-style player who has some real believers, and I expect him to take a step next season in the WHL production-wise.<\/p>\n
Viktor Klingsell is exactly the type of player I think you target late in the draft, too. He\u2019s sub-6-foot, but I wouldn\u2019t say he has some muscle on him and the skill level on the puck is legit. There\u2019s a chance he\u2019s just an AHL\/SHL scorer but you can live with that if that\u2019s the outcome in the fifth round.<\/p>\n
Sixth-rounder Edison Engle would have to take a lot of steps in Brantford and then at OSU to get signed someday, but he has some coveted attributes as a good-sized D with some average attributes.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t view seventh-rounder Jacob Cloutier as an NHL prospect, but he works for a 5-10 guy.<\/p>\n
Overtime losersColorado Avalanche<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Avalanche were one of the last teams to make their first pick of the draft, waiting until the middle of the third round to take UMass defenseman Francesco Dell\u2019Elce, one of the top overagers in the class. I\u2019ve got a lot of time for Dell\u2019Elce, who has appeared in my honorable mentions in two different drafts and is a plus-skater and athlete with good instincts.<\/p>\n
Fourth-rounder Linus Funck is a good-sized right-shot D with some pro attributes even if he\u2019s a bit of a long shot.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t really know how to slot a team that makes three picks, but I didn\u2019t hate any of them, so we\u2019ll go with overtime losers. I wouldn\u2019t read too much into the slotting here.<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Lightning<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Lightning had to wait until No. 56 to make their first pick and targeted a very Lightning-type player in Ethan Czata. He\u2019s a competitive, hardworking, good-skating center who projects as a potential two-way third-line forward. I haven\u2019t seen a lot of natural offense there, but he should be able to contribute, and he\u2019s a very well-rounded young player.<\/p>\n
I think Benjamin Rautiainen, whom they took at No. 108 with their first of two fourth-rounders, is one of the top overagers in this class. He\u2019s quite skilled on the puck, and while some think he may just be a AAAA AHL playmaker, that\u2019s probably a guarantee and not a bad guarantee to target where they did.<\/p>\n
The rest were late-round long shots but fine ones. Fourth-rounder Aiden Foster is a fearsome competitor. Fifth-round D Everett Baldwin was a standout in the pre-school circuit the last two years and plays a busy style.<\/p>\n
Caleb Heil hasn\u2019t quite met expectations after he was once viewed as one of the better goalie prospects in a weaker American goalie class, but there are some who still think he\u2019s a better goalie than his numbers indicate.<\/p>\n
Overager Roman Luttsev absolutely lit up the MHL this season and has legit skill on the puck.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s not a lot to get excited about in the Lightning\u2019s class, though.<\/p>\n
Dallas Stars<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Stars didn\u2019t make their first pick until No. 94, but in typical Stars fashion, they didn\u2019t shy away from targeting a talent that others couldn\u2019t quite get there on in Cameron Schmidt. Schmidt is one of the best skaters and shooters in this class, and guys who get top grades in two different attributes in an age group are almost never available in the third round. Schmidt, who is listed at 5-foot-7.25 and can frustrate with his shot selection and body language at times, was available, and the team that took Logan Stankoven took him. Despite the challenges players his size face, I think he\u2019s more likely to become an NHLer than a number of the other players who were taken in the third round. He might score 50 in the WHL next year.<\/p>\n
The rest of their picks in Rounds 4-7 aren\u2019t anything, in my opinion, though. Mans Goos is a huge goalie, which makes him relevant, but I\u2019ve seen him let in a lot of bad goals.<\/p>\n
Edmonton Oilers<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019ve viewed Tommy Lafreniere, the Oilers\u2019 first pick of the draft, as more of an AHL prospect than an NHL prospect when I\u2019ve watched Kamloops. He\u2019s an average-at-everything player for me, unless there\u2019s something I\u2019m missing.<\/p>\n
The Oilers\u2019 second pick of the draft, though, German forward David Lewandowski, belonged in that range and turned the staff in Saskatoon into real believers (not just in the he\u2019s-our-guy way, either). He\u2019s a very, very smart player. There are some average-at-everything worries with him as well, but the smarts might be enough to give him a chance.<\/p>\n
Fifth-rounder Asher Barnett was one of the last cuts on D for my top-100 as well. He\u2019s a solid, reliable defender who wore the \u201cC\u201d at the program. A lack of a defining trait raises questions about whether he just becomes a solid college and then AHL D, but I don\u2019t think you can go wrong having him be a part of your organization.<\/p>\n
This Oilers class probably doesn\u2019t produce an NHLer, though.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2222625159-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Payton Kettles is a big, strong D who defends and skates well but doesn\u2019t look like a producer in the NHL. (Bruce Bennett \/ Getty Images)Pittsburgh Penguins<\/strong><\/p>\nI thought the Penguins, despite getting three good prospects in the first round and two I quite like in Ben Kindel and Bill Zonnon, got a little cute in the first round with where they took their three guys. William Horcoff, the prospect I\u2019m lowest on, was actually the one who went in the range the league expected him to go in, ironically.<\/p>\n
Peyton Kettles, who they took with their first pick of Day 2, is more of a late second than an early second for me, but was also viewed by the league in the range they took him. He\u2019s a big, strong D who defends and skates well and has more of a puck game than his statistical profile suggests but won\u2019t ever be a producer in the NHL. He has some projectable attributes, and the game is trending toward his type.<\/p>\n
I liked the swing on Charlie Trethewey early in the third round. He was viewed as a potential first-round talent coming out of his U17 year at the program and then really struggled with the decision-making side of the game this year. He\u2019s a standout athlete with a big shot and several pro attributes. If the reads on both sides of the puck can improve, there could be a player there.<\/p>\n
I was pretty surprised to see them take former QMJHL No. 1 pick Gabriel D\u2019Aigle in the third round, though. D\u2019Aigle has really struggled in the QMJHL, and there are people in Quebec who\u2019ve completely written him off as a goalie prospect. I\u2019m pretty confident he would have been there later for them.<\/p>\n
Brady Peddle is an interesting dice roll at No. 91, even if that was a little high for me as well. He\u2019s a big, physical D who is a standout athlete not dissimilar to Kettles. He\u2019s a high-floor, low-ceiling bet and should be a solid depth AHL D at minimum with proper development.<\/p>\n
Travis Hayes is a Kyle Dubas\/Wes Clark type and was a worthy fourth-round pick for me. He\u2019s a hard-working pest with a nose for the dirty areas, and teams didn\u2019t like playing him and his pal Brady Martin in the Soo this year.<\/p>\n
Though Quinn Beauchesne didn\u2019t quite make my top 100, there are some profile similarities between him and Ben Danford, who Clark took in the first round in Toronto last year. He\u2019s a Hockey Canada favorite who prides himself on defending hard, blocking shots, and playing a coachable game. There are some who argue injuries got in the way of him being a Round 2 or Round 3 pick instead of a Round 5 one.<\/p>\n
The small but crafty Kale Dach is exactly the kind of player I\u2019d look at in the seventh round and is interesting in the same way Penn State leading scorer and Preds prospect Aiden Fink was in last year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n
A lot of volume and a huge mixed bag for me, though.<\/p>\n
Vancouver Canucks<\/strong><\/p>\nBraeden Cootes is a legit prospect at a premium position but I thought the Canucks played it a little safe taking him at No. 15 and would have encouraged them to really chase some skill and take a cut, because they need more of it.<\/p>\n
Though Kieren Dervin was one of the final cuts for my top 100, I actually liked them taking him at No. 65 because it represented a bit more of a cut. Dervin is a really impressive skater and athlete who also has some skill. I and others wanted to see him play with more intensity at times this year, but he has the tools to follow the college path at Penn State and come out the other side as something interesting.<\/p>\n
The same goes for the decision to go after overager Wilson Bjorck, the older brother of top 2026 prospect Viggo Bjorck, who lit up the J20 level this season and flashed some skill and feel for the game.<\/p>\n
Likewise for Alexei Medvedev, who is one of the best goalie prospects in this class for me and has tandem upside.<\/p>\n
Matthew Lansing is a likable player type, but not an NHL prospect for me.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll see. I\u2019m largely uninspired by what they did on the whole.<\/p>\n
LosersFlorida Panthers<\/strong><\/p>\nI thought the Panthers\u2019 fourth-rounders, Dane Mad Kongsbak Klyv\u00f8 and Everett\u2019s Shea Busch, were late-rounders more than fourth-rounders whenever I watched Frolunda and the Silvertips this year. You\u2019re hoping both take steps next year after playing on deeper teams in their draft year.<\/p>\n
Shamar Moses, my No. 98-ranked prospect, is a strong, heavy, hardworking winger with some power forward elements that I thought was taken in exactly the right range in the fifth round. He may end up as AHL depth but he\u2019s a coach\u2019s type, and that can sometimes take you a little further than that.<\/p>\n
Swedish sixth-rounder Arvid Drott can really skate, which makes him worth following. His peers think he\u2019s underrated, which I think is always noteworthy as well. The Panthers will be lucky to get NHL games out of any of the prospects they picked, though.<\/p>\n
Toronto Maple Leafs<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Leafs aren\u2019t going to be making very many picks over the next few years, and it\u2019s going to be really important for them to find players and value in the ones that they do.<\/p>\n
So Leafs fans probably won\u2019t love to hear that the decision to take Norwegian center Tinus Luc Koblar was the first of Day 2 that I really didn\u2019t understand. He\u2019s a big, strong, sturdy center who can skate but he scored eight goals at Sweden\u2019s J20 level this year and has a long way to go to have a chance to become a bottom-six option someday. He\u2019s a summer birthday who already has some pro attributes, so I\u2019m sure they\u2019re counting on a steep progression moving forward, but I\u2019m confident they could have got him later and he was ranked No. 56 on NHL Central Scouting\u2019s list of international skaters when they took him at No. 64 among all skaters.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve got a lot of time for Tyler Hopkins, who they took No. 86 and was No. 80 on my board, and think he\u2019s much more likely to become a bottom-six forward in the NHL than Luc Koblar. Hopkins is one of the most detail-oriented forwards in the draft. He needs to show he can make more plays in the OHL next year but he works, and tracks, and supports, and really understands how to play the game.<\/p>\n
I think we\u2019re going to see some more picks like the William Belle one from the Leafs in the coming years as well. Belle\u2019s one of the biggest, strongest, meanest, most physical players in the draft but he barely played for the NTDP at times this year and he\u2019s a bit of a one-trick pony. The Leafs likely see a potential fourth-liner. I don\u2019t think he has the smarts to get there, personally.<\/p>\n
Owen Sound\u2019s Harry Nansi showed me very little skill in my viewings as well, but he\u2019s one of the youngest players in the draft, and his defining quality is his work ethic, so they\u2019re likely betting on development being in front of him and a potential depth projection. He\u2019s a long shot who will have to take some big steps, though.<\/p>\n
Sixth-rounder Ryan Fellinger is a big D with a lot of limitations.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t see what the vision\/end goal is.<\/p>\n
(Top photo: Juan Ocampo \/ NHLI via Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LOS ANGELES \u2014 Welcome to my complete review of the 2025 NHL Draft classes of all 32 teams,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":24789,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[3115,3103,1720,3113,3107,291,2995,3110,1320,2993,2997,1323,2081,3112,3104,3111,2994,1301,1302,293,3105,3108,1334,1328,2999,62,2996,3106,1304,67,132,68,2082,3114,3116,3109,292],"class_list":{"0":"post-24788","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nhl","8":"tag-anaheim-ducks","9":"tag-boston-bruins","10":"tag-buffalo-sabres","11":"tag-calgary-flames","12":"tag-carolina-hurricanes","13":"tag-chicago-blackhawks","14":"tag-colorado-avalanche","15":"tag-columbus-blue-jackets","16":"tag-dallas-stars","17":"tag-detroit-red-wings","18":"tag-edmonton-oilers","19":"tag-florida-panthers","20":"tag-los-angeles-kings","21":"tag-minnesota-wild","22":"tag-montreal-canadiens","23":"tag-nashville-predators","24":"tag-new-jersey-devils","25":"tag-new-york-islanders","26":"tag-new-york-rangers","27":"tag-nhl","28":"tag-ottawa-senators","29":"tag-philadelphia-flyers","30":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","31":"tag-san-jose-sharks","32":"tag-seattle-kraken","33":"tag-sports","34":"tag-st-louis-blues","35":"tag-tampa-bay-lightning","36":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","37":"tag-united-states","38":"tag-unitedstates","39":"tag-us","40":"tag-utah-mammoth","41":"tag-vancouver-canucks","42":"tag-vegas-golden-knights","43":"tag-washington-capitals","44":"tag-winnipeg-jets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24788","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=24788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/GettyImages-2222514082-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n