Following the Memorial Cup and scouting combine, theScore's Kyle Cushman, Nick Faris, John Matisz, and Josh Wegman project the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. The festivities take place June 27 and 28.
After minimal debate, the Islanders select the consensus No. 1 prospect. Schaefer, an all-around defenseman with an extremely high floor and ceiling, immediately changes the franchise's trajectory. The Erie Otters superstar's greatest strength is his skating, while his smarts, puck-moving, playmaking, and compete level are also highly regarded. Schaefer's ability to log huge minutes and control the flow of play reminds scouts of prime Drew Doughty.
The Sharks would've loved to land a potential No. 1 defenseman in Schaefer but are happy to add another elite forward to the team's exciting rebuild. Misa scored an absurd 62 goals and 134 points in one of the best individual OHL seasons we've seen in decades. His blend of speed, skill, and smarts makes him the best forward prospect in the class. Misa could stick at center and form a sublime one-two punch with Macklin Celebrini or shift back to the wing and be Celebrini's running mate for the next generation of San Jose hockey.
Chicago can't exclusively ice small forwards and expect to intimidate future playoff opponents, so the 6-foot-3 Martone would be a great complement to Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. That duo pines for scoring help, and general manager Kyle Davidson surely prizes Martone's filthy stickhandling, hard shot, passing vision, and snarl. Skating is his weakness, but he doesn't need elite speed to keep pace with the methodical Bedard.
A Mammoth surprise, indeed. Martin is a late riser in the draft process, but fourth overall is still higher than most expect him to go. Utah GM Bill Armstrong has never cared about public consensus; he took Tij Iginla earlier than most projected a year ago at sixth, and he stunned everyone in 2023 with Dmitri Simashev at No. 6 and Daniil But at No. 12. Martin is a physical, blue-collar player with great hands who could become the perfect No. 2 center behind Logan Cooley. The Mammoth notably took Martin out for dinner during the combine week in Buffalo.
The Predators are thrilled Hagens is still available here. Nashville's pipeline lacks high-end skill, and Hagens has it in bunches. The Long Island native enjoyed a good yet unremarkable freshman season at Boston College (37 points in 37 games alongside two first-round picks). There's a solid chance he becomes the top point producer of the 2025 class despite his draft stock taking a major hit over the past nine months. Hagens is a slightly undersized center who thrives in transition thanks to dynamic skating and crafty puck work.
Desnoyers is the best prospect to come through the QMJHL since Alexis Lafreniere went first overall in 2020. He led the Moncton Wildcats in scoring and won QMJHL playoff MVP despite being the youngest player on his team. He's an incredibly mature player and looks destined to become a Selke Trophy candidate. It's hard to think of a better mentor for Desnoyers than Flyers captain Sean Couturier.
The Bruins' disastrous season earned them a rare premium pick; they haven't drafted this high since Tyler Seguin went second overall in 2010. Frondell's advanced two-way game would suit a rebuilding club or a retooled playoff hopeful depending on which path Boston pursues. The shoot-first center had 11 goals in Sweden's second pro tier, and he showcased his endurance by posting the combine's best VO2 max (aerobic fitness) score.
The Kraken have never used a first-round pick on a defenseman, but that seems primed to change this year. Fellow blue-liners Radim Mrtka and Kashawn Aitcheson were considered here, but they ultimately land on Smith, who possesses the most offensive upside of the bunch. Smith also has ideal length at 6-foot-3 and is an incredibly smooth skater for his size.
Mrtka, a 6-foot-6, 218-pound righty, addresses the Sabres' biggest need. The club's three best defensemen (Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram) all shoot left, and its farm system is filled mostly with forwards. Mrtka's floor appears to be an imposing third-pair guy who plays 10 NHL seasons, while his ceiling is a top-four shutdown guy with sneaky puck-moving ability who makes an impact every night for 15-20 years. Good value at ninth.
The Ducks are thrilled O'Brien is still on the board at the end of the top 10. He's a highly skilled right-handed center with a pro frame at 6-foot-2. O'Brien led the OHL in power-play scoring, and his excellent playmaking would complement the impressive young core Anaheim is building.
Pittsburgh swings for the fences and lands McQueen, who'd be long gone if he hadn't missed significant time to heal a spinal stress fracture. The slick 6-foot-5 center only played 70 games over the past two WHL seasons, and his draft year was almost a write-off. McQueen is forceful, gets to scoring areas, and doesn't need much space to make creative, deceptive moves or bury the puck.
Aitcheson is a bulldog capable of delivering huge open-ice hits and dropping the gloves. He's also a threat offensively, as his 26 goals this past season trailed only 2024 first-rounders Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson among OHL defensemen. The Rangers' farm system is starved for a potential impact rearguard like Aitcheson.
The Red Wings are torn between three wingers at this stage of the draft - Eklund, Justin Carbonneau, and Carter Bear. GM Steve Yzerman opts for the high-motor Swede with some offensive punch. Eklund, whose older brother William went seventh in 2021, is destined to annoy NHL defensemen to no end with his dogged forechecking. He put up an impressive 31 points in 42 Swedish pro games this past season. Detroit loves picking kids out of Sweden.
Carbonneau is an electrifying player to watch. He has one of the best shots in the draft class, possesses high-end skill to go with it, and is a powerful skater. The Blue Jackets are in a position to take a chance on upside and do exactly that with Carbonneau, who has the tools to become a legit top-six scorer. He's also a coveted right-handed shot for a Blue Jackets team that's heavy on lefties.
The Canucks tend to draft Swedes with early selections but, seeing none in range, add Cootes to a prospect pool headlined by the dynamic Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Cootes brings a different dimension as a quick, tenacious, all-situations center and captain who topped his pedestrian WHL team in scoring (63 points in 60 games). He's a safe pick, but that isn't a bad thing.
There are a lot of ways the Canadiens could go with the first of back-to-back picks. Bear is a great start. He's a highly skilled winger with a finishing touch (40 goals in 56 WHL games this past season) and a nonstop motor that would perfectly fit the culture Montreal is building.
The Habs use their second pick on a defenseman to exit Day 1 deeper at two positions. Fiddler, whose father, Vern, played 14 NHL seasons, is a 6-foot-4, 209-pound blue-liner with an enticing profile. Along with shutdown qualities, he's mobile and creative with the puck. Bonus: He's a right shot.
Calgary took big swings in last year's draft and does so again here, hoping to land a future top-six center in Reschny. The smaller center is one of the draft's top playmakers and had a superb end to the campaign, tallying nine goals and 25 points in 11 playoff games with the WHL's Victoria Royals.
Lakovic's 58-point season was impressive in context. He missed time with a fractured collarbone, and his rebuilding Moose Jaw Warriors finished with the Canadian Hockey League's worst record. The versatile 6-foot-4 winger has the soft hands, smooth stride, and big frame needed to drive rushes and cycle offense at a more competitive level.
The Blue Jackets are a young team with a loaded farm system but face questions about their future between the pipes. Highly drafted goalies don't always pan out, but with their second of two first-rounders, it's worth a shot. Ravensbergen brims with upside thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame and elite athleticism.
Ottawa's prospect group could use an injection of every player type, so GM Steve Staios doesn't overthink it and chooses arguably the best player available. Hensler didn't blow scouts away in his draft year, but he consistently faced stiff competition as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin and member of Team USA's world junior squad. The right-handed D-man gets strong marks for his work joining the rush as well as defending it.
Reid is an impressive skater with a well-rounded game. He was a key piece on a good Kitchener Rangers team in the OHL, leading with a plus-39 rating and totaling 14 goals and 54 points. He isn't the biggest defender at 6-feet but has enough traits to comfortably be a first-rounder.
The Predators could package high picks (they own four of the top 35) to trade up and butt in line for their preferred talent. Staying put means they pair Hagens with Nesbitt, two centers with opposite builds and skill sets. Nesbitt is lean and mean at 6-foot-4 with one of the longest wingspans measured at the combine, and his hands and feistiness compensate for a plodding stride.
Horcoff is a late riser who left the USNTDP for Michigan and had a strong second half. He's coming off a great combine where he set a new record for broad jump at 124.8 inches. The 6-foot-4 center needs to improve his skating, but that's a bet new Kings GM Ken Holland is willing to take here. Holland worked with William's father, former NHLer Shawn Horcoff, in the Red Wings organization.
The Blackhawks, who took Martone third and also own No. 34, are banking on upside at No. 25. The 6-foot-6 West is an athletic forward with excellent skating. He's one of the youngest players in the class and is out of a Minnesota high school, so there's plenty of untapped potential. The catch: West, a star quarterback for Edina High, has yet to fully commit to one sport. (If a first-rounder doesn't sign a contract, the team receives a compensatory pick.)
The Predators go a bit off the board with their third first-round pick. Limatov is a 6-foot-4 defender with strong skating and some puck-moving ability. He played massive minutes in the Russian junior league playoffs and could become a top-four rearguard with a strong defensive game.
Prokhorov produced a Cy Young-like stat line with 24 goals and seven assists across the Russian junior league's regular season and playoffs. He's 6-foot-5, hunts hits, transports the puck in transition, and skates north to the net to finish plays that his linemates visualize and initiate.
Gastrin is a true center with a strong two-way game and leadership capabilities as the captain of Sweden's national teams at the Under-16, U17, and U18 levels over the last few years. His plan is to develop in Sweden, rather than come stateside to play in the NCAA. That's a positive for the Jets, considering their most recent NCAA-bound first-round pick, Rutger McGroarty, ultimately refused to sign and forced Winnipeg into a trade.
The Hurricanes have a plethora of young D-men in the NHL and below, and with Columbus taking Ravensbergen, a forward is the move. Spence has future Hurricane written all over him as an edgy, high-motor puck-battle winner. The University of Michigan commit projects to be a middle-six winger.
The Sharks have seen plenty of Brzustewicz, as he's played in the OHL with San Jose's top defense prospect, Sam Dickinson, for the past two years. Brzustewicz took a big leap this season on a dominant London Knights team. He isn't the flashiest blue-liner and instead projects as a more supportive defender.
Note: If Florida wins the Stanley Cup, Philadelphia will select 31st (acquired Edmonton's pick in the Sam O'Reilly trade) and Calgary will select 32nd (acquired Florida's pick in the Matthew Tkachuk trade)
The 5-foot-10 Kindel's 99 points ranked seventh in the WHL and electrified the Calgary Hitmen faithful. He's a plus faceoff taker who could shift to the wing in the Flames organization and stick at the next level because of his quick mind, feet, and shot release. He's willing to do grunt work, too.
Zonnon's combination of size (6-foot-2), speed, and forechecking ability give him a high floor as a future effective bottom-six NHL forward. If his rush offense translates to the pros, he could be a top-six scoring threat.
