Ramblings - 2025 NHL Draft Class Becoming Clearer Late Season
A new series for all the small thoughts. Up first, the belles of a meek class are starting to stand out.
I’ve been itching for a place to unload all of my random, bite-sized draft thoughts for a while, so let’s call it an excuse for a new format. The 2025 NHL Draft is going to be a tactical playground for teams smart enough to give it the right attention. And frankly, I’ve gathered a lot of opinions. Let’s get right into pinning ‘em all up:
The WHL is the focal point of the draft this year. Not enough can be said about the quality of that league. But their draft eligibles are seriously contentious. You see a lot of the top guys - Bear, Kindel, Lakovic, Smith, Schmidt - floating in the >10 to ~35 rank online, but where they should actually land is a very different answer for every single team. Some are as passionate about their upside as all the public scouts. Some scouts are just as passionate on the polar opposite side of the scale. Size and/or dimension (or well-roundedness/projection) are the knocks I’ve heard, varying for each of them. Hard to argue size for Lakovic, but easy to argue it for Schmidt - I think they’ll pace either end of the popular WHL names because of it. Smith, Bear, Kindel could go as early as day one or as late as early-day-two, I’m truly very interested in seeing when they get called. You can call me pretty bearish on the whole bunch, to be honest - though Lakovic is a damn stallion, reign him in and hone his energy and you’ve got a great piece. Of course, plenty of hockey still to play.
Across the WHL, Radim Mrtka isn’t as contentious. He’s 6’6” and handles with ease. That catches eyes. I’ve seen buzz that he could go top 10, and I don’t know how it sits with me. But this is going to be a draft of gut calls and size checks. If I’m mocking out how I think the class could go, it’d be hard not to expect Mrtka off the board before… 12?.. 15? I’ll tell ya what, if I’m on the payroll - I’m looking elsewhere. I’ve seen some thin spots in the dough in his puck battles and chance generation. He handles like the breeze, but has movements that’ll need some hardy tinkering. Soft at his own blue. He’s a great puck-handler who gets into space very well, but he’d be relatively low on my list.
I mention a WHL defender I’m bearish on. Here’s one I’m damn bullish on. Bryce Pickford. What a player. Heavy, sharp-edged defender who cuts into opponents on both sides of the puck. Pushes hard into his edges, super strong frame, responsible puck-handling. Carter Yakemchuk ranks second among WHL defenders in xG-per-puck touch. Above him? Bryce Pickford. That is, 20-goal-scorer Bryce Pickford. He needed to hone his physicality, hone his size last year. But he’s added the offensive jump back in, he’s added the instinct for playing lateral in all three zones, he’s added the puck-skills. You might face a challenge with slowing him down, but you’re not going to face one with keeping him lassoed. A cool, poised, and aggressive kid - I’m a huge fan. Early day two is where I’d want him - don’t give anyone a chance to even think about taking him away from you.
This NTDP team is going to have some insane bouncebacks on it. It’s inevitable. There are guys who want more… wanted more development, and are already eager to put the pedal to the metal in college to show their strength. Or, perhaps not college for them all. It’s been easy to get down on Murtagh, McKinney, Moore, Fondrk, Belle - and I won’t go guaranteeing any of ‘em - but I’m sure multiple find a major groove next year. Just look at Will Horcoff, he could land in the top 50 with this play at Michigan. Potter could fight into the first at 5’10”… hopefully. Both blossomed after they left this NTDP squad. If, with emphasis - If there is a metaphorical shadow over this NTDP squad, there are still very talented players under it. If I’m forced to make a decision on this group in June, I’m looking at the resilient and the adaptive. Top of those list, for me - Murtagh and McKinney. Take ‘em day one. But Moore and Fondrk could both boom in different directions. O’Neill’s a workhorse. Belle’s nifty and tenacious. Schock, Bracco, Kvasnicka are all really interesting cases (and damnit, draft Kvasnicka!!). It’s going to be fascinating to see how NHL teams parce out this group.
A quick mention - I’ll have more on McKinney and Murtagh soon. McKinney a tireless worker, Murtagh a bull. Great prospects.
I didn’t mention Trethewey in that bunch. I’ll tell ya what, I’ve got a stinging feeling the old hype for him is sticking around in some corners. He was a top AAA prospect, he was great at bursting out of the D-zone with speed, he orchestrated fast-moving plays. You still see remnants of those traits, and if (if) he meshes with older teammates in college, I imagine he’ll find his edge again. It’d be a snowball rolling downhill from there - he’s got the jump. The flames (eh?) of Trethewey’s day one hype have simmered, but I wouldn’t rule out him landing anywhere in that 20-50 range just yet.
Roger McQueen and Anton Frondell are in weird spots. Lots of injury, lots of slow play, sprinkles of play that could easily make either of them first-overall worthy. I mentioned xG-per-touch in the WHL earlier, y’know who leads the entire league? Eight games of Roger McQueen. Frondell is crushing Swedish minor-pros. Both are killers, instinctive and dazzling on the puck. McQueen is returning soon, and I bet he doesn’t miss a stride. But if it’s on me, I’m taking Frondell. He’s pro-molded and has the heft, the blistering shot (that works from the flanks), and the off-puck aggression that McQueen doesn’t. McQueen beats defenders flawlessly in stride, but I’d say Frondell wins from flat feet better. I know my take isn’t unique - but it’ll be a storyline to watch. It only takes one team to like you on draft day, and McQueen’s edge is really enticing. But I know some quiet scouts who are… very bearish, and not solely because of injury. Direction, aggression, suppression - gotta be diligent off puck to earn the moments on puck. I won’t say he’s not for me, he’d be the prospect I’d be excited to watch every day of every camp. But his floor is ground-floor low… and his ceiling, man - Anaheim feels suiting? Sky’s the limit.
Let’s move away from the WHL to say - the Desnoyers hype is real. I’d pin the ceiling of his range at #4. Teams love him, he’s smart in all three zones and has been the top playmaker of his cohort since youth hockey. Again, anyone could land anywhere - but don’t second guess the energy behind this one. I’d say, count me in - Desnoyers looks projectable. I don’t know if I’d say top-five but, in this class, the answer for every uncertainty winds back to, “but who else?”
Okay, WHL and QMJHL - check. Stop in the OHL to say - Brady Martin’s gotta be a Penguin, right? Hot name out of Soo, Dubas gets a few shots. But teams love a loyal player, and Martin has been dubbed one to leave it all on the ice every shift. You can see it in how he plays. I’d be one of the freak minds to land him in my top-10 or top-15. I don’t know if the team hype is at that point with him just yet. But some teams do really love him… Blues among them… and I wonder how that will drive his range up when the phones get hot.
Can’t mention Martin without Jake O’Brien, who I also think has a lot more steam than some have credited. Everyone wants the next Robert Thomas, and O’Brien fits that outside-in-playmaking mold. He’s a powerplay merchant this year, sure, but the strong traits are really noticeable. I would be very surprised to see O’Brien not go day one. But I don’t know where in those 32 it’ll be. He’s another who could really have his hype driven up when phones get hot, and another guy that I’d struggle not to name in my own top-10, top-15 tier… I think he could get there on the day too.
Michael fricken Misa. He’s not getting the acclaim I’d expect, but wow is this kid a superstar. Wow, wow, wow. Hard-hitter, hard-shooter, great finisher, heavy stickhandling, powerful stride, absolute shit-stirrer, captain of his team, locker room standout, record holder, exceptional status, goal-per-game scorer. Insane. Listen, I know James Hagens is going to be good. He’s a special kid, with a special processing ability on the ice - he’s effective in all three zones - he can wear your letter and lead your team. Hagens is thee commander of this year’s draft. But Misa is the Legate. The Labienus to Hagens’ Caesar, if you will. I would absolutely hate to be the one making the first call this year. Because the right answer is Hagens. That’s the safe bet, the smart bet. Get your Toews, get your Marleau. But man, Misa is the fun choice…
Watch the Russian goalies. Really, watch any goalies. I bet one goes day one… there’s a lot of buzz that two could go, but I don’t think anyone is so brave. Ravensbergen should be the betting favorite. A small cohort love Andreyanov. But the keen… the sharp… they can’t get enough of Semyon Frolov. I can’t either. Incredibly athletic control in such a sharp and dialed-in frame. Great eye. Tons to like. I don’t think Frolov will go day-one… he may not even be a top two-or-three goalie this year. But I do think there are teams with their sights trained on him. Philadelphia, Columbus, Carolina, Nashville, Chicago. I can’t confirm these names but the goalie buzz is around them, and they’re looking across the scale to find an answer.
Another goalie sleeper? Roberto Leonardo Henriquez. He got demolished in one game - and in a small sample, that drives down the numbers. But, in the USHL showings, Henriquez is absolute electricity when he’s hot. He’s moving at lightning speeds and with flawless control. He’s lining up to the puck and challenging opponents. He’s playing with a confidence that I always felt he needed. It’s awesome to see. Henriquez is talented. He has the size. I’m confident he gets drafted… it’ll be mid-rounds, but could end up high if he keeps playing this well at a Jr. A level.
Tomas Pobezal out of Slovakia’s Extraliga is great. Swiss army knife with a sharpened blade. He’s slow - you gotta pull out each tool, eh - but he sees what he needs to do and gets it done. Works well with his teammates, doesn’t make mistakes. I’ve stressed out some of Recruit’s scouts with my day-one hype for Pobezal. I can say as much as I want, he’s not going that high on draft day. He won’t even be the top central-Euro. Teams aren’t there with him yet - but Pobezal is going to get that 2nd/3rd/4th round attention, and I think a team will be getting seriously lucky with that pick. Some players just feel like Carolina picks…
That’s all I’ve got for the first in this series, but plenty more will come soon. Make sure to subscribe to stay up to date with all the draft ramblings!