The summer season has hit its snag, with new workers hires and closing additions headlining an in any other case stalled free company. However loads of pleasure awaits the hockey world within the 2025 NHL Draft, the most recent in a string of 5 robust draft lessons between 2023 and 2027. 2025 contributes a protracted listing of high ahead prospects and distinctive defenders, although how draft day will form up subsequent yr remains to be all however sure. Let’s dive into the highest questions going through what’s positive to be an thrilling class.
Who comes after James Hagens?
The 2025 class doesn’t characteristic the runaway first-overall prospect that 2023 and 2024 did, however Boston School centerman James Hagens has accomplished loads to show his case early on. He’s proven the entire tempo and talent of a blue-chip prospect, main final season’s U18 NTDP roster with 102 factors throughout 58 video games, 13 extra factors than any of his teammates. Hagens will now succeed Will Smith because the centerman between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, giving him the best setting to stamp his place at first total.
However the listing of who will come subsequent runs lengthy. Swedish centerman Anton Frondell has confirmed an early favourite, after preventing his approach to a professional debut within the HockeyAllsvenskan, on the again of highly effective and mature playmaking. He’ll be challenged by Hagens’ successors on the NTDP, Conrad Fondrk and Will Moore, in addition to high Russian Ivan Ryabkin. All three may additionally lose method to a robust defender class, particularly if professional groups fancy the scale of Sascha Boumedienne or the sleek passing of Logan Hensler. Even then, all of those gamers may lose out to maybe the most important uncertainty of the yr…
Who Is Canada’s high ahead?
Even with an American vying for first total, CHL hockey headlines the 2025 NHL Draft. Their class is headlined by top-tier prospects Michael Misa and Porter Martone; maybe the 2 present favorites to go second total. Misa earned distinctive standing for the OHL in 2022 and shortly vindicated it with a historic rookie yr, scoring 56 factors in 45 video games, the best scoring tempo of any exceptional-status rookie in OHL historical past. He gained the league’s Emms Household ‘Rookie of the Yr’ Award that season even regardless of a six-week absence attributable to a fractured tibia and adopted the efficiency up with 75 factors in 67 video games this season.
Misa is the flashy choose for high Canadian, although Martone has fought his approach into the controversy on the again of very hard-nosed and tireless hockey. His work ethic headlines his sport, even regardless of Martone having the wonderful expertise to beat the OHL’s best. He scored 71 factors in 60 OHL video games this season (a better tempo than Misa) and managed a stunning 17 factors in seven video games on the World U-18 Championships, whereas captaining Workforce Canada to a gold medal. Martone’s management qualities, particular groups upside and 6-foot-3 body may all show extra favorable to NHL groups on the lookout for projectable expertise.
Behind Misa and Martone is a litany of promising expertise, together with Malcolm Spence, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, Justin Carbonneau, Jake O’Brien, Jordan Gavin and Emile Guite. Every of the high-scoring CHL forwards boasts loads of distinctive upside, from Spence’s potential to carry out within the highlight to O’Brien’s all-three-zones potential. They’ve all discovered their approach into first-round consideration subsequent yr and will every be part of the heights of Martone and Misa with one other huge step subsequent yr.
Which defender emerges on high?
The 2024 class was outlined by a misplaced listing of robust defenders, however groups who missed an opportunity on the bounty will discover loads of comfort subsequent yr. It’ll as soon as once more be a stylistic bout, with Sascha Boumedienne providing hefty and highly effective drive, Logan Hensler boasting clean skating and laborious passing and the pair of Charlie Trethewey and Luka Radivojevic battling for title of high offensive defenseman.
Boumedienne and Hensler are set for a collegiate faceoff, with the previous becoming a member of the high-offense Boston School whereas the latter seems to develop into the highest prospect on the College of Wisconsin. The 2 settings couldn’t be extra opposed, with BC preventing for a Nationwide Championship whereas UW seems to search out their footing below new head coach Mike Hastings. That creates very completely different coaching grounds for high draft prospects, with Boumedienne seeming to achieve and edge in surrounding forged however Hensler clearly set for a starring function.
Radivojevic, the son of former NHL defender Branko Radivojevic, stands as a very attention-grabbing prospect as properly. He’s flashed improbable athleticism and consciousness on the puck, even whereas going through the challenges of a thin 5-foot-10, 160-pound body, recording a robust 33 factors in 43 video games in Sweden’s U20 league this season. He’s opted to not be part of Workforce Slovakia on the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup, as a substitute absolutely getting ready for his first skilled season with the SHL’s Orebro HK, after enjoying his first six professional video games final yr. He’ll be in search of each his first SHL level and excessive draft standing on a stout Orebro lineup.
And whereas the yr’s high defender appears featured on this group of 4, Canada’s Kashwan Aitchenson, Reese Hamilto, or Louis-Alex Tremblay may every battle to steal the title. They headline a protection class that’s sure to face loads of scrutiny, juxtaposed by an infinite listing of gifted forwards.
