Jesse Marshall's 2025 NHL Draft Ranking

My official list of the top 40 players available for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft

Draft season has been my favorite time of the year since Al Gore put on his science hat and invented the internet in the early 2000s. I have always enjoyed diving into as many games as possible and forming my own opinions on prospects, while also bringing visibility to players who may not always receive it, to people who don’t always watch prospects. As it happens, I also possess a gross inability to shut up about hockey, so spaces like Faceoff-Factor were born as a result of that. I am excited to bring it back for version 2.0 and share the result of my draft research. You’ll find more prospect analysis specific to the Penguins in the months to come.

A few items of note as we get into this ranking: the first draft ranking I ever completed was in 2007, the year most of these prospects were born. I think that means I am officially old. Secondly, this is a ranking of players, not a projection of where they’re going to be selected. Don’t view this as a mock draft. Also, I am not a goalie expert. That is a world of nuance that I tend to steer clear of, so you won’t find players like Joshua Ravensberger or other goalies in this list, as I don’t feel like I have the tools to properly evaluate goaltenders.

1. Matthew Schaefer - D - Erie (OHL) - D - Shoots L - Sep. 5, 2007 - 6’2” - 183 lbs.

There are a lot of adjectives thrown around about Matthew Schaefer regarding his future NHL status. I’ve heard words like “generational” and “elite” to describe how he’ll be categorized in the years to come. I think the former is especially grandiose and the latter probably has some elements of truth to it. What I do know is that Schaefer is exceptionally talented in both a hockey sense and physical ability. While some people have put their tentative pants on due to his broken clavicle and the lack of games played, I’ve seen enough to make me feel more than comfortable with him in the top spot. Schaefer is the ultimate lane-recognizer. He sprints into open lanes before they develop, seeming to constantly be one step ahead of the developing breakout or offensive zone chance. He’s an almost constant presence in puck support offensively. He’s daring with the puck, dekes with his whole body, uses his upper half to shoulder-dip and lean into dekes, shaking people loose with whole top-down movement. His ability to refrain from getting himself into bad situations by recognizing how to layer his attack will take him a long way. And then, the skating! With Schaefer, the legs power the wolf. He is exceptionally dynamic in traffic and hard to knock off his feet even when he’s in compromised positions. He’s going to be an impactful defenseman for someone in the National Hockey League for a very long time. I don’t think his ability gets enough love because of everything else he can do with his hands.

2024-25 Statistics (Erie): 17GP - 7G - 15A - 22PTS - 8PIM - +21

2. Michael Misa - C - Saginaw (OHL) - Shoots L - Feb. 16, 2007 - 6’1” - 184 lbs.

Michael Misa has a deep offensive toolbox and appears to have a complete grasp of it. Granted exceptional status in the OHL to play at 15, Misa’s game has grown by leaps and bounds during his time in the Canadian Hockey League. That growth exploded this year for 134 points (tying the OHL record) and 60+ goals from the center position. I don’t always love the term “Hockey IQ,” but I lack the appropriate phrasing to describe what Misa excels at in the offensive zone without using it. If you think of players like Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point, I’m headed in that direction. The aforementioned duo is extremely slick in the offensive zone and understands how to create time and space for themselves. When I watch Misa off-puck, I am immediately drawn to the comparison for that reason. When I use the term IQ here, I am talking about Misa’s ability to navigate traffic, work his way into open space, and make driving attacks at the puck from the peripheral alignment of the play. Misa is a dogged worker on the forecheck and dynamic in possession. If you can catch him and mark him, he’s proven difficult to knock down. His shot is volatile in a controlled manner. He’s great at tucking the puck behind him or giving deceptive wrist-dekes that feign his upcoming maneuver. He gives me the vibe of someone slated to be a captain in their NHL future, given his investment in every aspect of the game. There’s a deep level of refinement to most of the things he does. I would have loved to have seen him get more than a handful of games in the OHL playoffs, but according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, he was playing despite being pretty banged up.

2024-25 Statistics (Saginaw): 65GP - 62G - 72A - 134PTS - 45PIM - +45

3. James Hagens - C - Boston College (NCAA) - Shoots L - Nov. 3, 2006 - 5’11’’ - 177 lbs.

I agonized over where to go here, and truth be told, a good bit of James Hagens in this spot is based more on what I think is about to happen than what happened this year. Hagens played between two possession monsters this year: Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perrault. I think it made him a bit deferential at the NCAA level and more of a playmaker than a finisher. When you watch his performances for the United States in the World Junior, there’s a discernible difference in his approach to carrying the puck, driving to the net, and being the primary play-driver on his line. I think what you saw from him there is likely what’s to come with the departure of his aforementioned linemates. Hagens is one of the most enjoyable skaters I’ve ever covered for a draft. Full stop. He is as dynamic as it gets and almost fluid-like in his movements. Everything starts with a powerful launch; he’s very quick with his first few steps, and they generate an enormous amount of burst. His stride, despite its power and speed, looks almost casual as he executes it. He’s so light on his feet, his crossovers and edgework happen seamlessly and without interruption to his pace. He has great top-end speed. He’s able to maintain possession and glue the puck to his stick as he moves. He sees the ice extremely well in that he is the ultimate conduit. He makes a lot of subtle area plays and one-touch passes to spring his teammates as he crosses the line. When he has time and space to let one loose, he can reliably pinpoint the puck with a great deal of accuracy. Hagens impressed me a lot this year with his growth around the net front and in staying with second and third opportunities.

2024-24 Statistics (Boston College): 37GP - 11G - 26A - 37PTS - 24PIM - +21

4. Porter Martone - RW - Brampton (OHL) - Shoots R - Oct. 26, 2006, 6’3” - 208 lbs.

I had a lot of fun watching Porter Martone this year. He has an immense amount of swagger to his game and this almost ambient sense of moxie. He seems to be acutely aware of exactly how good he is at the game and is ready to be indignant towards others at the first time of asking. You can almost sense Martone’s excitement over a game becoming tightly contested, and when the chirping between benches starts stirring up tempers. Martone plays with the puck almost magnetized to his stick in transition. He excels in one-on-one situations and possesses a deep, non-repetitive toolbox that features numerous slick dangles. He’s willing to try anything offensively. Martone has an excellent poker face, meaning he can tuck the puck and keep his next action hidden. He is extremely patient, and a lot of his points this year came from just holding on to the puck and outwaiting a goaltender. He’s pinpoint accurate with his shot and has placed a lot of pucks in puck-sized holes this season. When he’s invested in the forecheck, he’s a nightmare, including the penalty kill. Something I echo from my colleague Hannah Stuart (@hockeywthHannah) is that you almost wish Martone would have a high investment level all the time. It almost seems like there were games where he was seemingly waiting for his invitation to become wholly involved. I expect that to change down the line, especially if he heads to Penn State next year. For now, it’s the difference between ranking him above Hagens and not ranking him above Hagens. Skating is the primary concern here. His strides are a little short and choppy, and he doesn’t move with the speed you’d expect based on his movement. I don’t think it’ll ultimately ruin him; it’s just the lone downside of his physical toolset.

2024-25 Statistics (Brampton): 57GP - 37G - 61A - 98PTS - 74PIM - +19

5. Caleb Desnoyers - C - Moncton (QMJHL) - Shoots L - April 11, 2007 - 6’2” - 178 lbs.

Desnoyers aged like a fine wine this year, consistently getting better from start to finish and culminating in a QMJHL title and run at the Memorial Cup. In the playoffs, he registered 30 points in 19 games and was a true game-breaking presence from start to finish. There isn’t a lot that Desnoyers is bad at. I love his skating, his motor, and the variety of ways he can beat a defender. He sees the ice extremely well and seems always to make the right decisions regarding whether to bear down to drive the net or distribute the puck to a teammate. Desnoyers also has a shooting motion that is equal parts fast and deceptive. He snaps the puck off of his stick with a strong, fast wrist motion and doesn’t need a perfect lay to make good contact. Deployable in any situation, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Desnoyers as another member of this class wearing a letter on his jersey at the NHL level several years from now. I think there’s a power aspect to his game that he discovered mid-year and will continue to refine as he grows and gains body size. Desnoyers has great habits in each zone; he is committed to the less-than-spectacular aspects of the game, and while I don’t think he’s got the offensive talent ceiling as some of his peers, his versatility and work ethic give him an extremely high basement to me.

2024-25 Statistics (Moncton): 56GP - 35G - 49A - 84PTS - 39PIM - +51

6. Anton Frondell - C - Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) - Shoots L - May 7, 2007 - 6’1” - 198 lbs.

Some of the most dominant performances I watched this year were Frondell upon his return from injury, where he made a brief, 10-game stop with Djurgarden’s Jr. in a rehab assignment. Despite showing evidence that he still needed to gain his wind and sea legs, Frondell toyed with the junior division like a puppeteer. And while it took a little bit of runway for him to bounce back from his lower-body surgery, he eventually brought that same energy to Djurgarden’s parent club in Allsvenskan, helping them earn promotion to the top flight of Swedish hockey. Frondell’s season has a bit of a sandwich vibe to it in that it started slowly and ended slowly, but the middle was a big, juicy burger. Frondell became cognizant of his size this year, learning how to use it effectively in battle areas and transition situations. His best asset is his shot. Whether it’s a wrister or a one-timer, Frondell’s velocity can best be described as violent. Frondell has demonstrated the ability to be devastatingly accurate and swift in a variety of circumstances. With time and space, he’ll make a bit of a scooping motion with his wrists to gain a ton of velocity and extreme height angles off of his blade. With one-timers, he uses his weight and size to bend into shots and trebuchet them forward. In transition, he can make a more flicking-type motion and get a surprising amount of lift with it. That shot, combined with his size, evolving tenacity, and a plausible move to center, and there’s a lot to like about his game. Thinking about the directions his future development path can take, there are a variety of player archetypes I could see Frondell fulfilling, top-six center chief among them. That’s what slots him so high on this list.

2024-25 Statistics (Djurgarden): 29GP - 11G - 14A - 25PTS - 16PIM - +11

7. Jake O’Brien - C - Brantford (OHL) - Shoots R - June 16, 2007 - 6’2” - 172 lbs.

If there were a ranking of players I had the most fun watching this year, Jake O’Brien would be in the top three, easily. I’m more bullish on him than most, but I also saw him do things this year with the puck on his stick that left me awe-struck. O’Brien is creative in everything he does. He’s smart, really leaning into his freedom as a center to make read-based breaks on the play in all three zones. He’s committed to his role at both ends of the ice. At his worst, he projects as a bottom-six, two-way center. That basement isn’t why he’s here, though. This is all about puck manipulation. O’Brien is a magician with the puck on his stick; he keeps his head up, surveying the ice while he makes darting maneuvers with the puck on his blade, taking defensemen wide in a variety of angles and inside-to-outside moves. Once he’s around the defense, good luck guessing what happens next. O’Brien is as adept at driving the net and excelling in one-on-one situations as he is distributing it to a teammate with a no-look pass. There are some questions about his skating, but I’d categorize it as fine to good. I don’t foresee it being problematic in the future, in the same way I don’t think his game is based on it now. He’s got a great suite of shooting skills, most notably his quick release. I believe that O’Brien’s cerebral approach, ability to dangle his way through a variety of messes, and his ability to make smart, one-touch connective plays put his offensive ceiling through the roof.

2024-25 Statistics (Brantford): 66GP - 32G -66A - 98PTS - 18PIM - -2

8. Victor Eklund - RW - Djurgarden (Allsvenskan) - Shoots R - Oct. 3, 2006 - 5’11” - 161 lbs.

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows this is where I spent the majority of my time this season. I am a mark for Victor Eklund and watched him more than any prospect on this list. I have to start with the size questions, as I get a lot of them on social media. I am not concerned about Eklund’s size. He was playing in the second tier of professional hockey in Sweden and spent a large portion of it burying grown men. Eklund is built like a brick shithouse and plays the game in an aggressive, bully-like fashion. He is a dogged forechecker whose presence has an attrition-like effect on defensemen. I have seen grown men tap out on fighting Eklund for a puck retrieval after taking a beating from him for two periods of hockey. Eklund has a great shot on top of this. It’s a quick release with a lot of velocity on it. He does a great job of maneuvering through traffic with possession and will make little touch-plays ahead to himself to create puck races to beat defensemen. I’d like to see him distribute the puck more, especially in transition. His best work is in finding open space and getting quick chances off from prime scoring areas. There were many times this year when I watched a defender feel like they had him marked or rubbed out of the play, only for him to rebound and pop up out of nowhere for a scoring chance or a goal. He’s adept defensively and is deployable on the penalty kill and power-play. Despite his size, he was a menace around the crease this season and earned a lot of second and third opportunities off his scoring chances. An explosive skater with a strong burst at the word go, the work Eklund does on the forecheck and in positional pressure creates a lot of time and space for his teammates. Combine that with his shot and puck skills, and I think he has a long future ahead of him as a top-six wing. The perfect comparison for me here is Chris Kunitz.

2024-25 Statistics (Djurgarden): 42GP - 19G - 12A - 31PTS - 37PIM - +16

9. Brady Martin - C - Soo Greyhounds (OHL) - Shoots R - March 16, 2007 - 6’0” - 178 lbs.

If you told February Jesse that June Jesse was ranking Brady Martin ninth overall, he’d probably be a little confused. He’d be less confused if you explained to him how Martin marched through the U18 Worlds and laid waste to everything he touched. The hype on Martin is tangible, but warranted. This is a player who comes with little risk. Martin is a physical presence on the ice, someone who checks up and into their opponent to lift them onto their backside and take them out of the play for a few seconds. On top of that, he can stick-handle in a phone booth. In truth, one of my main criticisms of Martin is that he sometimes skill-chains himself into a corner. He’s a great combination of hands, shooting, physicality, and forechecking. His impact on games is tangible. At one point this year, I saw him eliminate two defensemen (one in each corner) and then skate to the middle of the slot uncontested for a goal. I think that about sums the Martin experience up in a nutshell. He seems to enjoy drawing the ire of the opposition and makes enemies quickly thanks to his intensity and physical presence. He’s the type of player who will posturize a defenseman and then shove them out of the way so he can celebrate, drawing a penalty in the process. He’s a strong skater, tough to knock off the puck in transition, though he does sometimes get caught with his head down while he’s dangling. There’s a ceiling here where Martin is a top-six center with a letter on his jersey. The basement is a fourth-line, physical presence that can turn the tide of a game and score a few goals in the process. As the kids say, Martin’s got that dog in him. If he ends up in your division, expect to be annoyed by him for a long time in one capacity or another.

2024-24 Statistics (Soo): 57GP - 33G - 39A - 72PTS - 68PIM - +25

10. Carter Bear - LW - Everett (WHL) - Shoots L - Nov. 4, 2006 - 6’0” - 179 lbs.

I had initially planned to drop Bear a few spots due to his Achilles injury, but all the reports surrounding him out of the combine are explicitly positive and indicate he is well ahead of schedule with his rehab. Bear was strong on the puck this year, and he fought through a lot in a very direct fashion. He’s showcased the ability to skate players wide from time to time, but he’s at his best when he’s taking defenders head-on. He has a long wingspan, and when he bears down on the puck (no pun intended) and protects it with an extended arm, he’s really difficult to handle, and there weren’t a lot of defensemen who exhibited a consistent ability to mitigate what he brings. He served in front of the net on the power-play, but not in the traditional “just stand there and screen” fashion. He positioned himself well relative to his teammates and made his stick available for redirects and deflections in a creative fashion. He reads the play well and attacks wall-to-center to break up plays and steal pucks in transition. I think his playmaking is an underrated aspect of his repertoire, and he’s proved an ability to make no-look cross-ice and drop passes to set teammates up beautifully. I’d like to see him continue to grow into his size and use his physical tools to create space and chances for himself. He’s a difficult player to handle when he gets going and skates with a strong, upright posture that is very resistant to physical deterrents.

2024-25 Statistics (Everett) - 56GP - 40G - 42A - 82PTS - 77PIM - +33

11. Radim Mrkta - D - Seattle (WHL) - Shoots R - June 9, 2007 - 6’6” - 207 lbs.

The Radim Mrkta viewing experience was a bit of a roller coaster for me. I started this year high on his skating and early returns on puck movement. As the year progressed, I felt that the latter portion, especially, left me feeling frustrated, as I wanted to see more. What you need to know about Mrtka boils down to three things: he’s huge, he’s a good skater for being huge, and he doesn’t handle the puck like a grenade. There’s a prevailing school of opinion that Mrtka is going to turn into this ultimate two-way defender with a big presence on carry-ins or zone exits. I think it’s more likely that Mrtka becomes a formidable defensive defenseman able to play the perfect support role of an offensive-oriented, top-pairing guy in the NHL. Mrtka isn’t bad with the puck; he has exhibited his ability to carry it up ice and even shake a few opponents down, but he doesn’t do it enough for me. He’s a viable option on the power-play due to his reach, proactive approach to keep-ins, and booming shot. Where he excels is in defensive transition and clearing the defensive zone. He keeps a strong gap, has an active stick, and uses his body to separate man from puck. His size enables him to eat up a ton of space in front of shooters for blocking opportunities. His long reach and stick enable him to poke loose pucks all over the ice. The basement here is very high. This is an NHL defender, which is why he lands where he does on this list. I just question how high the ceiling goes. I think some of the offensive hype around him will be unrealized, but he’ll still be valuable as a defensive presence who will transition the puck when needed.

2024-25 Statistics (Seattle): 43GP - 4G - 32A - 35PTS - 46PIM - +10

12. Roger McQueen - C - Brandon (WHL) - Shoots R - Oct. 2, 2006 - 6’5” - 197lbs

This placement is based on potential above all else. McQueen is a big center with rangy technique and a powerful aspect to his game. He’s coming off a back injury, but most of the reports out of the combine are that he had a misdiagnosis and has a thumbs up from medical on his bill of health moving forward. I felt like McQueen tried to pack a lot into his short time this year and overskilled his way out of a few chances. It felt like he was recording an And-1 mixtape for YouTube. Some of it worked and produced some highlight-reel material, some of it put him right into the middle of a collapsing trap at the blue line. McQueen’s a physical specimen on the puck and does a great job using a free hand to thwart off forecheckers. He doesn’t get enough love for his work defensively. I was probably most surprised by how strong his presence was in the defensive zone and how well he made reads as a center to cut off chances or steal pucks. His size enables him to be great around the crease and difficult to move in rebound situations. His shot doesn’t get discussed enough. He throws pucks at the net from deep off the back of his blade in slingshot fashion, and he can get lift in tight spaces from the tip of his blade. There are questions about his health here, but I am more interested in seeing how his decision-making processes unfold moving forward. He likes to try to take defensemen on long, looping walks in the defensive zone, but lacks the speed to shake them completely. Will his agility improve with time? I’d like to see more North/South skating and more control around his use of kill-chaining through traffic. If we’re talking ceiling, McQueen’s is somewhere up in the clouds; it’s a question of whether or not it all comes together.

2024-25 Statistics (Brandon): 17GP - 10G - 10A - 20PTS - 40PIM - +8

13. Kashawn Aitcheson - D - Barrie (OHL) - Shoots L - Sept. 21, 2006 - 6’2” - 196 lbs.

I diverge from a lot of people on Aitcheson in that I was extremely tempted to put him higher than this, and I’m a firm believer in his value playing both directions. I’ve seen sentiment trying to box him in as some type of uber-defensive, hit-chasing liability, and I feel that that is ignoring a gross amount of tape that highlights his offensive instincts in both exiting the defensive zone via pass or possession, as well as his sneaky nature in the offensive zone. Aitcheson’s stock took a big bump courtesy of his heroics in Barrie’s playoff push. When the stakes rose, so did Aitcheson’s game. We must start with the physical aspect of his game, as it’s tantamount to his performance. Aitcheson is a clean and devastatingly brutal body checker. He comes across skaters laterally via their blind spot to stop them on a dime. He hunts hits and plays a physical game. As with most physical defensemen who can skate in his age range, that will 100 percent have to be reigned in, and I don’t perceive it as being a big problem in his future state. Aitcheson keeps a strong gap, has an active stick, and reads two-on-one situations very well. His skating looks Jordan Staal-ish, and I’d like to see his strides get longer as he moves forward. Aitcheson is an active participant in zone exits and is not shy about handling the puck. In the offensive zone, he stalks open ice and is constantly moving. He scored quite a few goals this year below the dots in the slot area. I think it’s dangerous to sell Aitcheson short on what he can do offensively, especially after watching his playoff performances.

2024-25 Statistics (Barrie): 64GP - 26G - 33A - 59PTS - 88PIM - +8

14. Justin Carbonneau - RW - Blaineville-Broisbriand (QMJHL) - Shoots R - Nov. 25, 2006 - 6’1” - 191 lbs.

I had to pull myself away from watching Justin Carbonneau this year. It was by far the most enjoyable viewing experience I've had. This is perhaps one of the most creative danglers I’ve seen in a long time (Rob Schremp mixtapes, anyone?). Carbonneau is electric with the puck on his stick. He uses his upper body and head to shake defenders down, and he can manipulate the puck in ways that will have you rewinding the game. He plays with a gross amount of speed and power. Carbonneau’s skating is dynamic, and the foundation on which everything else about his game comes together. He’s got a hopping motion to his steps in transition, and he’s very light on his feet as he gets going. He can bear down to protect the puck well, and when he leans into his speed, he renders a lot of talented defensemen useless. His shot is also dynamic. He can grip them and rip them for heavy, powerful slapshots. He’s deceptive with his release, and it is difficult to track. He has one of the best backhand skill suites in the class, especially in protection. On the forecheck, he’s a shark, looking to break up passes with his stick or eat lanes coming off the wall in the neutral zone. There’s a legitimate criticism that he bypasses distribution opportunities. He’s a good passer and has a great dish. I would like to see him use it more. For a winger, he has a lot of impact on games defensively. Deployable in any situation, Carbonneau’s hands make him a must-watch talent moving forward.

2024-25 Statistics (Blaineville): 62GP - 46G - 43A - 89PTS - 61PIM - +3

15. Jackson Smith - D - Tri-City (WHL) - Shoots L - May 13, 2007 - 6’3” - 195 lbs.

Jackson Smith’s game is predicated on his mobility. I wish it were more predicated on his size. I think the question of size is one of the main things that leaves you feeling a bit lacking with his game. Smith sometimes seems to play smaller than he is. He is really good in transition and is an active and willing participant in the process of exiting the zone. I think his creativity dies off a bit once the puck enters the offensive zone. He’s great at keeping plays alive and proactively pinching the wall, but I don’t see him taking the game by the scruff of the neck; there’s a lack of taking the puck for a skate around the offensive zone. Most of his handling in the offensive zone comes from his entries, which can sometimes end with an overzealous turnover. I limit Smith in where I rank him because of his work defensively. While it’s not outright bad, its current state would limit his potential to play on a top pair in the NHL, and I’d love to see him use his size more. He’s a good, patient shooter who seemed more willing to be selfish in that regard in the final quarter of the season. With a bit of refinement to his defensive work and some settling down with the puck on his stick, I could see Smith panning out as a middle-pairing contributor at his ceiling. There’s a lot of rawness here that makes me hesitant to claim he’ll reach that height.

2024-25 Statistics (Tri-City): 68GP - 11G - 43A - 54PTS - 48PIM - +2

16. Lynden Lakovic - LW - Moose Jaw (WHL) - Shoots L - Dec. 12, 2006 - 6’4” - 190 lbs.

Have to start by mentioning that Lakovic was suspended for 17 games in his rookie season for violating the league’s conduct policy for a hazing incident that he participated in. We’re not at the combine to know how he’s interviewing around that scenario, but it’s worth mentioning from the jump. Lakovic is a big, rangy winger who served as the captain for Moose Jaw this year and came a long way in exhibiting a more effective use of his size within possession, as well as improvement to his hands and puck manipulation. Lakovic is a good skater for how tall he is, and he has a powerful, posture-rich stride that makes him a real handful for opposing defenders. Lakovic skates directly at defensemen and uses subtle, jerking dekes to beat them in one-on-one situations right as he reaches a stick-length gap. He gets the puck off his stick very quickly. He exhibits a lot of skill in tight spaces, and that provides him with an extra amount of lethality in chasing down rebounds in traffic situations. Lakovic is physical when in possession. He’s hard to drag down and plays through hooks and holds to produce a lot of chances from compromised positions. Where Lakovic needs to improve his physicality is in off-puck situations. I didn’t think he was physical enough on the forecheck and in using his size and frame to move people off the puck in battle situations. His size is a massive asset; if he grows into it and combines it with his other tools, he will be a high-ceiling player. Didn’t see enough of him from a playmaking perspective, which isn’t a huge concern as a wing, but is worth mentioning here.

2024-25 Statistics (Moose Jaw): 47GP - 27G - 31A - 58PTS - 4PIM - -25

17. Cole Reschny - C - Victoria (WHL) - Shoots L - April 7, 2006 - 5’11’’ - 183 lbs.

I think Cole Reschny is the best playmaker in this draft class. There isn’t anyone else I’ve seen who can claim his coupling of vision and passing ability put together in one package. Reschny is patient and out-waits his opponents, almost looking through them as he anticipates and waits for his lane to develop. He is consistent in his approach to controlling the speed and the location of his passes. He can make chip-style passes that leave the air just long enough to hop over someone’s stick. He can make a lot of really talented passes out of his peripheral vision, but the patience is what drives his success. Reschny is a good skater; his first few steps are sound, which gives him plenty of opportunities to mix it up on the forecheck. Reschny’s pressure is mostly stick-based. He isn’t a physical presence, but he has an active stick and understands how to angle himself for the best crack at breaking a pass up. He uses stick-lifting techniques and long, sweeping swipes to knock pucks away as well. His shot is unremarkable but effective. I think his ability to release one-timers from compromised positions (think Sidney Crosby dropping to one knee) is the best asset. His understanding of the game is evident as you watch him without the puck, he’s always in the right places due to his ability to read & react quickly. I would like to see a little more out of him from a physicality perspective, and I think there are opportunities to be a little more selfish with his shot. Overall, this is a talented playmaker with a jack-of-all-trades vibe around his game.

2024-25 Statistics (Victoria): 62GP - 26G - 66A - 92PTS - 44PIM - +42

18. Cameron Reid - D - Kitchener (OHL) - Shoots L - April 8, 2007 - 6’0” - 193 lbs.

I’m bullish on Cameron Reid given all that I saw from him this season and the impacts he can have across all phases of the game. Reid is someone who I’d consider to be a coach’s dream as he’s deployable in any situation you can think of. The foundation of Reid’s game in all zones is his powerful yet fleet skating style. He’s got a good, low base and takes big strides that have a lot of lower-body strength behind them. He can turn and walk the blueline in the offensive zone, and when the game switches from offense to defense, he’s got a great pivot and can get turned quickly to face any oncoming rush. Chasing big hits certainly isn’t part of his game, but he plays a physical brand of hockey and uses his size to win wall battles and loose puck races. Reid is very confident and competent in the offensive zone. He maneuvers a lot laterally to find open space for himself, and while he’ll pinch down the wall to keep pucks alive and practively attack, you don’t see him down low, far out of position very often. He is a bit of a loose shooter at the moment. I think there are times when I’d like to see him take something off his shots to get pucks on the net or through traffic more. I think his wrist shot is his best asset. He’s good at moving along the line to find open space. He keeps a strong gap and uses a combination of his active stick and shoulders to move players off the puck. Overall, this is the kind of player you can feed big minutes to when you need a goal or are looking to protect a lead. I think he has potential as a utility, middle-pairing guy.

2024-25 Statistics (Kitchener): 67GP - 14G - 40A - 54PTS - 44PIM - +39

19. Malcolm Spence - LW - Erie (OHL) - Shoots L - Sept. 22, 2006 - 6’1” - 203 lbs.

I had a ton of fun watching Malcolm Spence grow into his game to become a dominant force this season. He’s noticeable every time he’s on the ice and brings a ton of energy with him to every shift. He’s the kind of player you deploy to shift the momentum of the game back into your favor. As the year went on, Spence started to grow more patient and more confident in his puck skills and began increasing his carry-in totals across the offensive blue line. His skating is pretty straightforward, and although it looks a little awkward at times, he’s tough to knock down. He’s not a burner by any stretch, but his skating hasn’t hampered any aspect of his game yet. Spence doesn’t have a bag full of offensive tricks, but he’s capable of beating guys in one-on-one situations with little toe-drag moves or by dipping the shoulder and heading right at them. He’s got a fast release, but the rest of his shot is unremarkable. Spence anticipates plays well and understands where to go to score goals. The foundation of Spence’s game is his relentless attack and physical presence. He can create turnovers to quickly shift the flow of a game from defense to offense. As the year wore on, he started to exhibit a greater willingness to distribute the puck on the cycle. Overall, Spence may lack the high-end offensive ceiling of some of his peers, but the list of people who will out-work him in this class is very small. This is another situation where I feel like Spence is an NHL player; it’s just a question of how high his role ascends. I am intrigued to see where his ongoing confidence offensively takes him in his D+1 year.

2024-25 Statistics (Erie): 66GP - 19G - 43A - 62PTS - 26PIM - +11

20. Benjamin Kindel - C - Calgary (WHL) - Shoots R - April 19, 2007 - 5’10” - 176 lbs.

You’ll hear the usual concerns from some folk about Ben Kindel’s size, but don’t count me among them. Kindel plays the game with an intense focus on cutting off lanes and stealing pucks in all three zones. A lot gets said and written about Kindel’s puck skill, and we’ll get into that soon, but what blew me away the most in the viewings I had of him was how good he is defensively and how much of his offensive creation is born of him generating turnovers. He’s not an overtly physical player, but he plays larger than his size would have you believe. He’s active in all three zones and stalks plays like a shark, jutting into lanes to steal pucks. From there, the magic happens. Kindel is one of the best danglers in this class and has an elite shot to boot. He’s excellent at changing up the pace and tempo of the play and is just as good at recognizing distribution opportunities. In the offensive zone, he’s relentless in his attack, but his size does hamper him somewhat in puck retrieval situations. He’s great at deking laterally and toe-dragging the puck forehand-to-backhand. He’s not a great straight-line skater, but in confined spaces, his first few steps are good enough to allow him to use them as an escape mechanism. Kindel shoots with a whipping-like motion, the genesis of which makes goalies very frustrated from a tracking perspective. He has a lot of sharp velocity on his shots and did a great job on odd-man rushes this year, making the correct decisions. He’s got a really strong dish pass and can get lift over bodies and sticks very accurately. Kindel’s ceiling is intriguing because of his high-end puck skill and work ethic. If his skating improves and he bulks up, he could be a good reward.

2024-25 Statistics (Calgary): 65GP - 35G - 64A - 99PTS - 39PIM - +39

21. Braeden Cootes - C - Seattle (WHL) - Shoots R - Feb. 9, 2007 - 5’11” - 183 lbs.

Braeden Cootes is a relentless forechecker who uses his speed, active stick, and willingness to put on his mud boots and get dirty to dispossess opponents and create scoring chances. Cootes sees the ice well, makes a lot of read-based attacks, and has an excellent, low base that allows him to take off from a stop or pivot position. His attention to detail defensively is evident in the amount of space he covers in his defensive zone. He uses his low base to drive in and up on players, lifting their sticks or taking them out of their cadence for just a moment so he can make a play on the puck. Cootes has energy, a strong work ethic, and a good motor, but I don’t see a lot of high-end offensive skill from him. His shot is less about skill and more about timing and being opportunistic. I do think his greatest skill set is his playmaking ability. Cootes makes a lot of touch plays on the puck where he plays the role of conduit, just redirecting passes to himself over to teammates in one seamless motion. He makes a lot of high-risk, peripheral passes successfully and squeezes a lot of rebound opportunities cross-crease for his wingers. I don’t see a lot of risk with Cootes, but if you’re looking for someone who can do a lot of individual scoring and chance creation, I question how high his ceiling goes there. I view Cootes as a really strong, two-way center who can play a big role with someone’s penalty-killing unit.

2024-25 Statistics (Seattle): 60GP - 26G - 37A - 63PTS - 18PIM - +5

22. Cullen Potter - C - Arizona State (NCAA) - Shoots L - Jan. 10, 2007 - 5’10” - 172 lbs.

Cullen Potter is a speed merchant who has fast feet, quick cut and edge ability, and the greatest top speed in this class by a country mile. His offensive game is predicated on that speed and is the primary tool he uses to create his offense. His first few steps have a light jump to them, but also contain a great amount of launch. Then he bears down and produces strong, powerful strides in a confident posture. He’s shown good stickhandling capability, but his primary move is to drive wide with speed or cut across a defenseman with speed. I would like to see more diversity in how he attacks, as I think a pure speed game is fun to watch, but as he moves up in competition level, he’s going to have to shake it up more. His shot is very good. He has a good backhand, and his wrist shot has a lot of early scoop to it, giving it an extreme height angle from tight positions. I’d like to see more from Potter in his puck distribution, especially in zone entries. His speed provides him a lot of escapability, but not within the confines of a convergent defense. His agility is a big part of his skating as well. He’ll open his hips up as he blazes forward, giving defensemen the indication he’s going to make a move, only to bear down and blow by them when they react. His speed can carry him to another level, but he’s going to have to bulk up and diversify his attack as he progresses. If he does that, he’ll pay off as a middle-six wing with scoring upside.

2024-25 Statistics (ASU): 35GP - 13G - 9A - 22PTS - 6PIM - -1

23. Sascha Boumeddiene - D - Boston University (NCAA) - Shoots L - Jan. 7, 2007 - 6’1” - 175 lbs.

Sascha Boumeddiene gets a bump in my ranking because of what he was able to accomplish at the NCAA level despite starting college an entire year early. Was he raw and unrefined at the start of the season? Absolutely. But as the year went on, he progressed in virtually every aspect of his game. I think he’s a strong skater. He’s got a lot of jump to his step and is light on his feet as he cuts and pivots. He looks very natural and doesn’t struggle in either direction. He’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades defender. He keeps a solid gap and does his best work right at the point where his gap closes. He keeps an active stick and is generally tidy in his defensive work. His game came a long way from the early months of the year, when I thought he struggled with switching off and making zone-based reads in defensive coverages. He is a willing participant in carrying the puck out of the zone. He sometimes skates himself into bad positions or lets faster players force a bad pass, but that got cleaned up as the year went on as well. In the zone, he’s active along the wall, pinches to grab pucks, and has a cannon of a slap shot. He gets a beautiful rotation through the puck and lets his stick do its job in how he launches the puck off his stick. I think he’s a smart shooter who doesn’t force pucks through bad spots. With his skating, I’d like to see him walk the line more and drag the puck around defensemen. Boumeddiene will need to continue to bulk up and become more physical in how he defends oncoming forwards. If his trajectory this year is any indication of things to come, there’s a very bright future here as a mobile, two-way defender that can be deployed in a variety of fashions. The results from the beginning of the year to the end of the year show he’s a coachable young player who is receptive to feedback.

2024-24 Statistics (Boston University): 40GP - 3G - 10A - 13PTS - 33PIM - +8

24. Bill Zonnon - RW - Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) - Shoots L - Oct. 23, 2006 - 6’2” - 187 lbs.

I have been a big fan of Bill Zonnon since the beginning of the season when I watched him early on and thought he was criminally underrated. He’s been a steady riser all season and for good reason. Zonnon is one of those players you call on when you need something to happen. That something could be a big turnover, a drawn penalty, a momentum-swinging hit, or a crash-and-bang sequence that nets you an offensive zone faceoff. Zonnon is a momentum magnet. His skating style is a bit of an awkward gallop, but he’s fleet-footed and can generate a lot of speed with the right runway. His best asset is his work on the forecheck and in retrieving pucks. He’s difficult to move around and has a wild work ethic. You could put Zonnon on the net mouth in a power play or on as the lead forechecker on your lead penalty kill. Zonnon is another player who seemingly wears down defensemen throughout a game and gives people alligator arms in battle situations. He knows how to find open space as much as he can create it. Has a quick, no-nonsense release and battles for second and third opportunities. When he has the opportunity to wind up and let one go, he has a volatile shot that carries a lot of velocity. An underrated aspect of his game is his playmaking. Zonnon isn’t just a cardio merchant who shoots a lot. He’s great at making connective plays to spring his teammates and loves to distribute the puck laterally as he cuts toward the middle of the ice. I am a little more bullish on his offensive skills than most, but given his speed and work ethic, I think this is one of the safer picks in this range in terms of netting an NHL talent.

2024-25 Statistics (Rouyn-Noranda): 64GP - 28G - 55A - 83PTS - 32PIM - +5

25. Blake Fiddler - D - Edmonton (WHL) - Shoots R - July 9, 2007 - 6’4” - 209 lbs.

Son of former NHL’er Vernon Fiddler, Blake is a mobile, two-way defenseman who is very good in one-on-one situations and is a willing participant in handling the puck out of his zone. His north-to-south skating is fine, but one of the reasons I don’t rank him higher is that he significantly struggles with pivoting in transition and is stiff with his hips. In situations where he has to change direction, he seems unstable and uncomfortable. He took huge steps this year regarding his offensive contributions, especially in recognizing opportunities to jump into the play as a pseudo-forward. I do think he sometimes tries to force distance passes that miss by a few feet or go on wild journeys with the puck that aren’t fully productive. He’s a good space eater, especially on the penalty kill. He knows how to make himself wide and eat up a lot of space. He bends down to get his stick low and takes lanes away without dropping down and taking himself out of the play. You don’t see him doing a lot of checking despite his size. He’s more apt just to take space away and keep an active stick. There’s a lot of room for growth here. Fiddler is tough for me to define in his future state, but if he continues to make strides with the puck and improvements to his playmaking, there may be a higher ceiling beyond being good in the defensive aspects of the game, where he currently excels the most.

2024-25 Statistics (Edmonton): 64GP - 10G - 23A - 36PIM - +6

26. Milton Gastrin - C - MoDo (Swe-J20) - Shoots L - June 2, 2007 - 6’1” - 175 lbs.

For you old-school Penguins fans, Milton Gastrin’s perfect comparable for me is Robert Lang. They truly remind me a lot of each other. Gastrin is a versatile two-way center who can fulfill a variety of roles for a coach. He’s a good north-to-south skater and seems to have a penchant for having a preemptive understanding of where to go to score opportunistic goals. He’s a super intentional player in that when you watch him, his head is up, strong posture, surveying the ice before making his decision. He does a lot of shot-passes on the power play to create rebounds and set his teammates up on the doorstep. There are times when you see him load up a wrist shot and surprise a goalie with it. I’d like to see a little bit more of that from him, as he’s got a good but perhaps slightly underused shot. His playmaking is strong; he threads a lot of pucks cross-ice and likes to work off the half-wall on his forehand. He’s annoying in transition and is full of little stick lifts and shoulder bumps that dispossess opponents or, at the very least, slow their momentum up. I don’t think Gastin can skill-chain like some of his peers, but he’s a very cerebral and straightforward center who impacts the game in all three zones. I think he’s got all the trappings of a third-line center who can drive opponents crazy while contributing offensively, especially if he has talented linemates who can finish the chances he creates for them.

2024-25 Statistics (MoDo): 40GP - 18G - 24A - 42PTS - 18PIM - +6

27. Cameron Schmidt - RW - Vancouver (WHL) - Shoots R - Jan. 19, 2007 - 5’7” - 161 lbs.

Cameron Schmidt is small, but he’s a fast, agile, and relentless skater who generates a lot of chances for himself due to his speed and willingness to get in the fray despite his size. Schmidt is an excellent puck manipulator. He dekes with his entire body, using head fakes, shoulder dips, and jerking movements to fool defenders and belie his next move. His hands are fast, he dekes quickly, and it sometimes seems as if the puck is magnetized to his stick. He finds open space extremely well and is a difficult player to mark in the offensive zone. Even when defenders get a hip on him or a stick under him, he still shakes them off to get a shot on the net. His one-timer is crisp and quick. It touches his blade for a moment, and it is gone. It’s not so much the power or the accuracy as it is the quickness that makes it so lethal. Schmidt gets a good dip on his first few steps and accelerates quickly. His ability to stop on a dime to control the tempo or shake off a defender is a big part of how he creates space for himself. I mentioned his whole-body dekes earlier, and skating agility is a big part of that as well. Schmidt is not going to separate players from the puck physically, but when he’s forechecking with the amount of speed he has, he flushes defenders into a lot of poor decisions. I think there are times where he doesn’t get to the net as much as I’d like and shoots from distance when he could keep the play going, but there’s a lot to like from a skating and skill perspective here.

2024-25 Statistics (Vancouver): 61GP - 40G - 38A - 78PTS - 44PIM - -7

28. Jakob Ihs-Wozniak - C - Lulea (Swe-J20) - Shoots R - Feb. 1, 2007 - 6’2” - 184 lbs.

Full disclosure, I had a tough time placing Jakob Ihs-Wozniak in this ranking. I acknowledge he’s a talented center with a lot of tools in his offensive bag. I also think it’s a little too compartmentalized at times. His biggest asset is his one-timer. He has a fast release, and the puck comes off his stick with a lot of speed. He pre-loads in a way that enables him to either bear down and get a lot of power behind them or take a sort of golf-style swing to get the puck on net as fast as he can. He’s an underrated playmaker. He does his best work from behind the net at each post, throwing pucks out diagonally into high-danger scoring areas in a tape-to-tape fashion. He’s a good skater with a long, powerful stride. He glides powerfully as well and sits a bit more upright, which makes him an imposing figure for opposing defensemen to handle. I don’t think he’s got the highest gear regarding speed, but it hasn’t hurt him so far. He wins a lot of loose pucks in the corners that he immediately turns around for chances in the crease. I do occasionally question some of his decision-making in the defensive zone. I think he’s sometimes prone to flying the zone early or mis-reading an assignment in transition. There’s also the question of his efficacy on a shift-to-shift basis. He has a lot of shoulder dips and body fakes in his arsenal, but I don’t see any dynamic skill chaining in the face of opponents. His wrist shot is unremarkable, and he occasionally shoots from bad angles, which I think lends to the theory that his investment is questionable at times. I think some of that sentiment is born out of how much he seems to want to slow the pace down, as he’s good at tempo changes.

2024-25 Statistics (Lulea): 40GP - 23G - 34A - 57PTS - 18PIM - +25

29. Jack Nesbitt - C - Windsor (OHL) - Shoots L - Jan. 12, 2007 - 6’4” - 185 lbs.

You’ll hear a lot about Nesbitt’s improvements in the OHL this year, and they’re all valid. With each month that passed, he seemed to show progression in various phases of the game, and I think his agility as a skater showed marked improvement. Nesbitt is a big player who is tough to control around the net. He made a lot of plays within the home plate area of the net, either banging home rebounds or serving up short passes to teammates with a wide open net. Nesbitt isn’t an overly physical player outside of the net front despite his size. He got better at carrying the puck between the blue lines as the year went on, but he shows a discernible lack of top-end speed. He can slow some odd-man rushes down and seems to prefer to hit a glide early and coast down to the circle. His off-the-puck movements are good, and he does a lot of work against the grain to get open. He’s a faceoff specialist, and his long reach and big stick make him a handful in the circle. On the power-play, he sent a lot of pucks forward to himself off the draw. He’s an active participant defensively, but I’m not sure he’s got a future as a penalty-killer due to his speed. He developed a scrappier attitude as the year progressed. His shot is unremarkable but used well and rarely features poor selection on his part. The size and continued allure of his understanding of how to use it are the big draw here.

2024-25 Statistics (Windsor): 65GP - 25G - 39A - 64PTS - 74PIM - +12

30. Jack Murtagh - LW - U.S. NTDP - Shoots L - Aug. 22, 2007 - 6’1” - 200 lbs.

Jack Murtagh is a multi-use forward who played a variety of roles for the U.S. program this year and continued to get better as the year went on. He doesn’t have an extremely high gear from a skating perspective, but he’s got a strong, low base with wide feet that allow him to push through contact and win a good amount of loose puck races. I’d argue most of his use of size and physicality comes from his ability to fight through pressure or get around contact from defenders. I’d like to see more of it from him when it comes to forechecking and working in the defensive zone. He’s an agile skater for his size and can dart in and out of lanes quickly. His shot is his best offensive skill. He scored goals from all over the offensive zone this season. He routinely closes his blade to release low shots that create rebounds from outside. He can strike top corners with regularity. He’s good for the occasional dangle, but I don’t see a lot of skill chaining from him, and he’s more likely to attack right at a defender’s skates. He played on the half-wall on the power-play as a one-time option but also showcased some playmaking from that spot as the year went on. I don’t think there’s inherently a ton of risk with this player, and that is why Murtagh slots in to this spot. He has a competent suite of skills. I think there’s a chance he continues to advance his use of his size, which would certainly propel him a bit forward here.

2024-25 Statistics (NTDP): 24GP - 7G - 11A - 18PTS - 20PIM - +3

31. Henry Brzustewicz - D - London (OHL) - Shoots R - Feb. 9, 2007 - 6’2” - 203 lbs.

Henry Brzustewicz logged big minutes in London’s run to the Memorial Cup and produced a few of his own signature moments in closing that title out. He’s the essential two-way defender; a big body who is capable of carrying the puck up the ice and being a strong presence defensively. He’s a good skater but lacks a top-end gear. His pivoting and mobility are surprisingly good for someone his size. He keeps a very strong gap, has an active stick, and is willing to be physical in transition. From the perspective of defensive tidiness, this is where I like Brzustewicz the most. His offensive side is still growing. The biggest issue for him right now is rushed, no-look plays where he tries to do too much. I’m talking about situations where he throws a careless, behind-the-back pass into no man’s land or tries to force a passing lane that isn’t there. These issues aren’t plentiful, but they exist enough to talk about here. Brzustewicz is a very intentional and patient shooter. He waits for lanes to develop, shoots at sites, and doesn’t rush himself in the zone. He is capable of making long, accurate passes that cross two lines to the tape of a teammate, but again, this is an area where he needs to use more discernment. I think Brzustewicz is a little bit better in some areas than the consensus, and he’s got a great amount of championship pedigree courtesy of his time in London. I think he’ll be a project, but he has a potential NHL payoff for a bottom pairing.

2023-24 Statistics (London): 67GP - 10G - 32A - 42PTS - 77PIM - +24

32. William Moore - C - U.S. NTDP - Shoots L - Mar. 24, 2007 - 6’2” - 175 lbs.

I struggled to get a pulse on Moore this year as far as what kind of player he projects as in future levels. He’s a good skater; he’s got a strong, forward posture with a wide base. He can gain speed quickly, and although he isn’t a burner, he can hit his top quickly. I thought he showcased an ability to fight through checks, but he wasn’t consistent enough with it. Moore did a good job in the offensive zone, working in and out of the play to make himself available to his teammates. He also made driving runs at the net without possession and was a real handful at the mouth of the net. I didn’t see a lot of creativity in his attack or a lot of skill chaining to eat defenders. It’s mostly straight-line work. Moore was deployable in virtually any scenario this year. I found myself varying wildly between his performances. Some games, I’d have maybe one or two notable moments from him; other nights, you’d have a laundry list. There’s a tendency there to be a little too passive for my liking when he’s in a forechecking role. think the hope is that he’ll bulk up and add a size element to his offense that goes beyond being able to fight through some stuff along the wall.

2024-25 Statistics (NTDP) - 25GP - 10G- 11A - 21PTS - 2PIM - +2

33. Logan Hensler - D - Wisconsin (NCAA) - Shoots R - Oct. 14, 2006 - 6’2’’ - 192 lbs.

I found Logan Hensler's case study to be a confusing one this year. Within his game, you can see flashes of inherent talent. But that’s the rub, they’re just flashes. I felt like Hensler left me wanting more from him on virtually every viewing I have watched of him. He’s got a good jump and he’s a good skater, but there are times when he backs off of a pinch, defers a rush chance, or just doesn’t seem as engaged as he could be given his talent level. He’s got a solid wrist shot that he gets on net well, but there are times when he shies away from using it. His best work this season came in transitional defense, where I thought he kept a strong gap, had an active stick, and was a problem for opposing forwards. His physicality as a defenseman is not high enough for me; he has to improve at engaging in overload situations and using his body for leverage. When he does carry it out, he does so with poise and smart decision-making. If he can develop some more aggression and intent from the point in the offensive zone, I could see his skill set lending itself to a power-play unit. This is a potential pick. I view it as a decent project that could yield a middle-of-the-road payoff if everything comes together. If it doesn’t, this is a good defenseman at the AHL level. The boom or bust potential with this pick is very real, and if Hensler pulls it all together, I will end up looking very silly ranking him here, but there’s too much unknown for me to have him any higher.

2024-25 Statistics (Wisconsin): 32GP - 2G - 10A - 12PTS - 27PIM - -12

34. Ryker Lee - RW - Madison (USHL) - Shoots R - Nov. 8, 2006 - 6’0” - 170 lbs.

I think Ryker Lee is one of the top danglers in this entire draft class and arguably the best at chaining all of his skills together. When he gets going, it’s a treat to watch. I’ve seen him shake lines of three players down with individual moves on each one. He is creative and uses his backhand super well when working around defenders. He has great vision, great puck distribution, and often his dangle-fests lead to him distributing a puck to a teammate completely out of the frame. The issue with Lee is a combination of his skating and his defensive commitment. He flies the zone a lot and tries to sneak behind the defense, potentially to compensate for his lack of speed. He’s got agility and good lateral mobility, but his top-end speed could use some work, and it affects him in game situations when the pace picks up a good bit. He’s a great asset on the power-play as he starts from the top of the offensive zone and works his way down in a center drive. He was the architect of Madison’s ability to generate high-quality chances as a result of his role on that unit. Overall, this is a fun player with a lot of potential if he can improve his skating and tidy up some of his work. He’s a Michigan State commit, and it will be interesting to see how moving up to the NCAA level will affect his performance.

2024-25 Statistics (Madison): 58GP - 31G - 37A - 68PTS - 18PIM - +9

35. William Horcoff - C - Michigan (NCAA) - Shoots L - Jan. 23, 2007 - 6’4” - 190 lbs.

The son of Ex-NHL’er Shawn Horcoff, William made a move this season to Michigan on a full-time basis and saw his stock rise consistently since that time. He’s a big, rangy, two-way center that does some of his best work between the blue lines on the forecheck and in defensive transition. He likes to come wide and attack inwards to his target, using his big body to separate the man from the puck in a physical fashion. Horcoff finishes all his checks and lays the body out in an effective manner. There is some element of big hit chasing, but it’s not a super common occurrence. Horcoff moves very well for his size. He’s got an effective top speed, decent cutting ability, and edgework. He’s good for catching some defensemen by surprise with a well-executed series of dangles from time to time. His shot is best categorized as fine. I don’t think there’s any one element of it that stands out to me more than another. Horcoff’s best work comes in the high-danger areas around the net. He can stalk open space, but he’s such a handful in and around the net front area that a lot of his goals this year came from that space. I see a lot of potential here as a bottom-six, defensively apt center who might even chip in on a second power-play unit.

2024-25 Statistics (Michigan): 18GP - 4G - 6A - 10PTS - 6PIM - -4

36. Daniil Prokhorov - RW - St. Petersburg (MHL) - Shoots L - April 27, 2007 - 6’5” - 209 lbs.

Daniil Prokhorov is a redwood of a human and a mean one at that. The first thing that stands out when you watch him is the thought that there’s no way a man of this size can move like he does. Prokhorov is a great skater for his size, exceptionally agile, and wins a lot of loose puck races that are short distances. When he gets to top speed, he enters a power glide, widens his base, and just bowls over opponents. He does a lot of dipping his shoulder down and power driving to the net. He’s eager to be physical as much as possible, sometimes to a fault. He played on a line with two other massive forwards, and at times it was like watching men against children on elongated offensive zone possessions. I do think the major downside to his game right now is that he’s a bit of a freelancer and plays almost a positionless style of forward in the offensive zone from time to time. While he was dominant in possession and battle areas, he’s not so good that he can just deviate from what the rest of the team is doing and have it pay off all the time. His shot is good, he’s got a patient release, and loads up the puck on the back of his blade to get a lot of velocity when he has the time and space to do so. He was dominant in the net front area. He isn’t much of a playmaker and bypasses a lot of opportunities to call on his puck support in transition. There’s no question NHL teams are going to be salivating over his size. While he may be a project, his solid skating foundation raises his potential ceiling higher than that of some of his peers in this range.

2024-25 Statistics (Rus-Jr.): 43GP - 20G - 7A - 27PTS - 14PIM - -6

37. Cole McKinney - C - U.S. NTDP - Shoots R - Mar. 16, 2007 - 6’0” - 200 lbs.

Cole McKinney is a strong forechecker who plays with a lot of energy and chases down a lot of pucks courtesy of his work ethic. He makes a lot of darting attacks at opponents and utilizes his stick in creative ways to generate turnovers. McKinney is a player who clearly demonstrates a great understanding of the center position. He’s strong defensively, engaged physically all over the ice, and deployable in a variety of circumstances. His offensive toolbox is shallow and straightforward, but it works great for him and didn’t prevent him from scoring goals this year. He’s good in tight spaces and has hands, but his skill events are usually one and done. His shot is unremarkable but effective. He’s a no-nonsense shooter and wastes no time in getting rid of the puck. He’s an underrated playmaker and did a lot of great seam passing this year from circle to circle. This is a safe pick for me. While there’s a lack of risk, I also don’t know how high the offensive ceiling is, either. I think McKinney’s projection is as a hard-working, two-way center who is difficult to play against.

2024-25 Statistics (NTDP): 23GP - 15G - 11A - 26PTS -18PIM - +8

38. Alexander Zharovsky - RW - Ufa Tolpar (MHL) - Shoots L - Feb. 22, 2007 - 6’1” - 163 lbs.

Alexander Zharovsky is a hockey highlight reel. He has one of the best toolkits in this draft class and is virtually unpredictable once he gets the puck on his stick. His patience is the foundation of everything he does. He’s equal parts overzealous to get the puck, but once he has it, he’ll outwait everyone to make sure he’s got his lane open and the goalie laid out to dry. Zharovsky can make extreme, lunging toe drags, pull the puck the entire way across his body, or play it through an opponent without missing a beat. The puck never leaves his stick. He’s a good skater, but his first few steps are really his calling card. His vigilance in forechecking is noticeable, but it wanes as he enters the defensive zone. He sometimes flies his assignment to try to anticipate outlets that never manifest. Zharovsky was great on zone entries this year and wants the puck on his stick as the play crosses the offensive blue line. When he gets going in his skill chaining, he maintains a posture that makes it difficult to knock him around. His shot is good. I think the way he hides his release is the best part of it. He’s got a really good backhand shot too, and isn’t afraid to pull that way, as it appears he feels very natural with the puck there. This project appears to be a long-term investment to me, but one that has a high ceiling given the amount of skill Zharkovsky can showcase.

2024-25 Statistics (Ufa Tolpar): 45GP - 24G - 26A - 50PTS - 30PIM - +18

39. Eric Nilson - C - Djurgarden Jr. - Shoots R - May 11, 2007 - 6’0” - 166 lbs.

I thought Eric Nilson had a great year and exhibited a lot of traits NHL scouts should covet come draft day. He’s an extremely smart center with a clear grasp of the position. He’s a master of the middle lane and dominates his space there in all three zones with quick attacks and stick maneuvers to separate players from the puck. I do think, as you likely see with his size, he lacks a physical element to his game, even in finishing his cursory checks. His vision and playmaking are evident as he tosses dish passes to his peripheral and uses a lot of tempo changes to create lanes in traffic areas. He’s a great skater and looks extremely fluid when he’s upright and carrying the puck. I do think there were times where he could have been a touch more selfish with the puck and I think regression hit him hard for a stretch, lowering his goal total from what he probably deserved. He’s super vocal on the ice and will call out coverages and smack his stick around calling for the puck. There’s a lot to like with this player. I think the main risk with Nilson is ensuring he fills out his frame and adds strength to his game. He’s positionally sound, deployable in a variety of fashions, and thinks the game on a pro level. He is a Michigan State commit for the upcoming year.

2024-25 Statistics: 37GP - 12G - 26A - 38PTS - 56PIM - +22

40. Haoxi Wang - D - Oshawa (OHL) - Shoots L - July 27, 2007 - 6’6” - 215 lbs.

I’ve said a few times on this ranking that it’s a potential based list and that’s why Simon Wang finds himself on it. Born in Beijing, raised in Canada, the first thing that jumps off the page is how well he can skate despite his size. I don’t mean straight line speed, which he has, I mean agility, reverse-pivot, everything. He is extremely mobile for someone of his length. He can turn in transition situations and open himself up quickly to get in the right direction fast. He’s aggressive with his gap and with marking forwards lingering in the neutral zone. His size and reach make him an extremely difficult player to get around in one-on-one situations. He became more comfortable with carrying the puck out of the zone this year, but it didn’t always lead to desireable results. In times of trouble, Wang can often skate himself into trouble or make panicked “hope” plays with the puck that result in turnovers. He’s comfortable with the puck in most scenarios and has a surprising set of dangles to him, but picking his spots better will be requesite of him as he transitions to Boston University next season. Overall, with his skating, proactive approach in the neutral and defensive zone, and developing puck skills, Wang will be tantalizing prospect for a lot of general managers for obvious reasons. I wouldn’t call this a risky pick, but it is definitely high-reward.

2024-25 Statistics (Oshawa): 32GP - 0G - 2A - 2PTS - 19PIM - +3