Scouching’s Final 2025 NHL Draft Rankings

At last we meet again, hockey fans. The 2025 NHL Draft might be one of the craziest and unpredictable ones in recent memory. Things open up extremely quickly, and team philosophy is going to shine through the typical “best player available” discussion almost immediately. The strategy in the NHL is in flux these days and it seems like teams are trying to get on top of it, especially now that the fast, physical and intense Florida Panthers are repeat Stanley Cup Champions, and doing so in largely convincing fashion. Personally I’ve really refined what I look for in players and really do focus on what works in the playoffs. The best in the world play their best when everything is on the line and the nature of the game shifts to something arguably more chaotic and off-puck focused, and the margins can be so small that winning a key battle could mean the difference between winning a series and elimination. I always caution to not try to actively chase something another team has already nailed down, as passing on some very useful talent in favor of something you need can really hamstring your team and leave you wishing you had more offense. That said, this year is a year absolutely jammed full of solid, effective and physical players that can play up the middle of the ice or complement your best players on the wings. There are players with offensive upside but they come with risks. In my opinion, success in the NHL often comes from having a clear strategy with well defined and achievable goals, and filling your staff and lineup who are all devoted to that strategy to maximize buy-in. Look up and down Florida’s roster and look at all the guys who were castoffs from other teams. Sure, Florida has a few picks of their own on the roster, but depth makes all the difference in the playoffs, and their depth played into their strategy perfectly and credit should be given to their management and research staff for being able to put these guys in a great position to succeed. Being creative and sticking to a strong, cohesive strategy matters tremendously in sports, and as such, what I personally value in a player has changed drastically over the last few years.

Some say this class is “weak” but I think there are a lot of names that have a good developmental ceiling as well as others with strong, physically capable floors that might be able to hang in the NHL for a time. Superstars, I’m not so sure, at least it’s tough to see easily, but players? There might be players abound this year.

Before we get into the list, it might be helpful to take the time to briefly outline my philosophy so you can get in my head a little bit and understand where I come from a little better when I see the game. If you take 10 different evaluators, you’ll probably get some differences in priorities and preferences, so knowing what you’re getting into should add to the experience. At my core, I focus on possession. Hockey is a game in two fundamental states. You have the puck, or you don’t. The ultimate goal should be to find players who are as good at gaining and maintaining possession in some way, getting the puck into a desirable location, and getting the dang thing into the net as much as possible. In my view, the priority should be in that order. You can’t have the third aspect without the second, and you can’t have the second without the first. As such, I see speed, tenacity, competitiveness, and quickness as key, both mentally and physically. I don’t care so much about how big you are, how good of a shooter you are, how hard you hit, I just care about what you do on the ice and if you’re moving the needle in the right direction. In my experience, the best young needle movers with regards to competitiveness, pace, and creativity are the ones of who are often hardest to find when they grow up big and strong to be NHL players one day. I value players who elevate who they play with more than anything. They’re dependable every shift, they're focused on the ultimate task of the game situation, and they think creatively to make baby steps happen that ultimately lead to scoring chances, and ideally some goals go in here and there.

I’ll also note that the positions listed are almost universally those from the games I’ve specifically watched and tracked of these players. A defenseman is listed by either handedness or the side of the ice they play on should it be the opposite to his natural shooting side (i.e., RSD is a left handed defender playing on the right side).

Thank you all so much for your support and attention for another great season here at Scouching. It’s a pleasure to be back for my first full season since my recent hiatus, and we’re going to be back bigger than ever next season!

Don’t miss our NHL Draft Live Shows starting at 6:30pm EST on June 27 and 11:30am EST on June 28 and catch every pick with myself and a cast of characters. See you there, and enjoy!

Tier 1 - Same as it Ever Was

• #1 | Matthew Schaefer | LHD/RSD | Erie Otters | Mar Rnk (1)

  Some have questioned Schaefer’s claim to the first slot due to his injury issues, but watching my saved video on him from his performances this season really captured just how special this player could be. He’s explosive, dynamic, smart with the puck, more than capable off the puck on the rush, and has size and youth that only bode well for his development curve. He’s been at #1 on my list since around the first week after returning to the OHL, with a strong final month of performances really solidifying just how good a player Schaefer is. I would’ve loved to have seen him in Erie’s surprising playoff run, but any concerns were vanquished on reflection. He’d by my #1 and is a great part to augment the future of any NHL team. A real Dougie Hamilton-type with great offensive tools that really go a long way to patch up his issues here and there with pushing for offense a little bit too quickly and losing a battle along the boards here and there. He drags defenses around the ice with ease, passes and carries the puck with the best of them, and brings so much to the game that anyone could benefit from. A true modern offensive defenseman that in the right system could be absolutely lethal.

• #2 | Michael Misa | C | Saginaw Spirit | Mar Rnk (2)

  An injury at the end of the season hampered Misa’s showings in the playoffs and having seen a few of those games, they were less than ideal. That said, Misa is still not too far off from Schaefer in his mastery of understanding the game and picking opponents apart. He makes his plays creatively and quickly, is faster on his feet than you might expect, has an excellent feel for off-puck positioning and anticipation, and can chain his plays together in succession unlike many in the draft class. His ability to work off of pressure, find passing plays through traffic, swing across the ice to change lanes and get a different look at his surroundings, it all projects so well to higher levels and assuming his late season injury isn’t some long term issue, there is huge upside with Misa. If he’s gone anywhere later than this in the actual draft, I would be shocked but not particularly surprised, as his physical game isn’t quite up to par with some others, and it can leave him reliant on the quality of his linemates in order to set the table for him, but boy is he every a great restaurant manager once the tables are set.

Tier 2 - Potential Key Pieces

• #3 | James Hagens | C | Boston College | Mar Rnk (3)

  If nothing else, James Hagens will be a fascinating experiment in if traditional smaller, slighter skilled players can still crack it at a high level in the NHL. To his credit, Hagens’ physical game grew immensely, especially after his World Junior Championship victory. He seemed passive, worse under pressure, and cautious with the puck, but you still saw the quick feet, the skill level, and the playmaking potential. His pace of play ramped up, his physical metrics went from 0 to humongous-big, and his passing got quicker and more precise. Hagens may not have had the production people expected, but in my view he was a bit too relied upon to be the principal puck carrier while on the ice, which made him a key target for opposing defenses. He still needs to learn how to penetrate the middle of the ice more, get more scoring chances for himself, and still gain a step of agility and creativity to get around pressure at higher levels, but the ceiling is huge and he’s a prime target of hyperanalysis that might plop him down the draft a few too many slots. There are questions, but in my view those questions got answered more and more as the season went on, especially considering how strong his World Junior performance was while we’re all talking about who shined at a more recent tournament played against other children.

• #4 | Victor Eklund | RW | Djurgårdens IF | Mar Rnk (4)

  Does everyone forget just how good Eklund was for his national team in Ottawa this year? I sure don’t. This kid might not be a Top-10 pick strictly off of his size, and potentially a bit of limited offensive upside at the NHL level, but in my opinion we’re in the game of picking players you win games with. Eklund’s style of play is relentless energy, strong skating ability and a lightning quick shot that he uses almost too often from too many spots. He played a big role on getting his team back into the SHL for next season and looked pretty darn good doing it. Agile, selfless, creative, and admirable, Eklund may not be quite the offensive performer his brother is in the NHL, but I look at players like Artturi Lehkonen, Marcus Johansson, or Evan Rodrigues, and see similarities there. All of those players have been very, very important unheralded parts of very long playoff runs, and bring plenty of value to the NHL game. Eklund may just be the next one that just goes out and plays the game harder than anyone and gets all the benefits from his work. I’d love to see some improved dynamic play with the puck in the offensive zone, setting up plays for linemates more and generating more for others rather than his perimeter chances, but he shows flashes of being able to do that without question.

• #5 | Cullen Potter | C | Arizona State Univ. | Mar Rnk (6)

  I just keep going back and seeing so, so much upside with Potter. Lots of people rightfully see a questionable upside with regards to his puck management and pass vision, but good lord he is one of the most exciting players available once the first few picks go off the board. An insanely strong combination of speed and skill, Potter’s shooting ability and pace of play work in conjunction to create a lethal individual player in almost every facet of the game. Playing big minutes up the middle of ASU’s offense is no easy task, and he didn’t have the luxury of multiple top 30 NHL picks as linemates. Potter is a player who I believe will only rise to meet the level of competition ahead of him with faster, strong linemates with better finishing ability, but he is not without faults. An elite puck carrier, he can look off easier pass lanes at times and cause turnovers. His defensive awareness of passing lanes is a work in progress, but for a small centre who is 17 and in the NCAA, that is probably understandable. His physical play will never be a hallmark but it is something that needs to be explored further. That said, I can only imagine how much Potter would’ve laid waste to the USHL or CHL this season. I remember watching Logan Cooley at this age, and I simply cannot picture him being better than Potter had he been an NCAA centre in his draft year. I love his potential, and I’m positive he’ll be gone much later in the draft than he should go.

• #6 | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton Steelheads | Mar Rnk (5)

  There are legitimate questions surrounding Martone’s translatability to the NHL. His size, skill, pass vision and shot quality all go hand in hand to make a lethal offensive force in junior, but the pace of his game fluctuates heavily, the agility and evasion under pressure is questionable, and he isn’t putting his opponents on their heels on the rush as much as I’d like to see in a high end NHL prospect, but I just see so much potential with Martone. He makes excellent reads around the ice, driving exceptional results in so many areas, with excellent dual-threat offensive ability, and a willingness to forecheck and play physical hockey that should only get better as he matures. He’s a great kid with great ability who knows his faults and is working to address them. As a less heavy hitting winger in the draft than the heavier skilled centres available, Martone may slip a bit this year, but I think you’re getting a player who could develop into a gifted offensive playmaker with size, puck protection ability and skill that could take on anyone all over the ice.

• #7 | Anton Frondell | F | Djurgårdens IF | Mar Rnk (9)

  A player I’ve been up and down on all season long, I think I’ve settled on a solid foundation on what Frondell is. He’s the best option this year for a player who can play with just about anyone anywhere in a lineup and get the job done. Physical, fluid, smart, Frondell thrives when the game is chaotic. He battles for pucks along the boards well, makes plays quickly, fills empty space constantly, and while his analytical picture was not good, it was much better when his role was somewhat more restricted. I mean that in a positive way, to be clear. If you’re expecting a top-6 centre who will carry you to Stanley Cups and win trophies along the way, I’m not sure that’s Frondell, but as a guy who plays on the wing with those players, I could absolutely see. A capable centre you could stick down your lineup in a checking F3 role with a green light to shoot, sure. On the other hand, a flexible, powerful and physical winger who plays heavy with an offensive twist that can work off faster, more skilled and dynamic high end talent, that’s an Anton Frondell I can see playing a lot of minutes one day in the NHL. Development can change that, but based on what he’s shown this season, I’ve come to really respect the flexibility and projectability of his game, even if he may have more mixed results than most when zooming out to the big picture.

Tier 3 - The Blob

• #8 | Eric Nilson | C | Djurgårdens IF | Mar Rnk (18)

  Welcome to The Blob. The place where everyone in this range could go in any order of any kind and I would understand it. Leading the way is the guy who surprised me the most watching back the video I had on him this year, and one of the players I’ve enjoyed the most in my two seasons of seeing him. Eric Nilson has a foundation of smarts and skill that could’ve bumped him up a tier, honestly. I’ve seen this guy try to throw opponents into a bench, make plays as quickly as anyone, and be arguably one of the best puck managing forwards in this class not named Michael Misa. His shooting instincts and raw ability needs work to say the least, but almost everything else is high-end, and the only question mark is that he needs to get stronger. I’ve said for months he’ll only be as good as he is strong at higher levels. One of the lowest BMI’s in the class at the high end, but not a short player indicates good potential development which gives me confidence. He looked strong in his limited time against men, and it’s no surprise to me that a program as prestigious as Michigan State would look at a player as physical, energetic and intelligent as Nilson. He’s this high on my board simply because I compared my notes, data and video against others here one at a time and he just kept looking like the more interesting option than all of them, and I’m trusting my gut on this one, even if there are conditions on him hitting his upside.

• #9 | Lynden Lakovic | W | Moose Jaw Warriors | Mar Rnk (8)

  Part of my philosophy includes setting aside “risk” in return for upside and talent scarcity. Lakovic is a rare package of length, skating ability, creativity and finishing ability that you don’t really see all that often. Right off the hop, he’s a player that undershoots his physical potential, especially on the forecheck and in the defensive zone, which are issues that will need to be fixed, but if he earns a coach’s trust, look out. He's a smart kid who has really gone out of his way to study how to adapt to what’s in front of him, with strong skating edges to protect the puck and penetrate through opponents. For the faults he has, he still found ways to generate excellent results on a team that didn’t have great results as a whole. Nobody in the class at this level broke 45% involvement in team offense outside of Lakovic. Generally that’s a pretty good trend. I can imagine he goes later than he should, and I can see why, but depending how far he slips, I can’t say I would agree with the concerns past a certain point.

• #10 | Bill Zonnon | C | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | Mar Rnk (17)

  I’m never not impressed by Zonnon when he’s on the ice, and I’m relatively confident he has just as much claim to being a great pick this year as any other big, physical centres that are available. The thing I love about Zonnon relative to the others available is the pace of his game. Sure, he isn’t the most beautiful skater out there, but he is absolutely not slow, and absolutely not without skill. Zonnon combines his energy with some really smart pass vision that allows him to command the middle of the ice well, and he has generated some of the best forechecking results of anyone in my data tracking. He only seemed to get more and more comfortable controlling play from the centre position as the year went on, driving more and more pucks to the net, and attacking defenses better and better. Asking around, his projectability as a centre is a bit of a question, which I can understand, but he has one of the strongest floors in the class. He’s competitive, intense, and makes multiple plays in quick succession to drive play well. The more he wants to be involved the better he’ll get at 5v5, and compared to some of the guys a little later than this slot that I’m sure people will question my sanity about, Zonnon just seems to fit the quick, chaotic world of the modern NHL a bit better than the others with the physicality and energy to push back against any opponent.

• #11 | Michal Svrcek | LW | Brynäs IF | Mar Rnk (12)

  In a similar vein to Bill Zonnon, the modern NHL is quick and chaotic, and a player I continuously believe is maximized when the game is at it’s quickest is Michal Svrcek. An impressive skater with relentless energy, Svrcek worked his way onto his men’s team and stuck, playing solid minutes for months at a time. I feel his U18 production undershot just how good he was there in my view, and if we’re talking NHL capability and floor, Svrcek is right there with the best of The Blob. He has an excellent shot that I’d love to see used from better spots in the SHL, and he has an insane off-puck work rate that suppresses opponents constantly. He absolutely has work to do, as he can overskate himself into problems, and he needs to learn to vary his pace of play a bit more often to get other looks on the ice, but in a north/south world of hockey where your forecheck is what seems to matter tremendously, Svrcek stands out. He certainly needs to get stronger on his feet to have more defensive zone impact, but he’s an annoying, pesky winger with energy all over the ice. Of all the draft eligibles that showed up in the SHL this year, he was the most impressive in many aspects, and to me that counts for something way more valuable than where he’s slated to go in the actual draft. Again, watching my video on him back relative to others in this group, it’s extremely close, but I believe in his floor and track record playing against men just a hair more than those behind him.

• #12 | Carter Bear | LW | Everett Silvertips | Mar Rnk (11)

  Achilles injury aside, Bear is a similar story to the names ahead of him. Energy, physicality, forechecking ability and quick execution of ideas are the name of the game for Bear. He’s tall, aggressive, and skilled which automatically makes him an intriguing profile to watch. I will admit his ability to take over a shift or game is a bit of a question mark, but he strikes me in a similar way that Anton Frondell has. A great compliment to some better play drivers with upside to be more than he is. A really strong floor of competitiveness and skill, Bear has flashed some remarkable moments that if he can bring in a bit more of a complete, evasive manner moving forward, could be quite a pickup, especially if teams are sketched out by the injury and we see him available a bit later than this range.

• #13 | Brady Martin | C | Soo Greyhounds | Mar Rnk (19)

  Another high floor player, Brady Martin is going to be an interesting one to track. It seems as though he’s going to be a Top 5 pick in this draft, which on the surface seems completely insane to me, but alternatively, I do see the logic. He’s competitive, a great hitter, a smart passer all over the ice, and has driven great results in almost every metric I track. For me, the skating and skill combination just has a long way to go to develop the kind of ceiling I like in a Top 5 pick. To others, I can absolutely accept the logic that there is a greater chance of James Hagens or Porter Martone struggling to live up to their draft slot than there is of Brady Martin, and Martin brings a highly projectable floor that is likely to still be a valuable part of an NHL team. In the right role with the right linemates, Martin could be a tremendous 3rd line centre, but could James Hagens play that kind of role? Probably not. It all comes down to how you value and perceive talent, and while I think Martin has a ways to go to catch up to those at the top of my board, it isn’t impossible, and if he does, he could be a serious two-way issue for whoever he plays against. If he can further refine his willingness and ability to work towards the net in the offensive zone for better scoring chances, then the sky is the limit for Martin, it’ll just be a matter of how far he can get from here, and how far the more skilled and dynamic players can get on their end. There may be a good lesson for me here if Martin is drafted at the top of the class and turns into the next physically dominant 200-foot centre in the class.

• #14 | Jake O'Brien | C | Brantford Bulldogs | Mar Rnk (14)

  O’Brien is just a really, really solid hockey player through and through. Skilled, smart, a selfless transition playmaker with a wiry frame and plenty of potential, O’Brien may well be gone significantly earlier than my slot for him. I just haven’t quite seen the same level of energy and pace of play out of him that I have with him as I have of those ahead of him. His passing ability and puck protection make him a pretty strong NHL bet, but to me he invites a lot of pressure on himself with his decisions and confidence. That’s fine, but it’s much more difficult to get away with in the NHL and his offensive upside may be somewhat limited because of it. That said, he plays how you need players to play in the NHL, and has the frame to do it. I wouldn’t look at O’Brien in the top ten, but with his floor and smarts, there’s a strong foundation to work on. He doesn’t waste his shooting opportunities and he sets up linemates well, but I still remain a bit reserved about just how much of a needle-moving player he is at the highest level.

• #15 | Caleb Desnoyers | C/W | Moncton Wildcats | Mar Rnk (20)

  Once the puck gets into the offensive zone, there might not be a better playmaker or smarter scorer in the draft class. If he goes Top 5, that’s what you’re getting, along with what appears to be a great interview. Desnoyers is a player who just goes out and generates results over and over and over again and has thrived this season surrounded by heavy, intense physical linemates in Julius Sumpf and Juraj Pekarcik. He’s been deployed up the middle and along the wing, and he does bring a level of flexibility that can go with just about anyone he plays with. Desnoyers brings strong physical intent to his game with somewhat mixed results but the big thing that puts him here for me is his offensive skills translating to the NHL. He’s an exceptionally smart playmaker to say the least, but his skating and skill combination trails the names ahead, especially outside the offensive zone, and his physicality is solid but against the best in the world, it’s a bit of a question mark as he lacks the intensity and pace of play that others seem to have. The wrinkle added at the end of the season of the multiple wrist injuries is a bit of a wrench to consider. Has he been undershooting his true abilities all season? Was an underwhelming Memorial Cup just everything coming to a head? From what I’ve seen of Desnoyers all season going back to last year, I still remain a little bit skeptical of his potential, but hey, if he’s been really playing hurt all season long and still drove results like he did on the ice, a team picks him as high as 2 or 3 and he turns out to be an exceptional two-way top six centre, then so be it! There are just quite a few questions I’ve had for too long that has kept him lower on my list than where many others currently have him.

• #16 | Logan Hensler | RHD | Univ. of Wisconsin | Mar Rnk (16)

  The first solid, steady defenseman, and one who has only gotten better and better over the course of the year. Logan Hensler had a slow, cautious start to the NCAA season and a bit of a tepid World Junior tournament, but in the time since, Hensler has taken strong steps in the right direction towards being a valuable, all situations defender with skating ability, offensive creativity, smart, safe transition passing, and an ability to keep play to the outside often enough to work fine in the NCAA. He needs to generate more power from his lower body on transitions and along the boards as players could drive him wide and beat him clean down low, or win physical battles against him, but these are things you can work on. Hensler is a player that just brings a solid team game that works off of others well, and marches the game in the right direction more often than not. Other defenders have simply shown more questions or longer development paths that increase risk that leaves Hensler in the middle of the first round. Smart reads, simple passing and flashes of some great offensive zone moments along the half wall, Hensler is an ice blank slate that could be a good bet to round out an NHL defense group.

• #17 | Benjamin Kindel | C/RW | Calgary Hitmen | Mar Rnk (10)

  Another one of those players with some pros that are among the best in the draft class, and cons that raise big, big questions about his NHL projectability. Kindel might be one of the smartest and most capable passers available, with an insane level of pass vision and creativity on the fly, changing angles and finding multiple complex options that makes everyone he plays with look better. He attacks the net off the puck and earns simple but effective scoring chances like it’s his job… Which I guess it is. A strong playoff performance capped an impressively successful season for Kindel, especially relative to my expectations having seen him in 2023-24. That said, he’s an undersized player who showed his best hockey by far up the middle of the ice in my opinion, and his physical game is almost nonexistent with skating that I wouldn’t consider high-end enough to overcome the physical pressure of the NHL. Kindel is one of a handful of players that I want to love so, so much and there’s so much to love about him. This tier is so, so close and I would love to see him drafted higher than this, but there are legitimate concerns that I imagine will hold him back in the minds of NHL teams. I still have him higher than he’s likely to go because I believe in the passing and upside so much, but doubt is a debt in the NHL draft and he’ll need to make some currency to make it worth a high pick.

• #18 | Braeden Cootes | C | Seattle Thunderbirds | Mar Rnk (13)

  What a fun player Cootes is. Really compact but a great combination of pace, skill and off-puck awareness that has a nice long term trajectory in my opinion. He was successful offensively on a team that struggled to generate offense around him, with just as much involvement in his team’s offense on average as names like Desnoyers, O’Brien, Reschny, Kindel and Carbonneau. I see a Chandler Stephenson-type player here if people forget about Cootes too much. Flies under the radar, isn’t the biggest guy, but flies up and down the ice just being rock solid with a bit of offense and a bit of defense anywhere on the ice, then people notice when he’s 5 years into his career and he’s seen as highly valuable. I do wonder about his compact nature and off-puck quickness being enough to work against NHL opposition, but Cootes brings so much upside with a combination of skill and a high pace of play that few others have this year. Energetic, smart, and effective, Cootes isn’t perfect, but he’s a solid option likely to go a bit later than he probably should.

• #19 | Roger McQueen | C | Brandon Wheat Kings | Mar Rnk (9)

  He said he’s 100% healthy at the combine and did the physical testing. That’s great news for him, but I personally do not believe that this automatically elevates him to the highest echelons of this draft class. He’s gargantuan with an intense skating stride and a clear physical side to him that he’s not shy to utilize, but in my dataset on him he was largely far from effective unless slipping passes through defenders or in wide open ice carrying the puck. He’s got a great skating stride for his size and some great flashes of skill under pressure, no doubt, but in my books, you have a 6’6” player who played hurt on some level for over a calendar year according to some reports, is likely to put on another 30 pounds or so on his frame that has dealt with back problems, and plays a style of play that requires physical intensity. I just have a lot of questions, and the talk behind the scenes during the playoffs was not promising. Going from being shut down during his playoff run capping off an injury-riddled year to 100% healthy in the span of two months is possible I suppose, but I simply feel that drafting him right up at the top of the draft opens yourself up to significant risk.

• #20 | Blake Fiddler | RHD | Edmonton Oil Kings | Mar Rnk (30)

  Fiddler is a player whose best moments are really, really good, and some of his worst moments are very problematic. I’ve seen him go end to end in the manner I’ve seen Matthew Schaefer do, with more chances from the front of the net than almost every other defenseman, and he’s got skating ability on the puck that catches your attention. Similar to Hensler, Fiddler needs to work on the lateral mobility and defending with his lower body in transition as he was beaten along the boards and when opponents would cross lanes in front of him more than I’d like, but he has a great frame with the benefit of relative youth that make him an interesting bet. A powerful stride coupled with solid skill is intriguing, I would just love to see some cleaner passing under pressure and more strength added to his play in the coming years. There might be some good upside to Fiddler, but he’s going to need to capture his best hockey more often.

• #21 | Justin Carbonneau | RW | Moncton Wildcats | Mar Rnk (25)

  I’ve said it since November but if this were an exercise in drafting the most skilled players in the world, Carbonneau would be well into my Top 10. Carbonneau is ruthless on the rush with great side-to-side energy and insane application of his skill to try to create plays for linemates. His shot is lethal and he uses it more often than anyone else in the draft. His best moments are spectacular and he’s a capable player under pressure with the puck on his stick. What’s the issue? Carbonneau in my experience is a volume shooter who needs to work towards the middle of the ice significantly more, and the creativity and passing he displays often goes completely unrewarded as the puck drifts through the slot or off a defenders skate and the puck is coming the other way. Once that happens, Carbonneau’s engagement and energy takes a dip as he’s a player that looks for offense more than anything. My data reflects this with some of the highest playmaking potential percentiles with some of the lowest defensive metrics in the whole dataset. He’s a player with a ton of question marks, but a ton of fun baked into his game. Is he destined to be an NHL All-Star highlight reel top six winger? There’s a chance! There is just a bit of a murky road ahead and NHL teams are well aware of it. He’ll dazzle in rookie camps and probably score a kajillion points next year, but his ultimate test will come when he crosses over to pro hockey one day.

• #22 | Radim Mrtka | RHD | Seattle Thunderbirds | Mar Rnk (22)

  The Czech tower finds himself exactly where I had him in March. I see big upside in Mrtka as a defensive player in the NHL, but there will need to be patience and time to get there. A crisp passer outside in many situations, he covers ice well in multiple disciplines with some really impressive moments stepping up from the offensive zone. Mrtka is a little bit sketchy in close quarters defending with opponents sneaking through his coverage too often and allowing quite a bit of dangerous offense in his own end. He’s another big defenseman who can lose more battles than you’d expect along the boards as well, but his development trajectory could alleviate those concerns easily. Mrtka is a bit of a project, but he brings some good traits to the game that NHL teams will covet. In 5 years or so, there could be a solid pass-first middle pair defender who can generate some neat chances in the offensive zone with his misdirection and reach. I could see him jump way up in this tier on draft day, but my reservations leave him a bit behind the market.

• #23 | Shane Vansaghi | RW | Michigan State Univ. | Mar Rnk (28)

  This guy is a freight train. Words can’t describe my disappointment when he said at the combine that every team only really seemed interested in if he were willing to fight. He said that multiple times, even when asked if he got any fun questions to answer. “Not really, just if I’m able to fight.” This does such a disappointing disservice to his game. Yeah, he’s a big, physical menace, but you see strong finesse in his game from time to time capped with some real highlight goals this year. He drove good offensive metrics to go with his spectacular defensive metrics and my read on him is so far beyond just a giant who will beat you up and knock you out. I mean, I’m sure he’s capable of that, but I can’t help but hope to aim high with Vansaghi. He might need to be a bit more mobile and leaner to really work with his skill more, but I see a real Will Carrier-type here. A guy that goes on deep playoff runs down a lineup that eats important minutes for the rest of the team, with puck skill and scoring ability that pops once in a while to make him more intriguing. Eventually someone locks him up long term and appreciates him for what he is. A competitor, and violent force, and a guy capable of some impressive moments when you least expect it.

• #24 | Jackson Smith | LHD/RHD | Tri-City Americans | Mar Rnk (7)

  If drafting were all about raw talent, Smith would be higher. Heck, he was way higher on my list right up until my last few viewings of him and his U18 World Championship performance. I just came to the realization that I was waiting and waiting for something that just hasn’t been there. If anything I’ve felt Smith has tailed off on what makes him so special as the season has worn on. Don’t get me wrong, the skating ability in all directions, speed and skill in open ice, and willingness to challenge opposing defenders is there in spades, but where and when he chooses to do so can be a spin of the roulette wheel. He is so, so talented but gets beaten defensively on the perimeter way too often and is often late to commit to contact which is not what I expected. His offensive game simplified to just popping pucks on net from the perimeter in my last few viewings, and his U18 resume left quite a bit to be desired. He wasn’t pushing the pace of the game, making clean plays to linemates and just wasn’t looking like an elite pick outside of the offensive zone to me. I still love the potential. He might be the highest upside defenseman in the draft not named Schaefer, but he probably has the furthest to go in the toughest realm in which to do it. Luckily a recent commitment to Penn State lends much more confidence in his development than his current situation, so perhaps I’m overly concerned. If he does turn out to be just as good as he could be, I would love to see that happen, I just have to mark him down based on what I’ve seen this season.

• #25 | Cole Reschny | C | Victoria Royals | Mar Rnk (35)

  Ahhh Cole Reschny. I’ve just given up and accepted my appreciation for his game as worth a risk. Some have really overcorrected here with Reschny extremely high and I do believe there’s still some serious risk to his potential but my oh my what a hockey player. I appreciate his smarts and passing ability so much coupled with how hard he works on the ice. His personalty jumps at you as well, and he’s headed to NCAA hockey immediately which is a welcome shift in his future. He is fearless, competitive and makes plays under pressure with the best in the class. Working with almost any player variety, Reschny is going to need to be in the right environment to work, and I don’t think you can expect physical dominance at higher levels, but I buy into the upside so much and I just don’t want to be too down on such a player come draft time. It seems he’s going to go before the slot, and whoever does pick him, godspeed because I hope for the best for anyone who plays like Reschny, I just feel that at the tail end of The Blob, Reschny brings some of the biggest upside coupled with the biggest question marks.

Tier 4 - The Other Solid Dudes

• #26 | Cameron Schmidt | RW | Vancouver Giants | Mar Rnk (15)

  On talent alone, Schmidt probably belongs a tier higher, but there are enough doubts in my mind as well as the minds of scouts that he may be one that a team will catch later on than this region. Schmidt is undeniably skilled with lightning quick feet and hands, and an elite wrist and slap shot combination that beat goaltenders all season long. I also felt his playmaking ability in the offensive zone improved year over year with good vision and quick decisions on loose puck recoveries. Schmidt is diminutive and in my view comes with some key issues that might hold him back. His skating is great all around but he still struggles to close the gaps that open up around him and is removed from defensive play far too often. To his credit, he’s tenacious with a great motor and willingness to mix things up, so I do wonder if NHL teams will overcorrect on his valuation come draft day. I know he’s had some level of reputational history to disprove as well that teams were a bit spooked on. Schmidt is a tricky one, but I think he’s going to be gone later than he should, likely on day 2, but could be as good a bet as any, if not better in the range he gets picked. He just screams “The Daniel Sprong of the 2030s” to me, drafted too late for somewhat legitimate reasons, but productive nonetheless and consistently a valuable player to have around. I’m not certain on Schmidt, and he does have his flaws, but the fun factor is off the charts and I think he has the energy and intensity to overcome the issues that come with his size.

• #27 | Cameron Reid | LHD | Victoria Royals | Mar Rnk (29)

  Reid is going to be another interesting one to watch moving forward. Not the biggest defenseman out there, nor the most creative, but he’s an explosive skater with some of the best rush moments of many of the players available. A capable, safe but effective passer, Reid also does a great job escaping pressure with that speed and energy, with a shooting instinct from the perimeter that occurs a bit too often, but generates good offense for his line. I do wonder what kind of defender he could be in the NHL? His physical game is somewhat unrefined, but he’s solid on loose pucks. He isn’t the most creative or dynamic offensive zone defenseman, but his passing game is still dependable. He isn’t small, but he isn’t big either. Is he a power play quarterback? I’m not sure who he replaces that a team already might have. He’s tough to figure out in my books where I like his brand of play, and his raw tools are very interesting, but what comes out the other end just feels a bit too hazy for me to have him in the tier above.

• #28 | L.J. Mooney | RW/C | U.S. National U18 Team | Mar Rnk (42)

  I don’t know if anyone had as much of a roller coaster season as L.J. Mooney this season. I adore this player, but Mooney got off to a slow start, and just when I felt he was getting going again, a brutal knee injury sidelined him at a key time, only to return looking less comfortable than ever for quite a stretch. Only in the last few months have I felt Mooney really hit his stride, quickly catching up to the best scorers on the team with great even strength results with better results than you’d expect as a centre. His U18 was truly special as well with pinpoint passing, aggressive pursuit defense, and some electrifying rushes up the ice… until he got injured again and missed the final game of the tournament. The concern is that he will be injury plagued thanks to his small stature in both height and weight which is perfectly fine, but the upside with Mooney is well… as high as the Moon in the sky. Mooney carries absolutely lethal playmaking skills and a shot he uses far too rarely, but has a level of tenacity and intensity in his game that stands out in this class. If any small guy is insane enough to make it work with raw energy and passing ability, it’s Mooney. In my model, there’s a nonzero chance we see Mooney go completely undrafted, but I simply can’t imagine that being the correct decision, especially in a draft class that many NHL scouts I’ve spoken to actively despise. Mooney must be a solid bet somewhere, right? If he hits, he’s going to hit big, it just might take time, patience and a little bit of luck.

• #29 | Ryker Lee | RW | Madison Capitols | Mar Rnk (23)

  Ryker Lee took some time to really take off this year but 54 points in 43 games since mid-November would’ve given him a 77 point full season putting him on par with names like Casey Mittelstadt and Jake Guentzel. Lee is probably the player with the most exciting individual plays in this tier out of anyone. He’s so skilled, able to pull pucks around opponents at high speeds and use linemates to his advantage. At his best, the motor off the puck is admirable, even if he doesn’t cover ice amazingly well, and while that work rate can fluctuate, he still manages to be an offensive threat often. It seems he’s grown since 2023 as well, which could mean he’s still growing into his frame, and he’s a player I would leave in college for an extended stretch anyway and really let him stretch out his development. He’s a high pace, high creativity dual-threat offensive weapon with big upside, but he’s somewhat limited to being a scorer or not sticking in the NHL in all likelihood. Excting, crafty and a high pace scorer, there are plenty of ups with Ryker Lee and his late season push in people’s rankings doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.

• #30 | Gustav Hillström | C/RW | Brynäs IF J20 | Mar Rnk (21)

  I can’t believe more people who say they respect “hockey sense” and “IQ” aren’t all over Hillström more. He’s got a great natural frame that absolutely hasn’t filled out yet, with an excellent ability to read play off the puck, close gaps, challenge players quickly and do the stuff in hockey that takes the hardest pure effort well. Hillström doesn’t waste his passing work often, he is an excellent faceoff competitor, and has a lovely skating stride that he used to his advantage more and more. Similar to Eric Nilson, his style of play will need to rely on physical development to be functional in the NHL, and I’d love to see his pass lane awareness improve in speed and timing. He was prone to turnovers quarterbacking play, but he’d be right there to generate more turnovers as time goes on. His SHL play was far from awesome, but you still saw a player pretty comfortable with the pace of play there, even if he was put on the wing when usually a centre in junior hockey. I think Hillström is a fantastic long term bet that may take time to develop, but his end result could be a very useful, smart and refined centre focused on the details of the game and driving good results at both ends.

• #31 | Cole McKinney | C | U.S. National U18 Team | Mar Rnk (31)

  Another one of these rock solid, smart pressure absorbing centres. His pace of play doesn’t project particularly highly in the NHL but he does have an impressive level of strength and awareness on the fly, working passes around opponents with ease and eating minutes. McKinney has plenty of tools to be a dependable centre at higher levels, I just wonder if he will develop the evasive ability to work around pressure in advance of contact, and do enough creating in open ice with enough pace to move the needle in the NHL. This is around the range where if you get anything, you’ve done well with your draft pick, and I think McKinney has one of the stronger floors in this range. A solid centre with physical ability who can play off contact and make good reads with linemates in space is a fine combination, and he will be a perfectly adequate NHL pick come draft day, be it day 1 or early on day 2.

• #32 | Malcolm Spence | LW | Erie Otters | Mar Rnk (26)

  I probably have Spence too low as his floor is nowhere near as low as guys like Mooney, Schmidt, or Lee, but I also don’t really know how much upside there is with Spence. He’s a competitive player who has some flashes of puck protection around the perimeter of the ice, with really smart ideas and execution in offensive transitions. He finds a way to get plenty of jobs done while on the ice, but I just don’t know how well it projects beyond the NCAA level. He’s going to a fantastic program and I imagine the pace and skill can improve at Michigan State, but his more advanced age for a first time eligible and somewhat limited pace and speed generation may limit how much he can drive play on his own. I could very easily be wrong, but he’s one of those players where I’ve found a name here and there more intriguing every time I check in relative to Spence, and he lands as a fringe first rounder for me, likely to go earlier than this.

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Tier 5 - Everyone Else I Guess?

The Watchlist

Scouching’s Penultimate 2025 NHL Draft Ranking

We’re back with new draft rankings! What a day to be alive. It’s been a heck of a season to this point, with nearly 200 players in my tracked database and plenty more who have crossed the radar, and we’re left with around 80 names plus my Watchlist of 25 curiosities to keep tabs on in the future. All in all, I am growing a bit more optimistic about this class as a whole as time goes by. If you’re a team drafting in the first handful of selections, you’re very likely landing a very, very capable NHL player in a key role of some kind. If you’re a team drafting in the next handful of selections, you could very well end up with a very dependable complimentary player who could also fill highly impactful roles. Once we get to the names beyond my third tier, especially as we approach the 20s things open up very rapidly, and my shoulders begin to shrug with more and more vigour. That’s not to say these aren’t desirable players, but the likelihood of reaching a high end role is either quite uncertain, or their potential NHL role may be somewhat limited relative to those at the top end of the board. This isn’t unusual in my experience with the draft, but the 2025 class seems particularly weighed towards very intelligent and well-rounded players who may not bring high end skill or pace of play, but bring plenty of tools to the table that should lead to some kind of NHL gig in the future. What is very interesting about this class is that things do very much drop off heavily in terms of projection and confidence, and much more so than I remember from years prior. I have names on this list that I personally really, really believe in, and they show up much higher than I expected because that line of “this player is very very exciting and that’s worth something” occurs quicker in this draft than I’m used to. I don’t want to say that this draft class is “weak”, but the uncertainty is definitely there, and it feels like we may be looking at a sizable pool of player that have the potential to round out an NHL lineup one day rather than big swings that could find themselves among the best in the game.

Before we get into the list, it might be helpful to take the time to briefly outline my philosophy so you can get in my head a little bit and understand where I come from a little better when I see the game. If you take 10 different evaluators, you’ll probably get some differences in priorities and preferences, so knowing what you’re getting into should add to the experience. At my core, I focus on possession. Hockey is a game in two fundamental states. You have the puck, or you don’t. The ultimate goal should be to find players who are as good at gaining and maintaining possession in some way, getting the puck into a desirable location, and getting the dang thing into the net as much as possible. In my view, the priority should be in that order. You can’t have the third aspect without the second, and you can’t have the second without the first. As such, I see speed, tenacity, competitiveness, and quickness as key, both mentally and physically. I don’t care so much about how big you are, how good of a shooter you are, how hard you hit, I just care about what you do on the ice and if you’re moving the needle in the right direction. In my experience, the best young needle movers with regards to competitiveness, pace, and creativity are the ones of who are often hardest to find when they grow up big and strong to be NHL players one day. I value players who elevate who they play with more than anything. They’re dependable every shift, they're focused on the ultimate task of the game situation, and they think creatively to make baby steps happen that ultimately lead to scoring chances, and ideally some goals go in here and there.

I’ll also note that the positions listed are almost universally those from the games I’ve specifically watched and tracked of these players. A defenseman is listed by either handedness or the side of the ice they play on should it be the opposite to his natural shooting side (i.e., RSD is a left handed defender playing on the right side).

Tier 1 - This is Not What I Expected

• #1 | Matthew Schaefer | LHD | Erie Otters | Dec. Rank (1)

  This is a really tricky start to the list. Schaefer hasn’t played since a brutal collision in the World Juniors which makes a strong evaluation very difficult. I’ve gone back and looked at the tape that is available of his play, and I still feel quite confident that he’s the first name I’d push for in the 2025 class. A broken collarbone is common and almost certainly shouldn’t have long term impact on his overall play. His pure defensive zone play might need some work, but everything else is simply top notch. His pass vision is unmatched by other defenders this season. The way he can open up the ice handling the puck, skating laterally and whipping pucks around the ice makes him a huge threat all over the ice. The puck rushing ability that landed him his injury is still something to really behold when he jumps into the rush. He’s a bit of an unconventional defenseman projecting to the NHL and I’m not sure exactly who he reminds me of. He isn’t Cale Makar, but perhaps a John Carlson? Dan Boyle for all my fellow Millenials and Gen X’ers out there? Someone not shy to step up in the offensive zone, jump into the rush, and run offenses themselves that outpaces any defensive issues. Schaefer has the advantage of being just over a week separated from 2026 NHL Draft eligibility, and at his scoring pace this season, an 88 point OHL season for a defenseman before being draft eligible would be unmatched. Better than Drew Doughty, Ryan Ellis, Chris Pronger, and many other notables. He’s a creative, dynamic offensive threat with scoring and playmaking ability, and between him and my #2 and arguably my #3, it’s a very very very close call and I could go either way.

• #2 | Michael Misa | C | Saginaw Spirit | Dec. Rank (2)

  Michael Misa has really grown as a player over the last calendar season in my eyes. It’s easy to see how his game might struggle on the wing, and plopping him up the middle is exactly where he should be. Misa feels the game unlike almost any other player I’ve seen in the last few years. Passes that appear difficult or poorly thought out are cleanly placed through tiny spaces. He has the capacity to wait an extra split second to create better chances and evaluate secondary options. He isn’t a pure sniper, but he’s a diverse and capable scorer. He isn’t a fancy spin-passing playmaker, but he cuts defenses to pieces. He doesn’t move his feet like some of the high motor players out there, but calling him slow would be incorrect. He’s explosive, jumps into space effectively, and picks his times to be quick extremely effectively. His last few games I’ve seen have been a bit quieter than previous performances when it comes to scoring chances for himself, but a large part of that stems from the presence of Igor Chernyshov as a partner in crime. Chernyshov is more of a pure offensive threat with finishing ability that Misa has been able to work off of to great success. Misa elevates whoever he plays with and covers all three zones with great anticipation and remarkable efficiency and likely slots into any NHL team well as a highly effective, but perhaps not a flashy centre that just plays darn good hockey.

Tier 2 - This is Also Not What I Expected

• #3 | James Hagens | C | Boston College Eagles | Dec. Rank (3)

  I think people have lost the plot a little bit with James Hagens over this season. You look at his production relative to other elite NHL prospects playing in the NCAA and it’s forgivable to think something went wrong, but in my view, Hagens has shown exceptional growth in his game at a difficult level of play in a tough role. Largely centring Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, it seemed like their play styles didn’t quite resonate as expected to my eye. Leonard loves to possess the puck just as Hagens seems to, and it felt like Perreault had issues keeping up outside of being a complimentary give-and-go option with some finishing ability that Hagens was zipping past all night. Play just felt disjointed and strange a lot, but Hagens always looked great with an off-puck forechecking menace in Teddy Stiga just as he did last season at the U18s, and I would imagine those two are reunited next season if Perreault and Leonard jump to the NHL. Hagens specifically has shown consistently excellent metrics in many areas of my work. I would love to see him land more scoring chances for himself as he was one of the more infrequent shooters at the top end, but his wrist shot can be a tough one to stop when it comes out. Where he really shines is as a playmaker, with great success on the rush and in the offensive zone connecting with linemates and moving the puck where it needs to go. He’s quick on his feet, highly skilled, and highly creative. The thing that he’s really improved since he arrived at Boston College is the physical side of the game. The first few games of the season, he seemed completely allergic to chipping in off the puck outside of the offensive zone, but as Christmas approached, something shifted. He’s attacking puck carriers much more directly and throwing hits at a rate beyond names like Frondell, Bear, Martone, Nesbitt, and Desnoyers. He’s come a long way this year, and while I have him a shade behind the best in the class, he’s got a ton of potential to be a flashy, offensive second line centre with a growing level of grind to his game. He may be a bit undersized, but the speed, skill and quick strike playmaking is impressive, and another season in college could do him extremely well to refine the areas that are still a bit deficient.

• #4 | Victor Eklund | RW | Djurgårdens IF | Dec. Rank (5)

  Eklund is one of those players who I didn’t expect to be this high this season, but whenever I check him out, then check out other names in this range, I just come away continuously impressed with his game. I’m not totally sure exactly how much scoring he’ll do in the NHL, but I could very easily see him being an insanely effective possession player that is a thorn in the opponent’s shoes with relentless physicality, pace, and speed that is tough to counter. He’s a heck of a shooter but his shot selection needs work. He’s a heck of a playmaker but his timing and ability to slow the game down a bit is also a little deficient. That said, he still drives very very good results in a pretty big role on a men’s team in Sweden. Continuously controlling about 2/3 of the possession and shot attempts from scoring areas while on the ice, Eklund is effective, hard-working, and will endear himself to fans very quickly. He’s very different to his brother William, but they could offset each other very easily should Victor land in San Jose. He’s an excellent open ice skater with huge efficiency everywhere, and the only real area that needs improvement is in the offensive zone especially with regards to his shooting. This is not an uncommon issue for young players playing in the men’s level, but it’s a roadblock to projectable scoring in the NHL. Nevertheless, I love Eklund, and I know the Djurgårdens crew does as well. I could see him slip on draft day like his brother did, but I could easily see him be undervalued like his brother was.

• #5 | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton Steelheads | Dec. Rank (4)

  I swear that bumping Martone down to this spot gave me great pain, but Eklund has just been so projectable and so successful at a higher level of play that I had to weigh the coin flip in his direction. Martone is a player I’ve watched and loved for years. He’s a selfless player who might be one of the best overall analytical profiles in my entire database. There’s almost nothing he doesn’t do successfully in good volumes. Scoring chances for himself? Check. Generating chances for others? Check. Offensive transition success? Check. Defensive transition involvement and success? Check and check. Hits? Check. Forechecking results? Check. He just does everything you could ask a player to do, especially as a winger. He is the source of well over 50% of Brampton’s shot attempts with him on the ice, and he earns it. Martone might not be a play driver who can carry pucks across three lines at 40km/h and run a line with anyone, but he is an elite complement to guys like the names ahead of him which is what places him in this slot. He wears the C in Brampton for a reason and it becomes very clear when you watch the team play. He just goes out and plays like someone you want to play with, even if he isn’t an obviously dominant presence. He sneaks around with intelligence and doesn’t overthink the game. I can’t say enough good things about him and simply can’t wait to see where he goes in the NHL Draft. I hope that his landing spot respects his finesse, pass vision and mid-range scoring ability rather than seeing his raw size and trying to make him into a traditional power forward. He brings so many traits to the game that a team needs in the modern era, and while his scoring rate has come back down from orbit a little bit, I don’t think the quality of his play has declined whatsoever. This year’s top 5 is so close to me, and Martone unfortunately finds himself at the back end of it. If he reads this, I apologize and have full faith that he can prove me wrong in the future.

Tier 3 - The Skills to Really Pay the Bills…(Probably)

• #6 | Cullen Potter | C | Arizona State Sun Devils | Dec. Rank (7)

  Sneaking his way up one slot, my logic here is that the class evens out extremely quickly, and I always default to players who bring great joy to the game, push pace, and electrify the crowd to get points on the board. Potter is that, and I haven’t found anyone else who consistently brings that kind of energy to this extent. I must stress that he’s a 2007-born playing centre, a position he didn’t play last year, and has grown a tremendous amount in that role. Incredibly efficient pushing pucks up the ice in a variety of methods, driving half of his team’s offense, and chipping in defensively more than you might think, Potter’s overall metrics at 5v5 don’t trail a guy like Hagens that much. The name that has come to mind more and more recently with Potter is Kyle Connor, who potentially like Potter, ended up as a mid-first round pick after a hugely productive USHL season. You can question Connor’s defensive results, but you can’t question the speed, skill and finishing ability he has that continuously puts him among the league’s best scorers. Obviously that’s a high bar to meet, but Potter is explosive and dynamic unlike so many in this class, and I believe his low assist totals often stem from outskating linemates and skating into unwinnable offensive zone situations a little too often. Is that his fault? I’d say at times yes, but surroundings matter in hockey, and again he is one of a small handful of 2007-born NCAA players this season. Every game he excites me, and every game the number of times I wonder what the hell he’s doing has declined over the season. There’s part of me that wanted to put him a tier higher, but I do wonder about how effective he’ll be in the NHL under physical pressure, but if a guy like Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Jordan Kyrou or Kyle Connor can make it work successfully, I could see Potter being the next one that does the same at whatever position he lands himself in.

• #7 | Jackson Smith | LHD/RSD | Tri-City Americans | Dec. Rank (6)

  Ok so around here in the class is when I have absolutely no clue what direction I’d go, but I’d probably lean towards the players with pure talent and tools that you absolutely need in the NHL. Jackson Smith headlines that group of players, especially after Potter is off the board. Smith is a remarkably fluid skater for his size, covering ice in all directions extremely well, which bodes well for NHL projectability. He’s physical often, almost to a fault as he can fail to follow through on hits and end up a bit leaky on defensive transitions, but his overall results in that area are excellent. I get asked a lot about which players datasets don’t quite line up with my read on them as a player, and Smith is probably the best example of that. While on the ice at 5v5, Smith gets absolutely run over driven largely by completely absent offensive output from Tri-City with him on the ice. He’s not a poor offensive transition player whatsoever but he often relies on passing when those receiving those passes simply can’t finish the job. Of the offense that Tri-City generates, he’s the source of a third of it. There are some really impressive playmaking moments through scoring areas as well, and Smith simply brings an excellent talent profile that good coaches and development staffs could foster extremely well over time. He feels much more settled and comfortable in recent viewings, seeing the ice better and picking better times to push play up the ice, but he isn’t perfect. In this class, he brings big upside and potential which I value, and will be very curious where he goes at the end of the day.

• #8 | Lynden Lakovic | LW | Moose Jaw Warriors | Dec. Rank (9)

  I’ll admit that after our interview with Lynden Lakovic, I’m a little bit biased in his favor. He just seems like a kid who sees the game similarly to how I do. Tactically, procedurally, logically and from a bird’s eye view featuring everyone he’s on the ice with. Similar to Martone, Lakovic just drives great results in almost every discipline. I think people are down on him a bit because of his size and clear lack of physicality and hitting ability, but frankly I don’t think that’s a huge hurdle. Sure, he might need to gain a bit more of an edge to be more effective defensively in the NHL, but the skating ability, skill, reach, and finishing ability is undeniable and awesome. Similarly to Martone, I don’t think Lakovic is a central line driver, but he’s an elite complimentary piece working give and goes in the neutral zone well, with great puck touches and anticipation skill before receiving pucks. He rarely takes a poor shot in the offensive zone, protecting the puck well and looking for seams and pathways to better scoring areas, driving some of the best shooting metrics among my highly tracked players. In the offensive zone, he’s simply lights out, with great forechecking ability, strong playmaking metrics and remarkable finishing ability. 56% of Moose Jaw’s offensive output has flowed through Lakovic somehow, and without him that team would be completely different. I don’t know what his NHL future is, but to me if you don’t get a Porter Martone, Lynden Lakovic might not be a bad consolation prize.

• #9 | Anton Frondell | F | Djurgårdens IF | Dec. Rank (14)

  Frondell makes a huge jump up the list this time around from the mid teens into the late top ten. I am really unsure of exactly how high up a lineup Anton Frondell will find himself, but that’s only because I could see him adequately filling a role on almost any line complimenting almost any other player. He’s physical, he goes to the net, he forechecks well, and his puck touches through the neutral zone are strong. I question the puck carrying and handling ability and how it could limit his potential, but as an off-puck do-it-all type, there’s lots to love about Frondell. He finds gaps and seams well, grinds the game down and does the dirty work you need a player to do. I don’t know if he’s a centre in the NHL and I’ve found his HockeyAllsvenskan play was at it’s best while he was on the wing, but as a great 200-foot 3C down the road, I could see a future there, but as a winger he could compliment just about anyone and be a projectable and effective player able to chip in everywhere you need. I might be cooler on him than many, but there are just a few other names that may be less projectable but bring tools that I think could bring more of an impact in multiple areas.

Tier 4 - The Perennial ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Tier

• #10 | Benjamin Kindel | C | Calgary Hitmen | Dec. Rank (13)

  Around this range of the draft, my logic simply becomes “who do I like the most and who drops the least the more I see them”, and Ben Kindel holds strong in the 10-15 range. Take everything written about Michael Misa, and copy it over and turn the knob down a notch or to and I feel like you have Ben Kindel. Literally every single metric save for one is top percentile-level with Kindel, he just doesn’t look like an elite flashy player and he doesn’t throw hits. That last part might be a bit problematic, but in my opinion you can work around that and not every elite NHLer is known for their physical play. Kindel is a bit small, but his anticipation skill and read of the ice on and off the puck is simply spectacular at times. He always seems to know where everyone is, will be, and how to get them the puck. Huge pass volumes, huge transition involvement, huge efficiency going both directions, great shot selection and volumes, top-end slot pass volume with huge shot assist generation, Kindel is just all around an elite analytics profile from this season. Some of the highest rates of offensive zone turnover generation as well as defensive zone cycle breaks, he just gets in the way of play and marches the puck up the ice with ease. It’s very Tom Brady-like. Not flashy, but against him you probably lose. Projectability to the NHL is still a question that holds him back from being right at the top of my board, but I’m optimistic about his outlook. He doesn’t have escape speed or truly elite puck protection ability, but as a pass-focused supportive centre that is a great 5v5 presence with potential penalty kill potential, I’m a huge, huge fan of what Kindel brings to the table and have greatly enjoyed watching him relative to some of the names behind him on this board.

• #11 | Carter Bear | LW | Everett Silvertips | Dec. Rank (8)

  Bear drops out of the top 10, but I wouldn’t categorize it as a “drop”, but there are limits in Bear’s game that hold him back from being right up there with the best of them this season. He’s feisty, competitive, physical, but highly skilled. He’s the source of half of Everett’s offensive output in my sample with great defensive metrics in transition, but his passing vision and timing does need a bit of work. He finds himself forcing his way out of pressure situations a bit too much and would love to see a bit more open ice success from him in the future. His offensive threat metric trails behind his cohort in this range, but similarly to Anton Frondell, I still see a guy who will fit in somewhere on an NHL team. Offensive output might be a question, but he does the things you need to do to win. Hit, skate, handle the puck, go to the net, be competitive, he’s got it all. I don’t think he projects as a centre but as a winger I think his tools are best utilized and project as well as possible.

• #12 | Michal Svrcek | LW | Brynäs IF | Dec. Rank (53)

  The first likely eyebrow-raiser on the list as Svrcek rockets up to the top 15 after being a second rounder on my December list. The feeling Cullen Potter gives me? Svrcek does the same in so many ways. What changed things was a third viewing of Svrcek at the J20 level where he absolutely ripped apart his opponent, and earned himself a long stint with the SHL team where he most definitely did not look out of place. The SHL is a fast league, and he was right there grinding play and driving good results for a 17 year old at that levels. He’s a fantastic playmaker with great vision but the motor he has off the puck is simply ridiculous. I clocked him as one of the fastest players blueline to blueline in an SHL game and his overall profile looks great. Forechecking, transition involvement, shot volumes from scoring areas, it’s all great. If he can learn to drive into scoring areas a bit more in the SHL he could be absolutely lethal. Between my sampled games in J20 and the SHL, 50% of his team’s offense came off his stick through shots or passes, and he’s undeniably one of the most exciting players likely to be available on day two if you ask me. Of all SHLers at this age, he is the only player who has over a 50% shot differential while on the ice at 5v5 at time of writing, and that is not an easy accomplishment especially when he’s on the ice for playing up to 10 minutes a night at that level. He’s a vicious forechecker with relentless pace, and while he needs to work on his shot release, his skill, playmaking, speed and tenacity are impossible to ignore and I hope that his U18 performance gets him on more radars with a relatively talented Slovak forward group.

• #13 | Braeden Cootes | C | Seattle Thunderbirds | Dec. Rank (16)

  I had a bit of a revelation a few weeks back while speaking with a devoted subscriber of the project where a lot of the things I really love and a lot of the things people question about Braeden Cootes are similar to the chatter about Marat Khusnutdinov all those years ago. Undersized and not the most productive guy playing centre, Cootes is still an easy case to see playing in the middle of an NHL lineup somewhere. The analytical profile isn’t great, but where it’s good, it’s very good. His speed and off-puck anticipation go hand in hand to make a great defense-first centre who carries the puck very well and has a skill level that he can deploy at a high pace of play. I think there’s a good floor to his future, but I do want to see more out of him. Quicker decisions through his passing, another step of quickness to evade and escape pressure, and more attempts to drive into the middle of the ice for scoring chances, but he has some really impressive moments with a combination of talents that a smart team should recognize could play a competitive role down a lineup regardless of his size.

• #14 | Jake O'Brien | C | Brantford Bulldogs | Dec. Rank (20)

  O’Brien moves up a bit on the board, and he leads the crop of smart playmaking centres who may not carry a ton of pace in their game, but simply go with the flow making great reads, adapting to pressure well, keeping pucks away from opponents and driving great possession results with their overall impact. Similar to Kindel, blocking shots isn’t necessarily his forte, but his off-puck results are great. His shot selection is one of the best available, rarely wasting his chances and not shooting pucks from places he won’t score from, and his slot pass numbers are also quite good. He’s one of the best players in the class at finding creative ways through opponents and adapting to play on the fly, I just wonder what his upside is going to be in the NHL as he is. I think there’s plenty to work with though and plenty of traits that I think should help him find a role somewhere in the middle of an NHL lineup.

• #15 | Cameron Schmidt | RW | Vancouver Giants | Dec. Rank (12)

  One week, I feel like Cameron Schmidt is a top 15 guy in this class, and the next week I feel like he’s barely a first round pick. Some games I’ve seen he’s electrifying and all over the ice, some others he’s getting absolutely run over by the opponent and is unable to gain any kind of advantage. He’s on the list of most exciting players available in the entire class though, and you can clearly tell that this is a feisty, competitive player, but the odds are stacked against him a little bit. He’s very, very small, taking up very little space on the ice and is very much defensively absent and ineffective in transition. He’s a fantastic puck carrier though with evasive skill and quick footwork to push players back, which is something he’ll absolutely need to do at higher levels. The weird part of my dataset on Schmidt is that his playmaking attempts outpace his dangerous shot attempts. Most often he’s shooting the puck from the perimeter, but that trend has improved since October. Part of me wonders what better surroundings would do for Schmidt as many of his playmaking attempts go unfinished, and he still is responsible for half of Vancouver’s offense with him on the ice. He’s a pure machine gun offensive player who is going to need good surroundings in order to get to his ceiling, and he’ll need patience and encouragement to get there as well, but if he does, he could be an electrifying offensive zone threat. Are we looking at the next Daniel Sprong? Perhaps, but I’m on the record as a Sprong Stan and in the right scenario, you can get some very good overall output from a player like that.

• #16 | Logan Hensler | RHD | University of Wisconsin Badgers | Dec. Rank (28)

  I see an NHL player in Hensler, but I’m not sure exactly what he’ll do there. He’s mobile, there’s some skill there, and he’s got some good defensive fundamentals, especially on defensive cycles and on the physical side. His metrics across the board are… fine? He’s a smart, safe passer who has had some eyebrow-raising moments in the offensive zone to create chances, he doesn’t pepper the net with shots to get cheap production, and his defensive transition metrics are solid. As a safe, shutdown guy down your lineup, there’s a future there, but you see moments of something more… I just don’t know what the end result is. He’s gotten better as the year has worn on looking more comfortable at NCAA pace, connecting on more passes and gaining some offensive zone confidence. Wisconsin remains a perplexing team/program so I’m not sure how much that factors into what is holding Hensler back, but I felt his World Junior performance was pretty ho-hum, and I’m always a little bit wary of “good at lots of stuff but great at nothing” profiles projecting to high-end NHL roles. He’s got the size, physical edge, skating ability and simple execution on the puck to find some kind of job, but where he goes in the draft? I have no clue but anywhere in the range of this tier would not surprise me in the slightest. He’s improved over the season quite a lot, looking more fluid, mobile and assertive which is a welcome development.

• #17 | Bill Zonnon | C | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | Dec. Rank (22)

  I adore Bill Zonnon’s game and while I think he has a way’s to go to be worth drafting him this high, I see a heck of a team player who is going to shine in the playoffs assuming he gets there at some point. Zonnon is clunky on his feet but he is fast. An aggressive forechecker who drives offensive transitions extremely efficiently, I would love to see Zonnon carry pucks himself a little bit more and control a bit more possession than he already does. His shots tend to come from the most dangerous areas but he also takes plenty of attempts from no-man’s land, and his analytical profile is a little underwhelming on the surface, but you just watch him play and see a guy who could really make a great impact in the NHL. I see him and think William Carrier who was a big, skilled QMJHL forward that was a key forechecking presence on the Vegas Golden Knights as they marched their way to a Stanley Cup victory. I see a bit more finesse and playmaking ability out of Zonnon, but when things get to the NHL level, I think his physicality, speed and raw intensity is what will keep him in the league. He is also underratedly dynamic, stopping up to create gaps and make passes easier but this is something I’d love to see more of in the future. The pace at which he makes plays and participates in forechecks to me is what makes him a more interesting and safer projection than some of the names behind him like Martin, Desnoyers and McQueen. I just would love to see him go over the boards and electrify crowds with his physical, hard-working style of play with moments of skill and finishing ability that could be a very useful combination to have for any roster.

• #18 | Eric Nilson | C | Djurgårdens IF | Dec. Rank (10)

  It seems that the cat is out of the bag on Nilson, and he’s lower on my list than he was in December, but I think I remain his biggest fan in scouting circles. I adore Nilson so much, but his play and output stagnated a little bit as the season wore on. The last game I saw of his was extremely poor to the point that I have to believe that it was an outlier, but through it all he remains a tremendously efficient player with huge pass volumes and success. Similar to Martin, his off puck metrics are great in almost every discipline. The issues are that I believe he really needs to work on getting better scoring chances on his own with low shot volumes in general and poor shot selection on top of that. Nilson also needs to fill out as he’s gone through a bit of a growth spurt and can be knocked off pucks a little too easily without the quickness and skill to get around forecheckers reliably. He’s physical but it’s hard to project as he is. Djurgården has a ton of young talent and are a threat to be promoted to the SHL but regardless could have an exciting team filled with players like Nilson that could foster good development across the board. He didn’t look out of place in his limited HockeyAllsvenskan time, but physical pressure stopped him from being a consistent difference maker. His intelligence, defensive ability and creativity passing the puck is remarkable and I think there’s a ton of developmental headroom to Nilson that could make him a potential steal down the road.

• #19 | Brady Martin | C | Soo Greyhounds | Dec. Rank (43)

  I finally have seen the light on Brady Martin, but only insofar as seeing that he has a very, very projectable NHL floor, and the bar for that type of profile in this draft class being valuable is quite low. He’s got a good frame to work with he drives very good metrics in transition and off the puck, and is perfectly adequate at creating offense for others in the offensive zone with good shot assist rates. He shoots from everywhere and I absolutely need to see a better ability to get to the net and drive pucks into scoring areas himself in order to project as a truly offensive weapon, but he shows all the signs of being perfectly capable to do so. He hits opponents a ton, blocks defensive zone cycles and causes turnovers in the offensive zone at a rate that makes him impossible to not value in this class. I do think his skill level and ability to generate speed could be a developmental hurdle, but at the very least you have a player who is determined, physical and confident in all the ways you need an NHL centre to be down the lineup. There are an assortment of players in this draft that I think could slot in as 3rd line centres in the NHL and Martin is definitely one of the ones I could see being quite good in that role.

• #20 | Caleb Desnoyers | C | Moncton Wildcats | Dec. Rank (26)

  Desnoyers is a bit higher on my board but considering many now have him in the 5-10 range it almost doesn’t matter. He’s going to go before I would take him and that’s fine. I’m willing to see how things go with him and if I’m wrong in my analysis, I’m wrong in my analysis. In many areas his analytical profile is very strong with great playmaking ability, great shot assist generation, landing a lot of scoring chances on his own and running play up the ice well. He’s physical and benefits from offensive zone turnovers with the best of them. Analytically the only hole there is his shot selection with 56% of his attempts coming from the perimeter, so I’m sticking my neck out here a little bit. I just believe that translating him to the NHL is a tough thing to do and I’m not sure what I’d be comfortable doing with him there if not a third line centre, but a very good one at that. I find that Desnoyers isn’t particularly proactive but is very good at being reactive, and in my opinion that limits your NHL potential, especially on the defensive side of the puck. His skill is good but not great, he’s decently quick but doesn’t really escape from pressure well, and I find that he greatly benefits from linemates and sloppy opposition through his apt positioning and quick thinking. I have seen him a ton this year, and it may just be that he doesn’t check the boxes I look for and if I’m incorrect there is some reflection to make, and perhaps I should just depend on my data a little bit more, but Desnoyers has not looked like a top 10 pick in this class to me and we’ll just have to see how things play out from here.

• #21 | Gustav Hillström | C | Brynäs IF | Dec. Rank (NR)

  From unranked to top 20, Hillström has significantly grown on me the more and more I see him... Obviously. I’m not sure there’s a centre in this draft who combines off-puck intelligence and pure skating ability in this class outside of the top group. He’s just pasted to opponents in the SHL, getting involved in play often showcasing flashes of skill that elevates his game and those he plays with. He’s a little bit outmatched in the SHL as he is, but he’s also been playing on the wing in my viewings which is not where he has been playing for the junior team. He’s a long term bet in my view as he could fill out, add another gear and gain some more offensive confidence, but the SHL is a great place for him to develop and learn. He’s got a solid frame to build on, and while I think he’s going to end up a few slots lower on my board at the end of the year, he could be a really great bet to make at the end of the first round this year. In reality he could go significantly later than he should, but plays the centre position exactly how I would want it to be played. Good skill, exceptional smarts with a skating ability to always be in the right places, and offensive headroom to develop, but likely brings a good 200-foot impact to the game that could pair with almost any kind of player on his wings.

• #22 | Radim Mrtka | RHD | Seattle Thunderbirds | Dec. Rank (15)

  I really struggle with what to do with Radim Mrtka. I think he’ll be a player drafted before I would take him, but that’s only because I have more doubts about just how valuable he could be to an NHL roster. Don’t get me wrong, he’s got the size, mobility and reach to make it work, and he’s a hard, crisp passer who defends well in transition and I think he’ll make a good middle pair defenseman who can kill penalties and eat good minutes. If his name came up over a name like Bear, Cootes, or Svrcek, I could very, very easily be swayed to go after Mrtka, his defensive zone impact in pursuit of puck carriers relies too much on his raw reach which feels like a limitation, and I don’t buy his offensive zone play as projectable to the NHL. Going back to last year though, I see similarities to names like Levshunov and Silayev here where there are good tools that are deployed okay but the results and offensive upside are a bit questionable. It’s a tough one for me with Mrtka but I’m very very malleable on this one. He stays where he was in December but this range is remarkably close and there is an argument for him to be the guy at 10 as much as there is for him to be here depending on what you value and what you’re looking for.

• #23 | Ryker Lee | RW | Madison Capitols | Dec. Rank (54)

  As a passionate subscriber of ours puts it: “RYKER YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”. Not much is needed to explain Ryker Lee. The first few games I saw this season, I simply did not see a high end prospect there, but he looks more and more comfortable and confident in the USHL as the year has worn on with point production that has just gotten better and better. He’s one of those high excitement players on the wing that is a pretty simple projection to being a very, very talented college scorer with potential NHL upside. He needs to improve his shot selection, but his skill level and work rate are impressive to say the least. He’s a great forechecker, with excellent offensive instincts, feeding teammates passes in dangerous areas with ease and driving a ton of offense for his team. He has the work rate, skill, creativity and finishing ability to be an offensive leaning finisher if he develops well, and in this range of the draft if you want to swing for a bit more upside and offense, he’s a great option with less questionable downsides. He’s just plain fun, and a very exciting player and in this tier, he’s a reasonable addition in a sea of safer, simpler profiles.

• #24 | Roger McQueen | C | Brandon Wheat Kings | Dec. Rank (11)

  So, I’m not Bob McKenzie or anything, but through the grapevine, things are not looking awesome for Roger McQueen. It’s unclear if his injury is still nagging him somewhat, and reading up on what spondyolysis is, it is essentially a fracture in the part of your spine that prevent one vertebrae from slipping forwards on a vertebrae below. They are essentially struts behind your spinal column that brace the vertebrae from behind. Generally these injuries stem from stretching motions common in volleyball, gymnastics, rugby or ballet. It seems quite unpleasant and in the past it has withheld athletes from pursuing their sports into adulthood. Fun fact, according to Wikipedia, Matt Smith, the 11th Doctor Who was on a path to be a professional soccer player but this same injury forced him out. Now, I’m not saying it’s impossible for McQueen to turn into a great NHLer. I would never do that, but it does add a significant level of risk to the equation especially if you’re considering picking him with one of the earliest picks in the draft. He’s a very big kid, he’s likely going to be putting on more weight from here which adds to spinal concerns. Hockey is a physical sport with plenty of spinal attacks, and twisting motions that are known to aggravate the vertebrae. I didn’t think McQueen was particularly elite in the summer watching him last year, when he was apparently battling injury. I didn’t think he was particularly great before missing time to this injury, and I haven’t thought he’s been great since returning, and all in all, for me it’s just too much risk to really put him higher on the board. Behind him, there are players with risks to hit upside, or pitfalls that might really limit NHL potential, and it’s hard to ignore what McQueen could become if all goes well. He’s a physical player with some great pass vision and moments of high end skill for a big man, but I’m not sure what his projection really is, and it may be because I haven’t seen him play fully healthy in a very very long time. Where he goes in the draft? Not a clue. I’ve been told that drafting him top 10 would indicate you’ve lost your mind, but that’s probably not a universally held belief. He may very well be a player a team throws a flyer at around where I have him ranked but I have absolutely no clue how to come down in his case at this point.

• #25 | Justin Carbonneau | RW | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada | Dec. Rank (27)

  I said it in December and I’ll say it again. If the NHL were a one-on-one or two-on-two league, Carbonneau is likely a top five pick. This is not that, however. Carbonneau is a very skilled, very confident offensive player with huge slot pass volumes and dangerous shot attempts. He’s a very good offensive transition player in transition, especially carrying the puck, but my god are there holes in his game. Those slot passes are often directed at nobody. His raw pass volumes and success are very poor for a scoring forward. He’s ineffective defensively and leaky on backchecks that I just have so many questions about. Similar to Cam Schmidt, he’s everywhere on my list given the week, but he can be simultaneously so interesting and so frustrating and in a sea of players with a bit more confidence to reach important NHL roles, it just knocks him down a few pegs in this tier.

• #26 | Malcolm Spence | LW | Erie Otters | Dec. Rank (19)

  Malcolm Spence has been essentially the exact same read for me from October through today. He is a pretty easy to project player who could slot in as a physical bottom six winger with some good puck protection skill and forechecking ability. His shot threat is legitimate from mid-range, his offensive transition results are perfectly adequate, but I just don’t know how high he’ll get up an NHL lineup. If he keeps his playmaking simple, he can be successful, but his overall offensive threat level trails others in this class, and his defensive impact has been underwhelming in transition and on defensive zone cycles. I think he’s a relatively safe and projectable pick for almost any team with the physical tools he brings and how he can play under pressure with the puck, but I just wonder about his NHL upside and haven’t been able to craft an argument that would put him in a potential top-6 role with good point production.

Tier 5 - Some Pretty Solid Options Too

• #27 | Sascha Boumedienne | LHD | Boston University Terriers | Dec. Rank (40)

  This is another player who I’ve gone back and forth on every single time I’ve seen him. I was a little bit down on where others had Boumedienne to start the year, but in this class, he quickly becomes an intriguing project to build on that could be a good development case that matures into a solid possession-focused defenseman with great skating ability who really thrives in the offensive zone. His range allows him to gather pucks quickly and effectively, he’s got some interesting tricks to pull off in order to push into the neutral zone, and the skill level is pretty good for a defender in this class. That said, his defensive results and video evidence are a mixed bag. While on paper he isn’t getting filled in in the defensive zone, he struggles on the rush with his backwards skating and mobility, and there just isn’t much of a physical edge to his defending as of right now. Like Hensler, it is very difficult for me to project exactly what Boumedienne could be, but if I had to put money on it, I could see a mobile bottom four defender that I might experiment with on the power play who carries some issues tracking defensive rushes, but uses his footwork and speed to win races and defend through his positioning. Time will tell, and I’ll see him at least a couple more times before the end of the season, but he’s moved up quite a bit here and has become an interesting curiosity in this class.

• #28 | Shane Vansaghi | RW | Michigan State Spartans | Dec. Rank (18)

  There’s a bit of a pattern with players around this part of the board. I just don’t really know exactly what kind of realistic NHL ceiling there is. In Vansaghi’s case I do see a player who has an obvious style of play that is definitely needed in the NHL, and in limited usage he does drive very good results in important areas of the game for a great NCAA program. He’s a main generator of offense while on the ice with 42% shot attempt creation, he’s one of the most active physical players in the draft, he has great forechecking results, and gets a very good share of his own chances from right in front of the net. I still just don’t know how much he’ll be able to make an impact on NHL teams with the puck without some great development from here. His skating is fluid in open ice and forechecking but clunky when anticipating and getting through defensive pressure. He’s had some impressive flashes of skill and powerful net drives, but it hasn’t been particularly consistent. All that said I still believe he’s a pretty safe bet to translate into some kind of depth physical menace who can chip in offensively here and there, and I could see a player willing to go over the boards and just attack the opponent in an checking role. He’s lower than he was to start the year, but it’s only because his profile has remained relatively stagnant and somewhat limited, but very focused. I could see him go earlier than this, but he could be a nice auxiliary piece for a team to add on day two.

• #29 | Cameron Reid | LHD | Kitchener Rangers | Dec. Rank (24)

  I’ve seen Reid in person a number of times this season and tracked a good sample on him datawise, and I keep finishing games thinking that Cameron Reid is a very good player at this level, but wondering what he is going to be in the NHL leaves me wondering who he reminds me of. To me, Reid is at his best when doing two things: Skating forwards and attacking defenders head on, and short to medium distance passing. His timing, patience and vision are all very very good, able to keep things safe and smart all the way up the ice more often than not. The defensive side of the game is more of a question mark. Yes, his volume of shots against from scoring areas is quite low, but I think that’s more a testament to the hard skating group that fills Kitchener’s roster helping him out, as his rate of breaking up defensive zone cycles is low, he isn’t a particularly physical defender, and his involvement in defensive transitions is relatively low. His success in those situations largely depends on sitting back and letting play come to him, with relying on stick checks and positioning to gain possession back. I’d love to see him work on his gap control to make his stick checking more present and effective. With Reid though, I go back to wondering what he does in the NHL with his style of play. I don’t know if he has the offensive tools to outperform the potential defensive holes in his game, but when the puck is on his stick, he can really shine. There are echoes here of Thomas Harley to me a little bit, but Harley was essentially just a bigger, more offensively aggressive version of Reid. I could see Reid be a curious talent-based flyer a team takes in the 2nd round and fans scratch their heads a little bit, but Reid strikes me as the kid of defenseman that NHL teams might balk at a little bit. I could be wrong, and he’s a first rounder to me, but I think back to my notes and thoughts on a name like Luca Cagnoni, and I definitely felt there was a bit more of a projectable NHL style of offensive defenseman there than in Reid.

• #30 | Blake Fiddler | RHD | Edmonton Oil Kings | Dec. Rank (25)

  I might regret having Fiddler this low in the future, and if I were working for a team and his name came up in the 20s somewhere, he’d be worth discussing, but every game I’ve seen him, I just see a player who is well-rounded, safe, and carries the same playstyle that NHL scouts seem to be looking for these days, but whenever I track data on him, things just come out looking a little differently. There are times when Fiddler really pops with a great offensive rush, or jumping into a rush with others and pushing play to the net with some of the highest rates of dangerous shot attempts of defensemen in this draft, but everything else is pretty mixed. He’s moderately physical, moderately successful breaking up defensive cycles, has huge pass volumes with acceptable results, even if there are questionable decisions at times, and his transition efficiency is perfectly fine as well. He’s a bit too passive for my preferences, especially offensively, but I’m sure that can be changed. He’s young, and he’ll get plenty of rope to develop with so perhaps I have him too low, but I’ve also seen a player who can be beaten by faster, more aggressive players at this level especially on the rush. He’s a player that I think will play NHL games, I just believe there are swings you could take that might find their way higher into an NHL lineup, but at the end of the day, all these names might come out in the wash based on their play style, strengths and areas of improvement.

• #31 | Cole McKinney | C | U.S. National U18 Team | Dec. Rank (NR)

  A player I definitely have seen the light on in recent months. I’ll admit it took some folks to point me in the right direction but once I started analyzing McKinney, I haven’t looked back. Now, I don’t think he’s destined for NHL greatness, but I do think he’s destined for the NHL, and in a valuable role. There were times where I had him higher on the list and I could take him earlier in the first round for sure, but there are definitely questions. What isn’t in question is his resilience and ability to think under pressure. He’s a major driver of offense for the NTDP, and I believe he’s a major source of where Jack Murtagh’s offense has come from. McKinney is a natural centre who sucks in defensive pressure and defuses that pressure with ease, and to me that is very, very valuable. If you love guys like Brady Martin and he’s off the board, McKinney is a solid consolation prize. A very, very efficient transition player with great stick checking ability and a capable carrier, passer, and off-puck receiver through the neutral zone, McKinney has a little bit of everything is a good way from what I’ve seen. I don’t know if I see more than a bottom two line centre here, but getting that on day two is a successful pick and something tells me he might be a guy that moves up the board as more and more people see more of him, especially at the U18s.

• #32 | Benjamin Kevan | RW/C | Des Moines Buccaneers | Dec. Rank (38)

  Benjamin Kevan is a little bit of a boom or bust player, but every time I’ve seen him, I’ve seen some very interesting potential. There’s a ways to go to get there and his offensive game is very difficult to project to the NHL, but he’s an impressive skater on the forecheck and creating gaps to make himself a breakout pass target. He’s one of the less active passers with the puck in transition, and he’s going to need to get stronger to fight off and evade pressure at higher levels, but he drove play up the ice very successfully more often than not. He’s one of the worst in the class when it comes to shot selection, peppering the net from all over the offensive zone and not really generating offense for linemates while on the ice. All that said, I can’t help but feel like there’s something more to Kevan in the future. Working dump and chases a bit more, making quicker decisions in the offensive zone to generate shots from other players he’s on the ice with, and coaching down the shot-based tendency he has a bit. He’s one of the most active transition threats of all wingers in this class, and he brings a great flow to his skating stride, but he’s a work in progress likely to need a good college stint to be a likely NHL projection.

• #33 | Leo Sundqvist | RW | Brynäs IF | Dec. Rank (NR)

  Another player I had completely unranked, but was on my radar after first seeing Michal Svrcek earlier in the season. I’m surprised there hasn’t been any attention pointed towards the Brynäs boys, considering all three in Svrcek, Hillström and Sundqvist have all worked their way into the SHL, played for more than 60 seconds in a game, and have landed production on the team that finished first in the league this year. All three haven’t looked out of place at that level of play and are likely to be there for extended looks next year considering how this season has gone. Sundqvist is about two things: Go Fast, Score Goals. He is quick, can get away from pressure easily and is a ruthless finisher once in the offensive zone. In the SHL I clocked him as one of the fastest players in the draft on the rush off the puck, and his SHL data, especially on the offensive side of the puck has been very impressive, albeit in a short sample. He has landed a silly number of scoring chances for a player in the SHL, he’s generating offense for his linemates at a steady rate, he’s underratedly pesky and physical with very high defensive transition involvement, and while I think there’s a bit of a tough road ahead, I could easily see him being one of the most exciting options in this class very quickly. He’s very compact, and needs to work on his puck control, especially settling pucks on receptions in the neutral zone, but there’s so much to be curious about in his game that has really surprised me. Since October he’s been a glitter player I’ve been curious about, but once I saw him and the other Brynäs Boys in the SHL together, they’ve all really shown some great potential to bet on long term.

• #34 | Quinn Beauchesne | RHD | Guelph Storm | Dec. Rank (52)

  Every time I see Quinn Beauchesne, I go out of my way to go “ok maybe this is the time where I really fall off the train”, and I finish the game, look at my list, and simply cannot move him anywhere. I really love this kid, and he plays such an effective, modern and underrated style of defending that I think could be more visible in the NHL in time. Beauchesne may not be big, but he’s also not small at all at 6’0” and almost 190 pounds. With three points in 13 games going into the CHL/NTDP Challenge series, Beauchesne has steadily become more productive with 17 points in his 27 games he’s played in 2025, good for a 22.4% involvement in Guelph’s offense over that time. If he had kept that pace for the full season, he’d be near a 50 point performance with higher involvement than Cameron Reid, and we’re talking about Cameron Reid being ranked in the middle of the first round. Obviously I’m cherry-picking here, but Beauchesne has really seemed to regress into what I thought was there when I saw him early in the year. He sees the ice extremely well, clearly seeing options, and while his pass execution isn’t always great, when he’s really on, he’s a great juggler of options in the neutral zone. He’s often deceptive, faking various options and keeping opponents guessing. I’ve seen him try some really impressive passing ideas in the offensive zone as well, and he just seems like such a great personality to have around on top of it all. I’ve watched so much of him this year because he’s one I want to be sure about considering I’m on a bit of an island with him. He’s mobile, tactically precise and effective defensively, physical when you need him to be, and has some offensive upside that I’d love to dig into over the next few years as the Guelph Storm hopefully work their way up the OHL standings.

• #35 | Cole Reschny | C | Victoria Royals | Dec. Rank (17)

  I’ll admit that at time of writing I watched the Victoria Royals in the playoffs last night and Reschny tore a hole through the net on a 3rd period goal he scored against Tri-City, so it pains me extra to have him this low. Let me be clear, I love Cole Reschny. I really, really want him to be an NHL player because he just does so, so much to earn everything he gets on the ice. 92 points this year were hard-earned through battling under pressure, thinking creatively on the fly, and just showcasing high end cerebral traits that made him a huge, huge threat that has rejuvinated a Victoria Royals organization that has had zero players drafted off their team go to the NHL. Is Reschny the first? I so, so badly want him to be. He’s small, but plays a big man’s game so well at this level. Resilient, adaptive, smart and efficient, he’s anticipating play well, getting plenty of scoring chances from mid-range, and thrives as a playmaker in the offensive zone. A fantastic puck carrier who just doesn’t get much of a chance to carry pucks as much as I’d like, he does lack a level of speed and agility that a player his size likely will desperately need in the NHL in order to producer. To me, it’s a make-or-break level hurdle, but I’m cheering for him the whole way. I could easily see a guy like Reschny slip in the draft into the 3rd round or something and similar to Cameron Reid be a curiousity that could develop into something in time. Last year, Clarke Caswell was the highly intelligent, creative and precise player that was tough to project but was a personal favorite and he fell all the way to the 5th round. If something similar happens to Reschny, he could very easily find his way onto Team Scouching as the second or third name taken off my list

• #36 | Jakob Ihs-Wozniak | RW/C | Luleå HF | Dec. Rank (NR)

  Ihs-Wozniak has really taken a turn this season in my opinion. I don’t know if someone had a talk with him or what, but over the course of this season Ihs-Wozniak has really found a competitive and intense brand of play that has led him to great success. His analytical profile is very good across the board, and there isn’t much I can poke holes in, but I’d love to see him have a bit more resistance to physical pressure to generate more dangerous scoring chances for himself, and I think his skill level and raw pace needs to improve in order to really hit a good ceiling. In the SHL he seemed to showcase a bit of an inability to keep up and stay ahead of the flow of play, getting closed in on quickly without creating a solution, but he’s still got a good frame to build on, with smart offensive instincts that may not always be remarkably flashy, but they’re effective. He’s become more punishing along the boards and is applying himself on forechecks much better, so we’ll see where he goes from here. I’ve grown to enjoy his game, and I think he could develop quite well from here, but he just finds himself slipped behind players who show a little bit more right now that I could bet on more easily.

• #37 | Adam Benák | F | Youngstown Phantoms | Dec. Rank (30)

  Part of me is thinking that there’s been a bit of an overcorrection on Adam Benak, but it is also pretty clear that he has had to reprogram a lot of how he plays the game while in the USHL. His first few performances I saw were legitimately troubling as he looked like he was working his tail off trying to be a major focal point of the team and just couldn’t get anything going, especially with the puck. As time has worn on, I think he’s become much more comfortable in a more limited but concentrated role as a more complimentary play facilitator on the rush while coming alive a bit more in the offensive zone with a bit less overall responsibility. He’s quick, but I don’t think he has the speed necessary for a small forward in the NHL yet. He’s got skill, but his frame is so small that pulling pucks around opponents doesn’t really help him as much as it does at lower levels. To counter that, making passes quicker, being more aware of open space and using his quickness to pop in and out of play has been a benefit. He’s still responsible for half of Youngstown’s offense and I’d say his profile is more promising than a player like Kevan’s, but the concerns are greater with a bit more of a questionable map ahead. I still believe in Adam, and if teams overcorrect and he’s a player you could take a flyer on in the middle rounds, you could be rewarded in the future, but I’ll admit the chances may be lower than I thought they’d be to start the season.

• #38 | Eddie Genborg | LW | Linköping HC | Dec. Rank (69)

  A big, straightforward power winger, Eddie Genborg goes over the boards and does his thing. He hits, he forechecks, and he goes to the net. Skills training definitely could unlock a bit more offense at higher levels like we see a little bit more in the J20 level, but I think he projects much more simply as a hard skating, powerful player who is relatively easy to see in the NHL doing something someday on a wing. He just does things coaches need players to do, and does them pretty well, while also being a pretty effective puck carrier which is always a bonus. I hate to be so brief with Genborg, but he’s just an archetype that is very necessary, but also very straightforward. A good, resilient and physical force who keeps his game simple and effective that should translate to North America just fine. Where he goes from there might just be up to what coach needs someone like him somewhere in a lineup.

• #39 | Milton Gästrin | C | MoDo Hockey | Dec. Rank (29)

  I go up and down on Gästrin every time I see him. If this were a competition of “who has the most incredible highlight”, he might be very high on the list. He’s extremely efficient in transition with excellent puck carrying ability, good skill on the fly to control pucks, and is a massive volume passer in scoring areas to drive massive amounts of MoDo’s offense. I just wonder about his lack of a physical game, and being much, much more active on the offensive side of the puck with possession than on the defensive side without it. He comes and goes, is opportunistic waiting for offensive opportunity, but still a huge offensive driver for his team. I don’t know if he projects as a centre in the NHL, but a good, offensive leaning winger is possible, especially if he gains a bit more pace and physical edge in his game. I found his SHL tape illustrative of some issues in his game long term, but that doesn’t mean he’s a non-option. He’d be a great, fun upside option early on day 2 that might find his way into day 1, but he’s a bit of a wild card to me.

• #40 | Tomas Galvas | LHD | Bílí Tygři Liberec | Dec. Rank (75)

  The first re-entry on the list this year is one of my favorites from last year in small defender Tomas Galvas. Yes, he’s a bit small and physically underdeveloped, and I was skeptical of his improvements going into the World Juniors this year, but I thought that he was a fantastic part of the bronze medal winning Czech roster, and relative to many other defensemen in the tournament who had been drafted, let alone in the early rounds, I didn’t think he looked out of place whatsoever. If I were king of an NHL team, he would’ve been a draft pick last year, but he’s back this year and looking like another intriguing option. He’s skilled, shifty, creative, and mobile, with great production this year, especially internationally at the U20 level. If he gets picked, it’ll be to a team willing to think outside of the box who thinks there’s nobody projectable left in the draft, but to me, I think Galvas is just a defenseman who is unconventionally successful that is hard to weigh against his issues. The draft gets wide open real fast this year, but Galvas remains a good option who is likely to be a key focal point in his third World Junior tournament in December.

• #41 | Arvid Drott | RW | Djurgårdens IF J20 | Dec. Rank (23)

  I’ve cooled off significantly on Drott since the beginning of the season, but only because other players have looked more intriguing as the year has gone on and it just knocked him down a little bit at a time. I still believe he’s one of the more underrated players in the draft, driving half of his team’s offense while on the ice, with huge transition involvement with great offensive success, and showing a bit of a physical edge that could be fostered in the future. He’s very shot-heavy and I would love to see him diversify his offensive game a little better, slowing down a bit, taking a look and utilizing linemates a bit more, but he’s a fluid-footed player who can generate speed effectively. He needs to work on the finer points of his skill level, especially at higher speeds, and improving his shot release likely leads to converting on more of his attempts. The data on him is mixed but more positive than negative, the video I have is very similar, but I believe there’s something there worth betting on that you can stash in Sweden for a few years. He’s a guy who gets his scoring chances in a variety of ways, which projects well, but he never comes across as particularly dominant relative to the other Swedes higher up on my board. An interesting player for sure, and I’ll be very interested to see where he lands in the draft, but he’s a bit of a ways away from an NHL projection.

• #42 | L.J. Mooney | RW | U.S. National U18 Team | Dec. Rank (21)

  I’m still so upset at the injury L.J. Mooney was handed earlier this year. Just when I thought he was finding his legs and confidence, he explodes and misses a length of time with a knee injury. I saw the first couple games he played on the mend and he just did not look the same whatsoever and my hopes of him being a favorite in the class were somewhat dashed. Since January 1, Mooney has landed 18 points in 16 games and my last few games have been a huge step up from early in the season. Mooney is incredibly exciting, hard-working and dynamic and the last handful of performances I’ve seen have been a ton of fun. Surprising to many, he’s one of the most physically involved players in the whole draft class, being relentless with applying pressure all over the ice and doing whatever he can to outperform the questions he faces about his size. He’s still very much a complimentary offensive player, but one heck of an exciting option at that. His quickness, agility, skill level, and playmaking creativity is simply wonderful, and he has the work rate to do his best to overcome his size limitations. He’s another player who I think people will overcorrect on and let fall in the draft, and while he’s a longshot to be an NHL player, if he hits, he’s going to be awesome. His style of play requires near perfect execution and constant effort, but I just can’t not believe in the guy.

• #43 | Daniil Prokhorov | RW | MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg | Dec. Rank (NR)

  Everyone’s favorite new giant Russian has hit the stage. Prokhorov has been a curiosity of mine for most of the season after early viewings of other MHLers. He’s enormous, with a great shot he uses very often, and certainly gets the puck into scoring areas a ton. Many of the numbers I’ve tracked so far are real, real good, with physicality, forechecking ability, huge transition involvement, and strong dual threat offense. He is a player that I believe is going to be a bit of a project though. He struggles to gain separation from opponents with his skating ability at the MHL level, and his skill level while good in one on one confrontations is a bit more questionable in transition on pass receptions. Finding targets to hit with passes is also a bit mixed, with questionable pass vision and quick decisions leading to turnovers. I need to see more on him and track more data, but he’s an interesting package of tools that I could see a team take much higher than this and leave in Russia for a time. If his name came up earlier than I have him slotted, I could take the chance on him, but I’m not sure as I’m sold as others on him at this point.

• #44 | Cole Temple | F | Everett Silvertips | Dec. Rank (60)

  I’ll shout out my Puck Preps colleague and Regina-based pal Joel Henderson for flagging Cole Temple early in the year. I did like what I saw of him with the Pats but he really had very little to work with while on the ice. Funnily enough, he gets swapped to one of the best WHL teams we’ve seen in a while in the Everett Silvertips who play with the energy, creativity and drive that Temple brings and he immediately fit in well and while he last stretch of games haven’t been as productive, you still see plenty of potential and upside in Temple’s game. He’s fast, aggressive and a slippery playmaker once the puck is in the offensive zone. He does seem to struggle actually generating shots on net from threatening areas, which is a roadblock, but he’s remarkably effective moving the puck up the ice in any fashion with good defensive involvement. He’s an excellent forechecker as well and is a little bit similar to my read on Ben Kevan. There are signs of something more, but it will take time and work to get there. He’s no guarantee, but he’s a hard worker who is an admirable player that has some issues that could hold him back.

• #45 | Vaclav Nestrasil | RW | Muskegon Lumberjacks | Dec. Rank (76)

  Another gigantic project, Nestrasil has been somewhat mixed on paper but shows plenty of potential when you watch him. He throws himself into contact and forechecks well, and has moments of great creativity, pulling pucks around opponents, using footwork to change angles on opponents and create options for himself. He’s got a great release on his shot and his play has steadily improved over the course of the season. Muskegon struggles to generate dangerous offense with him on the ice, as he can be a little bit careless with passes in transition and finding ways through opponents with puck possession, but there’s potential here. Big, range-y, with good skill and an impressive wrist shot, he has traits that you need, and traits you can build on long term. If he goes much higher I wouldn’t be surprised. This tier is huge for a reason, I just see other players with a bit of a clearer profile a bit higher than Nestrasil, but he’s an interesting curiousity to keep track of.

If you’d like detailed writeups for everyone else ranked, subscribe to Scouching today and you’ll get access to the full article at any tier, plus plenty of other goodies!

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Tier 6 - A Bunch of Neat Swings and Meanies

Tier 7 - Fine Fellas and Longshots

The Watchlist

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Thanks for reading and perusing! If you have any thoughts, definitely reach out at any of my social media links, or swing by Scouching Live, Monday nights at 8pm EST or Thursday afternoons at 2pm EST! We take all your questions and answer as many as we can, and it’s always a ton of fun!

Recapping the 2025 World Junior Hockey Championships

Well that sure was something… The 2025 World Junior Hockey Championships are now in the books, and what a story that entire tournament was. I was extremely lucky to be in attendance for a handful of games and saw quite a few of these rosters in person, and to the folks that introduced themselves, it was a pleasure to meet you and I hope you enjoyed your experience as much as I did. I got to see a New Years Eve game, I confirmed my suspicions that the relegation game is the most underrated game of the tournament, and we were treated to some incredible results as the tournament went on. Latvia beat Canada against all odds, The Finns beat the Americans in the preliminary round, the Kazakhs very nearly shocked the Slovaks, the Latvians won again and very nearly phased Sweden out of existence in the quarterfinals, the Czechs stunned the nation of Canada for the second season in a row, the Finns broke Sweden’s heart brutally, then the Czechs made things even more miserable for them, and we were treated to an all-time classic Gold Medal final. This tournament is such a treat, to the point where it’s become a yearly staple in my non-hockey fan family’s holiday entertainment. The hockey is scrappy and messy, but with incredible talent on display with almost every country. I’m a huge proponent of international inclusion and this Russia/Belarus-free era has been fascinating to see the growth of some of these lower rated nations as they are tested against the world’s best significantly more often. In my view, there is growth coming internationally, and I would love to see this tournament expanded at some point, because for any hockey fan, this tournament is a joy regardless of who is playing. Until then we’re still getting some wonderful matches that always remind me of why I love hockey, especially at this level of play. The world of hockey is diverse and passionate, and to see that on display from numerous countries is so, so much fun.

To recap, we’ll take a look at each individual team with some thoughts I came away with, and hand out my personal awards at the end! Thanks so much for stopping by, and catch us on YouTube for Scouching Live Mondays at 8pm and Thursdays at 2pm! If you’re able, consider subscribing to the site to get some cool perks and data you won’t get anywhere else.

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Relegated - Kazakhstan
MVP - Beibarys Orazov (D)

A team I was thrilled to have been given the chance to witness live, the Kazakhs put up a significantly better effort than I and many others expected going into this tournament. Sure, they relinquished 30 goals in the preliminary round, but they pushed the Slovaks to an unexpected overtime loss on the back of two late shorthanded goals. It may have been the most miraculous loss I’ve seen in a long time. I was sitting in the second row for the relegation game against Germany, and similar to last year, this year’s instalment was a doozy. The Kazakhs were clearly outskated by the Germans, but they capitalized on their chances, played physical, selfless hockey and created as many chances as they could. The second most penalized team in the tournament, Kazakhstan paid for it when it mattered most with three goals against in what became a 4-3 loss to Germany. They were up 3-1, and their penalty kill simply couldn’t keep up with the Germans relatively relentless speed. They were a team that participated largely by committee with a handful of players stepping up and earning the bulk of the dangerous play. Kirill Lyupanov and Davlat Nurkenov stood out to me up front, but the responsible and simple defense group was what really stuck out, especially when it came to moving the puck. Beibarys Orazov was a rock as expected, but I came away thoroughly impressed with captain Aslan Zhusupbekov. He wasn’t on the scoresheet whatsoever, but he made simple stick-based defensive plays repeatedly with simple, effective breakout work that explained why he was wearing the C. It was a tough few games for these guys, but they showed well, and while I’m skeptical of seeing them back in 2027, anything is possible and we’ll have to wait and see in a year. I was ready for a shock to the hockey world from the boys in gold and blue, but it was not meant to be, and we’ll see the Danes replace this group next season.

Saved in Relegation - Germany
MVP - Julius Sumpf (C)

Honestly the Germans were the team I saw the least of any team, but having seen them in person, they seemed like a team that was almost there with potential quarterfinal upset candidates like Switzerland or Slovakia. They had names that could really move the puck, names that could play a strong physical game, and while they very nearly got themselves relegated, they also very nearly got themselves into another quarterfinal appearance. Germany is a great example of a team that just goes to show how close this tier of teams that finished from from 5ish to 10 really are these days. They kept their match against Canada close at 3-0 but I do believe people underrated just how quick and physical this group was. I came away quite impressed with the defensive smarts of Norwin Panocha, stymying quite a few difficult rushes, but the name to come away with was Julius Sumpf. I went into the tournament very intrigued by his potential after having seen him drive a ton of pace playing on a line with Caleb Desnoyers in Moncton. He was electric at times with a great combination of size, resilience, and a balance of confidence that anchored this German group well. He may very well be a candidate for the “undrafted World Junior performer who gets a late round NHL draft pick and maybe becomes a thing” award for 2025, and I would potentially be in support of that based on what I saw here and back in Moncton going in. The Germans were the 2nd youngest group here, and 11 of their players can return for 2026, so look for names like Schäfer, Lewandowski, and Händel, to be key players.

Quarterfinal Elimination - Latvia
MVP - Linards Feldbergs (G)

The youngest team in the tournament very quickly became the most notable, as they pulled off a remarkable victory over a Canadian team that struggled to find a way through Latvian mega-goaltender Linards Feldbergs. A 3.13 goals against average seems paltry, but he played every minute for Latvia, and turned away 210 shots in 5 games. He never had a workload lower than 39 shots, and very nearly pulled off a miracle against the Swedes in a 3-2 quarterfinal loss saving 47 of 50. Without him, it’s entirely possible this Latvian group faces relegation against an older Kazakh group, but they were the plucky, physical group many expected going in. Eriks Mateiko was a close runner up for team MVP as he just continuously found ways to get into scoring areas, powering through the competition and scoring 5 of Latvia’s 9 goals. While Latvia has 14 eligible returnees, Mateiko and Feldbergs are not going to be on that list, but their youth did show up well and showed strong flashes. Daniels Serkins was fast, fun and at times reckless, but pushed the puck up the ice well. Olivers Murnieks certainly made an impact and put him on my priority list for next season with the skill and finishing ability he showcased with a level of maturity and work rate not often seen from someone so young. Unfortunately for Latvia, Bruno Osmanis went down with an injury against Germany and didn’t return, but he too made a strong impact working off of the other major players well and definitely putting him on the list for me to circle back on for the 2025 NHL Draft. You can’t fault the Latvian effort whatsoever. They won their third and fourth preliminary round games ever, beating Canada and Germany, and they made a strong push to take out the Swedes much earlier than they’d like. Sure, it wasn’t always pretty and the shot totals reflect that but they were admirable as usual, never backed down to anyone, and gave a strong 60 minutes in every game. For a team this young with some impressive names among those returning, we may see the strongest Latvian result in their history at this tournament in Minnesota next season.

Quarterfinal Elimination - Switzerland
MVP - Kimo Gruber (C)

The Swiss were a team that surprised me somewhat. Largely ruling by committee, they played a fast, pace-y game that drove teams back into their zone often and generated more chances against better teams than I thought they would. They had very little in the way of consistent finishers however, but I liked Leo Braillard’s chances including his pair of goals against Sweden in their bizarre 7-5 loss, clawing back from 7-2 to make things interesting in the final half of the third period. Leon Muggli handed Slovakia a win in regulation quite literally, but I felt he had a solid tournament with his passing work and power play ability that created some necessary offence for the Swiss. Unfortunately the Swiss efforts landed them in the quarterfinals against the future champions from the USA where they were outmatched to say the least. I was thoroughly impressed with Team Scouching member Ludvig Johnson. I didn’t expect him to play as much as he did, being the second youngest defenseman on the roster, but his play on the power play rushing pucks and earning zone transitions as well as his skill level stuck out in almost every game. He earned significantly more minutes than I expected and look forward to his return next year. Jamiro Reber was the player I had my eyes trained on the most, coming back from a very strong first half in the SHL, but he was much more the Reber I remember from last year. Determined, fast, small, and drives play well but does everything but get play into scoring areas. He was largely stuck around the perimeter and while he had his moments, he was a factor into the Swiss’ inconsistency with driving offensive danger game over game. Eric Schneller was a nice surprise for me as well, and seeing what Jonah Neuenschwander was capable of in his limited ice time was interesting, and as a 15 year old, there’s plenty of development there for the future power skill winger.

The upside for the Swiss is that I believe some of their best players are eligible to return next year. Antenen, Muggli, Johnson, Sansonnens, Reber, Steiner, Neuenschwander, Kirsch, all likely coming back, and while my boy Daniil Ustinkov didn’t see the ice at all he’s likely a featured player on the team next year. I have felt Ustinkov hasn’t had quite the same pace and creativity that made him so intriguing last season, but I did think he was good enough in pretournament games to play at least a little bit over some of the other names on the roster. Time will tell, but the future for the Swiss looks somewhat solid, and maybe their first quarterfinal victory since 2019 is in the cards for 2026.

Quarterfinal Elimination - Canada
MVP - Carter George (G)

Ok, so we get to Canada way more than I thought we would be. I remain steadfast that this team was competitive, and they very nearly found their way through the muck into the semifinals, but my words in my preview continue to be true. They were talented, but they got in their own way in about every way imaginable, utilized the wrong players in the wrong roles, were undisciplined, and somehow found ways to lose games they had no business losing. There was a ridiculously panicked response from the public after the loss to Latvia, which while embarrassing, was the second game of four, and licking your wounds, getting to work, and coming together as a group was still more than possible. Did they do anything to achieve that afterwards? It doesn’t really seem so, at least not until it was too late. Yes, you can complain about the refereeing, but look at the US team. Were they in the box? Not nearly as much. The Canadians were the most penalized team in the entire tournament, spending almost 9 minutes per game shorthanded. The Czechs and Kazakhs were the only other teams over 7. That is simply unacceptable and indicative of just how far off Canada’s view of the game seems to be from where others see it today. They played slow, methodical, old school dump and chase hockey from the defense out with a balanced offensive group that had nobody who took the reins consistently. I could excuse leaving names like Yakemchuk, Cristall and Sennecke off the lineup for this tournament based on how you break things down, but on the other side, while there is a chance those players could’ve made a difference, it seemed like no matter what, Canada was in some serious trouble with this management's approach.

I was in person for the Canada/USA New Years Game with my parents. My mother has been to zero hockey games in person for almost my entire life. She leaned over to me during the game and asked questions such as “why is Canada so slow?”, “why would that Canadian guy do that and take a penalty?”, “Is America always this fast?” and plenty more. Every question warrants a 20 minute discussion at least. In my view, the floor of the rest of the world has come up significantly, and simply skating hard and pushing the Canadian team around a little bit seems to be enough to make any game competitive. To me, it is a huge advantage for athletes to have the ability to play top division pro hockey in Europe, a challenge often underrated, then to come back and play junior hockey. For Canadian athletes, they’re taking a much bigger step up in competition by going from a 60 team junior league system with an enormous breadth of talent to playing against kids playing pro hockey games, often for more than a season. I don’t blame the players for this whatsoever, but I’ve said for years that Canadian hockey players are only so dang good at this game because of the pure passion in their hearts for the sports, and the cultural accessibility of playing in an organized league. The developmental systems in place and the thinking from leadership are simply not good enough anymore for tournaments like this. I still believe many of these players will go on to have strong NHL careers over time, but I also believe that Canada is much, much closer to other nations’ best players these days, which often explains why I have some CHL players much lower on my lists than others, and many Europeans on the list that others don’t. It’s a tough position to be in, but a/b’ing the Canadian team to the US was night and day, and there needs to be some reflection.

As a final point, I will say that next season’s Canadian roster has the potential to be fantastic through all of this mess… If they want it to be. McKenna is likely back, they may have Misa, Martone and Schaefer on the roster, strong performer this year Berkly Catton is a likely returnee, and my personal MVP Carter George is also a returnee. Parekh, Iginla, and Sennecke, all ideally there as well, but 2025 prospects like Roger McQueen, Lynden Lakovic, Jackson Smith, Carter Bear and more could be strong options. Other countries like Finland and the US might be on a bit of a downslope considering what I’ve seen at younger age groups, but that’s no guarantee of anything whatsoever, especially at this tournament. Time will tell, but you have to hope that there is change from the top down, and a faith that the most skilled and talented players in the nation will find a way to come together, fill the gaps that may be there, and truly showcase the best that Canada has to offer.

Quarterfinal Elimination - Slovakia
MVP - Dalibor Dvorský (C)

A team that seemed perfectly fine, but not particularly “good”, the Slovaks were a team that trundled through the preliminary round with zero lopsided losses but zero losses where they really seemed to seriously keep things close. The win over Kazakhstan was barely earned, and their 2-1 victory over the offensively limited Swiss team kept them in a quarterfinal slot eventually losing to the silver medalists from Finland. I’m not really sure what else to say about the Slovaks, as they were quite quiet as a whole, but played a team-first game with plenty of players chipping in, usually just doing whatever it took to get the puck into the hands of Dalibor Dvorsky or Juraj Pekarcik, both of whom had quite strong showings. Dvorsky filled in the Kazakhs a bit, but his combination of strength and finishing ability were on display, and with a better supporting cast, who knows if this team could’ve pulled off a win over the Finns. Unfortunately, Dvorsky isn’t coming back, but it isn’t all lost for 2026. Tobias Tomik, Jan Chovan, and Luka Radivojevic are all certain to be back and performed solidly well in Ottawa. Names like Michal Svrcek, Tomas Chrenko, Jakub Dubravik and Adam Nemec likely on the roster should add some needed firepower for the Slovaks that might be able to make them more of a balanced threat than they were this season. It might be difficult, but they might be able to surprise quite a few.

4th Place - Sweden
MVP - Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D)

I really enjoyed watching this year’s Swedish group and felt they deserved a better fate. A heartbreaking overtime loss to the Finns put them on their back foot against the Czechs, and the offense just couldn’t find a way through Michal Hrabal, with an immense shootout not going their way. There was a huge part of me that wanted to put Tom Willander as my MVP for this team with his ability to quarterback rushes and help Sandin-Pellikka create offense, but it’s hard to argue against the offensive output and creative pass vision that Sandin-Pellikka brought every single game. This team was no joke, and I felt that Otto Stenberg, Anton Wahlberg, David Edstrom, Herman Traff, Felix Nilsson and Zeb Forsfjall were also strong performers supplementing that top pair. Victor Eklund, my #5 ranked prospect going into the World Juniors had a bit of a coming out party for many, and he was better than I expected, playing a strong two-way impact game that chipped in everywhere and finding himself among the top level of Swedish talent on this roster. I thought he was simply excellent, especially after seeing him live in their loss to Finland.

The Swedes are likely to look significantly different next year with just four eligible returnees, but there is a solid group of 2007-born Swedes that could find themselves on the team next year, with some impressive 2006-born players that could also find themselves in Minnesota. Are they going to be as good as this season’s group? I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion right now, and the goaltending is likely to be a question mark, but they should be able to make a strong impact as they did this year. It was another tough result for the Swedes, and I have plenty of empathy for the eventual result, but we saw plenty of good output from these fellas and I hope to see many of them in NHL jerseys at some point in the future.

Bronze Medal - Czechia
MVP - Eduard Sale (RW)

Never, ever, ever count out a bunch of Czechs when it comes to hockey. Ever. They broke the soul of the entire nation of Canada for the second year in a row, put up a valiant effort against a very strong group of Americans, and battled their way to a bronze medal through the talented Swedish group. I came into this tournament with the belief that outside of Canada, many, many teams were quite evenly matched and who comes out on top could’ve been a toss-up, and in a sense it was. This is the Czechs third medal in a row, something they have never achieved at this tournament. They are a scrappy, physical group who capitalizes on mistakes and takes the chances they get, keeping their game simple and calculated, and while they may not have gotten here had a coin flip gone another way here and there, they got here and earned it, and in my opinion did it by committee. Jakub Stancl scored a ton of goals, but the group as a whole all chipped in with very good performances. I was thrilled to see Adam Jiricek in this tournament and I felt for a player who has played 6 games this season, he performed very well, tying the team in defensive scoring. Team Scouching seletion Tomas Galvas was also a strong performer to me in many areas of the game, giving me more confidence relative to what I’ve seen of him in the Extraliga to this point.

It’s impossible not to hand the MVP of the team to Eduard Sale though. I’ve questioned his NHL upside in the past but you simply cannot deny how important he was to this roster at this level. He was creative in his scoring attempts, was a shootout hero, and was the beating heart of this group offensively. In his last World Junior, he cemented himself as one of the great Czechs at this level and likely goes back to the AHL with a huge boost of confidence. He’s smart, creative, and can clearly perform under pressure, and I came away thrilled to see what he was capable of while captaining this team. I also expect the Czechs to have another strong roster with Galvas, Kos, Jecho, Jiricek, Fibigr, Cihar, and Novotny all likely returning, and some impressive young players they could lean on to earn another good result next season. They were a tremendous team to watch in the truest definition of the word team. They played hard, stood down from nobody, and earned the medal they went home with. How can you not love that?

Silver Medal - Finland
MVP - Petteri Rimpinen (G)

I said before the tournament to not count out the Finns, even if I’m a bit skeptical of the trajectory of this nation in the next few years at this level. That said, it turned out to be not entirely for the reason I expected. Petteri Rimpinen was the star of the show with some serious heroics when called upon, putting aside 36 of 40 in the gold medal game against the USA, 43 of 46 to get into that game, and only facing fewer than 30 shots one time against Latvia. He was simply excellent, even in Finland’s most lopsided loss to Canada as his team seemed to have no legs in front of him, but managing to put aside 37 of 40. He certainly earned himself another look from NHL scouts in my eyes, and we’ll have to see if he hears his name called in Los Angeles in June.

On the note of Finland not having legs against Canada, after that game in my opinion, they did what Canada couldn’t seem to do: Get frickin’ moving. The Finns from their game against Germany onwards were simply unrecognizable and the most improved team over the tournament by far. They took out the Americans in the preliminary round and had them against the ropes in the Gold Medal Game. They were the epitome of ruling by committee, as I felt that nobody truly stood out offensively or defensively for the group, but they came together and everyone certainly had their moments. Topias Hynninen got better and better the more I saw him, being an excellent complimentary forward by the time the tournament was over. Konsta Helenius was an excellent play driver and line manager moving the puck extremely reliably as well. Unexpectedly, I felt Arttu Alasiurua and Tuomas Uronen were excellent for this group as well driving play with speed and pace that much of the roster lacked somewhat. This may be the last gasp of the big, physical and complimentary brand of Finnish hockey however as the younger age groups trend smaller and have been less than stellar internationally, but the returning group of Miettinen, Kiviharju, Vaisanen, Nieminen, Helenius, Hemming and of course Rimpinen among others should be more than enough to be impactful next season as well. I already can’t wait to see what kind of a revenge tour we see from this team, and I was thrilled to see that team come as far as they did over this tournament.

Gold Medal - United States
MVP - Ryan Leonard (RW)

I continuously have such admiration for the lengths that USA Hockey has taken over the course of my lifetime. This team was simply stellar almost from wire to wire. They got great performances from so many players, and while Ryan Leonard is my MVP and the actual MVP of the tournament, this group was just a joy to watch from top to bottom. Strong, simple, stable defending from their giants in front of Trey Augustine, responsible for putting the puck in the hands of any number of forwards or Cole Hutson or Zeev Buium, they provided a strong foundation to build off of. Up front, all bets were off. I felt Oliver Moore was an excellent two-way presence for the Americans with dangerous forechecking and playmaking on display. Danny Nelson was a seriously impressive player as well, coming a ways with his skating from what I remember and begin a boulder on the puck. James Hagens showcased that he deserves to be in the conversation for #1 pick overall this season with his brilliant playmaking and remarkable finishing ability. Teddy Stiga went from healthy scratch to Gold Medal winning hero, and having seen the US multiple times in person, I felt he was one of the most useful players down the lineup that simply elevates everyone else. Taking one shot in 6 games might not sound impressive, and setting aside that one shot being the Gold Medal winning goal, I felt he added plenty to the game elsewhere that I simply cannot bet against as an evaluator. Brandon Svoboda and David Carle make a great pair as well, as I felt his speed and power was utilized brilliantly, something I always felt was there when catching him with the Youngstown Phantoms.

Yes, Ryan Leonard wins my MVP, but this was close for me. He was simply a dog every single game. Powerful, intense, a wicked finisher, and clearly the spiritual backbone of the team, he was making his presence felt every single game, even if he found himself in undisciplined penalty scenarios here and there. That said, my goodness were Cole Hutson and Zeev Buium amazing here. Hutson is almost certainly coming back next season in my view, and he should be stellar. He was dynamic, shifty, and my notes from him last year being potentially more projectable than his brother, but without the same offensive upside are still fair in my view, but he just went out there and moved the puck, moved himself, and moved opponents around spectacularly. Wonderful footwork, creative routes in multiple areas of the ice, his game has come a significant ways since I first saw him a few years back. Zeev Buium was sublime as well. Silly levels of creativity, scary levels of offense, and a more refined defensive game were highlights of his performance. He was simply excellent on so many occasions, and without him and Hutson, I really don’t believe names like Perreault, Leonard, Eiserman and Ziemer have the success they had. Buium was #5 on my list last season and this tournament showcased why. I love him, he made me proud, and came home with the best hardware you could get.

The Americans likely come back again next year just as scary. I’m not sure it’s 100% that James Hagens won’t be here next year, but even if he’s NHL-bound, Cole Hutson, Cole Eiserman, Trevor Connelly, Teddy Stiga, Logan Hensler, and Brodie Ziemer are all likely returnees, with plenty of talent to choose from to bring along next year, the Americans should have another strong roster. They earned this Gold Medal through and through. They were on the ropes a bit at the end there, but they found a way to push the frustration aside and get themselves back into the game, grinding out a thrilling victory. They play fast, they play skilled, they play with many offensive options including confident skilled defenders, and they keep the game simple. It’s wonderful to watch, and their first repeat gold medal victories were well earned by this generation of players, so congratulations to them and USA Hockey.

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Will’s All-Star Team

Eriks Mateiko (LAT) - James Hagens (USA) - Ryan Leonard (USA)
Zeev Buium (USA) - Cole Hutson (USA)
Petteri Rimpinen (FIN)

MVP: Cole Hutson (USA)
”Who Dat” Player of the Tournament: Linards Feldbergs (LAT)
Biggest Surprise Performance: Danny Nelson (USA)

Scouching’s 2025 World Junior Hockey Championship Preview

Happy Holidays everyone! Now that we’ve all overeaten and had our family gatherings, it’s time to gather around the television and go nowhere for the next little while as the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gets underway in Ottawa, Canada. It’s going to be an action-packed tournament as always, featuring some high octane talent, and as usual, we’re here with a primer to follow along with your favorite teams and players! I won’t waste anymore of your time so lets get right into previewing this year’s tournament country by country, from our lowest expected rank to our highest!

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10th - Kazakhstan - 5.29 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Vladimir Nikitin (G)

As much as I love to see upsets at this tournament, I’m not sure how much magic is in the cards for the Kazakhs this season. One of the most elite on-ice looks in hockey, Kazakhstan is making their first appearance since before the pandemic. This season, everything will come down to Ottawa Senators draft pick Vladimir NIkitin. While I found the Kazakh U18 team from this past spring entertaining and admirable, the ability of the team to push back, even in the weaker group is going to be questionable. Much of their team is coming from Astana’s MHL team who are in the bottom half of the worse division in the worse conference of Russian junior hockey. They face 40 shots a night routinely and whoever is in net this year is going to be busy, even against teams like Switzerland and Slovakia.

That having been said, I have found U18s standout Asanali Sarkenov to be a talented finisher with some good puck protection ability that, when combined with his length, makes him an intriguing player to watch this season in Spokane. I don’t expect the key players from Kazakhstan’s Division 1A tournament last season such as Davlat Nurkenov and Alexander Kim to be huge difference makers this year but in my research for this, Beibarys Orazov seems like a nice piece to have on the defensive side of the puck. He’s the only player on this roster largely playing at a professional level, and he will be one of a small handful who will be expected to carry much of the load for Kazakhstan. Is there a chance they’re saved in relegation? I would be pleasantly surprised, but I just don’t see how unless Vladimir Nikitin has a Benjamin Conz-like performance facing what is likely to be 40-50 shots on many occassions, with some serious bounces, luck, and power play time going their way.

9th - Latvia - 6.81 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Eriks Mateiko (LW/RW)

I have a soft spot for Latvia. A great look on the ice, a scrappy team with many players who grew up playing in a closely knit community at the elite level of hockey, and often bringing some of the youngest rosters in these tournaments. Latvia in Ottawa will be no different, featuring the youngest team in the tournament with 15 eligible returnees, 4 more than the next team, with 4 players in their first year of NHL Draft eligibility, 4 more who are eligible for 2026, and the only 2027 eligible player in this whole tournament according to current rosters. That 15 year old is Roberts Naudins, and he also happens to stand 6’6” tall and I’m sure will have eyes on him if he makes the roster. It’s going to be an interesting and exciting year for the Latvians with some impressive names leading the way. Do I expect this team to make serious inroads and get through a quarterfinal for the first time? No, but I think they’ll push teams harder than we think.

Likely leading the way for the Latvians is gigantic QMJHL winger Eriks Mateiko. With Saint John he has been a puck protecting beefcake who plows his way up the ice through pressure and makes plays around the net leading to an impressive 14 goal campaign to this point. He’s a powerful and strong player with some straightforward and efficient thinking that may capitalize on sleepy opponents here and there. The supporting cast is pretty solid as well, Bruno Osmanis has had his moments making plays from the perimeter in the games I’ve seen this year showcasing some creativity and vision with the puck that should help elevate others on his team. I enjoyed what I saw of Daniels Serkins at the U18s last spring as a smaller but dynamic and crafty scoring forward. Darels Uljanskis is likely Latvia’s power play quarterback with a heck of a shot from the point and some good skill application walking the blueline in the offensive zone. Olivers Murnieks and Rudolfs Berzkalns lead the way for 2026 NHL Draft eligibles, both coming from the USHL. I’m much more familiar with Murnieks to this point and the quality of his wrist shot and solid pace of play should help Latvia in a supportive role. Beyond that, I’m honestly not that familiar with a number of these players. They have a roster of players doing well at much better levels than the Kazakhs, and in my view their tournament may come down to a showdown with Germany in Group A that keeps them alive as it did last year. I don’t think this is a team that can go up against Finland, Sweden or Canada, but this is the World Juniors. You never know…

8th - Germany - 4.88 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Carlos Händel (D)

The Germans in this tournament might be a team that can surprise us in a game or two. They don’t really have any likely gamebreakers, but they have a surprising run of interesting players that might round out a decent roster, especially on the younger side of things. David Lewandowski, Carlos Händel, Maxim Schäfer and Rio Kaiser are all players I’ve had good looks of this season and while they are all unranked on my NHL Draft list, they’ve all touched the list at some point this year. Lewandowski is a well rounded player with good length on his frame, solid skill and finishing ability who leads the way on the team in my NHLeS metric. Händel isn’t far behind though as a dynamic offensive defender who likely quarterbacks the German power play, and likely does so quite well. Rio Kaiser is gigantic, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him out there for a while eating some solid minutes, and while I think he lacks quite a bit of refinement, he’s got a massive frame that gets around the ice quite well and if he imposes himself physically, he may make a solid impact. Similar things can be said about his teammate Maxim Schäfer who brings size, good northbound speed and physical play. Paul Mayer, Paul Vinzens, Edwin Tropmann, and Norwin Panocha are players who we’ve seen before who have played good supplementary roles for the Germans internationally as well. German hockey is riding high after triumphing over Finland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but Finland’s roster this season still holds many older, big and physical talents that likely overwhelm the Germans for now. As with many teams, things could all come down to a strong goaltending performance here and there. Whoever is in the net will be busy, but I think they could find themselves in the quarterfinals, and from there, all it takes is one heroic performance and Germany might have themselves a run. Likely? No. Do I cheer for upsets? You bet.

7th - Switzerland- 9.40 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Jamiro Reber (C/LW)

Onwards we go to Germany but more gooder-er: Switzerland! I think this team quietly could make some waves this season. In a tournament that often relies on goaltending, Christian Kirsch and Elijah Neuenschwander are a talented pair who have put up solid numbers in their respective leagues and have had strong performances in the past. The team itself has more than a few names I’ve seen over the years and filed in the back of my mind as nice junior level players who have the benefit of playing in the Swiss professional hockey circuit, often considered one of the best in Europe. Don’t let the low point totals fool you, these guys are playing minutes, and those minutes are tough to produce in.

Jamiro Reber will likely be relied upon extremely heavily for Switzerland this season. He has had a huge step in production this year with HV71 in the SHL, and with his high octane approach to the game, he’s going to need to have some great performances if he’s going to help his team into the medal rounds. Dynamic, skilled, surgical and aggressive, I’ve loved Reber’s evolution this year and think he could really turn some heads considering he remains unranked by many.

My dear son Ludvig Johnson is listed on the roster as he should be. A wonderful start to his junior league season landed him in the National League faster than even I expected, and he hasn’t looked out of place there in my viewings, especially offensively. He’s skilled, but the way he uses it is so, so smart. He delays, uses his feet to change angles, works pucks off the boards with precision and accurate passes, and like Reber, I’m hopeful that he turns some heads here. Along with him on the defensive side of things is undrafted defender Daniil Ustinkov who is having another strong season in the second division of Swiss hockey down the Zürichsee with Küsnacht. Skilled, evasive, defensively intelligent and underrated offensive abilities are the name of the game with Ustinkov and while he hasn’t taken the steps I expected since last year, he’s still been a strong performer with flashes of real brilliance that I think could show very well this season in Ottawa. Don’t sleep on Vancouver Canucks prospect Basile Sansonnens either. I was pleasantly surprised to see a team take a flyer on him, and he’s raw, raw, raw in the context of the NHL Draft, but the lanky kid can definitely skate and defend. He likely eats good minutes for Switzerland this year, and rounds out a strong D+1 group of players for this team.

Further down the depth chart, I’ve liked what I’ve seen internationally of Robin Nico Antenen, Loris Wey, Leo Braillard, and Rafael Meier, and I do think this is a team that could surprise us. Lots of prospect nerds are spying 2026 Draft-eligible Lars Steiner, and while I love the speedy and agile approach to the game that he brings, I’m not quite sure if this is going to be a huge statement tournament from him. It’s a tough level of competition and battling through pressure at high speeds of play has been an issue I’ve noted in my viewings this year. Super talented player, lots of potential and I’d be happy to see him blow me away of course, but I think the older names on this roster are going to be leading the way a bit more.

6th - Slovakia - 7.70 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Daniel Alexander Jencko (C/LW)

In my view the Swiss are pushing Slovakia hard here. They have a goaltending edge with a number of options, and their skaters are loaded with strong talent at a variety of positions and roles. Luka Radivojevic is a dynamic and entertaining offensive defenseman, Maxim Strbak and Jakub Chromiak are solid two-way stabilizers, I’ve liked what I’ve seen here and there of Samuel Barcik and Adam Belusko and while I don’t think this is a medal winning group of defenders, they definitely could compete in the quarterfinals. Up front they have plenty of diverse, fun talent to watch. Miroslav Satan is gigantic and fast, Andreas Straka is smart and slippery, Juraj Pekarcik is physical and skilled, Tomas Pobezal has good finishing ability, Frantisek Dej plows through anything that moves off the puck, and while I’m not certain Slovakia will score a tremendous amount, they might be able to grind their way to victory here and there. Daniel Alexander Jencko might be a pick off the board for a player to watch, but he’s been one of the more dynamic, agile and skilled players on the ice when I caught him with Malmö and Youngstown over the years. He’s off to a good start with UMass as a freshman, and I think he might quietly be a player who makes an impact offensively for this group. Slovakia isn’t the star-studded golden generation we had a few years back, but this is a competitive roster with balance where they need it. There are players with a physical edge that could help push them through better opponents, and goaltending that has really carried them at times over the years.

5th - Czechia - 10.63 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Michael Hrabal (G)

The Czechs are coming off of eliminating the Canadians in last year’s quarterfinals in a game that they somehow found a way to win while being significantly outshot and outchanced, and I think this tournament has a chance of being a repeat performance into the medal round. There are plenty of good players to choose from on this team up and down the lineup that could go toe to toe with anyone. They’re the biggest team in the tournament, and they very well play like they are with names like Adam Jecho, Adam Zidlicky, Jakub Stancl, Jakub Dvorak and Adam Jiricek all having strong physical tools. I love the skill that some of these players bring as well, with Miroslav Holinka, Jakub Fibigr, Tomas Galvas, Ondrej Kos among others being creative, evasive players that can push opponents back on their heels. They’re a team that could have some big power play potential with how mobile and fluid some of their defenders are. I’m curious to see what Vojtech Cihar brings to the table as a productive draft eligible player who I haven’t seen as much of that I’d like. Adam Novotny is a 2026 Draft Eligible who has been impressive in every international viewing I’ve seen him in to this point as well.

The big wild card for the Czechs will be Michael Hrabal in net. He’s been quite good in the NCAA to this point, but when he’s off his game internationally, he has really been off his game. Jakub Milota is a nice alternative from what I’ve seen, but I would imagine the big, athletic Hrabal is going to be the main guy in the pipes, and while he may not face as intense a workload as the teams ranked lower, he’ll need to stand tall when called upon if this team is going to land themselves some more hardware. Could they find their third medal in a row for the first time ever? I don’t think it’s impossible, but it could be a challenge considering how tight this group of teams appears to be.

4th - Finland - 12.90 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Konsta Helenius (C)

After what was a lacklustre Hlinka Gretzky Cup, the World Juniors should go much better for the Finns in Ottawa. Their roster for this tournament plays into their natural style of play that can grind out wins so much better. They love a heavy, physical counterattacking style, working off of each other being selfless and capitalizing on chances when they get them. Julius Miettinen, Rasmus Kumpulainen, Kasper Halttunen, and Emil Hemming all bring some level of physical game to the table with some offensive pop and will be heavily relied upon players for the team. Konsta Helenius is likely to be the star of the show after a strong AHL rookie campaign to this point. He’s intelligent on both sides of the puck and at both ends of the ice, able to do pretty much everything well, especially at this level. If Finland’s offense is going to move at 5v5, it’ll likely flow through him often. My personal favorite will be Jukurit forward Topias Hynninen. He should’ve been drafted last year, and after a Summer Showcase with him on the first line, Hynninen has followed up with an excellent Liiga season. He’s aggressive, physical, resilient, competitive and has some offensive tools that should come out more often than they do. He may not be a premier name for this team at the moment, but he could be a surprise to many this year.

The fun doesn’t stop there though, as Joona Saarelainen, Aron Kiviharju, Mitja Jokinen, Daniel Nieminen and Jesse Kiiskinen are all players who bring a level of skill that should help push Finland through this tournament with supplemental offensive output. The question will be keeping the puck out of their net, as Petteri Rimpinen has been the best name on paper of the trio, but all three have been underwhelming more often than not in blue and white. Time will tell, but Finland is a medal contender in my opinion.

3rd - Sweden - 12.58 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Victor Eklund (LW)

The Swedes are a team who haven’t won this tournament in over a decade, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying. Four medals since 2018 is somewhat underwhelming for a powerhouse like Sweden, but this year’s iteration could very well find themselves right back in medal contention after a silver medal effort in 2024. There are many names on here who have quietly had some very effective seasons, especially up front. Felix Nilsson has broken through at the men’s level as the energetic and skilled forward I saw a couple years back, David Edstrom is a brilliant physical tactician who moves the play up the ice well, even under physical pressure. Herman Träff is a favorite of mine, ranked in my late first round last year with his wonderful combination of skill, size and strength, and if he can put his game together consistently in the way I’ve seen him do in the past, he could be a force for Sweden. Anton Wahlberg, Tom Willander, David Granberg and Viggo Gustafsson are all players that carry size and skill as well and should be able to help Sweden play a strong possession game. The team might be a little bit light on goal scoring with Oskar Vuollet and Viktor Eklund being the main names to watch, but Otto Stenberg certainly has his scoring moments, and captain Axel Sandin-Pellikka can step up and generate offense himself.

The Swedes are a team that feels a step behind the top two in the tournament, but at least on paper, the range from 3 through 6 being quite a bit closer than I remember from prior years. The Swedes have a strong trio of goaltenders that I still believe is a smidge behind the Americans as well, so the focus for Sweden has to be strong games against Finland and Canada to ensure the easiest quarterfinal matchup possible. Czechia and Finland might be able to knock around this Swedish roster a bit, but Sweden has a pretty balanced, resilient roster that could very well go deep in this tournament. Personally, I’m optimistic with the smart, big and skilled group they have with Melker Thelin or perhaps Marcus Gidlöf in between the pipes. They’ll need to have good games when it matters in order to get through the tournament, but I have faith they’ll find a way.

2nd - United States - 17.07 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - James Hagens (C)

It’s another strong roster for the United States, but I’m not certain that they’re going to be as directly comparable to the Canadian roster as they have been in recent years. The goaltending is a clear advantage with Trey Augustine and Hampton Slukynsky having exceptional seasons to this point. There is a boatload of firepower as well, with Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, Trevor Connelly, Cole Hutson, and Zeev Buium all bringing skill, finishing ability and creativity that can keep up with the best in the tournament. Surrounding them there are great transitional players with remarkable physical tools that could counterattack opponents extremely well. I expect an impressive showing in that regard from players like Oliver Moore, Teddy Stiga, and 2025 top rated prospect James Hagens. It’s entirely possible that Hagens becomes the star of the show, reinforcing a draft standing that seems to be on slightly shaky ground.

The States also bring a really good supporting cast of physically intense players with size and defensive talent in Drew Fortescue, Danny Nelson, Austin Burnevik, Brandon Svoboda, Colin Ralph and Adam Kleber. I’ll also be extremely interested in seeing what Logan Hensler brings to the table at this level as his NCAA freshman year has been a little bit up and down. He brings a great set of feet, covering ice well and chipping in on both sides of the puck and a strong World Junior tournament could lead to an excellent second half.

They’re a talented group that could absolutely contend for the gold medal, and there is plenty of offensive output, goaltending talent and physical defending to be had. There aren’t many holes on this roster, but Canada is loaded full of offensive weapons, and I simply can’t wait to see how things shake out. The two teams meet on New Year’s Eve, which will be a must-watch, and if they meet in the playoffs, strap in.

1st - Canada - 24.67 Avg. NHLeS

Player to Watch - Gavin McKenna (LW)

What a shocker, another year, another strong Canadian roster in the top tier of my power rankings. The Canadians are favorites, but that didn’t stop the Czechs last year, the Americans in 2021, or the Finns in 2019. They are not invincible, but they’re pretty damn good and teams can often only hope to grind them down and drag them into the muck to find a way through them. Canada is absolutely loaded with guys who can fill the net with pucks or help others fill the net with pucks. Bradly Nadeau. Berkly Catton. Brayden Yager. Calum Ritchie. Easton Cowan. Luca Pinelli. Porter Martone. Of course you have Gavin McKenna, an elite prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft leading the way in my model with 50% offensive involvement on a team scoring 4 goals per game. He’s dynamic, insanely skilled, and absolutely lethal with the puck in the offensive zone, especially as a playmaker. Matthew Schaefer, recently ranked #1 here at Scouching, is looking to have another excellent public showing as well, as he brings his rush offense and playmaking ability to what is a bit of an all-star team of offensive talent. Sawyer Mynio, Oliver Bonk and Andrew Gibson are capable defensive insulators to help out on the physical side of the equation, but don’t forget about guys like Cole Beaudoin, Tanner Howe, or Porter Martone’s capability in that area. On the note of Martone, I’ll be very curious to see how his tournament goes, as there have been concerns about the pace of his game and his ability to push opponents onto their heels enough to be an enormous difference maker in the NHL. Seeing him share the ice with Matthew Schaefer for an extended period could be a very interesting experience for us draft geeks…

As usual, Canada’s “Must Do” list in order to go deep is the same as it almost always is. They have a good group of goaltenders this year but whoever is in the net will need to perform, and discipline from the lineup will be key. In this tournament, other teams often are more than good enough to score against a Canadian team with a man in the box. They’re a great team but not “still dominant on the PK” dominant I don’t think. It seems that in recent years, overhandling the puck and taking on a lot of risk looking for more dangerous plays has burned them in the past, but Canada usually looks like a completely different team in Game 6 than Game 1, and if there are hiccups along the way for them, I would simultaneously be not surprised, but not worried whatsoever. After last season, you brush yourself off and try again, especially when that was a game that simply did not go their way. I’m so excited to see this group and how they perform, and I think we’re in for a treat.

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And there we have it! Another World Junior Hockey Championship is officially underway. I can’t wait to see what we have in store this season. There is always drama, controversy and glory to be had for every nation here regardless of expectation. It’s 95% of the reason why I love this tournament so much. I make jokes about Kazakhstan winning the whole thing, but in reality I just love seeing the hockey world expand horizons and welcome everyone to the table. The teal and gold doesn’t hurt though, and following the growth of the game globally is a real joy for me, even if they get blown out by their competition.

I hope you all have a great holiday season, however you choose to celebrate or not celebrate. At the very least, we can get cozy, flip on the TV, and watch kids chase their dreams on a massive, international stage. I have such tremendous respect for these young folks who have worked so hard to get here, and what they provide for us during their holiday season is something we may take for granted. If it were up to me, this tournament would be 32 teams and be a highlight of the hockey calendar, but I unfortunately have to live in the real world. For now though, we can grab the junk food and hot chocolate and let this play out however it may play out.

A final word of congratulations to the Danish U20 team for finding themselves in the top division for next season. They were somewhat of an unexpected victor in my books, but a well earned entry after a hard fought victory against Austria on the last day of the tournament got them to Minnesota in 2026.

Happy Holidays, and we’ll see you in 2025!

P.S: I’ll be at both semifinal games on January 4th and potentially poking around on New Years eve so if you’re in the area give me a shout! See you there!

Scouching’s Preliminary 2025 NHL Draft Ranking

Welcome one and all to Scouching’s preliminary NHL Draft rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft taking place in searing hot, sprawled out Los Angeles, California! This hockey season has been quite an interesting one as an evaluator. Reflecting on old rankings, watching players rise through the ranks and sniff professional hockey has been a valuable experience, and trying to carry any lessons forward into this season is the main goal. Of course, all while still having some fun with some players that you really would love to see at the highest levels one day, even if chances may be slim. We’re doing writeups on my first four tiers of talent this season, with full writeups on the whole list coming in June.

Before we get into the list, it might be helpful to take the time to briefly outline my philosophy so you can get in my head a little bit and understand where I come from a little better when I see the game. If you take 10 different evaluators, you’ll probably get some differences in priorities and preferences, so knowing what you’re getting into should add to the experience. At my core, I focus on possession. Hockey is a game in two fundamental states. You have the puck, or you don’t. The ultimate goal should be to find players who are as good at gaining and maintaining possession in some way, getting the puck into a desirable location, and getting the dang thing into the net as much as possible. In my view, the priority should be in that order. You can’t have the third aspect without the second, and you can’t have the second without the first. As such, I see speed, tenacity, competitiveness, and quickness as key, both mentally and physically. I don’t care so much about how big you are, how good of a shooter you are, how hard you hit, I just care about what you do on the ice and if you’re moving the needle in the right direction. In my experience, the best young needle movers with regards to competitiveness, pace, and creativity are the ones of who are often hardest to find when they grow up big and strong to be NHL players one day. I value players who elevate who they play with more than anything. They’re dependable every shift, they're focused on the ultimate task of the game situation, and they think creatively to make baby steps happen that ultimately lead to scoring chances, and ideally some goals go in here and there.

With regards to goalies, I’m no real expert there, but I’m trying. I can’t provide detailed breakdowns, but our guest Goalie Man David Phillips will be coming back to the site with his goalie ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft. For me though, I believe this is a solid year for goaltending in multiple areas. I’ve penciled in Joshua Ravensbergen, Pyotr Andreyanov, Jack Ivankovic, and Love Härenstam as top two round options worth the swing this year. Kam Hendrickson, Martin Neckar, and Roberto Leonardo Henriquez are names further down the board that could be nice pickups to stash away late.

I’ll also note that the positions listed are almost universally those from the games I’ve specifically watched and tracked of these players. A defenseman is listed by either handedness or the side of the ice they play on should it be the opposite to his natural shooting side (i.e., RSD is a left handed defender playing on the right side).

If you want to directly support our work and gain access to cool perks and our Discord server, consider a subscription plan by clicking on the button below. If not, no sweat! Enjoy the read and if you have any feedback, questions, or just want to poke and prod, drop into Scouching Live, every Monday night at 8pm EST and Thursday afternoon at 2pm EST!

Tier 1 - Which Beatle is Best?

• #1 | Matthew Schaefer | LHD | Erie Otters

  Seriously. If you ask 10 random Beatles fans, you won’t get a consistent answer. It could come down to personal preference, some weird interaction or thing one of the Beatles did that draws them to that individual, it’s just an impossible question to really answer firmly.

  With the question of who should be #1 in the 2025 NHL Draft, my mind has shifted literally in the last week after doing a swing through some of the highest rated names on my board. Schaefer missed a period of the season with mono (not fun), but every time I’ve seen him both live and on tape, he’s just gotten better and better. My last tracked game was one of the most outstanding offensive performances I’ve ever gathered for a defenseman in my many years of doing this. Schaefer has simply unbelievable potential in his game. I do have some concerns with his low mental bar of “I’m going to jump into the rush” and not keeping opposing forwards in mind which has burned him here and there. He also isn’t the most punishing physical defender, nor is he always the most intense puck retriever, at times inviting unnecessary pressure and board battles deep in his own end. All those things can be worked on, and with his youth, you can tell that there’s still a level of physical development to go in his game.

  All that aside, Schaefer is outstanding, with potential to be a terrific defenseman at even strength and on the power play. He’s explosive in a straight line, manages gaps on defensive rushes well, with strong stick checks and small area passing, and his ability to quarterback a rush through his skating ability and his pass vision is remarkable. He finds ways to sneak pucks through feet and bodies to his linemates, and these passes are crisp and pinpoint accurate far more often than not. He protects the puck well in the offensive zone and can get deep into enemy territory fending off pressure and firing pucks into the slot as if he were a forward on the ice. He simply brings such a great all-around game to the ice with flaws that are very minor in the big picture. Considering he missed key time, the improvement in his game to my eye and in my data game over game has been staggering, and while I may not have him at 1 at the end of the season, I won’t be surprised if he manages to stay here. The youth, the explosive skating, the confidence and creativity, it’s just so excellent and would bring a huge positive shift to any NHL team’s defense group

• #2 | Michael Misa | C | Saginaw Spirit

  Michael Misa has grown on me more and more as time has gone on this year. Seeing him in person a little while back in London was a total game-changer. The pace of his game has been raised from what I remember last year, but what has really been impressive is his 200 foot impact on the game. He isn’t the most physical centre you’re going to come across, but it simply does not matter. Efficiency, intelligence and refined simplicity is the name of Misa’s game, and I mean that in the most positive way I can. A quicker skater than he looks with great forechecking ability, Misa can turn almost any play into anything anywhere on the ice. Leaving him uncovered in the offensive zone, he finds ways to make himself a target and he'll make you pay in some way. He can score, but he’s just as equal a playmaking threat. He battles through pressure quite well as well, and the only real concern to me is that there isn’t particularly an “elite” trait there that could put Misa among the best in the world one day. The feel for the game and efficiency in his game certainly comes close though, and I’ve been more and more a fan of Michael Misa every single time I’ve seen him.
  
  There’s just not much Misa doesn’t bring to the table. He can gain possession of the puck well, move it himself quickly, find linemates and hit them with clean and clear passes, and once in the offensive zone, he’s lights out. Averaging a goal and an assist every game is simply an astounding achievement almost halfway through the OHL season. You don’t get there without being a well rounded, intelligent player.

• #3 | James Hagens | C | Boston College

  Hagens slots in at 3 which surprises me more than anyone, probably. He was an absolute wizard last year, showcasing speed, creativity and tremendous rush playmaking abilities. He’s somewhat undersized, but he has the confidence and pure quickness to work around it. Yes, he hasn’t scored a tremendous amount this year, but four goals in his last four games has brought his shooting percentage up to 10.6% which still trails typical values. On the other hand, my viewings of him don’t lead me to believe that he’s destined to be a consistent high end goal scorer. He struggles to get into dangerous space on and off the puck, doesn’t apply enough pressure to cause dangerous turnovers, and there is a bit of a concern about the pace of his game on a shift to shift basis. I’ve seen him explode up the ice, but not as much as I had hoped to this point, and the defensive intensity can waver.
  
  That said, Hagens is still an excellent playmaker, using skill, creativity and unpredictability to distribute the puck and find his linemates around the ice. Paired with speedy, aggressive players like Teddy Stiga seems to bring better off-puck results from Hagens, but Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard bring finishing ability, skill and creativity that have connected with Hagens’ profile well. I expect a strong back half, and this is an extremely close group at the top. You could argue him at 1, but considering where I recall past elite NCAA forwards in the NHL Draft, I have always come away wanting more from Hagens than names like Celebrini, Hughes, and even Power and Johnson. You see flashes, but the shining light hasn’t quite been there in my viewings.

• #4 | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton Steelheads

  Martone has been on my radar since his Toronto Jr. Canadiens days, and he’s blossomed into a tremendously balanced and talented athlete. There are so many great traits in his game that you can depend on every shift of the game. While he isn’t the fastest player out there, he’s a great defensive zone breakout instigator, finding targets and cleanly getting passes through traffic. On his line he’s a well balanced shot taker and shot creator, resulting in creating over 50% of his teams shot attempts in my sample. An excellent and efficient puck carrier through a strong combination of unpredictable skating patterns and pure strength, Martone makes up for his lower pace game by tactically marching the puck up the ice in a variety of ways.

  We came away extremely impressed with his read of his own game and understanding of his place on a hockey team as a leader and offensive cornerstone in our Game Tape episode on him as well. It was pretty clear after our interview why he’s a captain at this age, and how his team has found itself so successful this season with him at the helm. The combination of smarts, skill, power, and finishing ability are tantalizing. The concerns about the pure pace of his game are evident, as he can have gaps closed too quickly without the elite quickness or skill level to evade those forechecks, and he can often make the first play possible in the offensive zone rather than a better one, leading to worse shot selection and slot pass attempts than you would like, but long term I think the future is extremely bright for Martone. Is he a major NHL line driver one day? Probably not, which keeps him lower in my top tier, but he’s about as talented a supporting player can be. Strength, confidence, personality, skill, passing ability, there’s so much to love about Martone’s game that with the right surroundings, he could have a heck of a career ahead of him.

Tier 2 - Just Some Dang Good Hockey Players

• #5 | Victor Eklund | LW | Djurgårdens IF

  Let me start off by saying this tier, especially in the first few slots, is exceptionally close. I labored over this range for a very, very long time but at the end of the day, very few players this year have wowed me like Victor Eklund has. While not as creative or evasive in tough board situations as his brother William, he is much more of a pure, high octane, high pace northbound winger that I think could project to the NHL quicker than William did. He’s aggressive, physical at times, with great reads on his forechecks and continuously moving the puck in the right direction. His possession numbers are spectacular to this point, largely driven through miniscule rates of dangerous shot attempts against, which he certainly factors into with his high pace and relentless energy off the puck in multiple areas of the ice. He has a shot that can clearly beat pro level goaltending in Sweden, but I’d like to see him limit his perimeter chances a bit more and try to gain some better positioning, but he’s a slender 18 year old playing at a high level, so some forgiveness needs to be considered on that.

  In a year where there aren’t a ton of joy-inducing hockey players, he’s definitely one of them. A tremendous puck carrier with speed, skill and deception in full stride, with excellent off-puck results, a great shot to rely on, and some serious offensive potential as a playmaker here and there, Eklund has quickly become one of my favorites this year. I’m not sure of where his ceiling is as an NHLer and I think his size and possession-heavy positive results might hold him back somewhat which puts him in this tier. That said, he spent stretches in that top tier. Would I consider him for first overall? Probably not. Would I consider him over Porter Martone? It’s closer, but still, probably not. 5th overall? I couldn’t see myself seriously considering someone else… but again, it’s close.

• #6 | Jackson Smith | LHD | Tri-City Americans

  I get into long, drawn out conversations about this player but I always come back to the same adage once the words die down.

  “I lllllllllike him.”

  In my experience, Jackson Smith is a rare type of player in a draft class. Where a player like Dmitri Simashev brought a remarkable combination of size, mobility, physicality and simple pass vision, Smith brings a much more exciting combination of insane skating fluidity, a high-end skill level for a big man, and a punishing physical defensive style of play that may need some refinement, but really endears itself to you quickly. He absolutely deconstructed an NTDP player in the first shift of the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in London while strongly quarterbacking a breakout with his shifty footwork and clear vision of the ice in front of him and was a physical presence in both games.

  He is often maligned for his decisionmaking and hockey sense, but in my experience this season, I believe this has been significantly more under control since the Hlinka Gretzky tournament in August. His breakouts with Tri-City are often not completed on the other end very well, which makes his results look worse than they should be in my data. Needless tips into the offensive zone that are turned over, pucks bouncing off sticks like the eggs in that drill in The Mighty Ducks movie, and plenty of other somewhat frustrating events fuel some less than ideal results for Smith in my work. This is why I do what I do though, because I don’t believe what I’m tracking. He relies on passing so much there, but I’ve seen his abilities as a carrier and primary rush quarterback, and when playing with elite linemates against the NTDP, Smith seemed much more comfortable and drove the puck up the ice well.

  In my work, he hasn’t lost a carried puck transition, but he doesn’t try it much. He can overcommit on defensive rushes looking for a big hit and get left behind or outmuscled, but strength will come in time, and the willingness is there in spades. That said, his actual defensive metrics are excellent, facing a massive workload of defensive zone cycles that he breaks up often, with a surprisingly high number of offensive zone turnovers generated with plenty of hits to gawk at.

  He brings so much to the game that NHL teams covet. Sure there are some issues to be worked out, but I’m not convinced things are all that bad, and with time, Smith could become a devastating physical threat in the NHL with skill, offensive creativity and confidence that should be nurtured carefully.

• #7 | Cullen Potter | C | Arizona St. University

  Supposedly this is the first somewhat hot take according to my ranking tracking of others, but I feel very good about this one. Cullen Potter is one of, if not the most exciting and curious players in this entire class. I’m stunned at how people simultaneously are questioning his hockey sense or physical game when from what I can gather, this is a 17 year old college freshman playing pretty strong minutes at the centre position when he’s still listed as a winger everywhere I look. That’s a tough job and every single game I see, Potter looks more and more and more comfortable. My last viewing, I bumped him a slot or two, but there was a little Palpatine-like voice telling me to put him in the top group because of how much this guy could bring to the game. He’s an absolutely electrifying combination of speed and skill unlike many, many others in this draft class, let alone this tier. His passes at times are hard with pinpoint accuracy all over the ice. He’s taken or set up 63% of ASU’s shot attempts in my sample and I find that much of his lack of production seems to stem from some poor shot selection in the OZ, but also linemates that just don’t have the same creativity or pace in their game that seems to hold Potter back somewhat.

  He’s fast as heck, he commands possession of the puck, he forechecks extremely well, and he’s had some unbelievable highlight moments here and there. I could easily see Potter continue to gain momentum as he gets more and more comfortable in a tough level of competition, but the game I just tracked of his against a little school called Minnesota-Duluth was by far his most impressive of the season. He’s a wizard with the last name Potter. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

  I’ll leave you with a thought experiment. How would Logan Cooley have looked if he were playing 3rd line for the University of Minnesota instead of first line with the NTDP a few years ago? I get the feeling Cooley might not have looked like a tremendous and productive player at that level at that time. The NTDP just hasn’t looked the same without Potter, but I think it’s admirable that he’s challenged himself in the NCAA so quickly, and that ASU has obliged him. It’s a fun place to play hockey, a fun program, and Potter is a fun player. There’s lots to love, even if there’s a bit of a ways to go, but I think he deserves to be right up here with these names.

• #8 | Carter Bear | LW | Everett Silvertips

  A player I loved while watching him in the offseason, Bear has really blossomed into an impressive, well rounded complimentary offensive player. Decently efficient in offensive transitions, Bear really comes alive off the puck or in the offensive zone. A physical force, he’s throwing hits more than many this year, but he has some moments of electrifying skill and finish that are just as exciting as some of the names ahead of him. A player who has slowly worked his way up my board as I’ve preferred him over others one slot at a time, but a player I’ve never stopped to think I’m overvaluing. In this class, Bear is an imposing player with talent on both sides of the puck. If he can be a bit more of a contributor through scoring area playmaking at 5v5 and work through pressure to battle for more scoring chances for others, then the sky’s the limit for Bear. He brings so much that you just want and need in the NHL: Size, a willingness to use it, skill, shot quality, raw power, and a great natural motor and flow to his game. I may be swayed to take a few names after him instead, but it’ll take some serious discussion considering how projectable I feel his game is.

• #9 | Lynden Lakovic | W | Moose Jaw Warriors

  Another player I enjoyed watching in the summer before this season got going but it didn’t take long for me to go “oh this guy is for real for real”. Lakovic is a shot-driven analytical machine, and I love how he plays the game. Tactical, surgical, calm and creative, Lakovic drives some of the best shooting metrics I’ve seen this year, rarely wasting an opportunity, doing an excellent job protecting the puck and keeping defenders guessing, while circling like a shark looking for pathways into better scoring areas. He has playmaking flashes in these situations that I’d love to see explored a bit more, but at the end of the day, Lakovic is an excellent all-around talent that, while not a physical big man, is a resilient one with some great length in his skating stride and some great ability to generate separation from defenders and gain advantageous positioning. Of all the shot attempts Moose Jaw has taken with him on the ice in my small-ish sample, he’s responsible for 58% of them. 29% of all of their total attempts are Lakovic taking dangerous chances. If you’re unfamiliar, that’s really really good.

  I’d love to see a bit more imposition defensively, and that playmaking vision and willingness could be a bit more apparent, but Lakovic seems like a great complimentary forward with strong possession and finishing capability.

• #10 | Eric Nilson | C | Djurgården IF

  Let me get this out of the way: I am aware that this one is somewhat irrational, but hear me out.

  When I watched Orebro’s junior team last year, the name that stuck out most often to me? Eric Nilson. When I watched Sweden in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, who was the name I was jotting down the most that wasn’t Ivar Stenberg? Eric Nilson. Should he have had like, 7 points before that 4 point bronze medal performance? I think so. Sure, he hasn’t been shooting the lights out with Djurgården’s insane U20 team, but he’s such a great play driver there going both directions that he’s impossible for me to ignore. He’s a work in progress though, slender while trying to play a bigger game at times, and can overhandle the puck with a bit too much confidence and turn things over, but you stash this guy in Sweden for a few years and I think you could have an excellent 200-foot centre that elevates his wingers. I tracked a game of his in HockeyAllsvenskan and while there were issues, I didn’t think he looked out of place there, and of all the higher scoring players on his U20 team, he’s the only one to land a point in HockeyAllsvenskan this year so far. That doesn’t mean much in the big picture, but it feeds my hype machine, so I can’t not bring it up.

  In all seriousness, he’s just a player that drives the game in the right direction at a strong pace of play in basically every situation. I keep watching him and looking for reasons to put others ahead of him, and I just can’t find them. He’s not perfect, and I’m decently sure he’ll be lower on the board in the future, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to gain momentum this year, and long term, I think he could be a massive steal considering where people have him at the moment… which is not on a draft board.

• #11 | Roger McQueen | C | Brandon Wheat Kings

  Roger McQueen has been a tough read for me. Some love him. My talks with NHL teams leave me in a place where I can’t counter them with the “it’s the potential of his game” angle. If you think that in the future he’ll catch up and be better than the majority of players in this class, that’s fine, but every time I see him, I see a player who has quite a ways to go to catch up in that regard. He’s huge, and in the offensive zone he’s aggressive with flashes of really great skill, but his ability to quarterback a rush is mixed, with awful passing results and mediocre carrying ability for a top pick. His shot differentials were not good at 5v5, he wasn’t creating a ton of opportunity for others in the offensive zone, and his defensive involvement and results in transition have not been promising. He’s huge, but doesn’t play big enough as often as I expect, and he strikes me as a player who has been bigger than his competition and working off the natural advantages that gives him. More natural strength on the boards, more natural puck protection ability, longer reach to puck off passes and poke at loose pucks, but there just hasn’t been much… jam… in his game whenever I’ve seen him.

  I must say that natural centres his size don’t come along often, and he does flash some serious upside, but I’ve been burned hoping players will capture those isolated moments and bring them more often in the future before. He’s very nearly a 2024 draft eligible, and I always ask “if you drafted Roger McQueen 5th overall in 2024, do you feel like his D+1 season would be promising enough to make that pick worth it?” To me, injury aside, there were many, many 2024 prospects that I’ve enjoyed following up on this year that show better than McQueen has in my viewings. He’s still a great prospect, but to me he’s a mystery box and the NHL might be a bigger uphill battle than I think some are letting on, but McQueen has all the tools and natural traits in place to handle it. Around here is where I’d take the plunge and be very, very cautious with his progression, because I believe the longer he takes to get comfortable and physically dominate a level of hockey the better. The skating and speed looks much more comfortable and consistent this year than last, but I just see an unrefined player with a bit of a relaxed approach to the game in too many areas for me to value him as much as others, and the data reflects much of that to this point.

• #12 | Cameron Schmidt | RW | Vancouver Giants

  I want Schmidt to be a thing so badly. I was talking to people at the CHL USA Prospects challenge and they often were asking “Is he Cole Caufield though? Is he Alex DeBrincat? Logan Stankoven? Is he on that level to break through at his size?” For me, pardon my French, he’s Cameron Flipping Schmidt. The issue is that often times all he does is shoot the puck, even when it isn’t necessary. He’s small which can take him out of being an option in transition too much but holy god damn as a 3rd guy on a line that can score goals with flashes of playmaking that I desperately want to see explored more, Schmidt is electrifying. He’s lightning quick on his feet, his skill level is high end, the pace of his game is often breakneck, but honestly what I love the most is the pure confidence and emotion in his game. It can burn him at times and it’s already turned off a few behind the scenes, but our experience with him on Game Tape really sold us on what he brings as a person. He seems unlike many other traditional players out there, and I absolutely adore his passion and intensity on the ice. He doesn’t let anyone make him feel his size, he mixes things up, and gets in your face.

  He’s just so, so much fun to watch when he’s really cooking. Can he do it in the NHL one day? I’m optimistic and in the right environment he could get there. The shot is bonkers, but learning to bait with it and make plays more often, while getting stronger on his feet could make him a dangerous, dangerous offensive player with a physical and psychological edge unlike many other smaller players we’ve seen break into the NHL lately.

• #13 | Benjamin Kindel | C | Calgary Hitmen

  Another hot take, but I don’t care. I know of at least a handful of NHL people who feel the same. Ben Kindel rocks, and I’m almost positive more people will have him higher and higher as time goes on. His data profile in my sample is staggeringly good. An absolute master at seeing the ice and quarterbacking possession through all three zones, Kindel reads offensive zone situations like they were children’s books. Sure he isn’t flattening guys everywhere but who cares about that if you don’t need to? His stick checks and ability to pick off sleepy opponents is outrageous. He quickly turns turnovers into scoring chances and has such an absurdly clear map of his linemates location that basically all he does almost all game long is cook, and cook, and cook. Over and over and over he’s just doing stuff that moves the game in the right direction and doing it an unexpectedly high pace relative to what I remember coming into this season.

  I was primed to have Kindel lower, and he was a lower priority coming into the season, but I’ve been blown away with what he’s brought to Calgary this year as a top centre. His possession numbers? Bonkers. His offensive transition game? Bonkers. His passing game? Huge volumes, great completion rates. The only real weakness in his game is not being too involved in defensive transitions and lacking true gamebreaking speed to be involved everywhere all the time but what are we doing here, looking for perfect hockey players? Kindel has still been pretty darn close regardless, at least on paper. I love him, I look forward to every viewing, and he’s must-watch hockey for any analyst who wants to see someone making excellent reads, creating secondary options, making life easier for everyone, and just going out there and getting the job done. Honestly there was a part of me that wanted him as high as 9 or 10 this year, but we’ll have to wait and see for now…

• #14 | Anton Frondell | F | Djurgården IF

  Frondell hasn’t looked amazing this year, but he’s been injured a lot. He’s a hulking possession-heavy player with some great resilience and low-pace skill, and I mean that positively. You could be all over him and he’ll find a way through you with some great skill and creativity, and Frondell has seemed better every time I’ve seen him this season. HockeyAllsvenskan went from a total non-option earlier in the year, to a valid testing ground for him. I still don’t have a great read on him at this point and I’m not comfortable with where I have him at this point. I do believe he belongs in this tier for now, but projects as a bit less exciting as the names ahead of him right now. In a good way, Frondell keeps his game simple, precise, and creative which I think is a good combination, and I could easily see him bumped up a few slots.

Tier 3 - 15 Neat Guys

• #15 | Radim Mrtka | RHD | HC Oceláři Třinec/Seattle Thunderbirds

  “Who made the egg salad sandwiches? They’re better than the tuna and the cheese?” starts off this tier. To make sense of that, Radim Mrtka makes really good egg salad out there. You can just see it in the way he plays with the puck. He’s lanky, but skilled, mobile and creative on both sides of the puck. Great defensive involvement at the men’s level in my dataset with excellent results, I find that the poor possession results for him largely don’t come down to being his fault. Moving to Seattle is the right call, and I haven’t seen him there yet, but I’m excited to see him in a huge role there. He keeps his game simple but calculated and effective with flashes of some wild moments working off his skating edges in the offensive zone with good shot generation ability for a defenseman. He uses his length to his advantage well, closing gaps and getting to loose pucks, Mrtka has grown on me with every viewing. He might go a bit later than this, but he’s got a really strong ceiling as a possession driver with his skating and skill combination.

• #16 | Braeden Cootes | C | Seattle Thunderbirds

  Yeehaw it’s time to party, here comes Braeden Cootes through the doors. Absolutely electrifying, Cootes is skilled, deceptive and aggressive on both sides of the puck. He’s an Alex Newhook-like driver of possession with strong puck distribution with perhaps some limited finishing ability of his own on a consistent basis, but he could certainly develop that over time. He can get knocked off pucks here and there, but he’s relentless with his energy, driving great metrics with regards to generating turnovers at both ends, and getting involved transporting the puck, usually in the right direction. I could see Cootes being higher on my board down the road, especially considering I have names like Eric Nilson a tier ahead who brings many similar qualities, but I just have a bit more skepticism that Cootes translates as-is. I’d be thrilled to be wrong though, as he’s an exciting player with great upside and a fun factor that fans will love immediately.

• #17 | Cole Reschny | C | Victoria Royals

  I’m up and down on Reschny, especially after loving so much about Ben Kindel’s game to this point. Reschny plays a bit smaller and invites more pressure into his zone of influence, often struggling to get away with it, but he does work his tail off to do so. He’s creative, even under pressure, reads the ice extremely well and has been an offensive zone wizard every time I’ve seen him. He’s more physical than you’d expect, but my whole analysis of him revolves around projectability. Is he going to be a 2nd line centre in the NHL at his size and speed/agility level? I am not convinced. Do I want players like him to figure it out? Absolutely. He’s creative, clever, confident, and a well rounded offensive creator with a great mind for the game. It’s just a question of how far he can take things from here without some significant improvement to his ability to separate from pressure rather than often absorbing it.

• #18 | Shane Vansaghi | RW | Michigan State Spartans

  If you want to talk about most improved players over this season, I’m not sure Shane Vansaghi has that many contenders in my mind. The first game I saw of him this year, he was just running around crushing anything that moved and turning over the puck on every possession. The next one? He was a monster. Hulking but skilled, Vansaghi looked significantly more comfortable with the pace of the NCAA game and comfortable with possession of the puck, making clean crisp passes, and driving the puck up the ice like a free running Bison on the plains of Wyoming. He had some insane moments navigating through pressure, grinding his way to the net and generating chance after chance for everyone on the ice. He throws his body into every check and I think projects perfectly as a complimentary power winger in the NHL. I don’t know if he’s some kind of elite top line monster, but he’s an effective contributor that has caught my eye more and more, and just worked his way up my list as a player I could easily see getting eyebrows raised in the stands here and there.

• #19 | Malcolm Spence | LW | Erie Otters

  Spence is eerily similar to Vansaghi, but I think he sees the ice a little bit better, executes plays a bit quicker, and takes the chances he sees ahead of him more reliably. He’s less physical, and I think a little slower than Vansaghi, but they could fit similar roles once the NHL hits. Complimentary, strong, resilient physical forwards with some great moments in isolation and solid production to go along with it. Spence is a player who, in my experience, seems a bit quiet but effective nonetheless, then pops in the offensive zone a couple times a game generating some excellent chances, landing points on the board. Is his NHL upside huge? I’m not totally sold, but I can’t see how he doesn’t make it in some capacity.

• #20 | Jake O'Brien | C | Brantford Bulldogs

  Another player who I think has taken steps since the start of the year, especially after a strong rookie year on paper that left me a bit skeptical. O’Brien is a skilled tactician, seeing the ice well, utilizing linemates efficiently, working off the puck to get into scoring areas for consistent scoring chances, and some great metrics when it comes to generating turnovers at both ends of the ice. I’m still a little bit underwhelmed by O’Brien’s ceiling and potential, but he’s smart enough, quick enough, effective enough and big enough to carve out a role somewhere, and I have all the time in the world for him to be higher on this board if he continues to take steps in the right direction in the next few months. I’d like to see a bit more deception and skill in transition, and a little bit more gas in the engine through the neutral zone defensively, but all in all, he’s fine, checks a lot of boxes, and has some good developmental potential ahead of him.

• #21 | L.J. Mooney | RW | U.S. National U18 Team

  If Emperor Palpatine had The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise, I may be writing The Tragedy of L.J. Mooney the Bonkers in a few years. Mooney is right up my alley and I simply adore him. A tragic injury in an NCAA exhibition match put him out for a long period of time, and he simply didn’t look the same at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. I saw him taping his stick pregame with a pretty serious knee wrap, and with a bit of a limp, my expectations for an electrifying comeback were somewhat dashed. He did manage to land a point, assisting on his team’s only goal in London, but he seemed slower, less agile, and less… Mooney-ish than I remember.

  At the U18s last year as the only ‘07, he looked spectacular. Compact but speedy, skilled, with a nasty set of hands, a ludicrous wrist shot release, and pinpoint passing that just makes you make noise when you watch him. His start to the season was slow, often struggling to gain separation and trying to do a ton of work himself, but the intensity was there. He was playing physically, which he’ll need to do in the future as a little guy, and he may just be a great college player, but he’s a guy I want to believe in. How he skates, how he moves the puck, shoots the puck, evades opponents, sets up plays, when it’s clicking, he’s among the best in the draft. I’m still optimistic, but I’ll be keeping a close eye this year for better or worse.

• #22 | Bill Zonnon | C | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

  Another player who just keeps climbing and climbing as I watch him relative to others in this class. I adore Zonnon and what he could be. He’s smart on the puck with his routes and possession skills, aggressive off of it, a relentless forechecker, and a really good puck distributor in multiple areas of the ice. I haven’t seen much of where his offense comes from in the games I’ve tracked, but he’s driving shot assists at a decent rate. I just want him to get to scoring areas more and power his way to the net, because you can just tell that he’s capable of it. I think he needs to push his horizons a bit more and seize more opportunity for himself because he’s simply a joy to watch, admirable as he gets up and down the ice and chips in like a good big rangy centre should. His data isn’t as good as his rank indicates, and I may be too high on him, but I think there’s a great pathway ahead for Zonnon and the growth in his game since last year can’t be ignored.

• #23 | Arvid Drott | RW | Djurgårdens IF J20

  Sure, Drott hasn’t had amazing international appearances this year, but this guy has been a monster back in Sweden. He’s faster and more skilled than he was last season, and is extremely young for this draft class. He’s generating an obscene amount of scoring chances for himself, with a great ability to pick and choose when to pass pucks and defer to linemates. He powers through pressure, battles in front of the net for tips, but has a strong shot release that also can put goals on the board. He’s a diverse brand of scorer but his puck carrying ability is second-to-none. Catching pucks in stride, establishing possession across bluelines, and trying to mix things up off the puck in transition to mixed results is at very least an admirable combination of traits. He’s been high on my board since the summer, and I haven’t seen a ton of reasons to bump him down too far. The potential as a complimentary offensive piece with great transition and finishing ability is there, and he has worked off of Nilson as a linemate spectacularly well in my viewings. Similar to Nilson, you leave this player in Sweden indefinitely and let them develop wherever they might be.

• #24 | Cameron Reid | LHD | Kitchener Rangers

  I’m so up and down on Reid this year. Some moments with the puck are excellent, exploding up the ice, exploiting seams and tripping up forecheckers, hitting linemates with clean passes in multiple zones, he brings a ton to the table and oozes potential with his mobility and pass-based offensive game. He’s a northbound player, somewhat of a “Matthew Schaefer if you can’t draft Matthew Schaefer” kind of guy. Great northbound puck mover with flashes of offensive potential, but he’s extremely shot-heavy in my sample with regards to generating offense, which makes it hard to project him. I find his defensive game to be quite hit or miss, lacking the strength and momentum to pursue puck carriers laterally or around the boards, but that’s not uncommon for players this age. There’s tons of potential to play with though, and I think Reid could develop into a capable NHL defenseman that chips in positively in a number of areas, especially offensively.

• #25 | Blake Fiddler | RHD | Edmonton Oil Kings

  I could easily see Fiddler gone by 25, and I do genuinely enjoy what he brings to the game. He’s been as high as 14 on my list in the past, bringing defensive smarts and capable puck carrying ability. He’s calm, with crisp passing work getting out of the defensive zone, and there have been some moments of really impressive puck rushing ability, navigating through traffic and driving some high danger chances of his own. He’s a pretty laid back player that lets the game often come to him, but he’s got his fair share of explosive moments. He’s often a dependable rock to have behind your forwards that brings size, simple pass vision, and strong defensive instincts that should project to the NHL just fine. Is he the most exciting option? No, but he’s effective, efficient, and shows capability for some offensive creation that could be explored in the future.

• #26 | Caleb Desnoyers | C | Moncton Wildcats

  I still am having trouble figuring out Desnoyers and what to think of him. He’s clearly a highly intelligent pivot in the middle of the ice. He times passes well, moves the puck carefully, reads play off the puck and causes turnovers well. Overall, his analytical profile is… fine. Nothing particularly amazing, but nothing to really be concerned about. He’s a physical centre who has a bit of a lower pace of play, and he may project as a smart, possession oriented pressure absorbing centre with a physical edge, but I just feel there are a few players who have the potential to play roles in the NHL that are harder to find, even if there may be a bit more risk in their games than Desnoyers. This is an extremely close group, so the stable, physical game that he brings could easily sway me to take a look at him in the mid teens.

• #27 | Justin Carbonneau | RW | Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

  On the flipside of Desnoyers, we’ve got Justin Carbonneau. One on one, he’s remarkably skilled and determined, battling through pressure and fighting for possession well. He’s had some really impressive moments in games I’ve seen and tracked, I just find the consistency of his game to be all over the place, with very little in the way of chipping in defensively as often as others in this group. He’s a high talent, high ceiling player who is filling in a lower quality of competition with his skill and determination. He brings a solid individual shot-heavy offensive brand that could augment an NHL system well in the future with some good linemates that can get him the puck at higher levels.

• #28 | Logan Hensler | RHD | University of Wisconsin Badgers

  I’ve seen Hensler quite a lot over the last two seasons and I think he belongs in this tier, but I’m more hesitant on him than I thought I would be coming into the season. There are some really impressive moments coming from him with his playmaking in the offensive zone. Smart, tactically sound defending that keeps things simple. He has more than enough speed to close gaps, get to loose pucks, and find options to turn play around. I still just don’t know what I see in Hensler. He gets plenty of puck touches and clearly a bunch of Wisconsin’s rushes flow through him somehow, but results have been mixed outside of defensive rushes. He’s big, physical, decently mobile, and could be a nice dependable two way NHL defenseman, but I’m still early in my analysis of Hensler as he is. I’ve got time for him to be higher as the year goes on, but not much time for him to be lower than here as of today.

• #29 | Milton Gästrin | C | MoDo Hockey J20

  One of the unheralded Swedes this year, Gästrin has been impressive with some insane data points that he’s put up this year wth MoDo. He’s landed a couple minutes of SHL time where he looked physically outmatched and behind the play, but as a rush quarterback, capable of driving the puck up the ice with control, there are not many forwards in this draft class that have been better. He needs to gain a bit more resilience and determination to get to better scoring areas, and the shot selection leaves a lot to be desired. That said, his offensive threat generation in my work has been spectacular, with ridiculous amounts of slot passing and offensive creation through the middle of the ice. He needs more physical jam, but the speed, skill and raw playmaking ability is a great combination that could take him a long way in his future. In some areas, his analytical profile is top of the class, in others he most definitely isn’t. Another player you stash in Sweden indefinitely and let him raise the bar one level at a time, and hopefully he’ll find himself a middle six offensive NHL centre one day.

Tier 4 - The Supporting Cast and Big Swings

• #30 | Adam Benák | C | Youngstown Phantoms

  I’m frankly surprised that we find Benak this low on the list, but here we are. A spectacular junior career in Czechia and internationally led to a surprising move to the fun-loving, fast paced Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. Clearly a highly agile and skilled player, slotting in as a centre with Youngstown has been a challenge. His data in my work is adequate, but very heavily leaning towards his ability to find his spots off the puck in scoring areas and getting quick strike opportunities. There’s a lot of volume shooting here from Youngstown as a whole, and Benak has been keeping things to the perimeter a lot more than I’d like, but following up with more dangerous chances off the puck. In transition he often struggles to wrestle free of pressure and remove himself from defenders at times, lowering involvement but he’s an extremely efficient player, through the neutral zone with great stick checks defensively and clean offensive movement using his skill and agility in conjunction to snake through the neutral zone.
  
  I believe his play has improved since starting the year in Youngstown, but my expectation was that he would be an offensively dominant player and potentially cement himself as one of the next elite skilled forwards in the NHL, but he just hasn’t gotten there. He’s under a point a game, a net negative goal differential player relative to his team at even strength, and 14th in the USHL in point production per game. I seem to be more optimistic than many, and I believe that over time, shifting him to the wing could be a welcome change, allowing him to have a little more offensive freedom and lean into the skill and pace in his game. He’s small, but works hard, and while agile, I wouldn’t call him fast. To me, that puts him in the “really talented player worth taking a flyer on” tier, but right at the top of that group. A strong international season could put him back on the radar, but some of the holes in his game have been exposed in a tougher physical environment in the USHL.

• #31 | Topias Hynninen | LW/C | Jukurit

  I don’t know, around this point in this draft, you really have to ask yourself “who do you just like the most” and I’m starting to think about re-entries this early. To me, none that I’ve circled back on from last season have been as impressive as Topias Hynninen of Liiga’s last place Jukurit. They stink. Hynninen sits second in team scoring at time of writing, riding a 10 game stretch with 14 points, and is one of just four regular players on Jukurit above an even goal differential. The other three have combined for 11 points this year. He’s been on the first line for the Finnish junior team this season when I’ve caught them, and he’s been productive there as well. At the very, very least someone should have taken a flyer on this player last season.
  
  Hynninen has driven great metrics pretty much everywhere except deep in the offensive zone. He’s a clever and accurate passer, an aggressive and pesky defender on the rush, an aggressive and hard working forechecker, and while I’m certain there’s a wicked shot release there that could be a power play threat, he still seems to struggle to establish positioning in the offensive zone and have the puck fed to him for those chances reliably. He looks a step quicker than last year, a bit hungrier for the puck, and I think that in an environment that isn’t a last place team in the league, Hynninen could be even more productive. I don’t see an elite skilled big point producing NHL player here, but a really respectable, aggressive forechecking winger with some underrealized finishing ability, there could be something there still. He’s having a great year, and I’m hopeful his recent surge in offense continues through the World Juniors and into the back third of the Liiga season.

• #32 | William Belle | RW | U.S. National U18 Team

  This is around the range of the draft where if you get anything, you’ve made a good pick. In that sense, Belle is a guy that I can’t see not at least cracking the NHL somehow after a bit of time. He’s huge, hulking, and learning to use his physical tools more and more every time I see him. I had the thought experiment of swapping him and Brady Martin in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge. To me, Belle is faster, has better skill at that speed, and in my tracking, takes more shots from better scoring areas and looks shockingly similar in many other areas of my data. I feel like Belle is only scratching the surface of his capabilities and has taken a big jump in productivity since last year. As a bottom six NHL crasher and banger who can wow you on the rush at times with some soft puck touches, Belle is a guy who is often quiet when I see him, but then pops for some really impressive moments that I hope to see more of in the future. A bit more puck settling ability and a little bit better pass execution to others in transition, and I think the potential for Belle only grows from here. Leave him at Notre Dame for a few years, just work on… everything a little bit, and boom. I think you’ve got a great power winger to fill your lineup with.

• #33 | Zeb Lindgren | LHD/RSD | Skellefteå AIK

  This one is pretty simple. I see a pretty mobile, safe and dependable defender with some flashes of skill that can be built on. His play with the men’s team didn’t put him out of place at all, driving great possession and passing results. Skelleftea’s junior club is a relative embarrassment with just 5 wins this year and every game I’ve seen looks like they actively wish they’d be doing anything else. Klingsell, Nordlund, and Lindgren have all been extremely underwhelming there which is concerning in my view. That said, Lindgren could very well just be a player good enough to play men, and is biding his time until he gets a bigger role there. I know what I’ve seen, and he’ll likely go later than he should, but he’s a weird case study this season. Safe, mobile, dependable and smart at his best, there isn’t a huge ceiling for Lindgren I don’t think, but I think there’s a solid floor there.

• #34 | Jamiro Reber | C | HV71

  Another re-entry here and boy what a huge step this season has been for the small Swiss dynamo. Reber cracked the men’s team in Jönköping and has now become their third leading scorer. While often a power play producer, Reber has always been a similar case for me. Insanely quick and agile through the neutral zone, aggressive going both directions, but remains pretty allergic to driving himself and/or the puck into scoring areas. There’s still a bit of that in his game but holy crap he is so capable of trying. One of the first shots he ever attempted in the SHL was a lacrosse shot, which is so cheeky and cocky that you just have to respect it.
  
  He’s the leading scorer among all D+1 SHL players this year, both in raw points and points per game, ahead of names like Brandsegg-Nygård, Träff, and Pettersson which surprises me, and I liked Reber last year quite a lot! The bar for players like him is high, and he’s getting plenty of reps to get over the hurdles in front of him. The quickness of his game could take him a long way and while I certainly don’t see him projecting as a centre, I expect a strong World Junior tournament from him and hope to see a more aggressive player in the offensive zone, driving more pucks into the middle of the ice and enabling others to generate offense.
  
  One last thing to keep in mind as well, is while Reber is a re-entry, he’s barely, barely a re-entry. If he were born 12 days later, making him a similar age to Roger McQueen, Malcolm Spence, Kashawn Aitcheson, or Victor Eklund, are people talking about Reber as if he’s the next big thing out of Switzerland? I get the feeling there would at least be some out there who are hopping on the bandwagon of “extremely productive draft year aged skilled forward playing in the SHL”. His rate of point production would put him among the top draft year players in recent SHL history. Eklund, Carlsson, Reber. Those would be the only first time draft eligibles above half a point a game. Both of those players were also late birthdays, which Reber would have been this season if he were born just a few weeks later than he was. The fact that zero people are really talking about Reber as an option of any kind simply doesn’t add up to me at all, and I’ve been a big fan this year.

• #35 | Conrad Fondrk | C/RW | U.S. National U18 Team

  Fondrk has been a remarkably up and down player this year. At times, when he knocks a puck free and blasts into open space, he has some of the most impressive rush offense moments of almost anyone in the draft. Dropping a shoulder, cutting to the net, making dangerous passing plays through scoring areas, Fondrk has a high ceiling in my view. His floor is low and he’s going to need to be a producer to make things work, and to me, the big question is if he’s got enough juice in the tank enough of the time to be more than just a really talented college scorer. I think he could get there with the explosiveness in his game, but there can be mental lapses with the puck and some soft passing leading to needless turnovers, and much of his data is good but not great almost across the board. I like the guy and he could be a nice swing to take, but in this range, there are others right there with him and it’s still a big mess, but of these players Fondrk has definitely had some of the most impressive singular moments.

• #36 | William Moore | C/LW | U.S. National U18 Team

  Moore is weird. I was expecting him to lead the NTDP by a margin on the ice, and I’ve just come away confused about what he could be in the future. You see moments of skill in transition and creative route selection that crosses up defenders, and he gets his scoring chances, wasting few shot attempts, but I wonder if there’s enough to crack the NHL in a given job one day? Obviously diagnosing things in the future is a dangerous game, and Moore is almost certainly going to mature into an impressive college forward, but while he’s skilled, I don’t see enough that pushes him up my board. He’s relatively quick, but only in pockets and isn’t as involved in play as I’d expect. He’s a decent passer, especially in transition, but his ability to generate offense is just not consistently there. He’s generating from the perimeter, and lots of the NTDP’s shots flow through him, but they’re often hemmed in their own end with him on the ice. He’s got some defensive edge to him, but is it enough to be a bottom six player? I’m not sure.

  
  It’s still early in the year and I have all the time in the world to have my mind changed, but it feels as though a lot of players have worked their way into a conversation to be at least on par with how Moore has played this season.

• #37 | Tinus Luc Koblar | F | Leksand IF J20

  Now this is a deep cut. If you look this guy up, you’ll see he isn’t scoring much, but he’s doing pretty much everything well except generating offense. The Slovenian-Norwegian is raw as it gets. 6’3” and under 180 pounds scales roughly to a 160 pound six-footer, so there’s plenty of meat to grow on his bones, and I think it’ll only benefit his style of play. He’s remarkably skilled and intelligent with the puck on his stick, with some great edgework to navigate through the neutral zone and stitch play together. His World Junior tournament has been underwhelming, but the entire Norwegian group has been that way it seems. I just really like the potential in his game. You see flashes of a lanky skilled player who sees the ice well, delays passes intelligently, and marches the puck up the ice well. He isn’t slow, he isn’t weak on his feet, he isn’t clunky, but he just needs to keep pushing his envelope with his offensive zone playmaking. His tracked data is really, really good in transition and generating his own scoring chances, and I’m not betting against a strong back half, and definitely not betting against an upward trajectory in the long term. He’s played every forward position a bit this year, and at centre I feel he’s been his best. With the right linemates I could easily see Koblar just get better and better on paper to line up with what he’s capable of in deeper metrics.

• #38 | Benjamin Kevan | RW/C | Des Moines Buccaneers

  Golly this group is so close. I feel dirty for having Kevan this low, but I just worry about the projection of his game to higher levels. He’s competitive, skilled, laterally quick, and selfless with the puck in the offensive zone. Shot selection needs work, and he isn’t particularly effective defensively in almost any respect, but his puck touches are often very well executed, especially in transition, and he reads opponents on the forechecks like a children’s novel. A smart, creative and confident forward, Kevan is a bit of a longshot with a low floor, but you see some really impressive puck movement and off-puck reads from him that catch your eye at times. I’ll keep checking in on him, and I’m not totally sure what I think of him, but this range feels about right for him for now. Could he end up higher? Maybe a little bit, but not a tier higher. Could he end up lower? Potentially but probably not tremendously.

• #39 | Filip Ekberg | W | Ottawa 67s

  I’ll admit that I wasn’t as hyped about Ekberg going into this season as some others, but I also believe people have overcorrected a bit on him. I think the speed and physicality of the OHL closed out his offensive potential at even strength but I think he’s really come a step with his ability to anticipate pressure, use skill to create lanes and manage it well. He’s been a great off-puck player as well, generating turnovers and anticipating breakouts well. His shot selection is… bad, but these things should grow as he gains more confidence. I think he’s a slow burn player who is clearly very very skilled and creative, but needs to gain a gear with his feet that he doesn’t have, and needs to get stronger all around in order to have more of an impact. This is about as high as he’s likely to be on my board, but I’m optimistic about him considering where others are on him. He’s had issues, but I think that he could work through them with enough time.

• #40 | Sascha Boumedienne | LHD | Boston University Terriers

  I already feel like I have Boumedienne a bit too low, but I don’t think he should be a tier higher or anything. He’s still finding his way as one of two 2007-born players in the NCAA. His metrics are… not good. Pretty much everywhere you look in my sample, it isn’t great, but he has had some nice playmaking moments off the boards in the offensive zone. He’s a great skater, which is what you’re building around. He picks his spots defensively very well but seeing the ice and calmly making plays to get the puck out of his end with control is a problem. He’s extremely pass-heavy, but doesn’t connect with his linemates enough right now. He’s one of a limited number of defensemen who are in a bit of a death zone in my data. Allowing control on more defensive transitions than he maintains control on his offensive ones. Basically, more guys are beating him than he’s beating them on the rush. It’s not unheard of, but it isn’t a great place to be, but I’m willing to be patient. As I write this, I need to reiterate that this tier is extremely close and I very well could wake up tomorrow and be cook with Boumedienne being ahead of a player like Reber on this list, but for now, I’m cautiously optimistic, and the team that drafts him will likely be building him out from his footwork and mobility into whatever it is that he’s going to be.

• #41 | Harry Nansi | RW | Owen Sound Attack

  Hi Jordan Malette, OHL Analyst at PuckPreps. Thanks for the pointer on Harry, because I absolutely love this guy. He is so, so smart and projectable as a player with insane amounts of involvement all over the ice. He’s a winger I want on the ice when games are in crunch time. He’s fast and intense as a player, but drives excellent offensive results as well. He stops up to create space and uses skill to move pucks into new lanes, and just marches play around the ice consistently with almost every shift. He’s such an enjoyable player to watch, and there were times I had him touching the end of the first round. He could get there before the end of the season if I’m being honest. He’s extremely young for the draft class, lanky for his size, and the potential is so glaringly apparent that I can only imagine him making himself more known to people over time. Yes, the point production isn’t there, but with the way he plays, I just can’t see how he doesn’t take steps forward over the next couple seasons in the OHL. He’s a player that I think coaches will love to have. He’s pesky, but plays the game with intelligence on and off the puck. I may be sticking my neck out a bit considering some of the OHLers I have lower than him, but setting raw point totals aside, I think he’d be an endearing player to many.

• #42 | Everett Baldwin | RHD | Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

  Right now, Baldwin is the ultimate wild card, but after watching both USHL games he had this year and catching some very limited tape of him playing at a lower level, I think Baldwin could be a shockingly high pick this year. I am being serious that I’m not sure there is a faster defenseman in a straight line this year. He’s at least part of the conversation. He’s shifty, skilled and has a remarkably quick wrist shot that he deploys often. I am waiting until I see more of him to really know what to do with him, but after the 17u Nationals this summer where I felt he was spectacular, and seeing him in the USHL this year, I think that more reps at that level would do him well. He’s just a ton of fun, and I know NHL scouts are on the ground watching him quite a lot, in enough volume to make me think he’s sneakily much higher on boards than the public realizes. I could be wrong, but I’ve really loved what I’ve seen. He’s explosive, creative, and brings a lot to the table that the modern NHL requires. Will he be this high in June? I honestly have no clue, but not many defenders could keep up with him that are ranked below him, and that counts for something in my view.

• #43 | Brady Martin | C | Soo Greyhounds

  I can hear the collective sounds of all 28 of you scratching your heads. It doesn’t sound great but I understand why you’re doing it. Watching Brady Martin this year, I simply have not understood the hype with him. Yes, I know he’s farm boy strong, but I just don’t really see how his game projects well to the NHL as-is outside of a complimentary low pace physical player who can protect the puck really, really well. His tracked data looks pretty good, and I think he’s a pretty smart passer timing things well and working off of linemates well, but from what I’ve seen so far, he isn’t the first player I’d pick in the draft. I can’t see him not being some kind of NHL player, considering how well he can eat the puck along the boards and find ways to make plays, how physical he can be, and how he passes the puck, but seeing him as high as he is on other boards while I’ve seen faster, more skilled and creative big boys that I think will have an easier time with NHL pace just leaves him where he is here. This tier, as I’ve said, is extremely close. I could easily be swayed to take him over some of the names at the top of the tier because I do respect the things he does really really well, and I may be overcorrecting because of how high I’ve seen him elsewhere, but I’ve had a tough time with Martin this year. At one point I tracked a game of his, and a game of Harry Nansi immediately afterwards with a neutral observer who has nothing to do with the OHL watching on, and we both very quickly agreed that Nansi was a more intriguing player than Martin. Faster, higher skill level, more creative and adaptable passer in transition, there was just quite a lot of meat to chew on with Nansi that we both believed could lead him to a higher ceiling than Martin.
  
  I will say that seeing Brady Martin on the CHL roster in London and Oshawa, I saw what he could be, but he was playing with elite prospects as a complimentary physical presence who could get the puck off the boards well and set a physical tone. That’s fine and dandy, but to me, I have other priorities in the first round, and I felt that a player like William Belle fit that role in a more projectable way, just on a much, much worse roster.

• #44 | Kurban Limatov | LHD/RSD | MHK Dynamo Moskva

  Closing out our individual player writeups is Kurban Limatov. You want to talk wild cards, Limatov is about as wild as it gets. In my view he gets better every game, but he started of real, real sketchy. He’s absolutely massive, and very fluid on his feet for such a big boy, and when he gets a head of steam going with the puck, holy moly does he ever get moving. The problem is that uh, he doesn’t really play actual hockey all that well, but I mean that in a positive sense. There’s so much potential talent there, but he loses physical battles he should win, gets walked on defensive entries, can send aimless passes to nobody, extending defensive zone cycles, and can get caught flat footed on his stick checks, making life way too easy for opponents. BUT. The bright moments are so, so bright, and I think he’s taken steps. He’s taking his time with the puck, making better reads, and cutting off play in the offensive zone better. I don’t know, I don’t think his talent level puts him in a lower tier, but he just isn’t… there enough to be higher on the board. Some days I love him, some days I go elsewhere, but there’s something there glimmering away, it just might take a decade to get there.

Tier 5 - Pretty Neat, But ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

• Ahhhhhhh Simon Wang. The epitome of gigantic Skate-y Boi, he absolutely zips and zooms around, but I haven’t really seen much more than that on a consistent basis. I am intrigued, I thought he looked good in that one OHL game, but had some shaky moments moving the puck on his own and passing, especially in and out of the defensive zone. He’s Kurban Limatov but even more Limatov-y. I couldn’t draft a half point per game OJHLer higher than this no matter how big and zoomy they are. A high OJHL pick historically has been absolutely dominant in order to work out. Could he be? Maybe, but he is a long term bet. A fun one though!

• Anthony Allain-Samake might be the most underrated defender in the USHL. I love him. There’s so much that’s almost there with him. He’s had an interesting story that’s his to tell in my opinion, but I just want to support this dude as much as I can. He’s smart, mobile, fluid, and I think he gets a bit more aggressive off the puck and challenges the rush a bit more, he could be really impressive. His offensive zone passing can be excellent at times, and I really enjoyed the potential of his game. He isn’t there yet, but he’s another extremely young player who is a USHL rookie, but doesn’t look out of place.

• Nikita Poltavchuk is so fun. Skilled, really mobile, aggressive with the puck, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him play a KHL game here and there by the end of the year. He can be a bit loose defensively and pinch for offense a bit too much, but with his skating ability, vision and creativity, I’ve really enjoyed him this year.

• Luka Radivojevic: Skates insanely well and is lots of fun but… no idea what he is in the future.

• Gavin Cornforth is a bit small, but I don’t care. He’s a remarkably hard worker, a great forechecker and quick thinker on the puck who could be an interesting option as a complimentary winger.

• Ivan Fomin is as small as hockey players get, but holy smokes is he ever a fun player. He may literally pass away on the ice one day, be it from bouncing off a guy he’s trying to hit head first, or flying into the boards on a missed hit, or turning into a hit that snaps him in half from behind, or just from a heart attack from trying so damn hard, but my god in heaven he is so, so much fun to watch. He’s insanely explosive, aggressive on loose pucks, has room to grow as an annoying forechecker, and chains offensive zone plays together with the best in this draft. He’s playing in Vladivostok for a team that has never generated an NHL draft pick, but I simply do not care. He came out of nowhere this season and I’ve loved almost every minute of him. I would trade Mr. Future Considerations for the last pick in the draft to land his rights and see where he goes in the next 5-7 years. He skates like the wind blows across the plains of Siberia, he can shoot, he can make plays, his offensive analytics for me are off the charts, and he may risk his life on many shifts, but by gum isn’t that what we’re all looking for from time to time?

• Kashawn Aitcheson ends up here and I’d be remiss if I don’t explain why. I just haven’t really seen a top end defender there. He’s aggressive and a real pain in the ass, but I’ve seen him sit back on countless defensive zone entries, allow a chance on net, then hack and whack the guy after the whistle blows. Is that my kind of defender? No. Does he shoot the puck good? Sure, but I don’t really value that a ton with defensemen, especially when considering them in the first round. I think his ability to read the ice and execute passes into the neutral zone is well behind many of the defenders ahead of him. He’s just a really tough defenseman but to me he’s the brand of tough defenseman that isn’t nearly as effective as people might think. He’s mean, annoying, and can play the psychological game, and there’s certainly room to grow, but it almost doesn’t matter where I rank him because I’m almost certain he’ll be gone before he’s the best option for me.

• Ludvig Johnson is in here. I’ve watched most of his games in the National League since his call up after a spectacular start to his junior season. He’s still got a ways to go defensively, but he does not look out of place in one of the best men’s leagues in Europe whatsoever. I always felt he was much closer to Washington Capitals 2nd rounder Leon Muggli than anyone would have thought, and I think they’ve both been on similar levels at the top division this season. Johnson is skilled, creative, sees the ice so well, and I am really hopeful that he can bring that success to international ice this year. He was a deep cut I was confident in last season so to see him find more success than I expected this quickly in his career is a welcome surprise.

• Alexander Zharovsky might be the most underrated Russian in the draft. He’s electrifyingly skilled, making plays at high speeds and embarrassing opponents here and there. He’s a great playmaker with an underutilized shot, and he’s just gotten more and more comfortable as an MHL rookie this year. I’ve got eyes firmly set on him, and have really enjoyed what I’ve seen on a team that has been a ton of fun to watch.

• And here we have Ivan Ryabkin. He has not been good this year. Reports coming out of Russia are worse. It isn’t a good situation and honestly it’s a bit disappointing to the point where I hope he can recover things and become the special player he flashed last year. He’s playing slower, using his skill significantly less, playing like he’s frustrated, and simply hasn’t been effective at even strength in a level he should be dominating. Is it salvageable? I believe the answer to that is always yes, but being a healthy scratch in the MHL for a player as productive as he was last year is an immeasurable fall in standing. Has he been that bad? I don’t believe so, but he also has been seriously underwhelming and hasn’t looked any better when I check in as the year goes on.

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Tier 6 - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

• Jack Murtagh is in here, mostly because I see a nice complimentary finisher with some strength, but I don’t really see a great possession driver or off-puck impact player. He’s a bit clunky and slow in my viewings and his analytical profile is really underwhelming. He just hasn’t really popped in my viewings outside of some nice shooting opportunities. I may be off on this, but similar to Aitcheson, I feel like it doesn’t matter. He’ll be gone before I’d be ready to add him to my pipeline.

• I think Daniil Skvortsov might be the most underrated defender in the OHL class this year. It may not come out often, but he’s mobile and one of the most involved players on defensive rushes that I’ve come across this year. It may not go his way all the time, but he’s big and uses his reach well, with plenty of mobility to toy around with. He’s a project, but on a Guelph team that has struggled at times, Skvortsov has been a curiously strong and interesting presence in their defense group.

• I really want Luca Romano to be a thing. He’s so smart moving the puck and sees the ice so well, I just wonder how he projects to higher levels. He doesn’t have a tremendous amount of strength nor speed at the moment, but he can manage it considering the smarts he has. He uses the raw ability he has very well, and I could see him higher by the end of the year, but I always go back to “what is this player in the NHL”, and I’m not sure what the answer is for Romano, which gives me pause.

• Vaclav Nestrasil is a really, really raw player, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him get a look from a major player like Craig Button. He’s very tall and very lanky, but there’s some good speed and great skill locked away in his game. He’s a player that needs some guidance and coaching, but in a positive way. I don’t think he realizes just how good he could be, and plays very cautious and careful hockey, but can panic under pressure and not see the ice super well. Muskegon was abysmal in the game I tracked of his, and he wasn’t particularly amazing, but I still saw flashes. Skill under pressure, creativity, good speed to close gaps off the puck, I think his back half could be pretty good and I’m hopeful that we see a bit more of what he’s capable of.

• Lev Katzin smol. Lev Katzin fun. Lev Katzin shoot fast. NHL? Probably not, but it’d be fun!

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The Watchlist

• Every time I watch the US NTDP, Richard Gallant is the guy catching my eye every single time. I felt he was one of the only Americans who could skate with and push back the talented CHL roster. He’s got great cuts to make space, threads passes really well through traffic, and I’ve really liked him. I haven’t tracked him yet but I’ll get to him, because I’ve liked what I’ve seen. He’s just small, but I think there might be enough there to get through the issues he has because of his size.

• And so we get to The Watchlist. These are players that have caught my attention but are largely only on this list to keep an eye on long term and to prevent me from forgetting about their existence. I could draft some of these players for sure, but my projection on them might be a little too uncertain or risky for me to really pull the trigger.

• The (kinda) Omsk defenders here (Zavadsky and Ukhmylov) are raw, raw, raw, but I think there’s good potential long term with both. Zavadsky has a massive shot from the point and some great skating ability, but his passing vision and strength needs work. Ukhmylov is skilled and fluid on his feet, but lanky as hell and in my opinion needs to have a bit more assertiveness and confidence with the puck. There are some high end moments with him, but then he quietly sneaks away into the bush for a while. Fun player, probably not a guy I’m drafting, but definitely a guy I want to watch long term.

• Roman Bausov is huge, skates well, and is very smart defensively. He just has such limited offensive potential and is so boring. I mean that respectfully though. He eats minutes, gobbles pucks and is a good defensive insulator, but I need more to be more confident in his profile.

• Little David Lovgren is on here. He’s just a riot to watch. Quick, skilled, agile, he takes up almost no space on the ice which leaves him behind often, but once the puck hits his stick, he’s off like a rocket and has some pinpoint passing ability that has led to some seriously impressive individual moments. He’s as long a longshot gets but he’s always a hoot.

• Maxim Zaitsev is the epitome of stickhandling in a phone booth. For all you kids out there, a phone booth is a very small, often enclosed space for human beings to use stationary cell phones with no internet or apps to call other human beings for a very small amount of money. Being able to stickhandle inside of one is a very impressive trait. He’s pretty slow, pretty individualistic, but if you watch a highlight package, you’ll be smitten. Dipsy-doodling around multiple defenders and slinging passes around like the fishmongers at Pike Place. Fun? Yes. Projectable? Probably not.

• Lasse Boelius might be the best first time draft eligible Finn this year, but I really don’t know if there’s an NHLer there without a great leap in skating ability. He wants to play like Cale Makar, but he ain’t Cale Makar. Deception, pinpoint passing, skill, a good shot, he’s got all of it, but that playstyle requires elite mobility and offensive output to make it work, and while I haven’t seen much of him in Liiga, I haven’t seen him really look like a player that could project to the NHL well anytime soon. He should be drafted, but you’ll need to be patient and hope for significant development.

• Who the hell is Yuri Rummo? He’s a big, violent Belorussian playing in Moscow for the Red Army program, and he’s just a barrel of laughs to watch. I’m surprised he hasn’t produced a bit more, but he’s a high pace, energetic player who absolutely levels opponents at times, almost to a fault. He has an underrated skill level though, and while he is clearly extremely raw, there are interesting bits and pieces to his game that could turn out to be a nice energy player over a very long period. He’s a project, but plays a style that I think could be endearing to NHL folks one day.

• Daniil Petrenko is really entertaining and hard working, and scored one of the quickest and slickest lacrosse goals I’ve ever seen this season, but I’m not sure he skates well enough to be a skilled player at higher levels.

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There you have it! I hope you enjoyed. If you did, definitely consider a subscription to Scouching.ca to fund our work and get access to really cool data tables and visualizations. Over the new year, I’ll be updating everything for the 2025 class, so stay tuned for that, I’m just getting my samples up to a comfortable level so it’s worth sharing with you beautiful people. You can also join us live on YouTube for Scouching Live, every Monday night at 8pm EST and Thursday afternoons at 2pm EST, so drop by, ask questions and get some more clarity on what you’ve read today!

Have a safe and fun holiday season, no matter how you celebrate, and thanks for reading!