2025 NHL Entry Draft – Top 10 Left Wingers

But being a battler is not all that Murtagh can do offensively. This season, he was among the most productive players on the United States National Team Developmental Program’s (USNTDP) U18 team. He was in the top three of each major offensive category (goals, assists, and points). A lot of his offensive success comes from his strong playmaking and great passing skills. He also uses his speed to his advantage, beating opponents to get into a better position for a chance on net. Not to be outdone, his shot is heavy with a quick release. One of the biggest reasons the Boston University-bound left winger is not higher in rankings is that his defensive game is still a work in progress.

8. Viggo Nordlund, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 26th (among EU skaters)

Viggo Nordlund may not be the biggest player on the ice (5-foot-9, 168 pounds), but he has the skills, when fully engaged, to make an impact on the ice. He relies on the pace he plays with to keep himself out of bad spots, being smaller, and has great hands with the puck on his stick. The vision Nordlund possesses, mixed with his hands, makes him an offensive threat at any time on the ice.

The biggest concern with Nordlund’s game is staying engaged. He tends to lack consistency, but showed with both Skellefteå AIK of the SHL and at the J20 level that when fully engaged, he can take over a game offensively and drive the play with his skill and pace. He only recorded a single point in the 22 total games (17 regular season, five playoff games) in the SHL, but he seemed to gain more confidence and comfort at that level of play by the end of the season.

7. Stepan Hoch, HC Motor České Budějovice (Czechia)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 24th (among EU skaters)

A raw talent heading into this year’s draft, Stepan Hoch showed flashes of being a playmaking, power forward type of player this season with both HC Motor České Budějovice’s teams he played with. He does not use his big frame (6-foot-4) as much as expected in the physicality department, but does use it well to protect himself and the puck from opponents. He is a strong skater for his size and can tie that in with his puck protection and vision on the ice to be an efficient playmaker in the offensive zone.

In his own end of the ice, Hoch is very defensively responsible and is strong on the backcheck to help support his defensemen. When he does get the puck in his zone, he uses his vision and passing ability to make a quick pass to start a breakout. He can also make strong stretch passes to spring a teammate on a break or a rush. If he can continue to work on his craft and develop, Hoch could become a very servicable player at the NHL level.

6. Dmitri Isayev, Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 21st (among EU skaters)

Yet another smaller player (5-foot-9, 148 pounds), Dmitri Isayev may not be the most physically imposing player, but he does try to throw his weight around when he can. He does not shy away from going to the dirty areas of the ice to try and make a play at either end of the ice, and when he does get the puck, he is quickly moving with it. He plays with great pace in his game, with great edgework in his skating, and is not afraid to fire the puck when he can. His shot attempts are high, but the efficiency of those shots is still a work in progress at this stage of his development. At this point, he is more of a distributor who can occasionally find the back of the net.

Defensively, Isayev is a pest. He is constantly strong on the backcheck, and when the opposing team has the puck and sets up in the offensive zone, he has his stick in passing lanes and is active with his stick work. With his size limiting his game a bit, he seems to be a player who could turn into a boom or bust prospect who could hear his name in the third round in June.

5. Malcolm Spence, Erie Otters (OHL)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 17th (among NA skaters)

A two-way player who is a pest on the ice, Malcolm Spence has a never-ending motor. Not only does he create havoc on the defensive side of the puck, both in his end where he throws his weight around and positions himself well, but he also does it on the forecheck. He seems to be the first player on the puck more times than he is not, and makes his opponents feel his presence. Spence’s skating also makes him a force, as he moves on the ice very smoothly.

Spence’s game makes him a strong special teams player, both on the power play and penalty kill. He has the playmaking skills to make an offensive impact, and he has only improved at the OHL level as he has gotten older and more developed. The style of game he plays will be much sought after by NHL organizations at this year’s draft.

4. Tomas Poletin, Pelicans (Liiga)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 14th (among EU skaters)

A relentless two-way player hailing from Czechia, Tomas Poletin’s all-around game led him to be named the Czech captain at the U18 WC. One of the first things that stands out with Poletin’s game is his tenacity and relentlessness at both ends of the ice. In the offensive zone, he is one of the first players to cause havoc on the forecheck thanks to his willingness to go to the dirty parts of the ice. Defensively, his relentlessness translates into his backchecking ability.

Poletin may not be a player who will light up the scoresheet, but he is strong enough physically to be a force in the offensive zone when given the opportunity. He plays a net-front game, creating screens and havoc for the opposing team’s netminder. More of a player who will do the little things right and do the dirty work, Poletin is surely a player an NHL organization would like to have in their middle-to-bottom-six of their forward grouping.

3. Lynden Lakovic, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 14th (among NA skaters)

Lynden Lakovic is a player in this year’s draft who has seen his value shoot up quite a bit with his strong play. As a bigger-framed player (6-foot-4), Lakovic was not known to use his body as much as many expected he would at the beginning of the season, but as the season progressed, he showed a stronger willingness to do so. He plays more of a finesse-style game, relying on his deception and stickhandling to impact the game. With the puck on his stick, the big left winger has shown top-notch playmaking abilities and began to drive offense more toward the end of the season with Moose Jaw.

A complete playmaker, Lakovic’s game is reminiscent of Anthony Mantha’s. However, he plays more on the outside/perimeter of the offensive zone with the puck on his stick.

2. Carter Bear, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 10th (among NA skaters)

While his season was cut short on March 7 due to an Achilles injury, Carter Bear has a great all-around game. He constantly moves around the ice, whether offensively or defensively, looking to make a play on the puck. Defensively, Bear is a fundamentally and positionally sound player, keeping his stick in passing lanes to eliminate a chance from down low to the point or vice versa. The instincts he has help in the defensive department, as he uses them to position himself in the right spot more times than not. This helped make him one of the Everett Silvertips’ most consistent penalty killers.

On the offensive side of the puck, Bear has a high motor and energy level that translates to him being a strong forechecker to help gain control of the puck for his team. Once he does have the puck, he has the playmaking ability to find a teammate or uses his strong shot to give himself a chance on the net. He excels the most in the offensive zone away from the puck. He can get himself into position to get a pass from a teammate, and if he can not find a lane to get a shot off for himself, he has no issue with going to the net and looking for a tip from a teammate’s shot.

1. Vojtěch Čihař, HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia)

NHL Central Scouting Ranking: 4th (among EU skaters)

The top-ranked left winger in this year’s draft class among European and North American players, Vojtěch Čihař, had a busy season. First, he was selected in the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) Import Draft by the Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL), but decided to stay in Czechia for the season. He played a full season with HC Energie Karlovy Vary and represented Czechia in the U20 World Juniors and U18 WC. He did not light up the scoresheet this season, but he is a player who will do all of the little things a team wants out of their players. While not someone who will be a high-end offensive producer, he has shown flashes of high-end talent. It begins with his strong forechecking ability, leading to his vision and IQ coming into effect. He has good patience with the puck on his stick and uses his strong skating and puck protection to find himself in a good spot for either a shot or a pass.

Where Čihař’s game stands out the most is defensively. He plays more of a “defense-first” kind of game. He is very positionally sound from his winger spot and is a very detail-oriented player. He has no issue with getting involved physically and throws his weight around quite a bit. He is a player who projects to fill a checking-line role at the NHL level and could hear his name being called in the second round of this year’s draft.

Depth at the Left Wing Position in the Draft

The 2025 Draft has plenty of depth at the left wing position, and while some players are ranked higher than others, team needs will come into effect, and some could be taken out of the order of said rankings. With the amount of depth at the position, plenty of left-wingers could be taken and make an impact at the NHL level in the future.