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The Stanley Cup Finals will be decided in the coming days, which means the 2025 NHL Draft is rapidly approaching. This year's edition of the entry draft features another exciting crop of prospects and several major questions looming. What's stood out over recent weeks is the variety in rankings and mock drafts. Establishing a consensus top-10 is nearly impossible with so many split opinions. With the first round looking like a crap shoot with the exception of a few picks, let's explore how the first 10 picks of the 2025 NHL Draft could go.
1. New York Islanders - Matthew Schaefer, Defenseman (Erie Otters, OHL)
The only pick I'm willing to bet on in the top-10 is this one. The Islanders will be tempted by multiple other options, particularly the allure of drafting the hometown boy, James Hagens, but they can't be swayed. The right choice is Matthew Schaefer, who projects to be a game-changing defender at the next level. He can skate like the wind, dissect opposing defenses and has the intelligence on the ice to match some of the game's best players right now. He can give the Islanders a franchise defenseman in a way that their current best defenders, Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock, simply cannot.
2. San Jose Sharks - Michael Misa, Forward (Saginaw Spirit, OHL)
The best forward in this draft class is Michael Misa, and the Sharks can't pass on the future top-line skater. He collected awards in the OHL and CHL like it was nothing this past season after putting up 62 goals and 134 points in just 65 games. Put him, Macklin Celebrini and William Eklund on a line, and good luck trying to catch them. The Sharks have to select Misa if he doesn't go first overall.
3. Chicago Blackhawks - Anton Frondell, Forward (Djurgarden, SWE-2)
My best bet is that Anton Frondell winds up with the Blackhawks. He's the ideal long-term number two center behind Connor Bedard, and they don't need him to hurry to North America to claim the role. He can develop further in Sweden and come over when the organization is ready to truly compete.
4. Utah Mammoth - Caleb Desnoyers, Forward (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL)
Desnoyers may be the most complete forward in this class, and the Utah Mammoth would love to add him to their organization. They lack a true center and Desnoyers projects as a top-six center who can play in all situations.
5. Nashville Predators - James Hagens, Forward (Boston College, NCAA)
Nashville dips again into the NCAA and takes advantage of Hagens unlikely availability at the fifth pick. The skilled playmaker had an excellent season learning under some highly touted NHL prospects and scored 37 points in 37 games as a freshman with Boston College. He'd also complement fellow NCAA prospects in the Preds' system like Matthew Wood, Teddy Stiga and Aiden Fink.
6. Philadelphia Flyers - Porter Martone, Forward (Brampton Steelheads, OHL)
Martone hovered around the top prospect spot for parts of the season, and the late surge of the top of the board is Philadelphia's gain. Martone is fresh off a 37-goal, 98-point campaign as the captain of his OHL team. He possesses ideal size (6'3", 205 pounds) that pairs nicely with his innate playmaking ability.
7. Boston Bruins - Roger McQueen, Forward (Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL)
With new information and outlook on the injury that robbed him of so much of his draft year, the Bruins can add one of the most talented players in the class in McQueen. He's huge (6'5"), has strong skating mechanics, and has high-end vision on the ice. He adds a sorely needed offensive flare to a needy Boston prospect pipeline.
8. Seattle Kraken - Radim Mrtka, Defenseman (Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL)
The 6'6 Radim Mrtka may get mislabeled as the next bruiser due to his hulking size, but that would be focusing on the wrong parts of his game. Yes, Mrtka can deliver a check and has an advantage in close puck battles due to his long reach and size, but that is not the best part of his game. Mrtka profiles more like a Brandon Carlo of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a top-4 defender who can kill penalties and play 20+ minutes per night, but also can skate the puck out of a dangerous situation when needed. He'd be an excellent addition to the Seattle stockpile of prospects.
9. Buffalo Sabres - Victor Eklund, Forward (Djurgarden, SWE-2)
Another standout who played in the second-tier Swedish professional league and younger brother of Sharks' winger William Eklund, Victor is an exciting playmaker with a no-quit attitude that any NHL team will admire. The Sabres need more top-of-the-lineup offensive prospects, and Eklund gives them a potential first or second-line winger of the future.
10. Anaheim Ducks - Kashawn Aitcheson, Defenseman (Barrie Colts, OHL)
Aitcheson is another one of those catapulting risers in the latest mock drafts and final rankings, but it's easy to see why. He has all the tools and is coming off a season where he scored 26 goals and finished with 59 points in 64 games. The Ducks need strength at every position, meaning they may take the player with the most upside with their first-round choice, regardless of position. Aitcheson certainly fits the bill if the draft board falls this way.
More must-reads:
- Canucks believed to have inquired about Predators' Steven Stamkos
- DeMeco Ryans sounds displeased with officiating after C.J. Stroud concussion
- The 'NFL Passing YPG leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
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Three offseason trade targets for Blue Jays to add an impact bat
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DeMeco Ryans sounds displeased with officiating after C.J. Stroud concussion
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