The 2024 NHL Entry Draft was not the strongest showing for American prospects, as no player was taken in the top ten, and only three were taken in the entire first round. This year might be better, as one American skater is rated in the top-5 by NHL Central Scouting, and seven players have rankings that could see them selected in the first round.
Here is a look at the top ten prospects from the United States, using the rankings from the final NHL Central Scouting report of North American skaters.
10) Jack Murtagh – Center/Left Wing
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 30th (NA skaters)
The first word that comes to mind when you mention Jack Murtagh is workhorse. He plays an uncomplicated game and has no problem doing the dirty work on the forecheck or along the wall. Playing for the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP), Murtagh had 16 goals and 21 assists in 53 games. One of the main traits you notice about Murtagh is his willingness to play in front of the net. The Boston University commit has the desirable combination of will and skill and is never afraid to get the puck to the net.
Murtagh’s improving playmaking game, incessant motor, physicality, and established goal-scoring potency offer a variety of strengths that could easily see him as a bottom-six checking forward while showing the potential of developing top-six power forward skills. He could be taken in the late first round or early second.
9) William Moore – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 29th (NA skaters)
In William Moore’s THW draft prospect profile, our Stefano Rubino wrote that Moore is a highly skilled, offensively driven center with the height typical of NHL players and exceptional puck-handling ability, making him a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. His hockey IQ, vision, and creativity in the offensive zone distinguish him as a dynamic playmaker and scoring threat. While his offensive potential is impressive, his defensive play, consistency, and physical engagement need improvement. With focused development, Moore has the potential to become a top-line NHL center capable of making an impact in all situations.
Moore scored 23 goals and provided 20 assists in 50 games with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) U17 Team. He also contributed 14 goals and 11 assists in 35 United States Hockey League (USHL) games. Additionally, he excelled in the World Under-17 Challenge, scoring five goals and providing seven assists in 12 games.
8) Ryker Lee – Forward
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 28th (NA skaters)
Ryker Lee, a 6-foot, 180-pound forward, is averaging over a point per game and is in a fierce competition with Ethan Wyttenbach for the USHL rookie scoring title. Lee has recorded 19 goals and 42 points through 34 games, putting him just three points behind Wyttenbach. He has accumulated seven points in his last four games (four goals and three assists). His 42 points currently rank eighth among all USHL players, and the Michigan State commit has been particularly effective on the power play. Lee has been a consistent point producer this season, recording a point in 23 of his 34 games. He has also achieved 12 multi-point games, including a hat trick on Jan. 17 and a 4-goal game on Nov. 15.
Lee’s most valuable skill is his powerful shot, which includes an explosive wrist shot and a booming one-timer, both known for their remarkable accuracy, as noted in Rubino’s profile for THW. an He expertly uses a curl-and-drag wrist shot to maneuver around opponents’ sticks and avoid checks, often utilizing his competitors as screens. Off the puck, he demonstrates a high hockey IQ by positioning himself where the play is headed, allowing him to find good spots to unleash his shots. While his playmaking is often viewed as a secondary skill, he deserves more recognition for the advantages his precise passing brings to the game.
7) Mason West – Forward
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 27th (NA skaters)
While Mason West was getting some respect from the scouts at the NHL’s Central Scouting, not everyone felt his ranking should be that high. One of the difficulties in scouting an American high school student is that the level of competition is generally not as good as the major junior hockey leagues, even if it is in Minnesota. However, West may have others rethinking their skepticism after joining the Fargo Force of the USHL at the end of his school’s hockey season.
West scored one goal and added eight assists in ten games with Fargo, showing a solid foundation of projectable size, habits, and intelligence. This has given him a unique profile among 2025 USHL draft-eligible talents, especially one who has played most of his games at the high school level. It will be interesting to see how high or low he goes in this year’s draft.
6) Blake Fiddler – Defenseman
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 26th (NA skaters)
Blake Fiddler is a promising right-handed defenseman who plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). At 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, he combines size, mobility, and defensive skills, making him a strong NHL prospect. Fiddler’s physicality, skating ability, and defensive talent make him a valuable asset for any team seeking a shutdown defenseman with the potential to develop offensively.
Representing Team U.S.A. at the World Under-18 Hockey Championships and helping them win the Bronze Medal, Fiddler played in all seven of his team’s games, scoring two goals, including one in the bronze medal game against Sweden, and an assist for three points at the tournament. Fiddler also earned a plus-8 rating in those seven games. He had 10 goals and 23 assists this season with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
5) William Horcoff – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 24th (NA skaters)
In his THW Draft profile, Rubino felt that William Horcoff is the type of prospect that excites scouts and general managers, and it’s easy to see why he is highly regarded. The more you watch him play and consider the potential he could bring to your team, the more you can envision what he might become. However, it is this potential that sometimes lowers his stock. While his raw skill is impressive, teams are banking on his ability to develop those skills further. This uncertainty may push him out of the first round, but he could easily be selected in the late second or early third round.
Horcoff does all the little things and many significant actions to put his team in advantageous positions and help them win games—he’s truly a remarkable player. Although he is officially listed at 6-foot-4, he is closer to 6-foot-5. He utilizes his size effectively as a highly physical power forward with a rugged, NHL-ready style.
4) Cullen Potter – Left Wing
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 22nd (NA skaters)
Cullen Potter started his collegiate hockey career a year early, playing his first season in the NCAA at 17 years old with the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was a staple on ASU’s power play and thrived in any offensive situation. Whether facilitating the breakout, driving through the neutral zone individually, finding open areas, or distributing the puck, Potter was a consistent threat when on the ice.
After a successful first season with Arizona State, Potter rejoined some of his former United States National Team Development Program teammates to help Team USA claim a bronze medal. He registered six points (three goals, three assists) in his last four tournament games. While he was kept off the scoresheet in the bronze medal game, it wasn’t for lack of effort, as he registered six shots on goal in their 4-3 overtime triumph over Slovakia.
3) Henry Brzustewicz – Defenseman
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 19th (NA skaters)
Henry Brzustewicz is a smooth-skating defenceman who moves the puck exceptionally well out of his own zone. This season, he took on a bigger role with the London Knights when players such as Isaiah George left the team’s defensive core, and his point totals have reflected his new role. Last season in his rookie campaign, Brzustewicz only recorded six points in 52 games as he was playing on the team’s third defensive pair and sometimes being scratched. This season, he had 42 points in 67 regular-season games.
With a right-handed shot, Brzustewicz is a coveted commodity—a player any NHL team would love to have on any pairing. With his offense-first mentality, THW’s Lukas Bernasiewicz sees him as a top-four defenseman who plays a lot of time on the power play and gets a lot of points on the man advantage, similar to how Erik Karlsson did when he played for the Ottawa Senators.
2) Logan Hensler – Defenseman
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 12th (NA skaters)
All in all, Logan Hensler has all the tools scouts are looking for in a mobile two-way defenseman. With his size, handedness and elite mobility and awareness, he will be sought-after in the 2025 Draft. Hensler has made massive improvements in his game since the beginning of his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. He had 12 points in 32 games for the Badgers. He also had one assist in seven games during the 2025 World Junior Championship.
Even if his numbers don’t appear to be impressive, he has shown flashes of offensive skill among his solid defensive habits. His biggest strengths lie in his skating and mobility, which are key to success in today’s NHL. He also has a great stick defensively, regularly breaking up plays with deft interceptions and tips, both off the rush and in his own zone. He will likely be selected in the first round.
1) James Hagens – Center
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 3rd (NA skaters)
Likely a top-five pick, THW’s Peter Baracchini has James Hagens ranked third in his latest rankings and writes that he has dynamic and elite playmaking vision, and high-end IQ is still something that continues to impress everyone. The awareness and the way that he processes the game at a quick pace are impressive, using the open ice and creating more space for himself and his teammates. The way he can easily bait players to open things up is impressive, placing the puck in a perfect spot for his teammates.
THW’s Andrew Forbes also has Hagens ranked third and writes that Hagens does have the ability to be a big-time goal scorer as well, but he’s developed his game into more of a playmaking style in his first year in the NCAA. His play away from the puck is just as strong as his play with the puck and offers himself as an option that opens up the ice for the rest of his team. There’s no doubt that he’s going to be a force in the NHL.
An intriguing storyline in the draft is what the New York Islanders, the surprise winner of the Draft Lottery, will do with their number one pick. Will they select Matthew Schaefer, the consensus number one pick, or will they take Hagens, a Long Island, NY, native who grew up an Islanders fan?
We will find the answer to that question when the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is expected to be held on June 27 and June 28, 2025. The draft will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This will be the 63rd entry draft in the league’s history.
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