Cole Reschny 2025 NHL Draft Profile

Reschny’s on-ice production

Reschny has the potential to become a strong playmaker at the NHL level. His performance over the past year have boosted his draft stock, making him a strong first-round selection. He broke out at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he led Team Canada to a gold medal with seven points in five games.

Reschny gained confidence over the offseason and took that momentum into his second full WHL season. He was spectacular with the Victoria Royals, posting 92 points in 62 games. Then, in the playoffs, he had 25 points in just 11 games. The 18-year-old carried the Royals on his back, but was unable to sustain the star power of the Spokane Chiefs.

Reschny’s strengths

Playmaking

One of Reschny’s biggest strengths is playmaking. His full-ice vision and passing abilities make it easy for him to set up his teammates. His previous season with the Victoria Royals showcased this ability throughout the year, as he recorded 66 assists in 62 games. He finished the year ranking sixth in the WHL for most assists, following stars such as Gavin McKenna and Andrew Cristall.

Reschny recently stood out at the U18 World Junior Championship. He finished the tournament with five goals in five games and was a key reason why Canada won gold. The Saskatchewanian scored the overtime-winning goal in the quarterfinals against Czechia to keep Canada’s tournament alive. Without him, Canada may have been upset at yet another international hockey tournament.

200-foot game

Another great strength of Reschny is his 200-foot game. He is the type of player who can play at both ends of the ice, being a valued asset for his team. A young two-way centreman can be an extremely valuable asset to an NHL franchise. We see them in a lot of Stanley Cup-winning teams.

Reschny can be used throughout the lineup, too. He can play on both the power play and penalty kill, embracing both important special teams roles. It will be interesting to see where Reschny will land in the upcoming draft. His highest ranking is from TSN’s Craig Button, who has him listed at 13th overall in his May rankings. The majority of his other rankings have him in the 20–40 range, though he has been rising in draft boards recently. This is the type of young player the Calgary Flames desperately need.

Areas of improvement

Shooting mindset

There is no specific area of Reschny’s game that is a weakness, but something he could work on is having more of a shoot-first mentality. He is the type of player who is always thinking pass first, hence why he is such a great playmaker. To make himself more of an offensive threat, he could be a bit more selfish and shoot the puck more often. This would make the defending team question what he is going to do rather than knowing that a pass is coming.

NHL comparables

A couple of NHL players that Reschny compares to include Matty Beniers of the Seattle Kraken and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers. Both of these guys are solid two-way forwards who have exceptional playmaking abilities. Reschny will not be drafted quite as high as Beniers (second overall in 2021) or Nugent-Hopkins (first overall in 2011), but he still has a similar projection.

Fit with the Flames

Reschny is a player the Flames should highly consider drafting. The one position this team lacks is at centre. Reschny would become the best young centre in the franchise with no one in his way. He would get an amazing opportunity to learn from the other centremen, such as Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund. With two picks in the first round, the Flames should have an opportunity to draft him.

Do you think the Flames should consider Reschny at the NHL Draft?

Summary

Overall, Reschny seems like he is going to become a solid playmaker at the NHL level. His stats in junior have been nothing less than impressive, and he will only get better as he matures. Looking at some current draft rankings, it can be expected for Reschny to get drafted in the mid first round.

Be sure to tune into the 2025 NHL Draft on June 27th and 28th in Los Angeles.

Risk: 2/5
Reward: 4/5
Projection: Top-six forward