Linus Funck – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

The main reason why Funck has been able to adjust so quickly is his situational reads and transitional game. His two-way game is evident, being a factor activating on the attack or defending the rush well or quickly converging on opposing puck carriers to apply pressure. He has great mobility when he reaches his top speed. He has strong crossovers and edges and is difficult to contain as he’s always pushing to the middle of the ice. He could look to use his size to his advantage a little more as the combination of his 6-foot-3, 183-pound frame and mobility could make him a real threat offensively.

Funck shows great patience when he has control of the puck, walking the line and finding those open lanes for a shot and getting pucks on net effectively. He’s tall and can protect the puck very well in tight spaces. He’s a pass-first kind of player, finding the seams with ease and connecting with long breakout passes. Though when he has an opportunity to shoot, he’ll take it as he spots those shooting lanes very well.

Defensively, Funck shows good awareness and positioning within his own end. He’s quick on puck retrievals and shows great intensity when battling for the puck in the corners and down low. He anticipates and kills plays very well and does a great job of quickly transitioning to offense. While he has some bite, if he adds a little more strength to his game, he could become even more of threat on the backend. His timing could be a little better but the foundation is there. 

If Funck can also find a little more consistency with his shift-to-shift play and his reads and pinches, the potential is there for him to succeed at the next level. 

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Linus Funck- NHL Draft Projection

While he wasn’t on many radars at the beginning, Funck has definitely made a strong push to improve his draft stock. He definitely has caught the eyes of many as he vaulted as has now wound up potentially being a valuable pickup as a third or fourth-round selection. Given his play at his age, teams could see him as a valuable pick in the middle part of the draft.

Quotables

“He gets necessary production while not sacrificing defensively. His size and ability to read plays defensively and then quickly move the puck the opposite way and start a positive sequence are very impressive at this age.” – Samuel Tirpak, FC Hockey 

“He picks up opponents in the slot and in the circle, and shuts down entry over the blue-line better than most.” – Gabe Foley, Recruit Scouting 

Strengths 

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Funck has a lot of attributes to be a very valuable two-way, puck moving defenseman with some offensive upside. Producing and playing with great confidence at a young age should work wonders for him with his development as he could be ahead of the curve where he can reach his potential. A safe bet for him would be a mobile and effective four to six defender as his style of play could benefit a number of teams.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 3.5/5, Reward 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 5.5/10, Defense 6/10

Awards/ Achievements

Funck won a silver medal at the J18 level this season. He also won a TV-Pucken gold medal in 2023.

Linus Funck Stats

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