Lynden Lakovic 2025 NHL Draft profile

Lakovic’s on-ice production

Standing at 6’4″ and 190 lbs, Lakovic is a forward who effectively combines scoring touch and size. He was an important player for the Moose Jaw Warriors, who won a WHL championship last season, scoring eight points in 20 playoff games. This season, he led the Warriors in points with 58 in 47 games, resulting in his stock continuing to rise. Lakovic emerged as a leader for the team as the Warriors entered a rebuild of some sort the season after their championship.

Despite being injured for a month and a half. Lakovic still put up dominant totals, which only contributed toward increasing his draft upside. His strong performance at the beginning of this year earned him a spot at the CHL-USA prospect challenge, as he was a standout player during that tournament.

Ever since his rookie season, Lakovic has matured tremendously as a player. When he was 16, he was involved in an off-ice incident during a road trip that resulted in a 17-game suspension. Since then, Lakovic has done wonders in community service and was named Warriors captain in February when he returned from injury. Additionally, Lakovic was also recognized for his work off the ice, as he was awarded the Warriors’ player of the year for this season.

Lakovic’s strengths

An obvious asset in Lakovic’s toolbox is his size. He’s able to battle hard for pucks while creating space for himself between defenders. He also uses his reach to protect pucks, resulting in longer possession. His size also doesn’t negatively affect his skating. Lakovic’s skating ability is another one of his assets as he’s able to take powerful strides, generating speed, which often leads to defenders having a difficult time tracking him.

Lakovic also possesses a strong hockey IQ, especially in the offensive category. Despite being built like a power forward, Lakovic displays strong puck-handling and playmaking skills. You’ll often see him complete passes that lead to high-danger scoring chances, and he also has the ability to capitalize on odd-man situations. When he’s looking to score goals himself, Lakovic often uses his size to move through traffic and uses his strong release to finish plays. He is also strong when it comes to finishing chances around the net.

Then there’s also his competitive level. You can count on Lakovic to bring his best every game, and he won’t be afraid to go to the dirty areas.

Lakovic’s areas of improvement

As for weaknesses, he can better use his size for more of an advantage physically. While Lakovic isn’t afraid of that aspect of the game, he sometimes can be a bit passive when it comes to board battles or other physical confrontations. To become an elite power forward in the NHL, this is an aspect that needs to be addressed.

There are also inconsistencies regarding puck management. Lakovic can sometimes be messy with the puck, resulting in giveaways. There’s also his shot selection, which can be better, as Lakovic’s shot volume is good, but accuracy can be improved.

Finally, there’s his defensive engagement. Lakovic has the potential to be a strong asset for a team’s penalty kill or in the defensive zone in general. However, he needs to improve his defensive zone awareness and overall engagement in that side of the game.

Fit with the Flames

Lakovic certainly is a possibility for the Calgary Flames, as he’s projected to be selected in the middle of the first round. The Flames have a history with big, strong players, and Lakovic would be intriguing for them.

He has the skill and upside to go along with his size as well. While the Flames will always pick the best player available during every selection, you have to think that they’re likely keeping an eye on the big winger.

Lakovic’s NHL projection

As mentioned, Lakovic is projected to be a mid-first-round pick with major upside. His skill set matches a player such as Tage Thompson. He’s a forward who has healthy size and has matured tremendously throughout his time in the NHL. Thompson has become an elite offensive threat while also possessing a strong physical side.

Lakovic has all the tools to follow this path. A player who grows offensively, but with it also grows his physical game to become a major force in the big leagues. Lakovic’s projection likely sees him becoming a versatile middle-six forward in today’s NHL

Summary on Lakovic

Coming with size and skill, Lakovic has all the tools to be an NHLer. While it may take longer for him to develop, as it’s a common trend with big players, the rewards could be great. Some kinks in Lakovic’s game need to be addressed, but with time, he could blossom into a dominant physical force who goes on to have a long NHL career.

Risk: 3/5

Reward: 4/5

NHL comparable: Tage Thompson

Projection: High-end middle-six forward

Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:

Matthew Schaefer | Michael Misa | James Hagens | Porter Martone | Anton Frondell | Victor Eklund | Roger McQueen | Caleb Desnoyers | Jackson Smith | Jake O’Brien | Carter Bear | Radim Mrtka