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Malcolm Spence is our 2025 Steal of the Draft. (Photo credit: Mark Scheig/The Hockey Writers)

Meet the Steal of the 2025 NHL Draft

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mark Scheig | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 4:35 PM ET

It is that time of the year again. It’s time for us to select our annual Steal of the NHL Draft. With exactly two weeks until the New York Islanders are on the clock with the first-overall pick, teams are finalizing their draft lists hoping to find as many steals as possible.

A quick recap of last year’s steal. We selected Kieron Walton as our 2024 Steal of the Draft. He was listed outside the top-100 on Central Scouting’s Final List. He wasn’t taken until the sixth round by the Winnipeg Jets. However, we thought his combination of size and increased role going into his D+1 year made him a potential steal.

The Jets signed Walton to his entry-level contract this past season. While we feel great about this pick, the time has come to look ahead to this draft.

Our steal this season is much higher on the list than Walton was at this time last season. It’s a name most everyone is aware of. Still, at least in my mind, something feels off about his current projection.

We define a steal as anyone who is picked later than they should while providing an extra level of value based on overall production. We thought Walton was a top-60 player who was ranked outside the top-100.

This season, our steal is expected to hear his name in the first round but somewhere in the 20’s. Based on watching him and getting to know him for the last couple of seasons, I think he’s one of the 10 best players in this entire draft. That’s a steal any day of the week.

Playoff teams from last season who have their first rounder have the potential to land a really good prospect that could exceed the value of the pick. Any time there’s more to the story than what the numbers say, it requires some background and context.

Meet our 2025 Steal of the Draft. He’s Malcolm Spence.

Why Spence is a Steal

Spence’s numbers aren’t going to leap off the page like they would for someone like Michael Misa. This is where context matters as to why his numbers may seem low.

With the Erie Otters, Spence was never asked to be the offensive driver on the team. Under Stan Butler, one of the more defensively-minded coaches in junior, Spence focused on defending his own end first. Then he worried about producing offense.

For someone to see increasing point totals in his three seasons with the Otters with a defense-first mentality, that makes Spence’s profile more appealing. He went from 42 to 62 to 73 points. He is over a point per game (135 points in 131 games) the last two seasons.

Of Spence’s 32 goals last season, he scored five on the power play and five shorthanded. His five shorthanded goals were tied for second in the entire OHL. In every important defensive situation, you could count on him being out there.

And while we always have to watch the use of +/-, anyone who has a good plus rating on a team outscored for the season stands out. Spence was +10 in 2024-25 which ranked third on the Otters.

There were many nights in which Spence was the best player on the ice. His combination of skating and physical play made him a pain to play against. Teams that draft Spence are going to love having him on their side knowing how much he’ll aggravate the opposition.

Made For Big Moments

Spence has starred on the international stage for Team Canada. It doesn’t always show in the numbers. But with the gold medal on the line at the Hlinka/Gretzky and time running down, he showed exactly why he has a lot of upside on one play.

Spence caused a turnover in the neutral zone and then raced down the ice. With just six seconds left, he made a great move to give himself an open shot. He converted his breakaway to send Team Canada to gold.

Had it not been for Misa being granted exceptional status, Spence would have been the first pick in his OHL Draft year. He went second to the Otters when the Saginaw Spirit took Misa first overall.

Personally, I think many in the industry expected more pop in Spence’s offense after his third OHL season. He usually showed that pop in transition after making sure his own end was cleaned up first.

That’s why Spence’s game translates well to the NHL. The big moments aren’t too big for him. He’s already going to be a bulldog in his own zone. 32 teams could use a player like that.

Don’t believe me? Take it from those that know Spence the best.

“He’s amazing,” said Otters’ teammate and projected first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer. “I got to know him for two years now. I got to see him grow as a player. He’s a great player, great person on and off the ice. He wore an assistant captain for a reason on the team.”

“He’s unbelievable,” Misa said. “I think he’s a little underrated. If I’m some teams, I think he should be projected a little higher but that’s not for me to say. But whenever we do play him, he’s usually getting a goal or something.”

In their head-to-head matchup in the OHL playoffs, Spence scored three goals against Misa and the Spirit on their way to a five-game series win.

Spence usually played on the Otters’ second line which is another reason his numbers may appear to be “down.” They used Pano Fimis, Sam Alfano and Martin Misiak as the top line most nights due to their experience.

Spence is now heading to the University of Michigan in 2025-26 for the next phase of his career. He says he picked Michigan because they’ve produced the most NHL’ers. He has a desire to be the best and train with the best. He felt he could achieve that in Ann Arbor.

One night, Spence will do his part to shut the opposition down. The next night, he has the ability to score a breathtaking goal with the skill he does possess. It’s his overall game and upside at both ends of the ice that make him our 2025 Steal of the Draft.