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MSU's Shane Vansaghi moves the puck against Wisconsin, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024, at Munn Ice Arena. MSU won 4-3. Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Report: NHL Draft-Bound Spartans Revered by Peers

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Greg Liodice | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Several Michigan State players and commits will soon achieve their dreams.

Shane Vansaghi, Ryker Lee, and Eric Nilson are all projected to go in the top 50 of the 2025 NHL Draft.

But how do their peers view them? And more importantly, how do they view themselves?

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote a series of pieces that included quotes, polls, comparisons, and more, outlining what we can expect from these young men when they reach the NHL.

Forward Ryker Lee, who’s committed to Michigan State and will join the program in 2025–26, is viewed as one of the best stickhandlers — if not the best — in this draft class.

In his "2025 NHL Draft class superlatives" piece, Wheeler wrote:

“They call Ryker Lee ‘The Wizard,’ and he lives up to the name, with the slickest hands and puck skill that I watched in this draft from an ankle-breaking/in-a-phone-booth/one-on-one perspective.”

Even prospect Carter Bear, when asked who he’d like to team up with, immediately named Lee:

“Maybe Ryker Lee. He’s just so skilled. When I played with him, he had tons of skill, tons of vision, and tons of hockey sense.”

When it comes to Shane Vansaghi and what he brings to a team, one thing is certain: if all it took was having the body of a 30-year-old man and a 12-year veteran, Vansaghi would be a top-five pick.

But that’s not all it takes.

Vansaghi, who plays a gritty game with a touch of offensive flair, still has to develop his skating to become a top-end player. However, the Spartan winger is projected to go either in the late first round or the second round.

In his "superlatives" piece, Wheeler gave Vansaghi the title of the strongest player in this draft:

“Shane Vansaghi looks like a 30-year-old pro physically already, and, importantly, you can actually see it on the ice as well. He bullied mid-20s players in college hockey as a teenager this year, dominating some games on the forecheck and manhandling some guys below the goal line. He plays big-boy hockey the way a lot of bottom-six NHLers do.”

Lastly, that leads to Eric Nilson — one of the more under-the-radar players in this draft — who’s coming to East Lansing by way of Sweden.

There’s nothing that Nilson does that will wow you or sweep you off your feet. He just plays the game the right way.

Former teammate and draft prospect Theo Stockselius spoke on how comfortable it is playing with Nilson:

“I really like Eric Nilson from Djurgarden. I played with him a lot this season, and it’s easy to play with him. He’s a really good playmaker, and he’s got good hockey sense. I think we think hockey the same and can really find each other good out there.”

The moral of the story?

With these three coming into East Lansing this upcoming season, the Spartans may be in a tremendous position not only for a Big Ten title, but an NCAA championship.

The combination of grit, skill, and headiness can break anyone, especially since Michigan State has Cayden Lindstrom and Isaac Howard involved as well.

Whatever happens on Friday and Saturday, it only shows the great shape the Spartans are in, not just for now, but for the future.

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