Ryker Lee – 2025 NHL Entry Draft Prospect Profile

His playmaking ability and offensive consistency made him a major asset, placing him fourth in points across the entire USHL regular season, the best among all rookies.

Early on, Lee developed his game at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, a powerhouse AAA program known for shaping top-tier players. He climbed the ranks fast, showing he could drive play and put up big numbers. By the time he hit 16U AAA, he took off—55 goals, 68 assists, 123 points in 57 games—establishing himself as one of the best offensive threats in the 2006 age group. His ability to adjust to moving up each level was a great sign, which carried over as he moved up to 18U Prep and eventually the USHL.

In 2022, Lee was drafted 22nd overall in the second round of the USHL Futures Draft by the Capitals, who he would join late in the 2023-24 season for the Clark Cup Playoffs.

Diving more into his game, @RyanMaScouting created a prospect impact card for Lee, ranking areas of his game by percentiles relative to the 2025 draft class. Notably, he was given a 97% on NHL translatability and a 92% for possession, showing his ability to control the puck and make plays out of nothing on the regular.

He is also a weapon on the power play (95%) as a passing and scoring threat, an area that NHL teams surely love to see him at his best.

Defensively (43% impact), Lee could use some work, but he’s still young, so I’d expect him to improve over time with his assignments. He shows potential, especially with his backchecking and breaking out of the defensive zone, so I’m not too worried about that part of his game.

Naturally, his skating and IQ should improve with time, especially since he will be joining a big-time program at Michigan State next season, where he should develop a more all-around game in the tough Big Ten Conference.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Ryker Lee – NHL Draft Projection

One can argue that Lee could go late in the first round, but most outlets have him in the mid-to-late second round. He will only get better with time, developing at Michigan State University, a high-powered, storied program that has a history of producing top NHL talent.

If I were to guess where he ends up, I’d say a team takes a chance on him around the end of the first round.

Quotables

“Ryker Lee is just fun. With the puck on his stick, he’s able to make high-end plays, but without the finishing execution that will take his game to another level.” –  Smaht Scouting

“Few players in the draft can match up to Lee’s highlight reel. He constantly exposes defenders with a myriad of solutions: spin passes, feints, tape-to-tape saucer passes, there seems to be no limit to what Lee can imagine.” – Dobber Prospects

Strengths

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Lee has the potential to be a top-six forward at the NHL level with his offensive generation. He’s a little underrated in this draft because Canadian Hockey League (CHL) guys get most of the attention, but the USHL is a harder league to play in, especially defensively, where teams are more structured and tougher to break down. The fact that he put up the numbers he did in such a tight-checking league shows how well he can create and make plays in big moments.

Now heading to Michigan State University, Lee will have the chance to develop his defensive game while continuing to build his offensive skills on a championship-contending team that will likely have 13 draft picks on their 2025-26 roster.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 1.5/5, Reward – 4.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 8.5/10, Defense – 5/10

Awards/Achievements

Ryker Lee Stats

Interviews/Links

Ryker Lee: Confidence, Growth, and a Path to the Draft with the Madison Capitals – EliteProspects

Consistency Is Key For Madison’s Ryker Lee – TheHockeyNews

Videos