Tommy Lafrenière – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Despite his impressive rookie season and combine results, scouts still have concerns over Lafrenière’s size. There are moments where he can get pushed off the puck and struggles to win battles against bigger, stronger players. At the pro level, that’s a significant concern, especially for a centre with a net-front mentality. So far in his career, he’s been able to rely on his highly active stick, which he uses to break up plays and create turnovers without putting himself at risk, but that will only carry him so far. Adding more strength to his game will be crucial for him to find success in higher leagues.

Another concern is Lafrenière’s agility. Despite his good top-end speed, the Blazers’ rookie isn’t the cleanest skater, limiting some of his effectiveness without the puck. Once again, he relies heavily on his awareness and active stick to compensate for some of those gaps, and once he gets up to top speed, he is very difficult to catch. Adding another dimension to his skating will take his game to the next level.

Those two areas have left Lafrenière off many draft rankings so far, but that doesn’t faze him. He’s been through this before and overcome the odds to become an impact player. The things he does well, he does very well: he’s fast, tenacious, incredibly smart, makes creative passes through traffic, and has a strong, accurate shot. On offense, he’s been incredibly difficult for opposing teams to deal with, as he just never quits trying to finish the play. With some added physicality and agility, he’ll become much more effective in transition and on defence, where his two biggest weaknesses are right now. Those things will come as he continues to put in the work to defy the odds.

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Tommy Lafrenière – NHL Draft Projection

Lafrenière is currently projected to be a late-round selection due to his size and overall raw game. However, as a player who joined the WHL later than many of his fellow rookies – the two players who scored more than him aren’t eligible until next year or later – he hasn’t the same amount of time against tougher competition than some of his peers. NHL teams definitely noticed him at the Combine, which will help him climb up the draft, but it’s unlikely at this time for him to go higher than the fourth round.

Quotables

“Lafreniere is a nifty and nimble forward. He’s great in tight and has very quick and controlled stickhandling. Makes small plays quickly, coordinates with his teammates well. Has a great eye for lanes, working into space in the offensive end too. He gets pucks over both blue lines well, but wanders outside of the offensive end. Will need to build out his frame and get a jump away from the puck, but his ability to think and act quick is impressive and impactful.” – Gabriel Foley, Recruit Scouting

“Lafreniere is an adept skater with good top-end speed, showcasing his strengths primarily in the offensive zone rather than as a driver of the attack through the neutral zone. His high hockey IQ allows him to make quick decisions and locate his teammates effectively, making him a significant threat when the puck is in the offensive end, thus the big minutes he puts in on the team’s top power-play unit. Lafreniere’s elusiveness is a key asset, enabling him to navigate through defensive setups creatively. His skills are also particularly evident on the penalty kill, where he excels at reading plays and being disruptive, as he did on this night several times, causing problems for the Rockets negotiating their neutral zone drop-back pass. However, he does need to improve his physicality along the boards, as he often relies on his stick to do the work rather than using his body, resulting in a lower success rate in puck battles. Lafreniere had a challenging game defensively, struggling at times to make effective reads and be assertive on the puck, leading to a disappointing minus-3 rating. Overall, Lafreniere’s offensive instincts, work ethic and intelligence position him as a valuable asset, with room for growth on the defensive side of the puck.” – Neutral Zone

“Lafrenière wins pucks with speed, contact details, and, if all else fails, sheer effort. He never stops battling and engaging, especially on the forecheck, and racks up the retrievals. Then, he passes high and crashes the net for the rebound. There’s a lot of timing to his actions, seemingly always moving into open space just as the puck arrives. When not battling or crashing the net, Lafrenière flashes some transition and playmaking ability.” – Elite Prospects

Strengths

Under Construction/Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Although there aren’t a lot of smaller centres in the NHL, Lafrenière could follow the likes of Nick Suzuki or Logan Stankoven, albeit with a lower offensive ceiling. All he needs is to add more muscle and work on winning more battles. If he can’t, the NHL is likely a long shot. That makes him a riskier player, which is why he’s generally ranked significantly lower than some of his peers. However, he’s also had less time to develop against top competition than his peers. He’s a great candidate to break out next season alongside Nathan Behm once veterans Oren Shtrom and Emmitt Finnie depart, leaving the two draft-eligibles in charge of the Blazers’ offense. He’s a great candidate to emerge as a hidden gem in a few years.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk –5/5, Reward – 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 7/10, Defence – 5/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

Tommy Lafrenière Stats

Videos