2025 NHL Draft Thread

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Dude Where's Makar?

Brady Martin is one of the prospects I really want the Flames to get, but I think he'll be gone in that 10-15 range.

RHS C with a high floor and physical intangibles will be coveted by teams ahead of us.

I hope I'm wrong.

Depends what his ceiling is. Flames need some home run swings

[Royle9]

Have to take a home run swing at skill with one of the picks for sure.

[Sandman]

Anyone watching the U-18’s? Brady Martin has practically been the best player there. He’s farmboy strong, and when opponents try to hit him, they bounce off. He’s been outskating everybody too. Button keeps saying, don’t be surprised if he’s picked in the top five, and I agree. Get him away from the Greyhounds, and he looks like a world-beater.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Anyone watching the U-18’s? Brady Martin has practically been the best player there. He’s farmboy strong, and when opponents try to hit him, they bounce off. He’s been outskating everybody too. Button keeps saying, don’t be surprised if he’s picked in the top five, and I agree. Get him away from the Greyhounds, and he looks like a world-beater.

That top 15 is getting crowded. Reschny has made a push, Martin looks great, Cootes is putting on a show.

For a draft that seemed to be really low key i still say the top twenty has some really good prospects.

[Tkachukwagon]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1917783547395633423

[Sandman]

Mrtka is so damn good, he makes everything look so effortless. 2nd-best defenseman available in the draft, without a doubt.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Mrtka is so damn good, he makes everything look so effortless. 2nd-best defenseman available in the draft, without a doubt.

I have him, Lakovic, Martin, Cootes now after a great performance as dont be surprised if they show up in the top ten guys.
Had Bear but that injury could hold off a lot of teams.

[FBI]

Sandman now that we know we are #18 can you do a quick mock draft to see who we might be picking?

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 57):

RD Owen Schoettler (6'0",185lbs)
Spokane (WHL): 68gp/ 5g/ 13a/ 18pts, +15, 26 PIM

Righty Owen Schoettler (ranked # 138 NA Skaters) doesn't play much- mostly third-pairing minutes on a deep Chiefs defense that features 3 NHL Draft-picks. Spokane finished 4th-overall in the regular season, 2nd in goals-scored, and are currently competing in the Western Conference Championship in the WHL Playoffs, with Schoettler contributing 4 assists in 14 games so far. He could very well not be drafted this summer due to his poor production, but this kid's best days are ahead of him. Despite his paltry stats, he is an effective two-way D with a well-rounded skillset, and can contribute in all situations reliably, as well as both special teams, with a steadying presence on the blueline. Schoettler gets up and down the ice expeditiously, with a long and powerful stride that's fluid and mechanically sound. He generates above-average speed with superb edges that give him effortless maneuverability, plus the ability to transition seamlessly, and match footwork with oncoming attackers when defending the rush.

With strong puckhandling and well-developed puck-skill, he exerts accuracy in his feeds, and firm control at high speed. He protects well, skates into passes, and exhibits calmness and poise under duress with the puck. One of his calling-cards right now is his plus-level defensive awareness, and he is known to excel in his own zone as an impactful shutdown defenseman, and shows prowess against the rush. His positioning is immaculate, and his stick-placement is spotless, which gives him the upper-hand when defending and helps him rack up a high number of turnovers and takeaways. With his aggression and high engagement level, he works to limit the time and space his opponents have to work with, keeps aggressors to the outside, and boxes attackers out from the net. Initiating contact early and often, he wraps his targets up along the boards and pins them to the wall, containing and neutralizing threats. He employs tight gaps, and closes space quickly by surfing across the ice to seal off the boards with a poke-check and a hit. Despite being below-average in size for a blueliner, Schoettler is potent in puck-battles and wins much more than he loses, with an exorbitantly high success rate; he gives second and third-efforts to win possession. He's a gritty, physical presence, and will throw his weight around to separate man from puck, or to win inside position, and skates into hands. He is always engaged, active and energetic, and possesses a high-motor.

Schoettler recovers a high-number of pucks in the defensive-third, and can make high-value plays to get the puck out of the zone with poise and patience, kicking off the breakout, and giving advancing forwards advantages in the process. He has the mobility and the handling to weave through the neutral zone in transition, and will push the puck up-ice by working give-and-go's for controlled entries. He flashes a robust offensive side, and has all the tools to be a big breakout player in the WHL, as early as next season. He sees the ice well, with the ability quarterback the play from the point with his distribution skill, and walks the line skillfully to pry open lanes, keep the play alive, and extend offensive-zone time. He owns a hard shot that finds it's way to the net with good frequency, and he will unleash it as a playmaking device to create rebound opportunities for teammates. He's quite active though, and pinches in to the play often, sneaks in on the weak side, and will join the rush as an extra forward. I think that, if Schoettler were 6'2", he would probably be projected to be drafted in the top-four rounds, but as it stands- he will most likely be chosen in later rounds, if at all.

[Sandman]

I was going to do a Mock after the U-18's, so this list may change. I put Schafer first, even though I would personally take Misa, because of what McKenzie said about Schaefer being heavily favored by scouts. This is just my opinion, I welcome any comments:

1) D Matt Schaefer
2) C Mike Misa
3) C Caleb Desnoyers
4) RW Porter Martone
5) C Roger McQueen
6) C Anton Frondell
7) C James Hagens
8) C Brady Martin
9) D Radim Mrtka
10) D Jackson Smith
11) LW Victor Eklund
12) C Jake O'Brien
13) LW Lynden Lakovic
14) D Kashawn Aitcheson
15) RW Justin Carbonneau
16) D Logan Hensler
17) C Cole Reschny
18) C Braeden Cootes
19) LW Malcolm Spence
20) C/LW Bill Zonnon
21) C Carter Bear
22) C Ivan Ryabkin
23) C Ben Kindel
24) D Cam Reid
25) C Jack Murtagh
26) LW Jakob Ihs-Wozniak
27) G Josh Ravensbergen
28) C Jack Nesbitt
29) C Cole McKinney
30) D Blake Fiddler
31) D Henry Brzustewicz
32) C Will Horcoff
33) C Milton Gastrin
34) C Will Moore

[getbak]

Draft Brzustewicz with Florida's pick. We could call them the Bruise Brothers.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 58):

RHC Jeremy Loranger (5'10",165lbs)
Sherwood Park (BCHL): 54gp/ 40g/ 65a/ 105pts, 26 PIM

W/C Jeremy Loranger (ranked # 149 NA Skaters) will be attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the 2026-27 season, so even though he was drafted by the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL, he plied his trade this season in Junior A, for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the BCHL. The story this season in Sherwood Park is the supernatural chemistry that Loranger shares with teammate Kale Dach, enabling the duo to dominate the league as the top-two scorers in the circuit, with Loranger leading in points by 18, and finishing second in goals. Both players were tied with 65 assists, which led the league by an incredible 17 helpers. The Crusaders were eliminated from the post-season in 8 games, but the two linemates led the playoff scoring race in terms of points-per-game, with Loranger coming in first (1.75 ppg on 14 points), and Dach tied for second (1.63 ppg on 13 points). As with Dach, anything that can be said about him must come with an invisible asterisk, as the BCHL is an inferior league to the CHL- although it is considered to be (along with the OJHL) the best Junior A circuit in the country. Loranger is the more flashy and dynamic of the duo; he is a high-octane offensive player, but has a solid game in all three zones. His June 15th, 2007 birthday works in his favor, as he's a bit younger than most in this draft-class.

Loranger reminds me a bit of Johnny Gaudreau at times, with the nimble way he skates and handles the puck so effortlessly. Like Johnny Hockey, he is blessed with sublime edges that give him extreme elusiveness, and make him slippery and evasive with his maneuverability; he can pivot on a dime, make ultra-tight turns, change direction in an instant, and stop-and-start abruptly to make opponents miss- all with full control of the puck. He also resembles Gaudreau in the way he explodes out of turns on his crossovers, with that peppy stutter-step. Like Dach, he is clearly faster than most of his BCHL counterparts, but I believe that Loranger is the more explosive of the two, and he would still be considered a speedster if he were playing in the CHL. His stickhandling might be even more impressive than his footwork, and may be his best physical trait- it's elite. He moves about with his head up to scan with the puck seemingly glued to his blade, and owns a deep arsenal of one-on-one moves to deke and dangle his way through traffic, with layers of deception on top, making defenders look foolish. He wants the puck, and is calm, confident, and patient in possession. Though he isn't as inside-focused as his linemate, he's so good at sneaking in-and-out of holes in the slot, and going to the net on the weak-side undetected; he times his appearance perfectly to arrive at the same time as the puck with his stick on the ice for a high-danger pass, or to finish a rebound. He also gets off the wall a lot for threatening looks. Loranger has excellent shot-selection, he can really fire it with precision and a snappy release, using bodies around the net as screens. Sometimes, he will take a knee to one-time a bullet at the net from distance.

Loranger generates a ton of offensive chances for the Crusaders, with the ability to drive play, and exerts high-end IQ and vision with amazing patience; he is often put on the point on the PP because of his passing precision and creativity. With the understanding of how to manufacture time and space for himself and his teammates, he will cut across the zone to shift defenses, and he moves around in possession to open lanes, hitting teammates with passes through the crease, saucers through traffic, and cross-ice feeds. A highly skilled distributor, he exhibits a fine-touch on his passes, putting the exact amount of weight and velocity on his feeds- right to his target's wheelhouse. Loranger is a valuable transitional driver, and can skate dynamic routes through the neutral zone with full control, while weaving through traffic to gain the zone- or he can push the play forward with give-and-go patterns and connective feeds on the fly for clean entries. He is not above using patient delays or cut-backs to open space and find the right play. Though he's a pest and a disruptor to opponents on their breakout, as well as in the neutral zone, his play in the defensive-third is inconsistent at best- with some good, and some bad. On one hand, he seems to be usually well-positioned, and even intercepted a pass to the slot for a sure goal in the game I watched today. There are also times where he is in his opponents faces, eliminating time and space, while disrupting their play. However, I don't think he shows the same level of engagement or effort that he puts forth in the other areas of the ice, and might not have very good awareness in defensive situations; there's a lot of gliding and puck-watching going on, and he can be quick to leave the zone early.

Loranger will throw the odd bodycheck, but he's not a physical player and would be a lot more effective if he could learn to leverage his low center of gravity to get under opponents and put them off-balance. He does, however, like to dole out little slashes and cross-checks behind the play to make his presence felt, and from what I've seen- he has a bit of a temper, and will take the odd retaliatory penalty when taking unwanted contact. Though Loranger is more exciting to watch than his linemate, Dach seems to get a bit more recognition- I think it may be because Dach leans a touch more towards a pro-style, with a more straight-forward, simple game, and much better defensive awareness. Both are longshots to be drafted, and both might have to wait until later rounds to be picked, if they are picked at all. With Loranger, I think it may boil down to how scouts see his offensive game translating to pro-hockey.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 59):

C/LW Lev Katzin (5'8",176lbs)
Guelph (OHL): 44gp/ 16g/ 32a/ 48pts, -7, 26 PIM

Lev Katzin (ranked # 142 NA Skaters) may be short in stature, but he isn't short on character. He started the current campaign with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL (6 points in 9 games, with 44 PIM), with the intention of playing for Penn State next season, but wisely transferred to Guelph after the rules prohibiting CHL players from playing in the NCAA was overturned in November. Guelph finished in 19th-place out of 20 teams in the OHL, but thankfully for Katzin, they have a decent top-six, and were 15th in goals-scored. At the time of this writing, he is playing for Team Canada at the U-18's on the top-line with Braeden Cootes and Brady Martin, and is tied for 7th in scoring (3rd on Team Canada) with 8 points in 5 games. I love this kid- he's fun to watch, and even though he isn't the biggest guy on the ice, he's a highly competitive buzzsaw with high-end skill, and a gritty, hard-nosed game. An excellent skater with top-notch maneuverability on his edges, his speed has been on display in the tournament- blowing by defenders up the boards, and darting around in traffic. He pushes pace, and seems to be everywhere all at once.

While he may be diminutive in height, he's built like a tank at 179 lbs, and often looks like a 6'2" power-forward in disguise with the way he finishes his checks, hits like a truck, plays through contact, and crashes the crease. He doesn't shy away from the rough stuff, and instead- he seems to wade into it, plying energy, intensity, and high-motor in all situations. Still, he needs to get stronger, as he can still get pushed around at times. Like a rabid badger, he competes for pucks along the wall, wins battles all over the ice, and fights for inside position; his dog-on-a-bone approach draws the ire of opponents, and in turn- draws penalties. From what I've read though, he has a temper, and loses his composure at times, too. Lev is a pass-first playmaker with high-end IQ and superb vision, with the ability to see the ice well and make crisp, accurate passes right on the tape- driving play and creating opportunities. He funnels pucks to the slot, and routinely connects across the ice and through traffic with remarkable touch and precision, making the process look easy and putting his teammates in advantageous spots, giving his targets an easy tap-in, re-direct, or deflection for a goal. Using manipulation and deception, he fakes shots for passes, and uses feints and look-offs to fool defenders and open space. He will delay to wait for the right play to develop, holding on the puck patiently, and will use cut-backs, button-hooks, hesitations, and fakes to make a little more room. He's effective around the net, with low-to-high plays from below the goal-line, and passes through the slot.

With a nose for the net, Katzin will attack the middle off the rush, and will drive the inside to draw pressure. He reads gaps well, and exhibits strong spatial awareness, with the understanding of how to create space by drawing opponents in his direction, which opens shooting lanes, and passing seams. He finds gaps in coverage to fill, and cuts across the ice to shift defenses and create screens in the process. In front of the net, he will battle with larger defensemen for positioning, using slashes and cross-checks to even the playing field, and will crash the crease for loose pucks; he has soft hands in-tight, and superb hand-eye coordination for tips. He can beat defenders wide on occasion, drives the net off the wall, has a quick release on his wrister, and follows his shots to the net in search of the rebound. Displaying excellent puck-skill, he exerts almost infallible control at top-speed, and despite his size, he protects quite well- with an arsenal of dekes and dangles to weave through traffic, and make defenders miss. He uses these skills to contribute in transition, by rushing the puck through the neutral zone, but can also orchestrate give-and-go's to push the pace. Katzin has a hunger for the puck, and is a pest to opposing carriers in all three zones, always in their faces with slashes to their twigs, stick-lifts, pokes, and even open-ice hits. With relentless pursuit of the puck, and menacing physicality, he is highly tenacious on the forecheck- sprinting at opponents to cause turnovers and giveaways, showing a proficiency in picking pockets from behind. As in all other areas of the ice, he is engaged and well-positioned in the defensive zone, but seems to lack some awareness defensively; he looks lost at times, puck-watching and kinda just drifting, with much less aggression in his own-zone than in the other two-thirds of the ice, and he seems to be waiting for the play to come to him. Katzin needs work on his shot, and perhaps his finishing skills, but he's a gamer. Don't be surprised if he's taken in the middle-rounds.

[Nelson]

I listened to Steven Ellis hour on Flames Talk, and I left even more convinced that the player, whom the Flames should want and might be available at 18, is Cole Reschny. Cole Reschny is a centre, who is young-ish for the draft year and has excellent production (NHLe of 36.7). Ellis says Reschny looks unstoppable and has high upside. Brady Martin is going to be gone. Braeden Cootes sounds like an energy player. Benjamin Kindel is more of a winger than a centre.

[Tkachukwagon]

Like this list from our guy Pete

https://twitter.com/user/status/1917792833244914102

[Sandman]

Team Canada is off to the Semis at the U-18’s, winning a squeaker against the Czechs, 3-2 in OT. Who scored the winner? Cole Reschny.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Nelson

I listened to Steven Ellis hour on Flames Talk, and I left even more convinced that the player, whom the Flames should want and might be available at 18, is Cole Reschny. Cole Reschny is a centre, who is young-ish for the draft year and has excellent production (NHLe of 36.7). Ellis says Reschny looks unstoppable and has high upside. Brady Martin is going to be gone. Braeden Cootes sounds like an energy player. Benjamin Kindel is more of a winger than a centre.

Cootes is 5th-overall in scoring at the U-18’s, and first on Team Canada, with 10 points in 5 games, looking like an absolute stud. He’s much more than an energy player, he’s a second liner in the NHL.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Cootes is 5th-overall in scoring at the U-18’s, and first on Team Canada, with 10 points in 5 games, looking like an absolute stud. He’s much more than an energy player, he’s a second liner in the NHL.

I am actually annoyed that he is playing so well as i hoped he would kind of slip under the radar and be there at 18.

Said for a while Cootes, murtagh or Zonnon would be a great first round. Still dont think reschny makes it that far

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Anyone watching the U-18’s? Brady Martin has practically been the best player there. He’s farmboy strong, and when opponents try to hit him, they bounce off. He’s been outskating everybody too. Button keeps saying, don’t be surprised if he’s picked in the top five, and I agree. Get him away from the Greyhounds, and he looks like a world-beater.

I always worry about the guys who can dominate physically against other kids their age. It makes them look like they are more talented than they are, when much of it is simply that they are stronger. Well, they won't be stronger in the NHL.

I have a theory that one of the reasons larger players tend to underperform their draft slotting is that they are over-rated, simply because they have a physical advantage at 18 (which they won't have in the NHL).

Let me be clear: I am fully in the 'you need size as well as skill to win in the NHL' camp. I'm just saying that when you watch 18 year olds, some are men and some are boys, and the men are going to look more talented than they are, and will get over-rated.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Cootes is 5th-overall in scoring at the U-18’s, and first on Team Canada, with 10 points in 5 games, looking like an absolute stud. He’s much more than an energy player, he’s a second liner in the NHL.

Energy player was Steven Ellis’ opinion, but I think you have to at least have some reservations because of that opinion. Cootes had 63 points in 60 games in the WHL, in his draft year. If Cootes and Reschny are available, I definitely want Reschny. Do you disagree with that?