2025 NHL Draft Thread

[Royle9]

I think MTL is taking Carbonneau with the flames first rounder this year.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Royle9

I think MTL is taking Carbonneau with the flames first rounder this year.

With back to back picks in that range I think their fans are certainly expecting/hoping for it.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Updated rankings ...

Top Ten

M Schaefer	D	1.25
Michael Misa	C	1.88

James Hagens	C	3.25
Porter Martone	RW	4.63
Anton Frondell	C	5.63
Victor Eklund	LW	6.63
C Desnoyers	C	7.88

Radim Mrtka	D	10.13
Jake O'Brien	C	10.50
Roger McQueen	C	10.75

Before and Flames Range

11	Jackson Smith	D	11.25
12	Carter Bear	C	13.13
13	Lynden Lakovic	LW	15.50
14	Brady Martin	C	16.13
15	Cullen Potter	C	16.57


16	Braeden Cootes	C	18.57
17	Logan Hensler	D	19.13
18	K Aitcheson	D	20.00
19	Malcolm Spence	LW	21.14
20	J Carbonneau	RW	21.86
21	Cam Schmidt	RW	22.50
22	Benjamin Kindel	RW	23.14
23	Cole Reschny	C	23.17
24	Cameron Reid	D	23.43

10 of the top 16 (by this ranking) are Cs. Surely one of those will slide to 18.

Let's hope MTL does snag JC with one of their picks, and let's hope there are a few other surprises.

[calumniate]

Stupid Mavericks adding salt to the wound lol

[Monahammer]

The only non-center I would strongly support taking if he's there at 18 is Kash Aitcheson. Otherwise, Center only.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (B's and C's Edition, Vol. 10):

LD Haoxi Wang (6'6",212lbs)
King Rebellion (OJHL): 34gp/ 4g/ 18a/ 22pts, 73 PIM
Oshawa (OHL): 32gp/ 0g/ 2a/ 2pts, +3, 19 PIM

Big Haoxi Wang (ranked # 34 NA Skaters, # 31 by McKenzie) was introduced to the game of hockey much later in life, compared to most draft-eligible prospects. Wang is originally from Beijing, China, and moved to Canada with his parents when he was 12 years-old, taking up the sport on the advice of one of his new friends from school. Up until that point in his life, he hadn't had any exposure to hockey, but has since risen up the ranks to the OHL- in just 5 short years. Even more amazing is that Wang is getting consideration by NHL-teams as a possible selection in the top-two rounds of the upcoming draft, and has already earned a scholarship to Boston University for the 2025-26 season. He started the year with the King Rebellion of the OJHL, where his 22 points in 34 games put him 33rd in points-per-game among defensemen (0.58), and it was there that Wang started drawing serious interest from scouts and media alike for both his stature and his skillset. On December 4th, he played his first game in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals, and by January 5th, he was a full-time member of that squad- posting 2 points in 32 games in his rookie season. As of this writing, the Gens are competing for the OHL Championship, and are in tough, going up against the fearsome London Knights, with Wang contributing 3 points in 18 post-season games to date. Huge and mobile, he's currently developing a proficient shut-down game with a side of puck-movement, but has two-way potential- based mostly on his steep development curve over his short hockey career, and some flashes of offense this season. With a July 27th, 2007 birthday, he is still a youngster by draft standards, and much more raw than most, but he will have a longer runway ahead of him with his commitment to the Terriers next season- another selling point for the scouts.

Most of Wang's appeal lies in his size/mobility ratio; he's an impressive skater in all directions, especially for a player of his stature, with remarkable agility, balance, and edgework- it's really a wonder to behold. His stride looks a touch knock-kneed at times, but is otherwise smooth, long, and fluid, and generates surprising power. He can transition seamlessly, pivot on a dime, surf across the ice laterally, and make sharp cuts. He keeps his puck-play mostly safe, simple, and efficient, but most of what he does on the ice looks strangely fluid for a kid as raw as he is; he's calm and poised with the puck, has decent control when in-motion, and protects well by shielding the puck away from checkers, but his overall puck-skills need refinement. Wang's range and wingspan are a cheat code, giving him the ability to cover massive swaths of ice, even when he's not perfectly positioned- it's quite difficult to navigate past him, especially with how quickly he can move. He does exhibit sound positioning most of the time though, wielding solid awareness and anticipation in the defensive-third, and using well-timed poke-checks to disguise his reach. While he's still learning, and not infallible, he's been fairly impressive against the rush in games that I've seen, and when aggressively defending in-zone. His backwards mobility enables him to match footwork with oncoming attackers, and he keeps tight gaps with his long stick, driving opponents to the outside and closing on them quickly to snuff entries. As in other areas of his game, his retrievals look smooth and fluid in how he outmaneuvers pursuers with patience and poise under duress, after thoroughly shoulder-checking to scan for his next move. He displays calmness and stability in making plays to exit the zone, and though he isn't above rimming the boards, clearing off the glass, or dumping the puck, he can make short and simple breakout feeds, and can stretch the ice with longer outlets to create advantages, and odd-man rushes.

Wang is inconsistent in using his physicality, but when he turns it on, he's quite intimidating, and can dish out some thunderous hits; he needs to throw his weight around more often, and would be much more imposing if he were to add a bit of snarl to his game. Right now, he seems too content to conduct his business with his stick and positioning, rather than using his frame to engage. He's disruptive in front of his net with his reach, and will check sticks to make stops, but would be a far more daunting force if he was meaner, and would make it much harder for opponents to get opportunities if he forced them to take a beating when they get too close to the crease. He also doesn't use his strength and frame well enough to box attackers out from the net-front, either. He throws himself into battles, but doesn't win nearly enough of them for a player of his considerable size, and is often too passive when he has an opportunity to finish a check. Wang will join the rush with aplomb, activate deep into the zone from the blueline, and will pinch in to the play from the point to close off the boards to the breakout- thereby extending offensive zone time. He's a solid distributor from line, and can make some simple plays, but it's not resulting in points this year, and he doesn't get time on special teams in Oshawa. He owns a hard shot from the point that's difficult to stop, and he will shoot to make plays in front of the net, but he has to improve his release, his use of screens, and his deception, as a high number of his shots are either saved easily or blocked, and he misses the net a fair bit. Surprisingly, he shows value in transition, with his ability to rush the puck up-ice (sometimes through both exit and entry), and can send forwards into the offensive zone with heads-up passes. With his package of size and mobility, together with his athleticism and steep development path, there's plenty of upside in this package- but he will no doubt be a long-term project. I think it's unfair though, to expect him to ever be a top-pairing D, as there's no real sign of that right now; he's more likely a bottom-3 defender. Look for him in the 2nd-round.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (B's and C's Edition, Vol. 11):

LW/RW Nathan Behm (6'2",198lbs)
Kamloops (WHL): 59gp/ 31g/ 35a/ 66pts, -23, 12 PIM

Big winger Nathan Behm (ranked # 44 NA Skaters, # 40 by McKenzie, # 35 by Button) is an alumnus of the Edge Prep school, and a former member of the Calgary Royals- drafted 13th-overall in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft by the Kamloops Blazers, who finished 19th out of 22 teams in the WHL this season, with Behm as their second-leading scorer. He was born in Calgary, grew up a Flames fan, and apparently idolized Johnny Gaudreau. Behm is a big two-way power-forward with a balanced offensive game, blessed with mobility, and NHL-size. His best asset though, is his NHL-caliber shot and near-elite release, giving him the ability to score from seemingly any angle, and to beat goalies from distance. With a long and powerful stride, his skating is easily projectable thanks to sound mechanics, and he wields smooth edgework with excellent straight-ahead speed; if he can't outrun an opponent, he can outmaneuver them with his agility. In tight areas, he protects the puck extremely well with the angle of his torso and his outside skate blade, while leaning in to his attacker and fending them off with his outstretched arm. In addition to this, his puck-skills are well-honed with good control while in-motion, and has the ability to catch smoothly in full-flight.

His quick hands together with his fluid mobility and strong edges make him effective in transition, exploding through open lanes while weaving around defenders, and executing give-and-go sequences with teammates on the fly. Once over the blueline, he attacks up the middle to push defenses back and drag in pressure to open space to make plays. He is always well-positioned in the offensive zone, finding gaps in the slot, and occupying space in front of the net to cause havoc, battle for positioning, set up a screen, and capitalize on tips and rebounds with his sharp timing and hand-eye coordination. With high-end offensive awareness, he is a competent passer and playmaker, who understands how to manipulate space to open passing seams, and orchestrates more of those give-and-go plays in the offensive zone to create room, and push pace. Behm will throw the odd hit, and uses his size and strength as leverage to push past checkers, but he needs to add a significant amount of push-back to his game, as he can still be thrown off by contact, loses puck-battles that he should win, and gets derailed easily in front of the net; this affects his ability to finish in-close as much as he could. He can also be pressured into mistakes, turnovers, and giveaways.

Behm is a far more active and engaged player in the offensive zone than he is in defensive situations; he's not as well positioned, and lacks intensity and aggressiveness, with everything from getting caught standing still and puck-watching, to floating aimlessly, to seemingly being content to let others do the heavy-lifting for him. Often times, he is eager to leave the zone early, and stays high in anticipation of the breakout. He's fairly tenacious and disruptive on the forecheck though, sprinting at puck-carriers stick-first in an effort to cause turnovers and uncontrolled play. Behm may have some deficiencies to work through, but he has the skating, size, and shot that will make scouts eager to call his name on draft day. Look for him in the early second-round.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by iloveicedhockey

Pronman has us taking RW Carbonneau with 18, ignoring the blatant C need and admitting he's probably redundant with Coronato here. Then he has us taking the second best C (from his ranking) remaining with Gastrin the Swede. Kooky.

Pronman projects a run on centres in the 1st round, leaving the Flames with none of the options hopeful fans have bandied around. It isn’t kooky so much as dismaying.

[iloveicedhockey]

It's not how it's going to go though, so no need to dismay just yet. He had us getting Demidov last year. There are always surprises and other factors impacting teams that aren't considered by any of the mockers.

I just hope everyone has fun.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (B's and C's Edition, Vol. 10):

LD Haoxi Wang (6'6",212lbs)
King Rebellion (OJHL): 34gp/ 4g/ 18a/ 22pts, 73 PIM
Oshawa (OHL): 32gp/ 0g/ 2a/ 2pts, +3, 19 PIM

Big Haoxi Wang (ranked # 34 NA Skaters, # 31 by McKenzie) was introduced to the game of hockey much later in life, compared to most draft-eligible prospects. Wang is originally from Beijing, China, and moved to Canada with his parents when he was 12 years-old, taking up the sport on the advice of one of his new friends from school. Up until that point in his life, he hadn't had any exposure to hockey, but has since risen up the ranks to the OHL- in just 5 short years. Even more amazing is that Wang is getting consideration by NHL-teams as a possible selection in the top-two rounds of the upcoming draft, and has already earned a scholarship to Boston University for the 2025-26 season. He started the year with the King Rebellion of the OJHL, where his 22 points in 34 games put him 33rd in points-per-game among defensemen (0.58), and it was there that Wang started drawing serious interest from scouts and media alike for both his stature and his skillset. On December 4th, he played his first game in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals, and by January 5th, he was a full-time member of that squad- posting 2 points in 32 games in his rookie season. As of this writing, the Gens are competing for the OHL Championship, and are in tough, going up against the fearsome London Knights, with Wang contributing 3 points in 18 post-season games to date. Huge and mobile, he's currently developing a proficient shut-down game with a side of puck-movement, but has two-way potential- based mostly on his steep development curve over his short hockey career, and some flashes of offense this season. With a July 27th, 2007 birthday, he is still a youngster by draft standards, and much more raw than most, but he will have a longer runway ahead of him with his commitment to the Terriers next season- another selling point for the scouts.

Most of Wang's appeal lies in his size/mobility ratio; he's an impressive skater in all directions, especially for a player of his stature, with remarkable agility, balance, and edgework- it's really a wonder to behold. His stride looks a touch knock-kneed at times, but is otherwise smooth, long, and fluid, and generates surprising power. He can transition seamlessly, pivot on a dime, surf across the ice laterally, and make sharp cuts. He keeps his puck-play mostly safe, simple, and efficient, but most of what he does on the ice looks strangely fluid for a kid as raw as he is; he's calm and poised with the puck, has decent control when in-motion, and protects well by shielding the puck away from checkers, but his overall puck-skills need refinement. Wang's range and wingspan are a cheat code, giving him the ability to cover massive swaths of ice, even when he's not perfectly positioned- it's quite difficult to navigate past him, especially with how quickly he can move. He does exhibit sound positioning most of the time though, wielding solid awareness and anticipation in the defensive-third, and using well-timed poke-checks to disguise his reach. While he's still learning, and not infallible, he's been fairly impressive against the rush in games that I've seen, and when aggressively defending in-zone. His backwards mobility enables him to match footwork with oncoming attackers, and he keeps tight gaps with his long stick, driving opponents to the outside and closing on them quickly to snuff entries. As in other areas of his game, his retrievals look smooth and fluid in how he outmaneuvers pursuers with patience and poise under duress, after thoroughly shoulder-checking to scan for his next move. He displays calmness and stability in making plays to exit the zone, and though he isn't above rimming the boards, clearing off the glass, or dumping the puck, he can make short and simple breakout feeds, and can stretch the ice with longer outlets to create advantages, and odd-man rushes.

Wang is inconsistent in using his physicality, but when he turns it on, he's quite intimidating, and can dish out some thunderous hits; he needs to throw his weight around more often, and would be much more imposing if he were to add a bit of snarl to his game. Right now, he seems too content to conduct his business with his stick and positioning, rather than using his frame to engage. He's disruptive in front of his net with his reach, and will check sticks to make stops, but would be a far more daunting force if he was meaner, and would make it much harder for opponents to get opportunities if he forced them to take a beating when they get too close to the crease. He also doesn't use his strength and frame well enough to box attackers out from the net-front, either. He throws himself into battles, but doesn't win nearly enough of them for a player of his considerable size, and is often too passive when he has an opportunity to finish a check. Wang will join the rush with aplomb, activate deep into the zone from the blueline, and will pinch in to the play from the point to close off the boards to the breakout- thereby extending offensive zone time. He's a solid distributor from line, and can make some simple plays, but it's not resulting in points this year, and he doesn't get time on special teams in Oshawa. He owns a hard shot from the point that's difficult to stop, and he will shoot to make plays in front of the net, but he has to improve his release, his use of screens, and his deception, as a high number of his shots are either saved easily or blocked, and he misses the net a fair bit. Surprisingly, he shows value in transition, with his ability to rush the puck up-ice (sometimes through both exit and entry), and can send forwards into the offensive zone with heads-up passes. With his package of size and mobility, together with his athleticism and steep development path, there's plenty of upside in this package- but he will no doubt be a long-term project. I think it's unfair though, to expect him to ever be a top-pairing D, as there's no real sign of that right now; he's more likely a bottom-3 defender. Look for him in the 2nd-round.

Have to admit hoping he drops to our second round pick.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The only non-center I would strongly support taking if he's there at 18 is Kash Aitcheson. Otherwise, Center only.

Cool. You take center only and go with Kotkaniemi. I'll take the non-center in Brady or QHughes.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Cool. You take center only and go with Kotkaniemi. I'll take the non-center in Brady or QHughes.

I will take some of whatever it is you're smoking so early this morning.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by iloveicedhockey

It's not how it's going to go though, so no need to dismay just yet. He had us getting Demidov last year. There are always surprises and other factors impacting teams that aren't considered by any of the mockers.

I just hope everyone has fun.

I think it's very possible. Lots of teams took D last year and centers are always at a premium over wingers.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I will take some of whatever it is you're smoking so early this morning.

You said center only. Just pointing out that is what Montreal said too back in 2018. It's just a terrible strategy.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

You said center only. Just pointing out that is what Montreal said too back in 2018. It's just a terrible strategy.

Yeah if we were picking top 5, as I have been constantly hoping for, I would agree. But where we are picking in the draft there aren't any wingers better than our massive crop of wingers available.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (B's and C's Edition, Vol. 10):

LD Haoxi Wang (6'6",212lbs)
King Rebellion (OJHL): 34gp/ 4g/ 18a/ 22pts, 73 PIM
Oshawa (OHL): 32gp/ 0g/ 2a/ 2pts, +3, 19 PIM

Big Haoxi Wang (ranked # 34 NA Skaters, # 31 by McKenzie) was introduced to the game of hockey much later in life, compared to most draft-eligible prospects. Wang is originally from Beijing, China, and moved to Canada with his parents when he was 12 years-old, taking up the sport on the advice of one of his new friends from school. Up until that point in his life, he hadn't had any exposure to hockey, but has since risen up the ranks to the OHL- in just 5 short years. Even more amazing is that Wang is getting consideration by NHL-teams as a possible selection in the top-two rounds of the upcoming draft, and has already earned a scholarship to Boston University for the 2025-26 season. He started the year with the King Rebellion of the OJHL, where his 22 points in 34 games put him 33rd in points-per-game among defensemen (0.58), and it was there that Wang started drawing serious interest from scouts and media alike for both his stature and his skillset. On December 4th, he played his first game in the OHL with the Oshawa Generals, and by January 5th, he was a full-time member of that squad- posting 2 points in 32 games in his rookie season. As of this writing, the Gens are competing for the OHL Championship, and are in tough, going up against the fearsome London Knights, with Wang contributing 3 points in 18 post-season games to date. Huge and mobile, he's currently developing a proficient shut-down game with a side of puck-movement, but has two-way potential- based mostly on his steep development curve over his short hockey career, and some flashes of offense this season. With a July 27th, 2007 birthday, he is still a youngster by draft standards, and much more raw than most, but he will have a longer runway ahead of him with his commitment to the Terriers next season- another selling point for the scouts.

Most of Wang's appeal lies in his size/mobility ratio; he's an impressive skater in all directions, especially for a player of his stature, with remarkable agility, balance, and edgework- it's really a wonder to behold. His stride looks a touch knock-kneed at times, but is otherwise smooth, long, and fluid, and generates surprising power. He can transition seamlessly, pivot on a dime, surf across the ice laterally, and make sharp cuts. He keeps his puck-play mostly safe, simple, and efficient, but most of what he does on the ice looks strangely fluid for a kid as raw as he is; he's calm and poised with the puck, has decent control when in-motion, and protects well by shielding the puck away from checkers, but his overall puck-skills need refinement. Wang's range and wingspan are a cheat code, giving him the ability to cover massive swaths of ice, even when he's not perfectly positioned- it's quite difficult to navigate past him, especially with how quickly he can move. He does exhibit sound positioning most of the time though, wielding solid awareness and anticipation in the defensive-third, and using well-timed poke-checks to disguise his reach. While he's still learning, and not infallible, he's been fairly impressive against the rush in games that I've seen, and when aggressively defending in-zone. His backwards mobility enables him to match footwork with oncoming attackers, and he keeps tight gaps with his long stick, driving opponents to the outside and closing on them quickly to snuff entries. As in other areas of his game, his retrievals look smooth and fluid in how he outmaneuvers pursuers with patience and poise under duress, after thoroughly shoulder-checking to scan for his next move. He displays calmness and stability in making plays to exit the zone, and though he isn't above rimming the boards, clearing off the glass, or dumping the puck, he can make short and simple breakout feeds, and can stretch the ice with longer outlets to create advantages, and odd-man rushes.

Wang is inconsistent in using his physicality, but when he turns it on, he's quite intimidating, and can dish out some thunderous hits; he needs to throw his weight around more often, and would be much more imposing if he were to add a bit of snarl to his game. Right now, he seems too content to conduct his business with his stick and positioning, rather than using his frame to engage. He's disruptive in front of his net with his reach, and will check sticks to make stops, but would be a far more daunting force if he was meaner, and would make it much harder for opponents to get opportunities if he forced them to take a beating when they get too close to the crease. He also doesn't use his strength and frame well enough to box attackers out from the net-front, either. He throws himself into battles, but doesn't win nearly enough of them for a player of his considerable size, and is often too passive when he has an opportunity to finish a check. Wang will join the rush with aplomb, activate deep into the zone from the blueline, and will pinch in to the play from the point to close off the boards to the breakout- thereby extending offensive zone time. He's a solid distributor from line, and can make some simple plays, but it's not resulting in points this year, and he doesn't get time on special teams in Oshawa. He owns a hard shot from the point that's difficult to stop, and he will shoot to make plays in front of the net, but he has to improve his release, his use of screens, and his deception, as a high number of his shots are either saved easily or blocked, and he misses the net a fair bit. Surprisingly, he shows value in transition, with his ability to rush the puck up-ice (sometimes through both exit and entry), and can send forwards into the offensive zone with heads-up passes. With his package of size and mobility, together with his athleticism and steep development path, there's plenty of upside in this package- but he will no doubt be a long-term project. I think it's unfair though, to expect him to ever be a top-pairing D, as there's no real sign of that right now; he's more likely a bottom-3 defender. Look for him in the 2nd-round.

As Chinese-Canadian I am selfishly hoping he ends up a Flame. Would be pretty awesome to see a 6'6 Chinese dman join this retool!

[iloveicedhockey]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I think it's very possible. Lots of teams took D last year and centers are always at a premium over wingers.

It's possible for sure, I agree. The top level D were taken by: Ottawa, St Louis, San Jose, Minnesota, Chicago and New Jersey, so perhaps the overlap isn't there. A lot of the teams picking ahead picked high level centres last year. Either way, it's a possible scenario, along with the scenario where a great C drops to us.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

As Chinese-Canadian I am selfishly hoping he ends up a Flame. Would be pretty awesome to see a 6'6 Chinese dman join this retool!

Pretty cool story too... coming over and playing hockey for the first time at 12--and then growing into a 6'6 beefy kid who may be taken in the 2nd round of the draft (and will at least put himself through university on his hockey skills).

[Fan69]

Another vote! good breakdown about Zonnon. Really like this player. He was switched from wing to center and stayed top ten in scoring in the league.

I think his skating issues are a little overblown would be really happy to get him with our second pick.

https://youtu.be/xfNKdVnCytA?si=TwGjY3u6CufAn4DR

[icarus]

I guess we need to turn our attention to who's going to be available in the 28-32 range thanks to the predictable Leafs collapse...