2025 NHL Draft Thread

[Tbull8]

Ya I’m seeing now they had 24 hrs from the lottery… makes no sense to gamble on next year being lower than 21 and in a potentially deeper draft…

[Tbull8]

It also limits their ability to trade that pick next year

[Tbull8]

Saw a proposed trade of Utah trading 4th overall to the isles for Dobson and Colorado’s first

Yes age is a factor but I wonder how close Ras + 18th would be for 4

[prizefighterinferno]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Saw a proposed trade of Utah trading 4th overall to the isles for Dobson and Colorado’s first

Yes age is a factor but I wonder how close Ras + 18th would be for 4

Guessing it would have to be Ras, Zary, 18, and another high upside player to bet on like Mews to be somewhat realistic.

Needs to be an overpay to get someone else to bite IMO. These picks just don't move easily or often.

[Tbull8]

So you think the difference between ras and Dobson is
Mews zary and a better 1st?

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

So you think the difference between ras and Dobson is
Mews zary and a better 1st?

I think it's probably 2 out of those 3 personally. Dobson is younger, bigger, and potentially a better defensive player.

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I think it's probably 2 out of those 3 personally. Dobson is younger, bigger, and potentially a better defensive player.

[FlamesAddiction]

I actually think that the penalty against the Senators was a little excessive. Other teams have made worse mistakes and received less, or had the punishments reversed. Maybe part of the reason why Ottawa chose the 2026 pick in the faint hope that the NHL still rescinds or lowers the penalty like they did with NJ and Arizona in recent years.

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I actually think that the penalty against the Senators was a little excessive. Other teams have made worse mistakes and received less, or had the punishments reversed. Maybe part of the reason why Ottawa chose the 2026 pick in the faint hope that the NHL still rescinds or lowers the penalty like they did with NJ and Arizona in recent years.

100% this.

NJD did the same and had their penalty reduced.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Scott Wheeler from the Athletic just released a mock of the first round, has the Flames picking Reschny and Kindel. One of the better case scenarios for the Flames in my opinion.





https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/633...round-lottery/

Flames had the following on the board at 18 in the mock ...

Carter Bear
Cullen Potter
Malcom Spence
Logan Hensler
Cole Reschny
Ben Kindel
Cameron Schmidtt
Ivan Ryabkin

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Flames had the following on the board at 18 in the mock ...

Carter Bear
Cullen Potter
Malcom Spence
Logan Hensler
Cole Reschny
Ben Kindel
Cameron Schmidtt
Ivan Ryabkin

I think I’d go upside in Bear at that point, and then hopefully reschny or Kindel is there at the Florida pick

[HitterD]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Flames had the following on the board at 18 in the mock ...

Carter Bear
Cullen Potter
Malcom Spence
Logan Hensler
Cole Reschny
Ben Kindel
Cameron Schmidtt
Ivan Ryabkin

Two thoughts here if this is what the flames would be looking at. Do you take a C at 18 and pass on Bear (who still could be a C at NHL but more likely a wing with a bit of injury concern)

Or do you take Bear because he is BPA in that slot (IMO) and then go C with the pick at 22?

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by traptor

That would be great. I do wonder if there will be some trepidation in going for two small forwards though. Alot of our future core forwards already skew smaller with Coronato and Zary.

I do think they snag one of these guys if available, but I wouldn't be shocked if they went for a guy like Nesbitt with their other pick if available.

I make no secret that I want the Flames to get bigger. Size is very important, especially when you get into the playoffs. However, I think there is something just a bit more important than size - 'high-compete level".



Remember 2 seasons ago that the Flames claimed Zohorna off of waivers. 6'06", great skater, decent skills, and even had a decent motor too. He just didn't compete hard. Mangiapane competed harder, and so was more difficult to play against. Sam Bennett - his single best attribute would be his compete level, IMO.



I thought Jankowski was going to be a fantastic player for the Flames - great skater, really good vision, high IQ on both sides of the puck, and I think had a decent motor on him as well. He just doesn't have that high-compete level, and was just to easy to play against.



Klapka is a good example of both, IMO. I mean, Klapka is a big guy who is willing to engage physically - he isn't shy and never has been. I think a big part of the reason he kept bouncing between the Flames and Wranglers was how he took too many shifts off from competing. I think he has a fairly high motor - he skates really hard for a lot of each shift. He just didn't battle often enough. Towards the end of the season, he just started competing harder - wanting to engage physically with every chance, pushing for positioning in front of the net, along the boards - he increased his intensity throughout each shift, and practically overnight turned into a dominant player.



Gaudreau was amazing not just because he was super-skilled, but because he had a high compete level. It showed differently than being physical - he just played with a lot of effort in spurts that was difficult for other players to match. I can't say he had a high motor really, but he had a high compete level. Tkachuk has a very high compete level, but not a great motor.



Backlund to me was a guy who had a really good motor as a younger player, but didn't have enough compete in his game. I think partly under Brent Sutter, and mostly under Hartley, he increased his compete level, and that's what has made him one of the league's best checkers.



This is how I see things anyway. SIze is king, but having a high-compete level can often counteract size. Hunter Smith made that point at training camp when he shared his Sam Bennett story about how Bennett went right through him at the face-off dot in junior.



Reschny seems like a guy who will be harder to play against not just because of his skill, speed and non-stop motor - but because he has a high-compete level as well. I won't be upset if the Flames pass on Reschny if he is there at 18, because I will just assume that they like another player more and I trust the Flames now. However, I would absolutely love it if they draft him. He may be slightly undersized, but he is a guy that will do better as the games mean more because of his compete level.



That's just how I see it. I would of course prefer big guys with skill, speed and high compete levels too, but at the middle of the first round, everyone has warts.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by HitterD

Two thoughts here if this is what the flames would be looking at. Do you take a C at 18 and pass on Bear (who still could be a C at NHL but more likely a wing with a bit of injury concern)

Or do you take Bear because he is BPA in that slot (IMO) and then go C with the pick at 22?

Definetly back to back Centers. Why draft Bear when you can just develop Honzek, Basha, Gridin, Suniev, Stromgren ect.

Need to load the cupboards on centers now.

[FranksandBean]

Originally Posted by Yanda

Definetly back to back Centers. Why draft Bear when you can just develop Honzek, Basha, Gridin, Suniev, Stromgren ect.

Need to load the cupboards on centers now.

I would take the highest skill (define it how you want) who is a RH forward @18OA the the BPA who is a not a LH forward (would trade down to avoid) at the Florida pick.

We need high end at both LHD and RH forwards centre or wing, we can’t develop or trade for everything else from within.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (B's and C's Edition, Vol. 5):

LW Zachary Morin (6'2",174lbs)
Saint John (QMJHL): 56gp/ 16g/ 20a/ 36pts, -15, 21 PIM

LW Zach Morin (ranked # 103 NA Skaters) started the season with Youngstown of the USHL (1assist in 4 games), with an eye on attending Boston University in 2026-27, and he was actually being used at center. When the rules preventing CHL players from committing to the NCAA was reversed in November (and I've read that things weren't going so well for him in Youngstown), he was free to join the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec League- who were unfortunately one of the worst teams in Major Junior this year. When the season concluded, the Sea Dogs were sitting in 17th, out of 18 teams in the Q, and were dead-last in the entire CHL in goals-for (154), making Morin's 36 points in 56 games look impressive. In his first 36 games with Saint John, he had produced a rather admirable 29 points, but only managed a paltry 7 points in the last 20. Morin is a two-way power-forward with some projectable tools, and intriguing talent, but he also has some undeniable flaws. His skating is projectable, with a long, fluid stride and smooth mechanics, but he'll need plenty of work in building up his lower-body strength, as his straight-ahead speed is average at best. He does show a peppy first-step, and the ability to accelerate quickly to top-speed, with already well-developed agility on his edges, allowing him to make snappy pivots and turns, and even solve problems on the fly when combined with his deft handling. Pace is a concern though, and he doesn't keep his feet moving nearly enough- often being seen gliding or floating. Morin gets consistently high grades for his puck-skills, with the ability to beat defenders one-on-one with his quick hands, break down defenses, dissect coverage, and handle steadily at top-speed. He protects well with his outside leg and skate blade, while fending off checks with his free arm, giving him enough space to push-off and make plays.

A physical player, he uses his size and strength as leverage to win battles and establish inside-position, and he fights through contact by breaking free of pins along the wall, spins off of checks, and pushes back against hits. Still, his physical engagement is not only inconsistent game-to-game, but also shift-to-shift- finishing all of his hits at times, then looking too passive in other instances. His compete and intensity have big ebbs and flows, and I've heard that scouts are concerned about his attitude, because of his negative body-language when things aren't going his way. He wins plenty of puck-battles, and can overpower most opponents, but his effort and engagement come and go. He can be plenty mean at times, with extra shots after physical contact, and plenty of cross-checks and little slashes along the way. Morin gets to the middle consistently with-and-without the puck, owns a solid net-front presence, finishes in-tight, and is a dangerous shooter from the slot. He can really rip a puck, and can fire off the catch while in-motion, manipulating opponents in the process with feints and look-offs. He is a skilled passer and talented playmaker, but any sign of true play-creation ability only comes in flashes; most are hesitant to call him high-end in that regard, but part of the reason is the team he plays for, with no real high-level offensive players to play off of. There's obvious vision and offensive awareness in his toolkit, and he funnels pucks to the slot, but he is said to be a player who reads and reacts, makes sound decisions quickly, and feeds off of his teammates, rather than one who creates or drives play. His passes are usually right on the money though, and he displays the ability to connect with teammates through traffic by reading gaps and locating passing lanes, while evading checks with layers of deception and by changing up his pace and direction. He is far more effective on the cycle than off the rush, because of his lack of pace, and his straight-line approach through the neutral zone.

With his passing, handling, and processing ability, he has shown himself to be an important contributor to his team's transition, and exhibits poise and patience in delaying to wait for the play to develop, in order to make quick, short passes for controlled entries. An excellent defensive player and penalty-killer, Morin backtracks hard, with good details and an active stick throughout the backcheck. He reads the play quickly, and acts proactively with stick-lifts, interceptions, and picks. With perfect positioning and spotless stick-placement, he is highly disruptive with his timing and anticipation. With his pace, compete, and consistency all in need of improvement, Morin could be a real boom-or-bust prospect- but his NHL-caliber tools (size, passing and shooting) and potential are undeniable. Look for him in the 2nd, or 3rd-round.

[UKflames]

If NYI take Schaeffer at 1OA, i'm not sure I can see Misa being happy about being drafted by SJ. He would be #2 behind Celebrini, stunting his opportunity to be a top line C in the NHL, playing less minutes, which in turn could effect his earning potential. This kid has been #1 on virtualy every team he has played for but now he has to be #2, I can see trouble ahead.

This could be the reason that SJ trades down, just enough to still get a great player, or in a package that fills some holes on the current roster, as they want to start moving forward now, not sitting at the bottom for another season.

If they chat with Eckblads agent (tampering, I know, but we know it goes on) and they don't get the impression that he would sign with them July 1st, they might very well take a package with Raz + picks + to start filling those gaps. We all think that teams want to keep drafting high, but other than the No Goods, teams do want to get out of the basement eventually and there is only so many minutes to give to star players, you can have too many.

Just my thoughts on this Saturday afteroon.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Misa could end up being a winger on the top line
I don’t frankly think there is much to your theory.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by HitterD

Two thoughts here if this is what the flames would be looking at. Do you take a C at 18 and pass on Bear (who still could be a C at NHL but more likely a wing with a bit of injury concern)

Or do you take Bear because he is BPA in that slot (IMO) and then go C with the pick at 22?

Bpa all day long. If it happens to be a c, great. If it is a winger or d, you go that route. Doesn’t matter lh or rh shot. Whoever is best on your list.

Look at 2018. You don’t think Montreal kicks themselves for passing on Brady Tkachuk? And Arizona/utah for picking Hayton over Quinn Hughes?

Won’t be as pronounced at 18oa but point being don’t get myopic based on current need and draft the best C on the board if there are better wingers or d available. Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes would fetch you a good C in any trade if that’s the need down the line.

NFL draft allows you to draft based on need/position. NHL draft does not.

[Lewis_D]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Saw a proposed trade of Utah trading 4th overall to the isles for Dobson and Colorado’s first

Yes age is a factor but I wonder how close Ras + 18th would be for 4

How about Raz + both the 1st round picks?