NHL Mock Draft 2025: Starting with Matthew Schaefer, making selections for all 224 picks

I don’t think Schaefer to the Islanders is 100 percent done, but I think it’s done-ish. The league is acting with the heavy presumption they are not going to get cute at No. 1 and will take the consensus best player.

Photo:

Brandon Soto / OHL Images

The intrigue rises mildly here. Most of the league believes the Sharks will take Misa at 2. Their dream scenario has always been Schaefer but it seems unlikely that will transpire. I’m not completely sold Misa is a lock here, though, which reflects the debates we’ve talked about all year that there are a lot of great forwards who are in the conversation.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

The league believes Chicago is the floor for Misa. Presuming it goes chalk in the top two picks, then I believe Chicago’s choice will be between Caleb Desnoyers and Anton Frondell, and I could see Jake O’Brien being their type as well. Frondell and Desnoyers are two-way centers with significant offense and would fit into the profile Chicago has targeted, with Frondell being a tad more dynamic offensively, which is why I lean toward him being the pick.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

The Martin hype train is in full swing right now, and a lot of people in the league think he’s going somewhere from 3 through 7. Utah likes size, but it will also prioritize guys with high compete levels. It’s why I think Martin, Frondell, Desnoyers and Porter Martone are all potential fits here.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

I would be a little surprised if Nashville doesn’t come out of this draft with a center. With a run on centers here, the Predators probably take whichever of the top group of pivots are left. Desnoyers, Frondell, Martin all fit their style of draftees. The league thinks this is a potential landing spot for Roger McQueen, too.

Photo:

Daniel St. Louis / Moncton Wildcats

Like Nashville, I somewhat expect the Flyers to take a center, and the options start getting more limited here. James Hagens is possible here, although it would give them a rather small core. McQueen is possible too. O’Brien makes a lot of sense though and people in the league think this is a possible landing spot for him as well.

Photo:

Brandon Taylor / OHL Images

Despite their needs, I don’t think Boston is as hard pressed to take a center here as the organizations in front of them, in part because six centers in a row just got picked. I could see the Bruins lean toward winger Martone or defenseman Radim Mrtka for that reason but it wouldn’t surprise me as well if they took another center. McQueen, O’Brien and Hagens would all be possible fits here.

Photo:

Jeremy Champagne / Brandon Wheat Kings

Hagens would be a bit redundant after Seattle picked Berkly Catton last year but this gets to the part of the draft where his availability gets a bit ridiculous and will tempt teams to just take him. Seattle is probably looking at their system and thinking ideally we need a defenseman such as Mrtka but based on the board there will be a very good forward available to them at 8.

Photo:

Eric Canha / Imagn Images

Martone getting this low in the draft may raise some eyebrows, but there’s a good reason. He’s has a winger, and there’s a ton of great centers in this draft. Martone’s foot speed is also a concern for teams. At 9, though, the concerns start to get a bit ridiculous and Buffalo would likely be thrilled with this outcome. I would be fascinated to see what the Sabres would do if Hagens got here, however. Could they take yet another small forward?

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

The second defenseman finally goes off the board as Anaheim gets a huge, rangy blueliner in Mrtka. If Mrtka were to go ahead of them, which I think is highly possible, the Ducks would likely be happy with any of the premium forwards getting to 10 as well.

Photo:

Brian Liesse / Seattle Thunderbirds

The Penguins have expressed a desire to get bigger and tougher in their prospect pool and Aitcheson provides a lot of those elements. Jackson Smith or Mrtka if he gets to 11 could help them a lot to get a legit blue line prospect they haven’t had in a while.

Photo:

Terry Wilson / OHL Images

New York continues to try to build a big, mobile blue line with the addition of Smith. I have heard some interest here in Aitcheson as well if he were available, which there is a decent chance he will be.

Photo:

Portland Winterhawks

Taking the hyper-competitive Swede is almost too good a fit for Detroit, but Eklund fits a need and checks the boxes the Red Wings look for.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Ideally for Columbus the top three defensemen don’t go before this pick, but centers and defensemen tend to go fast. The Blue Jackets settle instead for a potential power winger in Carbonneau who has plenty of offensive talent as well.

Team

Blainville-Boisbriand

Photo:

Sebastien Gervais / CHL

Vancouver hasn’t drafted a center in the top two rounds since Elias Pettersson in 2017. In this range, the Canucks could very well be looking at Nesbitt or Braeden Cootes.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

Bear’s stock has slipped mildly due to concerns over his Achilles tear he suffered midseason, but I still expect him to be a top-20 pick. He’s a highly skilled player with a strong effort level who could be a potential top-six winger for Montreal.

Photo:

Caroline Anne / Everett Silvertips

Montreal will want to add some size with one of these two first-round picks. I could see Nesbitt as an option here if available, but Lakovic is more toolsy. His consistency is an issue, but he is a legit top-six talent due to his size, skating and skill.

Photo:

Nick Pettigrew / Moose Jaw Warriors

Reschny’s stock was up sharply in the second half, and he worked his way into being a potential teens pick. Calgary rolls the dice on some high-end offensive traits that its system needs.

Photo:

Kevin Light / Victoria Royals

Reid could very well go before 19, as the league at large is a big fan of this player. He’s a great skater who competes and can move pucks. St. Louis would be excited to add someone like him even if it took defenseman Adam Jiricek with its first-round pick last year.

Photo:

Natalie Shaver / OHL Images

Columbus gets a defenseman at No. 20, adding the high-end skating Boumedienne. His game can be a bit chaotic, but he has legit top-four defenseman talent.

BU Athletics

Ottawa adds the highly competitive center Cootes at 21. He has a good talent base as well, and very much fits into the player type the Senators have tended to covet.

Kyle Smutzki

After getting their center at 6, the Flyers add a potential second pair defenseman in Hensler with their next pick. He’s a little too similar to Oliver Bonk who they took two years ago, but good players are good players.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Nashville adds some size, mobility and toughness on its blue line in picking Fiddler with its second first-round pick.

Andy Devlin / CHL

Horcoff’s stock has been up notably this season after a great second half, and I expect him to go in the 20s come draft day. L.A. would ideally add a true center at this pick, but there aren’t a ton of great options so it defaults to the likely NHL winger who is huge and has a high skill level.

Photo:

Michigan Photography

Spence’s season didn’t go as he hoped it would, but I still think he will be a first round pick. He fits what Chicago likes to draft: He’s fast, highly competiive and can score in a way that will translate to the NHL even if he’s not dynamic offensively.

Photo:

Brandon Soto / OHL Images

With their third pick in the first round, the Predators takes the top goalie in this year’s class in Ravensbergen. Some will debate this pick after Yaroslav Askarov was just traded, but Nashville can reset the clock and time this one better to where Ravensbergen arrives closer to the end of Juuse Saros’ time.

Photo:

James Doyle / Prince George Cougars

The Capitals pick the top Russian in this year’s class in Prokhorov. He’s huge, fast and hard to play against while providing secondary skill, too.

Team

Dynamo St. Petersburg Jr.

Photo:

Maksim Konstantinov / Getty Images

Brzustewicz is a steady two-way defenseman who kept improving in London. He adds some depth to the Jets pipeline on defense as they’ve added a lot of forwards in recent years.

Photo:

Luke Durda / OHL Images

Carolina tends to swing on talent, and Potter is probably the most dynamic player left at this point of the draft. He’s a high-end skater and puck handler, although he is on the smaller side.

Photo:

Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP

San Jose would probably like to walk away from this draft with a defenseman with one of its early picks, and the Sharks do so at pick 33. Here they acquire the well-rounded Zonnon who can play center or wing, skates well, is competetive and has legit skill.

Jean Lapointe

Calgary adds a hardworking two-way center in Gastrin at 31 who has been the leader of his Swedish age group the last few years. He has good skill and speed in his game as well.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff

Philadelphia rolls the dice on the highly talented yet inconsistent Ihs-Wozniak with its third pick in the first round. He’s a tall winger with legit skill and goal-scoring ability.

Photo:

Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff