2025 NHL Draft first round selections
1- NY Islanders- Matthew Schaefer, D
Will be a first pairing defenseman from day one.
2- San Jose Sharks- Michael Misa, C
Special talent who will be a second elite center in San Jose
3- Chicago Blackhawks- Anton Frondell, C
Versatile two-way forward who fits in nicely with what Chicago is doing
4- Utah Mammoth- Caleb Desnoyers, C
Can play in any situation, another young talented center for Utah
5- Nashville Predators- Brady Martin, C
A bit of a reach, but with a year or two to develop he could be a nice fit
6- Philadelphia Flyers- Porter Martone, RW
Another talented right winger headed to Philly. Can score goals.
7- Boston Bruins- James Hagens, C
Hagens dropped a bit, but should fit in nicely in Boston. Boston College player stays close to home.
8- Seattle Kraken- Jake O’Brien, C
Smooth skater who should produce points on Seattle’s second line.
9- Buffalo Sabres- Radim Mrtka, D
6’6” defenseman who might be a bit of a reach. Will need time to develop, but could be a solid shutdown defender.
10- Anaheim Ducks- Roger McQueen, C
If not for issues in the past with his back, this 6’5” center could have gone top five.
11- Pittsburgh Penguins- Benjamin Kindel, C
A tad undersized, projects as a solid #2 center
12- Philadelphia Flyers- Jack Nesbitt, C
6’4” center with hockey IQ. Will slide in nicely with the Flyers young wingers.
13- Detroit Red Wings- Carter Bear, LW
A quality two-way forward.
14- Columbus Blue Jackets- Jackson Smith, D
Penn State commit has the tools to become a big minute defenseman
15- Vancouver Canucks- Braeden Cootes, C
A strong skater, who needs work on offensive production.
16- New York Islanders- Victor Eklund, RW
Sportsvival feels this is the steal of round one..future top six forward with big time scoring ability.
17- New York Islanders- Kashawn Aitcheson, D
The Islanders have won the first round of this draft. Three solid prospects, the Isles get a nasty demeanor d-man with offensive upside.
18- Calgary Flames- Cole Reschny, C
A quality two-way center who has scoring potential. Nice value at #18
19- St. Louis Blues- Justin Carbonneau, RW
Has upside, will need an adjustment period to the speed of the NHL.
20- Columbus Blue Jackets- Pyotr Andreyanov, G
This was a surprise. They get an athletic goalie who Sportsvival has a 1B ceiling.
21- Nashville Predators- Cameron Reid, D
A solid pick at #21. Defenseman are not going off the board as quickly as past seasons.
22- Pittsburgh Penguins- Bill Zonnon, RW
A relentless player who needs to work on skating mechanics
23- Ottawa Senators- Logan Hensler, D
Was a solid collegiate hockey player last season at Wisconsin, despite being one of the youngest players.
24- Pittsburgh Penguins- Will Horcoff, C
Son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff. Has the body and grit to be a player who can become a power forward.
25- Chicago Blackhawks- Václav Nestrašil, RW
Raw but has huge upside.
26- Nashville Predators- Ryker Lee, RW
A huge upside pick at No. 26. Some scouts had him going in top 20 because of his creativity.
27- Washington Capitals- Lynden Lakovic, LW
Has the frame to add muscle and become a top-six winger
28- Winnipeg Jets- Sascha Boumedienne, D
Two years away at least but has the upside to become a top two pairing defenseman.
29- Chicago Blackhawks- Mason West, C
High school quarterback who is widely considered the best overall athlete in the draft class. A bit behind in hockey development when compared to the other top prospects.
30- San Jose Sharks- Joshua Ravensbergen, G
A future tandem of Ravensbergen and Yaroslav Askarov? Could be an elite duo.
31- Los Angeles Kings- Henry Brzustewicz, D
A right-hand defenseman with mobility.
32- Calgary Flames- Cullen Potter, C
Fast and dynamic skater. Showed improvement throughout the season at Arizona State.
(photo courtesy of Sportsnet--Ryan Dixon)