The summer has hit its snag, with new staff hires and final additions headlining an otherwise stalled free agency. But plenty of excitement awaits the hockey world in the 2025 NHL Draft, the latest in a string of five strong draft classes between 2023 and 2027. 2025 contributes a long list of top forward prospects and unique defenders, though how draft day will shape up next year is still all but certain. Let’s dive into the top questions facing what’s sure to be an exciting class.
Who comes after James Hagens?
The 2025 class doesn’t feature the runaway first-overall prospect that 2023 and 2024 did, but Boston College centerman James Hagens has done plenty to prove his case early on. He’s shown all of the pace and skill of a blue-chip prospect, leading last season’s U18 NTDP roster with 102 points across 58 games, 13 more points than any of his teammates. Hagens will now succeed Will Smith as the centerman between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, giving him the ideal setting to stamp his place at first overall.
But the list of who will come next runs long. Swedish centerman Anton Frondell has proven an early favorite, after fighting his way to a pro debut in the HockeyAllsvenskan, on the back of powerful and mature playmaking. He’ll be challenged by Hagens’ successors at the NTDP, Conrad Fondrk and Will Moore, as well as top Russian Ivan Ryabkin. All three could also lose way to a strong defender class, especially if pro teams fancy the size of Sascha Boumedienne or the smooth passing of Logan Hensler. Even then, all of these players could lose out to perhaps the biggest uncertainty of the year…
Who Is Canada’s top forward?
Even with an American vying for first overall, CHL hockey headlines the 2025 NHL Draft. Their class is headlined by top-tier prospects Michael Misa and Porter Martone; perhaps the two current favorites to go second overall. Misa earned exceptional status for the OHL in 2022 and quickly vindicated it with a historic rookie year, scoring 56 points in 45 games, the highest scoring pace of any exceptional-status rookie in OHL history. He won the league’s Emms Family ‘Rookie of the Year’ Award that season even despite a six-week absence due to a fractured tibia and followed the performance up with 75 points in 67 games this season.
Misa is the flashy pick for top Canadian, though Martone has fought his way into the debate on the back of very hard-nosed and tireless hockey. His work ethic headlines his game, even despite Martone having the fine skills to beat the OHL’s finest. He scored 71 points in 60 OHL games this season (a higher pace than Misa) and managed a dazzling 17 points in seven games at the World U-18 Championships, while captaining Team Canada to a gold medal. Martone’s leadership qualities, special teams upside and 6-foot-3 frame could all prove more favorable to NHL teams looking for projectable skills.
Behind Misa and Martone is a litany of promising talent, including Malcolm Spence, Cole Reschny, Cameron Schmidt, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, Justin Carbonneau, Jake O’Brien, Jordan Gavin and Emile Guite. Each of the high-scoring CHL forwards boasts plenty of unique upside, from Spence’s ability to perform in the spotlight to O’Brien’s all-three-zones ability. They’ve all found their way into first-round consideration next year and could each join the heights of Martone and Misa with another big step next year.
Which defender emerges on top?
The 2024 class was defined by a lost list of strong defenders, but teams who missed a chance at the bounty will find plenty of consolation next year. It’ll once again be a stylistic bout, with Sascha Boumedienne offering hefty and powerful drive, Logan Hensler boasting smooth skating and hard passing and the pair of Charlie Trethewey and Luka Radivojevic battling for title of top offensive defenseman.
Boumedienne and Hensler are set for a collegiate faceoff, with the former joining the high-offense Boston College while the latter looks to become the top prospect at the University of Wisconsin. The two settings couldn’t be more opposed, with BC fighting for a National Championship while UW looks to find their footing under new head coach Mike Hastings. That creates very different training grounds for top draft prospects, with Boumedienne seeming to gain and edge in surrounding cast but Hensler clearly set for a starring role.
Radivojevic, the son of former NHL defender Branko Radivojevic, stands as a particularly interesting prospect as well. He’s flashed fantastic athleticism and awareness on the puck, even while facing the challenges of a skinny 5-foot-10, 160-pound frame, recording a strong 33 points in 43 games in Sweden’s U20 league this season. He’s opted to not join Team Slovakia at the upcoming Hlinka Gretzky Cup, instead fully preparing for his first professional season with the SHL’s Orebro HK, after playing his first six pro games last year. He’ll be seeking both his first SHL point and high draft standing on a stout Orebro lineup.
And while the year’s top defender seems featured in this group of four, Canada’s Kashwan Aitchenson, Reese Hamilto, or Louis-Alex Tremblay could each fight to steal the title. They headline a defense class that’s certain to face plenty of scrutiny, juxtaposed by an endless list of talented forwards.