Our final 2025 NHL Draft Rankings have arrived!
For the second year running, we have compiled a ranking of the top 300 prospects eligible, instead of a top 224 with honourable mentions. This list follows our March top 100 ranking, our pre-World Juniors top 64, and preliminary top 32.
Our ranking is comprised of 176 forwards, 87 defencemen and 37 goaltenders. It is a strong class between the pipes, with Prince George Cougars netminder Joshua Ravensbergen at 30th, five goalies ranked in the top 64, and 10 in the top 100.
By nationality, Canada leads the way with 106 representatives, followed by the USA with 63, Sweden (36), Russia (20), Finland (20), Czechia (16), Slovakia (11), Switzerland (7), Germany (6), Denmark (4), Belarus (3), Latvia (2), and Norway (2).
It could be a milestone draft for a few countries. Oshawa Generals defenceman Simon Wang is projected to be highest-drafted Chinese player in NHL history. At the same time, Bruno Idzan, a winger for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, looks to be the first player from Croatia to be selected. Alexander Levshyn, who has spent the last two seasons in the OJHL, has the chance to be the fourth Ukrainian to hear his name called on draft day this century.
Sascha Boumedienne is the most notable riser from our March ranking, jumping 24 spots into the first round. His 14 points in five games for Sweden are the most by a defender in U18s history.
An improved second half of the campaign in combination with a strong showing at the U18s propels Cole Reschny from 38th to 28th overall. The Canadian centreman scored twice, including the OT winner, in the quarterfinals against Czechia, and finished with five goals and eight points in five games.
Roman Bausov and Reese Hamilton each fell 63 places from our last list–the most of any player. Following them are Nathan Behm (-60), Maxim Agafonov, and Shamar Moses (-45).
Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa remain the clear 1-2 punch at the top of the draft on the back of two of the most impressive (albeit limited, in Schaefer’s case) draft-year campaigns in recent OHL history.
At the NHL level, the Erie Otters' superstar projects as a prototypical, modern-day No.1 defenceman.
“Schaefer is just the complete package, McKeen’s Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, explained. “A future perennial all-star who can play in all situations and be your future captain. This is someone you can build your franchise around.”
Misa, one of nine players to be granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada, elevated his game to new levels in his third season with the Saginaw Spirit. His 62 goals and 134 points are the most by a draft-eligible OHLer since Patrick Kane (62 goals and 145 points in 2006-07).
“Misa is such a dynamic and exciting offensive player. But what’s underrated is the fact that he has a pro frame and made significant gains off the puck this year, sliding back to center,” said Otten.
Beyond Schaefer and Misa, it could be a matter of personal preference or positional need for the remaining lottery picks.
“The sense we get from our scouts and people in the industry is that this class is viewed as heavily tiered,” explained Otten. “There is a group of 10-12 guys at the top. Then, a small group of 10 or so are locked in as first-rounders. After that? It could be the Wild West.”
This is reflected in our top eight players not changing from our March ranking: Schaefer, Misa, Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers, James Hagens, Anton Frondell, Jackson Smith, and Victor Eklund.
Martone, our third-ranked prospect, is one of the draft’s premier playmakers. Standing at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, he offers an enticing blend of high-end physical tools and has drawn comparisons to fellow Peterborough, ON native, Corey Perry. In his third season in the OHL, Martone broke the Brampton Steelheads single season record for assists (61) and points (98).
Rising two spots to fourth overall is Moncton Wildcats pivot Caleb Desnoyers. The 18-year-old led one of the most dominant QMJHL teams in recent memory and finished with nine goals and 30 points in 19 playoff contests.
“You have to appreciate his consistency this year in leading Moncton to a Q Championship. He’s such a detail-oriented player. This is a longtime pro who should provide serious versatility to his future coach,” said Otten.
Following Desnoyers in fifth spot is James Hagens, our top-ranked prospect in October. The Boston College centreman enjoyed an impressive freshman campaign in the NCAA, scoring at a point-per-game pace on the top line in college hockey and winning gold at the World Juniors. However, Hagens did not reach the individual heights many expected of him this year, and as a result, slipped in our ranking.
Our sixth-ranked prospect, Anton Frondell, rounds out a run of three centers in a row, though it is not clear whether he will stick down the middle at the next level. The first half of the season was marred by injury for the Swede, as well as constant shifts between playing for Djurgardens men’s and J20 teams. He finished with the second highest points-per-game (0.86) by a draft-eligible player in Allsvenskan history, trailing only Elias Pettersson.
“Would we have liked to have seen him dominate the U18s? Sure. But we’re happier with how well he played in helping Djurgardens earn promotion back to the SHL,” explained Otten. “That should have more weight. He does so many of the little things well; things not consistently measured by offensive production.”
Jackson Smith of the Tri-City Americans is our seventh-ranked prospect. He led all WHL draft-eligible defenders with 11 goals, 43 assists, and 54 points this season and played on Canada’s top pairing as they won gold at the U18s last month.
Frondell’s teammate in Djurgardens, Victor Eklund, slots in two spots behind him in eighth. Despite a wiry frame, Eklund is at his most effective operating along the boards and below the dots. Like his brother William, Victor is a crafty winger with a tireless engine that has proven himself internationally and at the pro level in Sweden.
6-foot-5.75, 218-pound defenceman Radim Mrtka climbs eight spots from #17 in our preliminary ranking. Starting the season in Czechia, he flourished in Seattle following a November move to the WHL, posting three goals and 35 points in 43 contests.
Rounding out our top 10 is centreman Brady Martin. A fierce competitor equally as threatening in the corners as he is with the puck on his stick, the Soo Greyhounds star has shades of Tom Wilson and Brad Marchand in his game.
“I’ve been high on Martin all year. The rest of our Ontario scouts have been, too. The rest of our scouting team finally came around on him after his outstanding U18s performance,” explained Otten. “This is the kind of player built to be successful in the NHL playoffs, the kind of guy you win with.”
The McKeen's 2025 NHL Draft Guide will be available for download by subscribers next week, Friday, June 13th for release. If you are not a subscriber and would like a membership please link here. Subscribers can access our complete top 300 ranking here.
| RANK | PLAYER | POS | HT/WT | DOB | NATION | TEAM | GP | G(W) | A(L) | PTS(GAA) | PIM(SV%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Schaefer | D | 6-2/185 | 5-Sep-07 | Canada | Erie (OHL) | 17 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 8 |
| 2 | Michael Misa | C | 6-1/185 | 16-Feb-07 | Canada | Saginaw (OHL) | 65 | 62 | 72 | 134 | 45 |
| 3 | Porter Martone | RW | 6-3/205 | 26-Oct-06 | Canada | Brampton (OHL) | 57 | 37 | 61 | 98 | 74 |
| 4 | Caleb Desnoyers | C | 6-2/180 | 11-Apr-07 | Canada | Moncton (QMJHL) | 56 | 35 | 49 | 84 | 39 |
| 5 | James Hagens | C | 5-10/175 | 3-Nov-06 | USA | Boston College (HE) | 37 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 24 |
| 6 | Anton Frondell | C | 6-1/195 | 7-May-07 | Sweden | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) | 29 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 16 |
| 7 | Jackson Smith | D | 6-3/195 | 13-May-07 | Canada | Tri-City (WHL) | 68 | 11 | 43 | 54 | 48 |
| 8 | Victor Eklund | RW | 5-11/160 | 3-Oct-06 | Sweden | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) | 42 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 37 |
| 9 | Radim Mrtka | D | 6-6/205 | 9-Jun-07 | Czech | Seattle (WHL) | 43 | 3 | 32 | 35 | 46 |
| 10 | Brady Martin | C | 6-0/180 | 16-Mar-07 | Canada | Soo Greyhounds (OHL) | 57 | 33 | 39 | 72 | 68 |
| 11 | Jake O'Brien | C | 6-2/170 | 16-Jun-07 | Canada | Brantford (OHL) | 66 | 32 | 66 | 98 | 18 |
| 12 | Roger McQueen | C | 6-5/195 | 2-Oct-06 | Canada | Brandon (WHL) | 17 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 40 |
| 13 | Lynden Lakovic | LW | 6-4/190 | 12-Dec-06 | Canada | Moose Jaw (WHL) | 47 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 4 |
| 14 | Cullen Potter | C | 5-10/170 | 10-Jan-07 | USA | Arizona State (NCHC) | 35 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 6 |
| 15 | Kashawn Aitcheson | D | 6-1/195 | 21-Sep-06 | Canada | Barrie (OHL) | 64 | 26 | 33 | 59 | 88 |
| 16 | Justin Carbonneau | RW | 6-1/190 | 25-Nov-06 | Canada | Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) | 62 | 46 | 43 | 89 | 61 |
| 17 | Braeden Cootes | C | 5-11/180 | 9-Feb-07 | Canada | Seattle (WHL) | 60 | 26 | 37 | 63 | 18 |
| 18 | Sascha Boumedienne | D | 6-1/175 | 17-Jan-07 | Sweden | Boston University (HE) | 40 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 33 |
| 19 | Ben Kindel | C | 5-10/175 | 19-Apr-07 | Canada | Calgary (WHL) | 65 | 35 | 64 | 99 | 39 |
| 20 | Cameron Reid | D | 6-0/190 | 8-Apr-07 | Canada | Kitchener (OHL) | 67 | 14 | 40 | 54 | 44 |
| 21 | Carter Bear | LW | 6-0/180 | 4-Nov-06 | Canada | Everett (WHL) | 56 | 40 | 42 | 82 | 77 |
| 22 | Blake Fiddler | D | 6-4/210 | 9-Jul-07 | Canada | Edmonton (WHL) | 64 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 36 |
| 23 | Eric Nilson | C | 5-11/155 | 11-May-07 | Sweden | Djurgardens (Swe J20) | 37 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 56 |
| 24 | Jakob Ihs Wozniak | RW | 6-3/185 | 1-Feb-07 | Sweden | Lulea (Swe J20) | 40 | 23 | 34 | 57 | 18 |
| 25 | Logan Hensler | D | 6-2/190 | 14-Oct-06 | USA | Wisconsin (B1G) | 32 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 27 |
| 26 | Jack Murtagh | LW | 6-1/200 | 22-Aug-07 | USA | USN U18 (USDP) | 47 | 20 | 26 | 46 | 32 |
| 27 | Jack Nesbitt | C | 6-4/185 | 12-Jan-07 | Canada | Windsor (OHL) | 65 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 74 |
| 28 | Cole Reschny | C | 5-10/185 | 6-Apr-07 | Canada | Victoria (WHL) | 62 | 26 | 66 | 92 | 44 |
| 29 | Milton Gastrin | C | 6-1/185 | 2-Jun-07 | Sweden | MoDo Hockey (Swe J20) | 40 | 18 | 24 | 42 | 18 |
| 30 | Joshua Ravensbergen | G | 6-5/190 | 27-Nov-06 | Canada | Prince George (WHL) | 51 | 33 | 13 | 3.00 | 0.901 |
| 31 | Kurban Limatov | D | 6-3/195 | 20-Mar-07 | Russia | MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) | 46 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 44 |
| 32 | Bill Zonnon | RW | 6-2/185 | 3-Oct-06 | Canada | Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) | 64 | 28 | 55 | 83 | 32 |