[04-May-2026 15:31:54 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:55 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:45 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php:22 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php on line 22 [04-May-2026 15:31:46 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php:50 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php on line 50 [04-May-2026 15:31:47 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php:15 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php on line 15 Sam Spehar – McKeen's Hockey https://www.mckeenshockey.com The Essential Hockey Annual Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:02:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 64 + Honourable Mentions – PRE-WJC https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-december-ranking-top-64-honourable-mentions-pre-wjc/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-december-ranking-top-64-honourable-mentions-pre-wjc/#respond Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:10:07 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=191327 Read More... from 2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 64 + Honourable Mentions – PRE-WJC

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Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters. Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Ahead of the 2025 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, we are updating our draft ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft. For this update, we’re expanding our list to a top 64.

Now sitting atop our list is Erie Otters (and Team Canada) defender Matthew Schaefer, supplanting Boston College (and Team USA) pivot James Hagens. In reality, we like both players and the decision to move Schaefer ahead was not unanimously supported by our scouting team. However, we believe that Schaefer is the complete package as a potential number one defender. Not only does he project as an all-situations minute eater, but he is a natural born leader who could captain and be the face of an NHL franchise too.

While the World Juniors are not always the best showcase for draft eligible talent; it can be tough for underagers to be impactful players. It will be interesting, nonetheless, to see Schaefer (and Porter Martone) square off against Hagens. All three should be playing key roles for potential medal favourites.

Not at the World Juniors is Saginaw center Michael Misa, our third ranked prospect. Misa’s transition back to the middle of the ice has allowed him to become one of the CHL’s most dynamic and highest scoring players. His skating ability, tenacity, and creativity allow him to impact the game in so many different ways and we see him as a potential franchise center.

The previously mentioned Porter Martone rounds out our top four, a group that we consider to have separated themselves from the pack to create a clear grouping of potential first overall candidates. Martone is a pesky power forward who is likely to develop into a first line winger who can play in all situations for his future NHL team. It’s rare to find a winger who can be on the ice whether his team is down a goal or up a goal with a minute to go.

Filling up the rest of our top ten are Brandon center Roger McQueen, Swedish winger Victor Eklund, Tri-City (WHL) defenseman Jackson Smith, Swedish forward Anton Frondell, Moncton pivot Caleb Desnoyers, and Moose Jaw power winger Lynden Lakovic. McQueen is the prototype of the modern-day top NHL pivot, with size and skill, however, injuries have disrupted his development and that is cause for concern. He is slated to return to action around February and will need a huge finish to his WHL season in order to push his way back into top four consideration. Anton Frondell is another player worth discussing as the previously hyped forward has also struggled with injuries and consistency. He has the kind of well-rounded game that makes him a potentially valuable pro player, but have we previously over projected his potential upside?

Among the highest risers on this list are Kitchener defender Cameron Reid, Barrie defender Kashawn Aitcheson, NTDP winger Jack Murtagh, Swedish pivot Eric Nilson, and Kamloops winger Nathan Behm. Reid has been one of the highest scoring defenders in the OHL this year with the surprising Kitchener Rangers; his mobility and two-way sense are very impressive. Aitcheson has really impressed us with the improvements made to his decision making and puck play, helping to elevate his potential upside as a top four, throwback defender. Murtagh has been the best player on the U.S. NTDP U18 team this year and projects as a Ryan Leonard type of top six complementary piece at the NHL level. Eric Nilson, the son of former Calgary Flame and Florida Panther pivot Marcus Nilson, is the same kind of determined two-way player that his father was, however, he’s shown positive progression offensively that has us reevaluating his upside. Lastly, Behm is the kind of intriguing athlete on the wing that NHL teams have been focusing on developing in recent years. There’s room for improvement in a lot of areas, but when he puts everything together and grows into his frame, he could be a real solid top six asset.

One of the biggest fallers on our list is Russian forward Ivan Ryabkin. He remains in our first round for now, but we would be lying if we weren’t concerned about the kind of season he has had and the lack of progression he has shown. As is, his game needs to mature a lot in order for him to be a successful NHL player. The upside is still incredibly tantalizing, but at some point, his lack of production and development needs to be held against him.

You can expect our next ranking sometime early in the new year as we expand our midseason list to a top 100, with honorable mentions.

RANK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP G A PTS PIM
1 Matthew Schaefer D Erie (OHL) 6-2/180 5-Sep-07 17 7 15 22 8
2 James Hagens C Boston College (NCAA) 5-10/170 3-Nov-06 16 5 15 20 4
3 Michael Misa C Saginaw (OHL) 5-11/160 16-Feb-07 30 30 31 61 21
4 Porter Martone RW Brampton (OHL) 6-3/195 26-Oct-06 26 21 33 54 41
5 Roger McQueen C Brandon (WHL) 6-5/190 2-Oct-06 8 8 3 11 18
6 Victor Eklund LW Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan) 5-11/160 3-Oct-06 24 8 7 15 31
7 Jackson Smith D Tri-City (WHL) 6-3/190 13-May-07 30 2 22 24 26
8 Anton Frondell C Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan) 6-0/195 7-May-07 7 1 2 3 6
9 Caleb Desnoyers C Moncton (QMJHL) 6-2/190 11-Apr-07 26 17 25 42 14
10 Lynden Lakovic LW Moose Jaw (WHL) 6-4/190 12-Dec-06 29 16 22 38 4
11 Radim Mrtka D Seattle (WHL) 6-6/200 9-Jun-07 9 2 5 7 10
12 Justin Carbonneau RW Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 6-1/190 25-Nov-06 31 22 23 45 26
13 Malcolm Spence LW Erie (OHL) 6-2/200 22-Sep-06 29 15 22 37 20
14 Cameron Schmidt RW Vancouver (WHL) 5-8/150 19-Jan-07 26 24 14 38 16
15 Cullen Potter C Arizona State (NCAA) 5-9/160 10-Jan-07 16 4 4 8 6
16 Brady Martin C Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-0/175 16-Mar-07 28 15 14 29 42
17 Cameron Reid D Kitchener (OHL) 5-11/160 8-Apr-07 33 6 23 29 20
18 Kashawn Aitcheson D Barrie (OHL) 6-1/190 21-Sep-06 29 10 13 23 48
19 Logan Hensler D Wisconsin (NCAA) 6-2/185 14-Oct-06 17 0 7 7 19
20 Jack Murtagh C USN U18 (USDP) 6-0/180 22-Aug-07 20 10 12 22 10
21 Joshua Ravensbergen G Prince George (WHL) 6-4/180 27-Nov-06 24 16 4 3.06 0.899
22 Carter Bear C Everett (WHL) 6-0/175 4-Nov-06 26 22 24 46 22
23 Jake O'Brien C Brantford (OHL) 6-2/170 16-Jun-07 33 18 23 41 8
24 Luca Romano RW Kitchener (OHL) 5-11/170 25-Jun-07 32 14 15 29 8
25 Blake Fiddler D Edmonton (WHL) 6-3/195 9-Jul-07 27 4 8 12 18
26 Ivan Ryabkin C MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 6-0/170 25-Apr-07 15 1 11 12 26
27 Ben Kindel C Calgary (WHL) 5-10/165 19-Apr-07 29 19 27 46 18
28 Eric Nilson C Djurgardens (Swe J20) 5-11/155 11-May-07 23 8 20 28 14
29 Braeden Cootes C Seattle (WHL) 5-11/170 9-Feb-07 29 13 17 30 10
30 Nathan Behm RW Kamloops (WHL) 6-2/185 18-Apr-07 31 18 19 37 10
31 Kurban Limatov D MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 6-4/185 20-Mar-07 26 5 11 16 16
32 Will Moore C USN U18 (USDP) 6-2/160 24-Mar-07 29 11 11 22 2
33 Henry Brzustewicz D London (OHL) 6-1/195 9-Feb-07 32 5 15 20 45
34 Jack Nesbitt C Windsor (OHL) 6-4/175 12-Jan-07 33 13 16 29 30
35 Cole Reschny C Victoria (WHL) 5-9/160 6-Apr-07 29 11 27 38 28
36 Shane Vansaghi RW Michigan State (NCAA) 6-1/190 11-Oct-06 16 2 9 11 16
37 Arvid Drott RW Djurgardens (Swe J20) 6-1/180 11-Aug-07 24 13 12 25 10
38 Adam Benak C Youngstown (USHL) 5-7/160 10-Apr-07 26 8 16 24 20
39 Tomas Pobezal C HK Nitra (Svk) 5-10/170 18-Sep-06 26 12 5 17 14
40 Milton Gastrin C MoDo Hockey (Swe J20) 6-2/180 2-Jun-07 20 7 12 19 12
41 Jakob Ihs Wozniak LW Lulea (Swe J20) 6-3/180 1-Feb-07 22 7 21 28 6
42 Carter Amico D USN U18 (USDP) 6-5/205 15-Mar-07 13 0 3 3 10
43 Cole McKinney C USN U18 (USDP) 6-0/190 16-Mar-07 26 8 15 23 21
44 Ben Kevan RW Des Moines (USHL) 5-11/165 3-Jan-07 16 6 10 16 23
45 Conrad Fondrk C USN U18 (USDP) 5-11/175 1-Jun-07 28 6 12 18 2
46 Vojtech Cihar LW Karlovy Vary (Czechia) 6-1/170 29-Mar-07 25 3 4 7 6
47 Luka Radivojevic D Muskegon (USHL) 5-10/155 3-Jan-07 19 0 10 10 8
48 Alex Huang D Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 6-0/160 30-Jul-07 31 1 13 14 8
49 Charlie Trethewey D USN U18 (USDP) 6-1/190 2-Aug-07 29 4 6 10 16
50 Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen D Michigan (NCAA) 6-0/170 18-Dec-06 18 1 4 5 2
51 Pyotr Andreyanov G Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) 6-0/205 22-Jan-07 17 10 3 1.83 0.942
52 Zeb Lindgren D Skelleftea (Swe J20) 6-2/175 14-Apr-07 22 2 9 11 20
53 Haoxi (Simon) Wang D King Rebellion (OJHL) 6-6/210 27-Jul-07 35 3 15 18 69
54 Maxim Agafonov D Tolpar Ufa (MHL) 6-0/180 10-Apr-07 20 4 3 7 16
55 Bill Zonnon LW Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL) 6-2/180 3-Oct-06 31 16 29 45 18
56 Ethan Czata C Niagara (OHL) 6-0/160 29-May-07 33 15 20 35 35
57 Sascha Boumedienne D Boston University (NCAA) 6-1/170 17-Jan-07 16 0 3 3 23
58 Peyton Kettles D Swift Current (WHL) 6-4/185 1-Sep-07 20 2 3 5 34
59 Eddie Genborg LW Linkopings (Swe J20) 6-2/185 20-Apr-07 22 16 13 29 22
60 Zachary Morin LW Saint John (QMJHL) 6-1/185 25-Jan-07 25 10 14 24 2
61 Jimmy Lombardi C Flint (OHL) 6-0/180 16-Feb-07 32 5 13 18 17
62 Jack Ivankovic G Brampton (OHL) 5-11/180 22-May-07 21 12 7 3.49 0.898
63 Carlos Handel D Halifax (QMJHL) 6-0/160 31-Mar-07 28 2 9 11 8
64 Jan Chovan C Tappara (Fin-U20) 6-2/180 9-Jan-07 25 9 8 17 4
HM William Belle RW USN U18 (USDP) 6-4/215 14-Jan-07 28 2 5 7 18
HM Lasse Boelius D Assat (Fin-U20) 6-0/180 16-Mar-07 23 3 8 11 6
HM Donny Bracco D USN U18 (USDP) 5-10/160 26-Jul-07 29 0 9 9 6
HM Carson Cameron D Peterborough (OHL) 6-1/175 27-Jun-07 33 5 9 14 14
HM Kieren Dervin C Kingston (OHL) 6-1/170 31-Mar-07 1 0 0 0 0
HM Semyon Frolov G MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL) 6-3/170 17-Jan-07 4 2 1 1.48 0.945
HM Matthew Gard C Red Deer (WHL) 6-4/190 7-Apr-07 31 8 11 19 36
HM Emile Guite LW Chicoutimi (QMJHL) 6-1/165 31-May-07 30 6 5 11 8
HM Love Harenstam G Skelleftea (Swe J20) 6-1/185 18-Jan-07 8 3 5 3.52 0.899
HM Lev Katzin C Guelph (OHL) 5-8/170 13-May-07 8 5 10 15 0
HM Viktor Klingsell LW Skelleftea (Swe J20) 5-10/170 10-Feb-07 24 7 10 17 0
HM Ryker Lee RW Madison (USHL) 5-9/150 8-Nov-06 20 10 14 24 4
HM Samuel Meloche G Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL) 6-3/195 22-Jul-07 27 14 6 2.75 0.898
HM L.J. Mooney RW USN U18 (USDP) 5-7/150 8-Mar-07 14 1 9 10 4
HM Tomas Poletin C Pelicans (Fin-U20) 6-1/195 30-Apr-07 15 11 3 14 6
HM Max Psenicka D HC Plzen (Czechia) 6-4/175 18-Jan-07 13 1 0 1 0
HM Nathan Quinn C Quebec (QMJHL) 5-11/160 29-Aug-07 30 11 21 32 13
HM Sam Spehar C Sioux Falls (USHL) 5-10/170 20-Apr-07 20 8 8 16 2
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-december-ranking-top-64-honourable-mentions-pre-wjc/feed/ 0 2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 32 – PRE-WJC https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-december-ranking-top-32-pre-wjc/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-december-ranking-top-32-pre-wjc/#respond Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:10:01 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=191320 Read More... from 2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 32 – PRE-WJC

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Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters. Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Ahead of the 2025 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, we are updating our draft ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft. For this update, we’re expanding our list to a top 64.

Now sitting atop our list is Erie Otters (and Team Canada) defender Matthew Schaefer, supplanting Boston College (and Team USA) pivot James Hagens. In reality, we like both players and the decision to move Schaefer ahead was not unanimously supported by our scouting team. However, we believe that Schaefer is the complete package as a potential number one defender. Not only does he project as an all-situations minute eater, but he is a natural born leader who could captain and be the face of an NHL franchise too.

While the World Juniors are not always the best showcase for draft eligible talent; it can be tough for underagers to be impactful players. It will be interesting, nonetheless, to see Schaefer (and Porter Martone) square off against Hagens. All three should be playing key roles for potential medal favourites.

Not at the World Juniors is Saginaw center Michael Misa, our third ranked prospect. Misa’s transition back to the middle of the ice has allowed him to become one of the CHL’s most dynamic and highest scoring players. His skating ability, tenacity, and creativity allow him to impact the game in so many different ways and we see him as a potential franchise center.

The previously mentioned Porter Martone rounds out our top four, a group that we consider to have separated themselves from the pack to create a clear grouping of potential first overall candidates. Martone is a pesky power forward who is likely to develop into a first line winger who can play in all situations for his future NHL team. It’s rare to find a winger who can be on the ice whether his team is down a goal or up a goal with a minute to go.

Filling up the rest of our top ten are Brandon center Roger McQueen, Swedish winger Victor Eklund, Tri-City (WHL) defenseman Jackson Smith, Swedish forward Anton Frondell, Moncton pivot Caleb Desnoyers, and Moose Jaw power winger Lynden Lakovic. McQueen is the prototype of the modern-day top NHL pivot, with size and skill, however, injuries have disrupted his development and that is cause for concern. He is slated to return to action around February and will need a huge finish to his WHL season in order to push his way back into top four consideration. Anton Frondell is another player worth discussing as the previously hyped forward has also struggled with injuries and consistency. He has the kind of well-rounded game that makes him a potentially valuable pro player, but have we previously over projected his potential upside?

Among the highest risers on this list are Kitchener defender Cameron Reid, Barrie defender Kashawn Aitcheson, NTDP winger Jack Murtagh, Swedish pivot Eric Nilson, and Kamloops winger Nathan Behm. Reid has been one of the highest scoring defenders in the OHL this year with the surprising Kitchener Rangers; his mobility and two-way sense are very impressive. Aitcheson has really impressed us with the improvements made to his decision making and puck play, helping to elevate his potential upside as a top four, throwback defender. Murtagh has been the best player on the U.S. NTDP U18 team this year and projects as a Ryan Leonard type of top six complementary piece at the NHL level. Eric Nilson, the son of former Calgary Flame and Florida Panther pivot Marcus Nilson, is the same kind of determined two-way player that his father was, however, he’s shown positive progression offensively that has us reevaluating his upside. Lastly, Behm is the kind of intriguing athlete on the wing that NHL teams have been focusing on developing in recent years. There’s room for improvement in a lot of areas, but when he puts everything together and grows into his frame, he could be a real solid top six asset.

One of the biggest fallers on our list is Russian forward Ivan Ryabkin. He remains in our first round for now, but we would be lying if we weren’t concerned about the kind of season he has had and the lack of progression he has shown. As is, his game needs to mature a lot in order for him to be a successful NHL player. The upside is still incredibly tantalizing, but at some point, his lack of production and development needs to be held against him.

You can expect our next ranking sometime early in the new year as we expand our midseason list to a top 100, with honorable mentions. The top 32 are available to all in this article. Subscribers can access the top 64 plus honourable mentions by linking here.

RANK PLAYER POS TEAM HT/WT DOB GP G A PTS PIM
1 Matthew Schaefer D Erie (OHL) 6-2/180 5-Sep-07 17 7 15 22 8
2 James Hagens C Boston College (NCAA) 5-10/170 3-Nov-06 16 5 15 20 4
3 Michael Misa C Saginaw (OHL) 5-11/160 16-Feb-07 30 30 31 61 21
4 Porter Martone RW Brampton (OHL) 6-3/195 26-Oct-06 26 21 33 54 41
5 Roger McQueen C Brandon (WHL) 6-5/190 2-Oct-06 8 8 3 11 18
6 Victor Eklund LW Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan) 5-11/160 3-Oct-06 24 8 7 15 31
7 Jackson Smith D Tri-City (WHL) 6-3/190 13-May-07 30 2 22 24 26
8 Anton Frondell C Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan) 6-0/195 7-May-07 7 1 2 3 6
9 Caleb Desnoyers C Moncton (QMJHL) 6-2/190 11-Apr-07 26 17 25 42 14
10 Lynden Lakovic LW Moose Jaw (WHL) 6-4/190 12-Dec-06 29 16 22 38 4
11 Radim Mrtka D Seattle (WHL) 6-6/200 9-Jun-07 9 2 5 7 10
12 Justin Carbonneau RW Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) 6-1/190 25-Nov-06 31 22 23 45 26
13 Malcolm Spence LW Erie (OHL) 6-2/200 22-Sep-06 29 15 22 37 20
14 Cameron Schmidt RW Vancouver (WHL) 5-8/150 19-Jan-07 26 24 14 38 16
15 Cullen Potter C Arizona State (NCAA) 5-9/160 10-Jan-07 16 4 4 8 6
16 Brady Martin C Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 6-0/175 16-Mar-07 28 15 14 29 42
17 Cameron Reid D Kitchener (OHL) 5-11/160 8-Apr-07 33 6 23 29 20
18 Kashawn Aitcheson D Barrie (OHL) 6-1/190 21-Sep-06 29 10 13 23 48
19 Logan Hensler D Wisconsin (NCAA) 6-2/185 14-Oct-06 17 0 7 7 19
20 Jack Murtagh C USN U18 (USDP) 6-0/180 22-Aug-07 20 10 12 22 10
21 Joshua Ravensbergen G Prince George (WHL) 6-4/180 27-Nov-06 24 16 4 3.06 0.899
22 Carter Bear C Everett (WHL) 6-0/175 4-Nov-06 26 22 24 46 22
23 Jake O'Brien C Brantford (OHL) 6-2/170 16-Jun-07 33 18 23 41 8
24 Luca Romano RW Kitchener (OHL) 5-11/170 25-Jun-07 32 14 15 29 8
25 Blake Fiddler D Edmonton (WHL) 6-3/195 9-Jul-07 27 4 8 12 18
26 Ivan Ryabkin C MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 6-0/170 25-Apr-07 15 1 11 12 26
27 Ben Kindel C Calgary (WHL) 5-10/165 19-Apr-07 29 19 27 46 18
28 Eric Nilson C Djurgardens (Swe J20) 5-11/155 11-May-07 23 8 20 28 14
29 Braeden Cootes C Seattle (WHL) 5-11/170 9-Feb-07 29 13 17 30 10
30 Nathan Behm RW Kamloops (WHL) 6-2/185 18-Apr-07 31 18 19 37 10
31 Kurban Limatov D MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL) 6-4/185 20-Mar-07 26 5 11 16 16
32 Will Moore C USN U18 (USDP) 6-2/160 24-Mar-07 29 11 11 22 2
]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-december-ranking-top-32-pre-wjc/feed/ 0