Sascha Boumedienne – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #18 Winnipeg Jets – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:00:06 +0000

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 20: Boston University Terriers defenseman Sascha Boumedienne (78) skates during the Hockey East semifinal game between the Boston University Terriers and the UConn Huskies on March 20, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 18th (Last Year - 23rd)
GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff Hired: September 2011
COACH: Scott Arniel Hired: May 2024

The Winnipeg Jets boast seven prospects within McKeen’s Top 200. It's a pipeline that received a notable boost at the NHL trade deadline with the acquisition of Isak Rosen (44th) from the Buffalo Sabres, along with a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 second-round selection. Now in his fourth season at the AHL level, Rosen has produced at nearly a point-per-game pace and enters the system as the Manitoba Moose’s top scorer.

In Manitoba, several other highly regarded prospects are working to establish themselves at the professional level. Names such as Brayden Yager (64th), Brad Lambert (141st), Nikita Chibrikov, and Colby Barlow (179th) remain key pieces within the organization’s future plans, though each is still searching for a consistent breakout in the AHL. While Winnipeg’s 2025 draft class was relatively small, the club did add an intriguing piece on the blue line with the selection of defenseman Sascha Boumedienne (71st) at 28th overall. One of the system’s biggest risers has been 2024 sixth-round pick, Kieran Walton (132nd). The forward is on pace for a second consecutive 90-point season and is trending toward finishing his OHL career at better than a point-per-game pace across four seasons.

At the NHL level, the Jets remain anchored by a stable core that includes Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, Gabe Vilardi, and Cole Perfetti — all signed long-term. The organization is now waiting for the next wave of prospects to emerge and help push the club toward sustained contention.

From a draft capital perspective, Winnipeg has maintained a relatively stable outlook, retaining its first-round picks while only parting with its 2026 second-round selection in recent trades. However, a disappointing season that has seen the Jets fall near the bottom of the NHL standings could ultimately turn that 2026 first-round pick into a valuable opportunity to add another high-end piece to the pipeline.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
Wpg	1	Isak Rosen	RW	23	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	37	25	18	43	6
Wpg	1	Isak Rosen	RW	23	6-0/175	Buf-Wpg (NHL)	37	6	4	10	0
Wpg	1	Isak Rosen	RW	23	6-0/175	Grastorps (Swe Hockeyettan)	2	0	0	0	0
Wpg	2	Brayden Yager	C	21	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	68	10	20	30	10
Wpg	2	Brayden Yager	C	21	6-0/180	Winnipeg (NHL)	3	0	0	0	2
Wpg	3	Sascha Boumedienne	D	19	6-2/185	Boston University (NCAA)	35	2	8	10	14
Wpg	4	Elias Salomonsson	D	21	6-1/185	Winnipeg (NHL)	32	1	4	5	12
Wpg	4	Elias Salomonsson	D	21	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	29	1	8	9	10
Wpg	5	Kieron Walton	C	20	6-6/210	Sby-Pbo (OHL)	62	40	48	88	26
Wpg	6	Brad Lambert	C	22	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	34	6	7	13	18
Wpg	6	Brad Lambert	C	22	6-0/180	Winnipeg (NHL)	25	3	3	6	6
Wpg	7	Colby Barlow	LW	21	6-0/195	Manitoba (AHL)	65	8	8	16	18
Wpg	8	Danny Zhilkin	C	22	6-1/195	Manitoba (AHL)	62	12	12	24	21
Wpg	8	Danny Zhilkin	C	22	6-1/195	Winnipeg (NHL)	6	0	1	1	0
Wpg	9	Domenic DiVincentiis	G	22	6-2/185	Manitoba (AHL)	34	13	16	3.03	0.896
Wpg	10	Nikita Chibrikov	RW	23	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	53	6	10	16	28
Wpg	10	Nikita Chibrikov	RW	23	5-10/170	Winnipeg (NHL)	11	0	0	0	14
Wpg	11	Alfons Freij	D	20	6-1/195	Timra (SHL)	42	6	5	11	14
Wpg	11	Alfons Freij	D	20	6-1/195	Manitoba (AHL)	5	0	1	1	2
Wpg	12	Kevin He	LW	20	5-11/185	Nia-Fln (OHL)	60	39	38	77	26
Wpg	13	Zach Nehring	RW	21	6-3/180	Western Michigan (NCAA)	35	5	12	17	12
Wpg	14	Edison Engle	D	19	6-2/175	Brantford (OHL)	61	3	25	28	8
Wpg	15	Thomas Milic	G	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	20	13	2.64	0.905

Isak Rosen, RW, Rochester Americans (AHL) (Currently with the Winnipeg Jets, NHL)

In what will be his fourth full AHL season, there is little left to prove for Isak Rosen at this level. He was only three goals away from tying his career high in 24 fewer games. After being acquired by the Winnipeg Jets in a deadline deal for Logan Stanley, one has to wonder how long it will be before the Jets try out Rosen in a top nine role to see what they’ve acquired in him. He played with the NHL club after arriving receiving fourth line minutes. Rosen’s game may be one-dimensional, but it’s also highly effective. He attacks with lots of speed and then rockets the puck toward the net. He needs someone on his line who will feed him shooting opportunities, and Helenius’ emergence as that playmaker had benefitted them both this season. Can he find that partner in the Winnipeg system? Rosen is not a guy who plays a strong two-way or forechecking game, so he’ll have to play his way into a top six role. A 30-30 second-line winger is not out of reach for Rosen in the future.
Brayden Yager, C, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Yager is the type of prospect who is best seen as being the sum of his parts. There isn’t one element of the game that he truly excels at, but that’s OK because he can do everything at a medium to high level, and he does so while playing center. The true value of what he brings was best seen back in 2023-24, where he was the picture of consistency throughout the entire WHL regular season and then helped lead his Moose Jaw Warriors to a league championship as their go-to man down the middle, hopping over the boards for every big moment in every big game. He’s the type of player who probably won’t pull you out of your seat during a game or show up often in the highlights, but if you check the score sheet, you’ll see that he picked up a couple of points and won more faceoffs than anyone else. If the Jets want to get the most out of Yager long-term they will need to be patient and let him take another year or two to grow with the Moose.
Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Boumedienne has taken even more solid steps in his development here in his sophomore season, with his skating standing out the most. His ability to create space in open ice on transitions, in his own zone and in the offensive zone has improved drastically from last season and the results were shown clearly at the World Juniors. Boumedienne has even massively improved his physical game, using his 6-foot-2 frame much more to kill opposing chances left and right. However, he has been a turnover machine this season, accounting for one too many slip ups a game that put his net minder in trouble. That tendency to just throw the puck holds him back from being a play driver at the next level and fixing those turnovers should be the spotlight of his development as he looks to play his junior year next season. There are bright spots of a solid two-way defenceman who can be relied upon in a bottom or mid-pairing role, he will just need to iron out the
Elias Salomonsson, D, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

It came as a surprise when the 21-year-old Salomonsson got the opportunity to make his NHL debut earlier this season, which happened sooner than expected. What was even more surprising, however, was that he played so well that the Jets gave him an extended look, and now the team will find themselves in a difficult position if they have to send him back down to the AHL. The right-shooting Swede is playing the same game and relying on the same talents that he did before, which consists primarily of using his slick skating ability to break pucks out of his own zone and help transport them safely down the ice. Luckily for him, that was a problem that Winnipeg desperately needed help solving. Will he be able to do anything else in the NHL at a high level? That's a little less certain, because he's failed to really prove it at other levels. Salomonsson might be nothing more than a one-trick pony, but at least it's a pretty impressive trick.
Kieron Walton, C, Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Walton is now in his fourth season in the Ontario Hockey League and yet again improved on his point totals from the year previous. Simply put, someone who is 6-foot-6 shouldn’t be able to execute the things he does with the puck. Walton is anything but a perimeter player, driving to the net for chances and cutting across the ice to feed passes back against the grain. For a larger guy, his hands in tight are incredible, giving more faith he’ll be able to work in tighter windows as space closes in the NHL and AHL. He may not use his size much in a physical sense at this point, but his long reach and size allow him to protect the puck from defenders when putting his shoulder down and driving to the slot. He could work harder at being a physical presence, as this would very likely earn him in an NHL role in the coming years. Even without it, there’s a chance he becomes a top six skill forward, but a lack of a true B game does hurt his odds.
Brad Lambert, C, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

The Jets currently find themselves in a difficult position with Lambert. The fit between player and team hasn’t worked out as hoped in the years that followed after the Finnish forward was selected 30th overall in the 2022 draft, leading to a recent trade request that came from the prospect. However, his individual development appears to have stalled, with lackluster results in the AHL and an inability to prove that he belonged in the NHL in the handful of opportunities that were given to him. All parties probably agree that a mutual parting of ways would be ideal, but it’s always difficult for a team to trade one of their best young assets when his value is at its lowest. For his part, Lambert remains a tremendous skater and puck handler, and those are always in high demand around the NHL. This is an ugly situation that could continue to deteriorate if Lambert doesn’t find a way to turn his game around while the Jets carefully explore their options on the trade market.
Colby Barlow, LW, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

The Jets were publicly quite thrilled that Barlow was still available for them at 18th overall in 2023, believing that they might have gotten the steal of that year's draft. It would be interesting to know how their front office feels now, though, as the forward prospect's stock has fallen precipitously ever since then. He's fast and powerful in straight lines, going hard to the enemy net to press for goals or pressuring the blueline while killing penalties, and he was successful in that way during his OHL days. His game is way too one note and predictable, however, which has made him ineffective at the AHL level so far. It was also telling how he was snubbed by Hockey Canada back when he was still eligible for the World Juniors, after being a go-to forward for them at earlier events. There are serious questions about how well he thinks the game and what that means for his NHL future. Barlow is under contract for two more seasons after this one, and the Jets badly need to see more growth out of him during that span.
Danny Zhilkin, C, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Zhilkin was fairly unremarkable and uneventful during his freshman and sophomore professional campaigns, but he has found a way to elevate himself and his impact on games this season. The two-way center is making strides in both directions, having already surpassed his combined point total from the previous two years, while also assuming a heavier defensive workload. He even dressed for a few games up with the Jets, where he was already trusted enough by the team's coaches to take faceoffs and kill penalties, which are tasks that he's been accomplishing ever since his early OHL days. There isn't very much long-term upside with Zhilkin, and he’ll probably never be particularly exciting to watch, but there are still ways that he can be a useful contributor on a successful team, and he seems to understand exactly what those are. If he can keep building upon what's working for him right now then he'll keep getting looks in the NHL as a depth forward, and he may even stick around there for the long haul.
Domenic DiVincentiis, G, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

The starting job between the pipes for Manitoba was blown wide open last season as the team went through long stretches where they couldn’t buy a save, yet it was DiVincentiis, the youngest of their goalie options, who turned out to be the biggest stabilizing presence. That was a welcome sigh of relief for both player and club, as he had lost his way a little bit at the end of 2023-24 and ended up as the backup for North Bay in the OHL by the time the playoffs rolled around. The Jets organization decided to play it safe this year and run a tandem between him and fellow goalie prospect Thomas Milic, making sure to not give either goalie too heavy of a workload, and that was probably the right call. DiVincentiis is a true Jack-of-all-trades netminder, with a perfectly adequate package all around, from his size to his technique to his reflexes to how well he processes the play in front of him. With enough patience and the right hands-on guidance there could be a future NHL goalie here.
Nikita Chibrikov, RW, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Any optimism about Chibrikov that existed within the Jets organization is starting to disappear in a hurry. The offensive winger showed flashes of promise in the previous two seasons in both the AHL and the NHL, and he was expected to be a go-to player for the Manitoba Moose in 2025-26 after signing a two-year contract extension in October, but he hasn't been up to the task whatsoever, languishing near the bottom of the team in scoring. His eight-game cup of coffee with the big club this winter was pretty unremarkable, too. In his defence, injuries have played a part in slowing him down, and those issues might still be prevalent behind the scenes. Regardless of the causes of his struggles, Chibrikov's job is still to produce points, and he doesn’t have much in the way of a “B” game, so there will be problems for both him and the Jets if he doesn't find a way to start showing up on the score sheet again soon.
Alfons Freij, D, Timra IK (SHL) (Currently with Manitoba Moose, AHL)

This season in Sweden, he has taken on more responsibility and shown a steadier overall presence. Freij’s game is built on positioning and control in his own end. From a projection standpoint, Freij most realistically profiles as a depth NHL defenceman, with an outside chance of becoming a number four who can see powerplay time.
Kevin He, LW, Flint Firebirds (OHL)

Speed, tenacity, and scoring prowess are the highlights of He’s game. He’s always in attack mode and he’s worked hard to become a smarter player. He’ll turn pro next season and looks like a potential middle six player for the Jets.
Zach Nehring, RW, Western Michigan University (NCAA)

Nehring helped Western Michigan capture an NCAA championship last year as an effective freshman, but his numbers have dipped as a sophomore. The big winger is a highly effective complementary player, but he’ll need to break out offensively at some point to prove that he has significant NHL upside.
Edison Engle, D, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Engle made the decision to jump to the OHL this year with Brantford before joining Ohio State next year. He’s a detail oriented defender who has been really good for Brantford at even strength this year. The question remains…what’s his future NHL role?
Thomas Milic, G, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

You have to give credit to Milic for battling to earn an NHL call up this year, even if it was under dire injury circumstances. The undersized netminder has the quickness to overcome his lack of size and could end up developing into an NHL back-up for the Jets.

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #23

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:05:31 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (May 2025 - 16th)
GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff Hired: September 2011
COACH: Scott Arniel Hired: May 2024

With 11 players ranked in McKeen’s top 200, Winnipeg boasts a balanced blend of established NHL contributors and prospects poised to make an impact in the near term.

Anchored by a stable core—Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey, Gabe Vilardi, and Neal Pionk—all signed long-term, plus Cole Perfetti and Kyle Connor nearing extensions, the Jets are built for sustained contention.

That core did take a hit during the off-season, with their biggest offseason storyline was the departure of Nikolaj Ehlers to Carolina in free agency. While they offset the departure by signing a savvy veteran in center Jonathan Toews, it’s a big blow to their overall top six offense.

At the top of the prospect chart are Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and Elias Salomonsson, each waiting for their opportunity to break into the NHL. In the AHL, the Manitoba Moose are set to welcome Colby Barlow and Brayden Yager as full-time pros after standout junior careers. The organization did take a hit, however, with Chaz Lucius forced into early retirement due to a rare tissue disorder.

One of the biggest risers in the system is Kieran Walton. In his draft-plus-one season with Sudbury (OHL), he exploded offensively, finishing with 92 points—22 more than his closest teammate—and placing top 10 in league scoring.

While Winnipeg didn’t have a large draft class in 2025, they did add a quality piece in defenseman Sascha Boumedienne with the 28th overall pick. Draft capital remains limited over the next few seasons, meaning continued growth will rely heavily on developing their existing pipeline rather than restocking it in bulk.

With a core still firmly in its prime and young talent pushing from below, the Jets are well-positioned to contend in the short term. The challenge now is balancing the drive to maximize the current window with the patience needed to let their next wave of talent reach full potential.

Winnipeg Jets Top-15 Prospects

1 - Brayden Yager

Yager has gone through two trades in the past calendar year, first involving his NHL team (going from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Jets) and then again in the WHL a few months later. Through it all, Yager has stayed Yager, playing to the same strengths that have made him so consistently successful going as far back as his early teens: he's strong on pucks, reliable in all three zones, and has a wicked release on his shot. He's the type of player that doesn't necessarily jump out at you with his on-ice contributions, but when you look at a box score after a game you notice how many points he collected and how many minutes of ice time that he logged. Even though Yager wasn't initially selected by the Jets he should nevertheless be an ideal fit for the team's persona and style of hockey, making the NHL sometime soon as a trustworthy depth forward before steadily working his way up the lineup as he continues to develop.

2 - Brad Lambert

Playing on the second worst team in the entire AHL (Manitoba Moose) certainly didn’t have a positive effect on the development of Lambert last season. He saw his goal scoring numbers crash significantly and his overall offensive production was down. Not exactly ideal for the Jets’ top prospect. Is this a case of a lack of support hurting Lambert or a lack of development from Lambert? Truthfully, it’s a bit of column A and a little bit of column B. Lambert is, unquestionably, an extremely talented offensive player. He excels as a playmaker with his ability to push pace, thanks to his blazing speed, and with his elite hands and creativity. He can develop into a top six forward for the Jets and he may be given that opportunity next year. Yet, this past year has brought to light the fact that he still needs to upgrade his strength and improve the consistency of his physical engagement. He needs to play with more jam every shift, working to play through the middle of the ice, rather than just the perimeter.

3 - Elias Salomonsson

It’s been a long road back to prospect relevancy for Salomonsson, but he’s certainly achieved it. At one point in time, he was considered to be one of the top 2004 birth years on the planet. However, a disappointing couple of years in Sweden (around his draft year and draft year plus one), really did a number on his “stock.” He has since rebounded very well and is coming off an excellent first professional season in North America with Manitoba; the argument could be made that he was their best player this past season. His combination of length and mobility is a real asset in the defensive zone. He’s very difficult to beat one on one. Additionally, his puck management and overall offensive game has been better than expected, suggesting that his upside could be higher than initially believed. There’s a really good chance that if Salomonsson continues on this development path, he could be a quality top four defender for the Jets.

4 - Colby Barlow

While Barlow remains a quality NHL prospect, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that his two years of development post draft were slightly disappointing. Even a move to the stronger Oshawa Generals did not prevent his goal scoring from dipping for the second straight year. There’s still hope that Barlow can develop into a quality middle six, complementary winger. His two-way compete level is solid. He finds success playing that North-south power game. Of course, he still has that high-end shot, even if the production hasn’t been eye popping. So where’s the disconnect? His decision making with the puck and overall playmaking ability did not improve to the point where he could become a true primary play driver at the OHL level. Next season, he’ll turn pro and it will be interesting to see how his offensive game translates to the AHL level. We will get a better indication of how close Barlow is to an NHL position at that time.

5 - Sascha Boumedienne

Towards the end of his season, Boumedienne stood out on a Boston University team that had some incredible offensive defencemen. When given the opportunity, he showed off some solid offensive upside in his freshman season with BU. However, during his play against tougher opponents, his offence became muted in favor of some real, hard-nosed defensive stability. Sascha Boumedienne is still a raw prospect, which is apparent in his skating and defensive details, but it’s important to talk about how solid he played in the tough Hockey East conference. Jets fans have a lot to look forward to in this upcoming year and beyond for Sascha Boumedienne.

6 - Nikita Chibrikov

Despite the fact that an awkward play last January ended his season prematurely thanks to a lower body injury, you could make the argument that Chibrikov had a better developmental year than top prospect Brad Lambert. When healthy, Chibrikov was leading Manitoba in scoring and he performed extremely well in a small cup of coffee for the Jets that saw him score his first NHL goal. Chibrikov is a highly skilled player. He’s not big, but he’s so elusive in the offensive zone, adept at avoiding checks, because of his quick feet and quick hands. He doesn’t need a ton of space to execute, be it a quick wrister or a well placed pass. Through two years in North America, Chibrikov definitely looks like he could be ready to be a complementary piece on a scoring line at the NHL level. The question is will he be healthy to start next year and will he be able to continue to improve his conditioning this offseason?

7 - Kieron Walton

The big winger was one of the OHL’s most improved players this past season as he emerged as an offensive leader for the Sudbury Wolves. Walton is such a dangerous player in transition with his ability to play a North-south game. He’s a strong skater for a big man and he also has terrific hands. He routinely turns OHL defenders inside/out as he drives the net and works his way to the middle of the ice. Yes, he slipped to the sixth round last year, but a lot of that had to do with his poor second half and the inconsistency of his off puck intensity, and not his upside. The off puck play and physical engagement still needs to improve further, but given the positive steps forward taken this year, Walton’s projection and value as a prospect has improved greatly. He’ll return to the OHL next season, where the focus will be on rounding out his game further to prepare him for the pro game. Expect him to be one of the highest scoring players in Ontario in 2025-26.

8 - Domenic DiVincentiis

DiVincentiis is a very interesting case as a prospect. After having a very dominant OHL season, putting himself on the map, he followed it up with pedestrian numbers on a great team the following season. After he split time with Winnipeg’s AHL and ECHL teams this past year, he’s put up underwhelming numbers in the ECHL but pretty solid numbers in the AHL on a horrible Manitoba Moose. He’s got a pretty nice toolset, but the inconsistency in numbers and the sporadic poor performances are a bit concerning. He’s a very solid skater, great positionally, and seems to anticipate play at a high level. But his rebound control is very bad, leading to a lot of extra chances given up, and he gets beat cleanly more than you’d like to see, suggesting he may not be tracking shots into saves very well. He could be a backup in the NHL, but he needs to iron out these consistency issues and string together good seasons as a starter before that can happen.

9 - Kevin He

Much like fellow Jets’ OHL prospect Kieron Walton, He made extremely positive strides this year. One of the most energetic players in the OHL, He’s work rate is tremendous. He uses his speed to be a real difference maker without the puck. He’s extremely dangerous on the forecheck and he is a tremendous penalty killer. This is a player who is hungry to earn possession for his team. The big difference in He’s game this year was the improvement in his playmaking and decision making with the puck. As a draft eligible player, his game was too one note and predictable as an attacker; offensive zone turnovers were an issue. However, this past year he worked to refine his approach to play less “hero puck,” utilizing teammates more effectively by finding them in open space and altering his pace to help prolong possession. As He continues to improve his two-way game, he has a chance to become a very effective middle six player for the Jets in the future.

10 - Alfons Freij

What was supposed to be an excellent opportunity to get some pro experience in the HockeyAllsvenskan ended up being a season from hell for Freij. He stumbled out of the gate with Björklöven, barely produced points, and then got injured for three months, essentially missing the rest of the HA season and playoffs. In the games that he did play, though, Freij’s skating and playmaking still looked as dynamic as ever. He can carry the puck from end to end effortlessly. It’s just that he didn’t progress much in the areas he really needed to progress in. Namely, anything to do with the defensive side of play. Despite the tough year, Freij still has a ton of potential to reach his ceiling as an offensive puck moving defenceman. He’ll be on loan with Timrå in the SHL for the upcoming season, so hopefully a fresh start with a new team can be a mental reset and springboard him forwards in his development.

11 - Zach Nehring

An aggressive right shot wing with size, Nehring had a solid freshman season at Western Michigan with 30 points in 42 games. The question will be whether this season will be his last in college so that he can sign with Winnipeg, or if he’ll remain longer.

12 - Dmitry Rashevsky

Rashevsky signed a three-year deal with Avangard in the KHL this season, so Jets fans will have to wait a while longer to see him, if ever. The high-octane winger remains intriguing, consistently putting up solid offensive seasons in the KHL for the last three years.

13 - Jacob Julien

The tenacious Julien saw a dip in his offensive output in London this season, but followed that up with over a point per game in the Knights’ playoff run. Given the NHL factory that is London, he seems poised to make a smooth transition to pro hockey this season for the Manitoba Moose.

14 - Owen Martin

A third-round pick for Winnipeg this summer, Martin established himself as a strong checking center for a good Spokane team last season. Martin has yet to sign his ELC with the Jets, perhaps leaving open the NCAA door.

15 - Parker Ford

Ford notched his first NHL goal last season in his first stint with the big club and after spending two years now in the AHL, could be set to battle for a depth role with his high compete style come training camp.

2025 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Simon Johansson — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:13:15 +0000

2025 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots: L
H/W: 6-foot-2, 183 pounds
Date of Birth: 2007-01-17

We’ve seen a trend in European players making the switch to college hockey instead of playing junior and Sascha Boumedienne has been one of them. Though unlike his teammate Alexander Zetterberg who played in Sweden in his D-1, Boumedienne was already present in North America during the 2023-2024 season, where he was playing for the Youngstown Phantoms at the USHL level. One of the youngest players in College Hockey this season, Boumedienne did a solid job in his freshman year, displaying his great skating and transition ability, while improving dramatically in the second half during Boston University’s run to the NCAA championship game. This has made him a strong candidate to be drafted in the first round.

Boumedienne is the son of former NHL’er and current general manager of team Sweden’s 4 Nation Face-Off team, Josef Boumedienne. While he was born in Finland, he was raised in Sweden and has retained that nationality as well when playing internationally.

Making the jump to the NCAA as a draft eligible is hard and it doesn’t come without growing pains, especially being the youngest defenseman playing college hockey. Earlier in the season with the Terriers, and at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup for that matter, he would look lost and out of place more often than you would like. His decision-making is what has been his biggest flaw, as he would often make plays that would end up as turnovers. But his strongest skillset has been his skating and puck-moving ability. The more the season prolonged, the more he gained confidence, which stabilized his play and helped him to cut down on his turnovers. While he isn’t known for his goal scoring ability, he exploded at the U18s late in the season, scoring 14 points and becoming the most productive defenseman in a single international tournament.

Despite Boumedienne’s Terriers losing in the finals of the Frozen Four, he can walk away and feel good about his performance this year; Boumedienne had made good strides throughout the season. If he had played at the junior level instead, we might’ve had different opinions about him as a defenseman. That’s why you have to look at the flashes and the games where he had looked his best. That’s where you can see his potential as a top four defenseman in the NHL, helping his team as a transitional kickstarter. His skating ability will only enhance every other aspect of his game and since he’s got the size, there’s also a potential future where he can play tough minutes and kill penalties.

There’s likely not a scenario where Boumedienne won’t end up as an NHL defenseman. He simply has too many tools that can translate to the NHL level. The question is what type of defenseman he’ll become; he’s still very raw. Whichever team that drafts Boumedienne as an opportunity to mold him into pretty much any type of defenseman they want. The journey to the NHL will be long but the team that has the patience is probably going to feel pretty good about themselves when Boumedienne finally makes his debut.

Skating

As mentioned before, Boumedienne’s skating ability is one of his best tools. The thing that stands out the most with his skating is how fast he accelerates. He generates great power; in just a few strides he’s at maximum speed. But it’s when he utilizes his skating in conjunction with his transitional puck skill that he really is a difference maker on the ice. He possesses great crossovers which helps him while transitioning through the neutral zone, evading forecheckers. His backwards skating is almost as fast as his forward, having powerful lower-body strength already at such a young age.

That’s not to say that his skating does not have flaws. His top speed does not match his quickness and ability to build speed. His edgework isn’t always the cleanest, affecting his four-way mobility and evasiveness at the point. There’s room for improvement but Boumedienne is still one of the top skaters in this year’s draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Skating-1-Boumedienne.mp4

#5 in the clip
He gets on his horse quickly but his technique is a bit choppy and he doesn’t match his top end speed with his acceleration.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Skating-2-Boumedienne.mp4

#5 in the clip
Boumedienne displaying some smooth skating ability with the puck.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Skating-3-Boumedienne.mp4

#78 in the clip
Even when he’s backwards skating he’s able to establish great speed by powering through each stride.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Skating-4-Boumedienne.mp4

#78 in the clip
In this clip I would say his technique is near perfect, powerful in each step he takes and generates great speed.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Skating-5-Boumedienne.mp4

#5 in the clip
Makes a good defensive play and then is off in a hurry, managing to dump the puck himself.

Grade: 60

Shot

While his skating and transition are Boumedienne’s biggest strengths, the shot is one of his weaknesses. His slapshot is probably the best part of his shooting ability. He’s got a heavy bomb from the point and adding strength to his body is only going to make the shot heavier. However, he does not generate as much power with his wrist shot and he has issues when he needs to shoot on the move. His offensive awareness is questionable at times and it affects his shot as well. He makes poor shot selections, can whiff on one-timers, and puts himself at bad angles to shoot. These reasons combined is overall why he has only scored 6 total goals at the USHL and NCAA level the last couple of years.

The decision-making regarding when to shoot has improved over the season, but in a negative way as well. Early in the season he would at least throw quantity towards the net, even though it often resulted in turnovers. Towards the end of the year he would instead shoot a lot less, which led to a decrease in turnovers. But if Boumedienne can find a way to use his skating to open up more shooting lanes he could increase his goalscoring production.

There is a chance that he could become a decent goalscorer at the NHL level by the way he jumps up play and joins the rush. He has the skating ability to surprise the defense and can get himself into completely open scoring areas. But at McKeen’s we come to the conclusion that with his subpar offensive awareness and poor shooting ability, it’s hard to say if he ever gets to that point. That’s why we grade his shot as below average.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SHOT-1-Boumedienne-Goalscoring1.mp4

#5 in the clip
His slapshot is his best tool in his goal scoring arsenal. He has a heavy clap bomb and is able to score here.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SHOT-2-Boumedienne-Goalscoring2.mp4

#78 in the clip
Joins the rush and matches the speed of the puck carrier, opens up his hips, and fires home the puck on a one-timer. Great execution.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SHOT-3-Boumedienne-Goal-scoring3.mp4

#78 in the clip
Here Boumedienne displays how great of a tool his skating ability is in his game. He pops into frame with impressive speed and is able to catch the defense off-guard.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SHOT-4-BoumedienneGoalscoring4.mp4

#78 in the clip
The shot selection has been an issue all season long for Boumedienne. In the clip is just one example of many times where he clearly makes the wrong decision to shoot.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SHOT-5-BoumedienneGoalscoring6.mp4

#5 in the clip
Great awareness to jump up play here but he doesn’t have the offensive instincts to shoot instantaneously. He holds on to the puck for too long and kills his angle.

Grade: 45

Skills

Now to his other biggest strength, the transition game. Boumedienne possesses good vision by finding teammates during the breakout or in the neutral zone. He constantly scans the ice and when he remains poised, he will be able to feather a pass to a forward that can make a zone entry. But his puck moving ability really transcends when he combines it with his skating. Even though he has areas in his skating that need work, the acceleration would already be among the better skaters at the NHL. After a face-off, he can instantaneously zoom out of his own end and make a solo entry or skate up the neutral zone while simultaneously scanning for the best passing play. As the pace has increased in the modern NHL, being able to escape trouble and exit your zone by using your feet has only become more valuable for a defenseman.

His overall playmaking and chance creation hasn’t been consistent enough this year. At the NCAA level, a huge majority of his points are secondary. From game to game, he makes one or two plays that sets up a teammate and that’s it. He’s much better in using his feet to drive play in the offensive zone and establish puck possession. This is an area where he could find success at the NHL level as well. He doesn’t have elite passing ability or offensive vision, but he could get his points by simply moving the puck around and getting the defense rotating. Boumedienne could project into quarterbacking a second powerplay unit thanks to his slapshot and if he can find a way to be more effective at moving the puck along the blueline.

Accumulating 14 points in seven games at the U18s this year and becoming the highest scoring defenseman in a single tournament would lead you to believe that Boumedienne is the next Cale Makar. However, those points were a bit of a mirage. One goal and one assist that he produced were primary points. The rest, all secondary. His production is more a factor of him being Sweden’s defensive horse and got to play huge minutes, while also having linemates with extremely high finishing rate (looking at you Filip Ekberg). So not to take away anything from his accomplishment, but his production needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

His puck handling ability has been a little bit up and down this season, but there’s a couple of good reasons why it can improve. His main issues have been stickhandling himself into trouble and his puck control being lackluster. When he gets forechecked in his own end, he can easily panic and almost freeze, not knowing what play he should make. This has led to turnovers as well as him not being able to fend off attackers and protecting the puck with his body. These areas could be potentially fixed by becoming more confident in the league he’s playing in as well as adding more strength to his already great frame.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-1-Playdrive1.mp4

#78 in the clip
Boumedienne uses his great skating ability to drive play up high and gets the defense moving.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-2-Playdrive2.mp4

#78 in the clip
In this clip he jumps up the ice to keep the play alive, using his body well to disrupt the defender and retrieves the puck.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-3-Playmaking1.mp4

#5 in the clip
This clip does not really highlight his playmaking ability but he still does a good job by entering the zone, fires off a shot and gets awarded with a rebound that eventually finds the net.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-4-Playmaking2.mp4

#78 in the clip
He drives the puck along the half-boards with good speed and shows tremendous vision to find a teammate in the slot.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-5-Puck-Handling1.mp4

#5 in the clip
Lacks puck control and gets himself into a bad situation that results in a turnover.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-6-Puck-Handling2.mp4

#78 in the clip
He has issues corralling the puck along the boards and doesn’t protect the puck well, turning it over.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-7-Transition1-or-Skating.mp4

#5 in the clip
Retrieves the puck in the neutral zone and keeps his feet moving while scanning for options, eventually finds a teammate with a pass.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-8-Transition2.mp4

#78 in the clip
Here he makes a great pass by using his vision and finding a teammate that can make a zone entry.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-9-Transition3.mp4

#78 in the clip
When Boumedienne combines his skating together with his transition game, it’s then that you really see what kind of a special player he is. With added confidence, Boumedienne could become a transition monster.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SKILLS-10-Transition4-1.mp4

#5 in the clip
Makes a great transition play at the U18s as well. Uses his acceleration to gain separation from the forecheckers and makes a solo entry.

Grade: 55

Smarts

Boumedienne’s defensive game has also been a bit of a rollercoaster, which is to be expected to some extent when adjusting to a new league. Facing older, stronger opponents is obviously going to make playing defense harder. But overall Boumedienne has done a solid job in preventing goals entering his net. He has solid gap control, can close the gaps easier thanks to his skating, has an active stick during rush defense, and uses his body well to separate the man from the puck to regain control. That’s not to say that his defensive work is perfect. He’s a bit too passive, misses coverage, and is soft in his pressure along the boards. Since Boumedienne has shown a bit of an edge to his game and he has a frame that he could build on, it could just be related to confidence that he isn’t tough enough in his own end.

One of the things that has really impressed us at McKeen’s is how well Boumedienne has adapted to the NCAA. There were some growing pains early in the season but for being the youngest collegiate defenseman, he has done a good job by keeping up with play. He has displayed this by scanning the ice, making a good pass for an entry, pinching at the right moment for extended zone time or intercepting passes in his own end. But there has been a consistent issue regardless if he faces his peers or playing against tougher competition at college. And that’s his decision-making with the puck. There has been an abundance of turnovers, ranging from simply making a bad pass, dumping the puck instead of passing to a winger for an entry or flipping the puck along the glass instead of making a breakout pass. His offensive potential takes a hit because of his hockey IQ as well. He doesn’t have the offensive instincts to create scoring chances on a regular basis and doesn’t possess the dynamic skillset to get himself into the middle of the ice.

It’s hard to say if his hockey IQ is ever going to improve since this is something that you either have or you don’t. The encouraging thing is that Boumedienne has an abundance of tools, and he’ll find an NHL spot in some shape or form. You can compare him a bit to Erik Johnson. Extremely talented defensemen with great tools but their decision making held their potential back. I would expect Boumedienne’s career to look similar.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-1-Defense1.mp4

#5 in the clip
While this play doesn’t develop into something dangerous, Boumedienne allows the puck carrier way too big of a highway to skate into his defensive zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-2-Defense2.mp4

#5 in the clip
This clip shows the complete opposite. Boumedienne has great cap control the entire way and makes a pokecheck to kill USAs transition.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-3-Defense3.mp4

#5 in the clip
Bad defensive read from Boumedienne, doesn’t cover the passing lane and the opponent almost scores.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-4-HockeyIQ1.mp4

#5 in the clip
He has enough time to think but makes an errant pass instead.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-5-HockeyIQ2.mp4

#78 in the clip
Another decision-making error, he makes a good play by skating up the ice but instead of making a pass for an entry Boumedienne simply dumps the puck in.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-6-HockeyIQ3.mp4

#78 in the clip
Just a horrible turnover.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMARTS-7-HockeyIQ6.mp4

#5 in the clip
USA creates a rush chance and Boumedienne has to adjust. The problem is that Frondell #16 is already pressuring the puck carrier on the perimeter. Boumedienne needs to have the awareness of letting that go since there’s another forward crashing the net and he needs to cover that guy instead.

Grade: 50

Physicality/Compete

Boumedienne has got the size and skill to be an effective two-way defender. There’s definitely room for adding muscle to that frame, but size shouldn’t be a concern in the future. An underrated part of his game is that he has an edge to him. He’s good at using his body to disrupt the puck carrier, removing him from the puck, and getting a takeaway. Taking a run at guys is not something that he shies away from either, where he likes to line up guys and make a huge body check. However, throughout the season the physical side has been too inconsistent. He’s had issues getting knocked off the puck by forecheckers and being weak in his pressure along the boards. This has been more evident when facing college teams but looked a lot better when facing his peers. That’s why we do not think that the physical aspect of the NHL is going to be an issue for Boumedienne, if anything it could become a strength.

The compete in his game is decent, not a high motor guy but Boumedienne’s even keeled and has consistent engagement in every shift he’s on. You don’t ever see him float around but you would like to see more compete when he pressures the puck carrier along the boards, as mentioned before. It’s not going to be something that prevents him from making the NHL since he has other tools that are translatable, but since he has shown flashes of good compete along the boards and by being physical, there is potential for him to add that mean streak to his game in a more consistent manner.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PHYSICAL-1-Character2.mp4

#78 in the clip
Boumedienne is too soft in his pressure here and the puck carrier can carry the puck along the boards with ease.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PHYSICAL-2-Physicality1-or-Character1.mp4

#78 in the clip
Again, he’s too hesitant going into the boards and the opponent can continue their puck possession.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PHYSICAL-3-Physicality2.mp4

#78 in the clip
Here he has an opportunity to lock the guy along the boards or simply make a hit to disrupt the opponent but is too soft again.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PHYSICAL-4-Physicality3.mp4

#78 in the clip
But here’s the complete opposite in his physical game, he makes a great play by separating the man from the puck and regains the puck for his team. The physical ability is there, he just has to be consistent with it.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PHYSICAL-5-Physicality4.mp4

#5/78 in the clip
Here’s a small highlight package of Boumedienne taking a run at guys and showing that he has an edge to his game. Although not consistent, it exists and if he can gain confidence there’s potential that he can add this type of play into his game.

Grade: 52,5

OFP: 53.5

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

MCKEEN’S HOCKEY 2025 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: TWO-ROUND MOCK DRAFT

Brock Otten — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:33:54 +0000

1. New York Islanders - Matthew Schaefer - Defense

Even though this year doesn’t have the allure of the first pick next year (Gavin McKenna), the Islanders still hit the gold mine by winning the lottery with such low chances. There’s been some chatter about a Hagens selection given his local connection, but you can’t pick first overall based on that. The Islanders just locked up Ilya Sorokin long term as one of the better netminders in the NHL, so it truly makes sense to jump at the chance to draft Schaefer, a potential franchise defender who can play in all situations and eventually serve as the team’s captain.

2. San Jose Sharks - Michael Misa - Center

We’ve read some chatter that draft pundits believe Mike Grier could favour selecting someone like Martone or Frondell with this pick, given his desire to add size/tenacity to the lineup moving forward. We’d argue that Misa is just as competitive, but more skilled. This is an extremely well-rounded player who gives the Sharks a ton of flexibility moving forward. He can slot at the wing or move another of their top young forwards to the wing. He also gives them a little more dynamic, play driving ability than they currently have in the system.

3. Chicago Blackhawks - Caleb Desnoyers - Center

If there has been one modus operandi of the Hawks management in recent years, it’s that they’ve heavily focused on bringing in elite skaters. When we look at the players in this range, Desnoyers is the best skater of the remaining forwards. The Hawks could see Desnoyers filling a Jonathan Toews type role for them in the future, giving them a well-rounded two-way guy and helping to shore up their center depth moving forward.

4. Utah Mammoth - Anton Frondell - Center

Similar to the Hawks, Utah has also had an modus operandi related to size and physicality. If their picks aren’t big, they need to be competitive. The newly minted Mammoth could go a variety of directions. Porter Martone would provide that size on the wing they’ve been building up. Maybe they’re enticed by Roger McQueen and not scared by the injuries. And while Frondell isn’t huge, he plays a heavy, mature game. They liked a similar player in Cole Beaudoin last year, but Frondell has greater offensive upside. Utah’s interest stems from the hope that Frondell can be their Sasha Barkov or Anze Kopitar.

5. Nashville Predators - James Hagens - Center

This is a system that needs to add a high-end playmaker and that’s Hagens. Did he have a disappointing second half? Sure. Are there concerns about his size and ability to play center at the NHL level? Probably. But the Predators have trusted their U.S. scouts a lot in recent years and Hagens would really inject skill into a system that needs it.

6. Philadelphia Flyers - Porter Martone - Wing

On the one hand, this feels low for Martone, given that NHL teams are going to be drawn to his style of play in hopes that he can be a playoff warrior in the future. But, on the other hand, it’s also possible that teams take a run on the centers available at the top of this draft. That allows Martone to fall into the lap of the Flyers. The perfect complement to Michkov in the future? Maybe there’s hope that Martone could provide what the Flyers thought they’d be getting in Cutter Gauthier prior to the trade demand.

7. Boston Bruins - Brady Martin - Center

At this point it seems inevitable that Martin goes fairly high, perhaps even higher than this. NHL teams love his work ethic and his potential to be a top shelf NHL playoff performer. Look no further than what Sam Bennett is doing in the NHL playoffs currently. Martin is the kind of all situations impact forward that the Bruins need to kickstart their retool.

8. Seattle Kraken - Radim Mrtka - Defense

Is this the year that the Kraken finally uses a first-round selection on a defender? It has to happen at some point, right? The Kraken opt for Mrtka, a big Czech defender who could develop into a top four defensive anchor. How much offensive upside is there? Can the physical game reach another level? They could go for Jackson Smith here, but it seems more likely that they go for the more polished Mrtka, especially considering he played in Seattle of the WHL this year, so they’d be very familiar with him.

9. Buffalo Sabres - Victor Eklund - Wing

Eklund is the type of player that the organization badly needs to help them take that next step. He’s an absolute warrior on the ice and projects as that strong playoff performer because of his compete level. Yes, he’s not huge and needs to fill out, but he could be the perfect complementary winger in their top six. He already had success as a pro in Sweden this past year and could move through their system quickly, fitting their timeline perfectly.

10. Anaheim Ducks - Jake O’Brien - Center

The Ducks have some great goal scorers right now, but a top shelf playmaker like O’Brien could really help the organization moving forward. Anaheim has drafted out of the OHL a lot in recent drafts, and they obviously trust that region and their scouts from that region. O’Brien is going to need some time to bulk up and get quicker, but his upside is as high as any pivot in this draft class.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins - Roger McQueen - Center

The true wild card of the draft because of his health. If McQueen’s back wasn’t an issue, he’s likely a top five pick because of his unique skill set. But, on the heels of Cayden Lindstrom, NHL teams are likely to be pretty skittish. The Penguins are a franchise who can afford to take this home run swing. Their system needs help; they badly need a home run on the heels of the end of the Crosby era. However, the Penguins scouting staff also loves physically assertive and competitive players so don’t rule out someone like Kashawn Aitcheson here.

12. New York Rangers - Jackson Smith - Defense

Smith is unquestionably one of the highest upside players available in the draft this year. He is potentially the complete package on the blueline. However, there are some concerns over his ability to process the game. For that reason, he’s probably a longer-term project who will require patience. For the Rangers, while they could use a center more, it seems unlikely they reach on a player just for the sake of positional or organizational need. Smith gives the Rangers a potential home run and they’ve had some luck with a similar kind of player in K’Andre Miller.

13. Detroit Red Wings - Kashawn Aitcheson - Defense

The Red Wings have a type. Aitcheson is that type. The organization wants to build a team eventually engineered for the playoffs, so the focus has been on compete level and physicality. There may not be a defender who exemplifies those characteristics more in this draft. But his offensive game is underrated, and it gives him a solid chance of developing into a Kevin Bieksa style two-way type. The Wings traded Andrew Gibson and Brady Cleveland hasn’t developed well since being selected. Aitcheson is better than both.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Justin Carbonneau - Wing

One of the draft’s most creative and skilled offensive players, Carbonneau has excellent offensive upside. The Jackets have not shied away from the QMJHL in recent years and he would give them another high-quality offensive player on the wing to build around, given that their center depth is fairly solid. Could make a similar impact to Kent Johnson, who is coming off his best NHL season.

15. Vancouver Canucks - Braeden Cootes - Center

Sometimes things just work out. The Canucks badly need a young center with upside in their system and Cootes just happens to be one of the best players available. It’s likely that they’d be very familiar with him too, considering he plays with Seattle of the WHL. Cootes is a well-rounded two-way center who projects as an all-situations type.

16. Montreal Canadiens (via Calgary) - Carter Bear - Wing

With news that Bear’s achilles injury was only a partial tear and that he’s already back on the ice, his draft stock isn’t likely to take much of a hit. Montreal would see Bear as a strong fit in their organization as a complementary piece. He’s competitive and effective through the middle of the ice and would likely be the perfect fit with guys like Suzuki or Demidov.

17. Montreal Canadiens - Blake Fiddler - Defense

With back-to-back picks, the Canadiens take back-to-back WHL players. Yeah, the Canadiens have Reinbacher and Mailloux waiting in the wings as right shot defenders, but the main club badly needs one to pan out. You can never have too many solid defenders who can play the right side in the NHL. Fiddler is a solid two-way presence and gives them a great security blanket.

18. Calgary Flames (via New Jersey) - Jack Nesbitt - Center

This just feels like a fit. The Flames favored the OHL last year and their picks out of the league all had strong draft plus one years. Additionally, they’ve shown a desire to add size to their forward group. Nesbitt is a big pivot who showed really positive growth this year in Windsor. He is a potential all-situations, middle six center.

19. St. Louis Blues - Lynden Lakovic - Wing

While there are some concerns over Lakovic’s compete level and consistency, he’s still a high upside swing as a big winger with skill. The Blues don’t really have a player like this in their system right now, and at this point of the first round, the risks associated with Lakovic are worth taking.

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Minnesota) - Joshua Ravensbergen - Goaltender

It just seems inevitable that someone is going to bite on Ravensbergen in the first round. He has all the tools to develop into a topflight netminder. The Jackets are a likely candidate. They need a true incumbent in net. They have multiple first round picks. They’ve drafted a lot out of the WHL. Yes, they took Evan Gardner in the second-round last year, but he’s not the same quality of prospect as Ravensbergen.

21. Ottawa Senators - Jakob Ihs Wozniak - Wing

Ottawa is a team that hasn’t been afraid to go a little off the board in recent years. And they’ve primarily focused on players with unique skill sets or physical tools. Ihs Wozniak saved his draft stock with a strong second half and he has top six upside as a bigger scoring winger. Ottawa has also drafted heavily out of Sweden in recent years.

22. Philadelphia Flyers (via Colorado) - Cameron Reid - Defense

After selecting Martone earlier, the Flyers go back to the OHL again to take Kitchener’s Cam Reid. Reid is a highly mobile, two-way defender. He’s not big, but he’s very intelligent and projects as a solid second pairing type who could possibly quarterback a powerplay unit in the future.

23. Nashville Predators (via Tampa Bay) - Logan Hensler - Defense

Earlier the Predators selected James Hagens out of the NCAA, and they returned there with their second pick, opting for Wisconsin defender Logan Hensler. While his offensive production disappointed in his freshman season, his physical tools make him a potential defensive stalwart at the NHL level. It will also be interesting to see how his on puck game develops as he matures. The Preds traded for Andrew Gibson previously, so there’s obviously a desire to add prospects like this to their pipeline.

24. Los Angeles Kings - Sascha Boumedienne - Defense

There’s definitely a need for the Kings to add a quality defensive prospect to their cupboard and Boumedienne would be a great selection here. He improved drastically in the second half of this year, helping Sweden to a silver medal at the U18’s and Boston University to a second place finish in the NCAA. There’s a need to refine his game and improve his decision making, but the mobility is great, and he has great upside as a top four defender.

25. Chicago Blackhawks (via Toronto) - Malcolm Spence - Wing

After taking Desnoyers with the third overall selection, the Hawks take a similar player in Malcolm Spence, only Spence plays the wing. This gives Chicago another mature two-way player who skates well, who can help insulate some of their younger, higher skilled guys. Spence is leaving the OHL next year to play at Michigan (NCAA), but he could be an NHL’er in only a few years.

26. Nashville Predators (via Vegas) - Vaclav Nestrasil - Wing

The big Czech wing finished the season on a high, with a strong Clark Cup playoff performance for Muskegon. There’s a need to improve his skating, but Nashville hasn’t shied away from players who need to improve pace. With four picks inside the top 35, the Predators can afford to take a few big swings and Nestrasil has solid potential as a top six support player.

27. Washington Capitals - Henry Brzustewicz - Defense

The Capitals would have seen a lot of Brzustewicz this year while keeping tabs on defensive prospect Cam Allen, and there’s certainly been a previous connection to London with the likes of Connor McMichael and John Carlson. Brzustewicz is a raw, but toolsy two-way defender who is going to get a ton of ice time and development opportunities in London moving forward.

28. Winnipeg Jets - Milton Gastrin - Center

It seems likely that the Jets could take a center with their first this year, given the need to improve organizational depth. They have lots of options at this point in the draft, but after what happened with Rutger McGroarty, I wonder if they steer clear of an NCAA player. Gastrin is an athletic, two-way center who projects as a middle six type.

29. Carolina Hurricanes - Cullen Potter - Center/Wing

It seems like the Hurricanes always take the player who is highest ranked by the amateur scouting organizations left remaining on the board; in this case? Speedy forward Cullen Potter. One of the draft’s best skaters, there are concerns about his NHL effectiveness given his size and somewhat perimeter-oriented game. However, Potter is a player with significant NHL upside.

30. San Jose Sharks (via Dallas) - Mason West - Wing

It’s starting to feel inevitable that West goes in the first round this year after fully committing to hockey. He’s such a tremendous athlete and his upside is quite high, as long as you’re willing to exhibit patience. The Sharks already have a deep system and can afford to play the waiting game here. This is the type of home run swing you take when your system is already loaded.

31. Calgary Flames (via Florida) - Cole Reschny - Center

There’s definitely a chance that Reschny goes much higher than this. He’s one of the draft’s most intelligent pivots. However, he also has the feel of the type of guy who NHL teams are a little wary of, with average size and average athleticism. This would be a coup for the Flames, who solidify their center depth with two great first round selections.

32. Philadelphia Flyers (via Edmonton) - Will Horcoff - Center

When you’ve got three first round picks, you probably take a big swing with one of them. Horcoff is very raw and underdeveloped physically, but when his frame fills out, he could end up being a quality pro. He had some really great moments in the NCAA as a true freshman in the second half.

33. San Jose Sharks - Bill Zonnon - Center/Wing

GM Mike Grier has a type and that’s Zonnon. He loves forwards who bring consistent energy and physicality. Zonnon is one of the draft’s best forecheckers and he’s a capable offensive player too.

34. Chicago Blackhawks - Simon Wang - Defense

It seems likely that an NHL team jumps at Wang early, even if we have him ranked a little lower. The Hawks are probably a great fit. They have the depth to take a big swing like this that requires patience. They also put more emphasis on skating ability than pretty much any other organization at the draft.

35. Nashville Predators - Kurban Limatov - Defense

Last year, the Preds opted to take Russian Yegor Surin with their first-round selection and that looks like a tremendous pick. So why not go back and select mobile defender Limatov, who possesses significant upside as a two-way rock?

36. Philadelphia Flyers - Jacob Rombach - Defense

With a few high-end offensive defenders in the system, including taking Cam Reid earlier in this draft, they take big, stay at home defender Rombach out of the USHL. He could really help to be a calming presence on the blueline in the coming years.

37. Washington Capitals (via Boston) - Michal Pradel - Goaltender

The second goaltender off the board can often be a bit off the board and the Caps continue that trend by taking Pradel, a big netminder with a ton of potential as he gets stronger and improves technically. He gives them a future netminder to build around, a weakness in the system.

38. Seattle Kraken - Eric Nilson - Center

The son of former NHL’er Marcus, Eric is a potential middle six, two-way center who gives the Kraken another pivot to pencil into their lineup in the future. They haven’t drafted a ton out of Sweden, but he checks a lot of the boxes that they typically value.

39. Buffalo Sabres - Shane Vansaghi - Wing/Center

This is a franchise that needs to turn things around and become harder to play against. Vansaghi projects as a fierce competitor who can be tough to play against and who can provide a ton of versatility to the Sabres’ coaching staff in a few years. The Sabres would be very familiar with Vansaghi after watching Maxim Strbak this year.

40. Philadelphia Flyers (via Anaheim) - Daniil Prokhorov - Wing

There’s definitely a chance that this big, budding power forward goes earlier than this. However, he’d look great in the Philadelphia organization as a crease crasher, powerplay triggerman, and overall physical nuisance.

41. Montreal Canadiens (via Pittsburgh) - William Moore - Center

The Canadiens have gotten some good players out of the NTDP in recent drafts. It’s strange to think that it’s possible (like forecasted in this mock) that none could be selected in the first round. Moore is a rangy pivot who has the tools but just needs to get stronger to become more consistent. Montreal can take a swing here in hopes that he puts things together to reach his upside.

42. New York Islanders - Ben Kindel - Center

A bit of a drop for Kindel due to concerns over his frame and skating ability, but he’s a top tier playmaker and a potential all situations pivot. With Eiserman in the system, it would make sense to target a high-end playmaker to help get him the puck in the future. Insert Kindel.

43. New York Rangers - Cole McKinney - Center

The Rangers have loved the NTDP in recent years and after taking Jackson Smith in round one, they opt for a bit safer prospect in round two. McKinney is one of the draft’s best defensive centers and he improved a ton offensively over the course of the season. He is a great fit in the Rangers’ system.

44. Detroit Red Wings - Alexander Zharovsky - Wing

Detroit hasn’t drafted a ton out of Russia lately, at least not like in the glory days, however this seems like the kind of player that they should be targeting here, especially if they go “safer” again with their first-round pick. Zharovsky is a skilled and creative playmaker who has terrific offensive upside. Gives them a player that they don’t have a ton of in the system currently.

45. Philadelphia Flyers (via Columbus) - Ryker Lee - Wing

A late bloomer physically, Lee is an intelligent and well-rounded offensive player who just needs to get stronger and quicker. There’s a bit of a similar profile to Alex Bump here, when the Flyers took him and that’s worked out pretty well for them so far. Why not go back and try to strike gold twice?

46. Utah Mammoth - Ivan Ryabkin - Center

At some point, someone is going to pull the trigger on Ryabkin early, even if his year was pretty disjointed. The offensive upside is simply too tantalizing to pass up and the Utah franchise has been all about swinging for the fences on Russian players in recent years. This feels like a fit.

47. Vancouver Canucks - Semyon Frolov - Goaltender

It definitely seems likely that the Canucks could look to bring in a goaltender with one of their early round picks this year, given the lack of a clear-cut top prospect in the pool. It seems pretty clear that the Canucks are size queens at the position and that screams Frolov, a big, athletic type that is likely one of the first off the board for the position.

48. Philadelphia Flyers (via Calgary) - Cameron Schmidt - Wing

When you have THIS many selections, you’re going to come to a point where the risk is worth the reward on a player. Schmidt isn’t perfect as a smaller winger, but he has among the highest goal scoring upside of any forward available this year.

49. Montreal Canadiens - Jack Murtagh - Wing

Back-to-back NTDP selections for the Canadiens in this mock. This is a bit of a fall for Murtagh, but his poor U18’s might have left a sour taste in the mouth of some chiefs of staff. He’s got the potential to be a solid complementary piece and that could fit in really well in the Canadiens system down the line.

50. New Jersey Devils - Matthew Gard - Center

A big pivot with good two-way upside and enticing physical tools. The Devils need to upgrade the center depth in their organization and Gard would be considered one of the better pivots still left on the board.

51. Boston Bruins (via St. Louis) - Jack Ivankovic - Goaltender

Given his lack of size, it does seem likely that other goaltenders go before Ivankovic, even if it’s debatable whether he’s the most talented netminder in the class. The Bruins badly need goaltending in the system with the two Providence standouts (Dipietro and Bussi) set to be UFA’s. The Bruins have had good luck historically with smaller netminders like Tim Thomas, Byron Dafoe, and Andy Moog, so this…kind of makes sense.

52. Minnesota Wild - Petteri Rimpinen - Goaltender

With the Wild’s first pick of the draft (after dealing their first), they take a goaltender who had a heck of a season in Rimpinen. He was the Liiga ROY and the top goaltender at the WJC’s. The reality is that Wallstedt’s development has stagnated and Rimpinen can push him pretty quickly.

53. San Jose Sharks (via Ottawa) - Carter Amico - Defense

The Sharks are loaded. We’ve already said it. But if there is a need in the system currently, it is a potential standout stay at home defender. Amico may just be this draft’s best, but he missed most of the year with a knee injury. San Jose can be patient with him in hopes that he can develop into a potential partner for someone like Luca Cagnoni down the line.

54. Calgary Flames (via Colorado) - David Bedkowski - Defense

After drafting so many high-end offensive defenders in recent years, you’d think Calgary could look to use one of their high end picks this year on a physical, stay at home type to pair with them down the line. We’re a bit lower on Bedkowski than the rest of the industry, but we expect him to be drafted this high. Calgary has also loved the OHL in recent years.

55. Nashville Predators (via Tampa Bay) - Pyotr Andreyanov - Goaltender

Another goaltender taken early because it’s a strong goalie draft. The Predators go with another Russian, who could end up being the best goalie in this class. With so many picks in a strong goalie year, we’d be shocked if the Predators don’t use one on a goalie to groom behind Saros.

56. Tampa Bay Lightning (via Los Angeles) - Adam Benak - Center

When you don’t have a ton in your system and your best prospect (Issac Howard) sounds like he’s spurning you, you’ve got to shoot for the stars. There’s obviously a chance that he’s a faller even further than this because of his size, but you get to a point where the risk is worth it. Benak could certainly end up being a great player for the Lightning.

57. Seattle Kraken (via Toronto) - Ethan Czata - Wing/Center

The Kraken have loved them some OHL since joining the league and even though they took a similar player in Nathan Villeneuve last year, you can’t have too many of these types of players come playoff time. Czata is a staunch competitor and two-way forward who projects as a possible elite third line player down the road.

58. Vegas Golden Knights - Max Psenicka - Defense

The Golden Knights haven’t taken a defender in the first two rounds since Daniil Chayka and that isn’t working out. So, with their first pick in the draft, they go to the WHL to select Import defenseman Max Psenicka. He’s got some really intriguing tools, but he’s still learning to use them to develop an identity.

59. Pittsburgh Penguins (via Washington) - Ben Kevan - Wing

Kevan is a well-rounded offensive player with a chance of developing into a middle six piece in the future. He would instantly become one of the higher upside forward prospects in the system, even if there’s a need for him to get quicker and refine his critical thinking skills on the ice.

60. Anaheim Ducks (via Winnipeg) - Eddie Genborg - Wing

The Ducks have really loved drafting out of Sweden in recent years and here they take Genborg, one of the draft’s most physical forwards. The offensive upside may be a bit limited, but he’s the kind of player who fits in the system well because he projects as a solid complementary piece to the other talented players they have. He’d be a potential playoff warrior for them when the time comes.

61. Boston Bruins (via Carolina) - Everett Baldwin - Defense

Prep kid from Rhode Island who is heading to Providence. Outstanding upside as a two-way defender and one of the better skaters in the draft. He’s a long-term project who needs time to improve his decision making, but he’s a somewhat local kid they would likely be very familiar with.

62. Chicago Blackhawks (via Dallas) - Charlie Trethewey - Defense

Coming into the season Trethewey was seen as a contender for the top defender selected along with Schaefer. Not the case anymore after a poor year with the NTDP. However, he still has great upside as a two-way defender with good mobility. The Hawks can take that chance that he gets back on track.

63. Toronto Maple Leafs (via Florida) - Alexei Medvedev - Goaltender

The Leafs haven’t used a pick in the first three rounds on a goalie since 2016 (when they took Joseph Woll), so they’re due. They’d be very familiar with Medvedev and his development from scouting Easton Cowan this year. His timeline also perfectly lines up with when the pro system will need a new injection of youth. He has the upside to be an NHL netminder and is one of our top goalies available this year.

64. New Jersey Devils (via Edmonton) - Theo Stockselius - Wing/Center

Stockselius is a player flying under the radar a bit right now who could go higher than the pre-draft consensus says. He’s a high IQ type who could potentially be a very versatile player for the Devils down the line. As his frame fills out, it will be interesting to see how the offensive side of things becomes more consistent for him.

2025 MCKEEN’S NHL DRAFT GUIDE NOW AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD!

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:05:49 +0000

We are very proud to release our 2025 NHL Draft Guide. The culmination of a season's worth of scouting, travelling and logging countless hours on video, we want to thank our dedicated team of scouts across the country.

140-page magazine (PDF format) for download
Top 300 NHL Draft Prospects
In-depth profiles with grades in five characteristics for forwards, six for goaltenders.
Best of skills rankings
A two round mock draft
Feature articles including interviews, top sleepers, plus much more ...

You can read about our final first round rankings in this free article

Subscribers can download the magazine here.

If you are not a subscriber and interested in learning more, you can learn more here.

Subscribers will receive access for three months and will include all of our other NHL draft coverage as well preparation for the upcoming season. If you choose not to subscribe and wish for a direct download, that will be available next week.

Check out our in-depth profile of #1 ranked Matthew Schaefer as an example of our coverage.

2025 NHL DRAFT: FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 32 – Schaefer and Misa clear 1-2 punch at top of draft- Magazine releasing June 13th

Kyle Watson — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 18:25:10 +0000

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

2025 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW: PART ONE – Standout performances in the tournamnent

Brock Otten and Derek Neumeier — Mon, 05 May 2025 21:52:46 +0000

Well, another IIHF U18’s is in the books, and it was a historic tournament for Canada, who captured back-to-back gold medals for the first time in the history of the event. In the gold medal final, the Canadians routed Sweden, capping off a terrific and dominating tournament performance. In the bronze medal game, the United States defeated Slovakia in overtime, sending Slovakia home empty handed for the third straight year; the Slovaks have lost three straight bronze games.

As is the case every U18’s, there were some outstanding performances that helped to raise the draft stock of said individuals. How much stock do you put in a single tournament from a scouting perspective? It’s really circumstantial. For some players, a strong performance can flaunt the in-season adjustments that a player has made, helping them execute at a high level versus their similarly aged peers. For others, a disappointing performance can be attributed to fatigue, poor usage, or…simply poor play.

In part one of our post tournament coverage, Scouting Director Brock Otten and Associate Scouting Director Derek Neumeier have chosen to focus their attention on the players who stood out in a positive way. These are their tournament favourites.

Brock Otten’s Favourites

FRISCO, TEXAS - MAY 3: Canada’s Brady Martin #28 skates to the bench with teammates after scoring a first period goal against Sweden during Gold Medal Game action at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on May 3, 2025 in Frisco, Texas, USA. (Photo by Micheline Veluvolu/IIHF)

Brady Martin - Center/Wing - Canada

How could you not be impressed with Martin in this tournament? He was the straw that stirred the drink for Canada almost every game. We saw that in the semifinal too, when he was ejected for a late hit. The offense just lacked spark without him. I’ve been a huge Martin fan all year long and his performance at this tournament felt validating. His skating has come a long way from a year ago and when you combine that with his motor, I no longer have any concerns about his game translating. His pace of play is just fine. Additionally, I feel like his skill and offensive upside is massively underrated. I remember having the same arguments with people about Mike Richards so many years ago; sometimes these well-rounded, intense junior competitors get underrated. What was most interesting to me was how well Martin responded to a move to the wing. I actually really liked him there and could see him on the wing at the next level too. It would help simplify things for him. His puck management and decision making were so much better at the U18’s then they have been in the OHL this year. He finishes this tournament as a top ten candidate for me.

Jack Ivankovic - Goaltender - Canada

It wasn’t an easy year for Ivankovic. His stats for Brampton weren’t terrific, especially for a smaller netminder. I came away disappointed in several of his live viewings this year. However, you can’t argue with the way that he’s performed for Canada internationally. He was dominant at the Hlinka/Gretzky and he was dominant at the U18’s. He has all the tools to be an NHL netminder and where he gets selected this year will be fascinating. One thing worth mentioning that is not discussed enough; Ivankovic is a terrific puckhandler. He was so good at making plays to help clear the zone or set up the breakout and his confidence with the puck is refreshing in a time where it’s a bit of a lost art for netminders. We do see him confidently handle the puck and make plays at the OHL level, but not at the level that we saw in these U18’s. I hope we see more of it in the future.

Cole Reschny - Center - Canada

One of the hottest players in the CHL coming into this tournament, Reschny lived up to the hype after joining Canada later in the round robin. He’s not really a high pace guy, which considering his lack of size is going to be cause for concern for NHL scouts. But you can’t argue with his consistent high level of performance. He’s such an intelligent, detail-oriented player. Equal parts playmaker and finisher, he finds a way to settle into soft spots playing through the middle. I’m not sure I can remember him making a poor play or read all tournament long. Really, the only thing separating Reschny from a guy like Jake O’Brien is a few inches in height.

Filip Ekberg - Wing - Sweden

The tournament’s top forward, Ekberg deserved that honor with a record setting tournament, as he became Sweden’s top scorer at the event. It wasn’t an easy year for him in the OHL with Ottawa. He never seemed to settle in, even if his offensive production improved late in the year. Is this the Dave Cameron effect? Quite frankly, I think Ekberg saved his draft stock with this performance. He’s put himself back in Top 100 consideration, when without this tournament, he might have been a potential no-draft. His size/skating combination is still a bit concerning, but he was tenacious and determined to get to the middle in this tournament. He showed off more individual skill and creativity than we’ve seen from him previously too.

Sascha Boumedienne - Defense - Sweden

The tournament’s top defender, Boumedienne earned that award with his strong play for Sweden. Boumedienne really impressed me late in the season with Boston University and it’s clear that he was riding a confidence high entering the tournament. He’s a strong skater. He moves the puck well. He even shows promise in the defensive end, having increased his physical intensity over the course of the season. He just needs to cut down on the turnovers in the defensive end; puck management is going to be an area of focus for him. However, I like the season long progression capped off by a strong U18 performance and he’s someone who should push for the Top 20 in Los Angeles.

William Moore - Center - USA

I’ll fully admit that I haven't been a Moore fan this season. I’ve come away disappointed in nearly every viewing of the NTDP. However, there’s no denying that Moore was largely good in this tournament for the U.S. Getting Horcoff and Potter back really helped to bring out the best in Moore’s playmaking ability. His pace of play is still not outstanding considering he is a strong skater, but he did a really good job of managing and protecting the puck. Whenever the U.S. needed a big play, it seemed like he was at the center of it, setting it up from the wall; getting pucks into the slot. He also stood out defensively and at the faceoff circle, even if I wished his physical intensity was greater. Some of the members of our team have been advocating for him to receive a first round grade all season long, perhaps I’ll be more receptive to that.

Derek Neumeier’s Favourites

Braeden Cootes - Center - Canada

Canada played some incredibly smart, tenacious, two-way hockey this tournament en route to a perfect record and a decisive gold medal victory, and no prospect exemplified all of those attributes better than Cootes did. Not only did the canuck captain lead the team in scoring with 12 points, but he was also one of their hardest workers and their most defensively responsible forward. He set an example that his teammates followed. Not only does Cootes get to leave Texas with another addition to his trophy case, he also left a great impression upon scouts, who were curious to see how he would play alongside players of a similar skill level, in contrast to his long and hard season in the WHL where he had to do a lot of heavy lifting on a rebuilding team without much support around him.

LJ Mooney - Wing - USA

This was a difficult season for Mooney, as he missed a chunk of games due to injury and then didn’t quite look like himself for a while after he came back, so he was surely motivated to have a strong U18s and leave a positive final impression on NHL scouts. And boy, did he ever deliver. He was a serious spark plug for the Americans, bringing a ton of offensive pop when the puck hit his stick on the offensive zone, spinning off checks to drive possession and make high-danger passes. There’s a dynamic “it” factor to his game when he really gets going. Teams will still have concerns about his size and durability (especially since he got hurt again late in this tournament), but he probably did enough to ensure that he gets picked at some point in the draft.

Blake Fiddler - Defense - USA

A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Fiddler made the definitive choice to represent America prior to this event, which gave him the chance to log more minutes on a comparatively weaker blueline (although it must sting a bit for him that Canada won gold while he had to settle for bronze). He really made the most of that extra ice time and larger role, doing a lot of great work in all three zones and standing out as one of the best defenders in the entire tournament. The right-shot shutdown specialist was a fringe 1st-rounder coming into the U18s but likely did enough here to solidify a high ranking on a lot of NHL draft lists.

Cullen Potter - Wing/Center - USA

His good-but-not-great point totals might not suggest it, but Potter was one of the most dangerous offensive players at this year’s U18s, from the first day all the way to the last. He’s one of the fastest players available for the 2025 NHL draft, and he was eager to show that speed off down in Texas, using it to frequently open up ice and generate chances for himself and his linemates. He’s far from a one-trick pony, however, as he thinks the game extremely well and is laser-focused when reading the play as it unfolds around him. After competing against much older competition all season in the NCAA it was great to see just how well Potter measured up against players his own age, and he passed that test with flying colors.

Radim Mrtka - Defense - Czechia

Mrtka became incredibly familiar with being a workhorse, minute-munching defenseman for the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds this season, so he only needed to make minimal adjustments when he was asked to play the exact same role for Czechia in this tournament. There was no disputing who their go-to, all-situations blueliner was going to be, and he delivered the exact kind of performance that they needed him to. The Czechs didn’t advance to the final four, but Mrtka sure did his part in the semifinals against Canada, registering an assist and nearly scoring the game-winning goal with an overtime breakaway.

Michal Pradel - Goaltender - Slovakia

Slovakia was an underdog to even make the medal rounds in this tournament, and it probably wouldn’t have happened were it not for the stellar performance of Pradel, their number one goalie. He was a rock between the pipes, posting shutouts over Finland and Latvia, and he almost led his team to a bronze medal with 29 saves, only to be defeated in overtime of that game by the Americans. The hulking netminder is very well-balanced and already plays a style of goaltending that is common in the NHL, so he’ll likely draw a lot of draft interest from clubs. Don’t be surprised if he gets picked early in the second round.

2025 IIHF U18 World Championships – Division B – Team Preview – Players to Watch

Chapin Landvogt — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:52:40 +0000

It’s been a few years since we saw the U18 Worlds hosted by USA hockey in Frisco and Allen, Texas, back in the spring of 2021. At the time, the pandemic still played a considerable role in shaping schedules throughout the hockey world, but the tournament proved very special in that the names Bedard and Michkov were already all the rage. Double underagers, they each made heavy offensive contributions (usually of a highlight variety) and then faced off in the tournament final, one decided by a Team Canada that would eventually see 22 players drafted in the following years.

Sure, the tournament was filled with many other talented and highly sought players, but it wasn’t one to remember for Team USA, which bowed out in the quarterfinals. This year’s edition feels somewhat similar to the host back in 2021 in that it lacks the all-out star power of recent years and will include a handful of outside additions from Canadian junior ranks and the NCAA. We nonetheless are terribly excited about seeing this year’s US squad duke it out in Group B action against annual contender Sweden, a loaded Czech program, the most impressive German ensemble in quite some time, and eternal quarterfinal participants Switzerland. Viewing things from the outset, this group could potentially present three of the four teams that will end up playing for a medal. Each of the Czech Republic, Sweden, and the USA feature numerous players of NHL interest for the next two drafts. At the same time, it’s anybody's call as to which of Germany or Switzerland is most likely to be heading to the relegation round and either could be good for a surprise along the way.

Here’s what to expect from each of the Group B contestants from April 23rd through May 3rd.

Czechia

Adam Benak

We keep getting excited about the progress the Czech program has made over the past 5-8 years but there’s no denying that they’ve simply reached a point where contention for a medal should be expected at both the U18 and U20 levels year after year. The nation keeps generating talents that are desired in junior leagues across North America and northern Europe while others manage to play pro at home already at this young age. Once all of this year’s nominees have arrived in Texas, Coach David Cermak will be able to dish out a ton of ice time to a handful of specific players who have everything required to make this team a gold medalist.

Alas, therein lies the problem as a number of the top nominees are still busy in primarily North American league playoffs. In some cases, they might not make it whatsoever. This could lead to the scouting world getting to see some special aspects like 15-year old defensive phenom Lukas Kachlir and Liberec product David Roszival, who had a sneaky good year at the perhaps underscouted Czech U20 level, not to mention hulking underage forward Simon Katolicky. But we’re going to assume that most of the big guns will be there at some point and then this Czech outfit will be one we expect to see battling for a medal on May 3rd.

Players to watch

Adam Benak - F

It feels like we've been gushing about Benak forever thanks to many dazzling performances at no less than the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. However, he finally brought his show to the USHL this season and it was magical. As he continues to get quicker on his feet and with the puck, we watched him create magic all season long for the Youngstown Phantoms, where his silky hands led to what seemed like unending offensive creation. Worries about size are still legitimate, but his 59 points in 56 games indicate he has no plans on letting it hold him back. He’s still involved in the USHL playoffs, so the Czechs will have to wait for his services, but when he arrives, he’ll likely become the tournament’s top powerplay producer.

Vojtech Cihar - F

A well-built winger with good speed and the knack of regularly making his way to the goal, Cihar already took a regular shift at the WJC and is coming off an entire season at the pro level (4 goals, 9 points) in the Czech Republic’s top league. He should be a key player in the top six for this team while adding a physical dimension to the attack.

Simon Katolicky - F

Only 16, Katolicky is already 6-foot-4 and inching towards 190 pounds. He’s been playing his junior hockey in Finland and has suited up for Czechia internationally 46 times over the past two seasons, for whom he regularly occupies the Ovechkin spot on the powerplay, albeit from the right side faceoff circle. Long story short, he brings size, skating, and a heck of a shot. He’ll be a hot topic for the 2026 draft and truth be told, if his playing style is any indication, Jaromir Jagr is definitely his idol.

Radim Mrtka - D

If a 6-foot-6, 200-pound righty shot defenseman who skates well, checks like a bull, and can lead your attack with a solid first pass is your idea of a unicorn, then Mrtka is your unicorn du jour for this year’s tournament. He possesses everything necessary to take over a game. He’ll without a doubt be the go-to man for coach Cermak on the blueline and is one of the key reasons the Czechs are expected to be a medal contender.

Matej Pekar - F

One of the youngest players in this summer’s draft, Pekar’s rookie season in the WHL was decent but nothing to get all too excited about. Having gone the Swiss juniors route in recent years, Pekar is your classic puck-rusher who’ll shake ‘n bake his way into scoring positions if you give him the time and space. This should allow him to eat some teams apart if they’re busy giving other forwards on this Czech side most of their attention. Both passer and shooter, he won’t hesitate to rip off wristers when he sees the net.

Tomas Poletin - F

A returnee from last year’s squad, the 6-foot-1, 196 pound power forward has spent several years in Finland’s U20 junior circuit and even got into 20 Liiga games this season, including playoffs. As for friendly matches and various test games with the nation’s U17 and U18 teams in recent years, he’s always been at the top of the scoring lists. He’s hard on the forecheck and makes his way to the net regularly.

Max Psenicka - D

Vladimir Dravecky may have to step up to the plate a bit until Psenicka arrives, but once (or if) the steady 6-foot-4, 190-pound defenseman arrives from the WHL playoffs, he’ll be a go-to player on the blueline and will give the Czechs the kind of size and righty-shot combo that few teams possess. A player not too different from Mrtka, Psenicka joined the Portland Winterhawks later in the season but immediately became a defensive mainstay with a solid eye for his teammates. Could be literally and figuratively a huge boost to this team’s blueline.

Ondrej Stebetak - G

As we write this, Stebetak is still battling it out for his Portland Winterhawks in a grueling seven-game series against the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Should his side lose the next game, he’ll be on his way to Texas. And truth is, the Czechs have a vested interest here because Stebetak is talented enough to be the end all, say all, difference at the U18 Worlds. Still, he’s played 13 playoff games over the past 22 days, so we don’t know what’ll be in the tank if he makes it down!

Germany

David Lewandowski of Germany lduring the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship game between Germany and Latvia on December 30, 2024 in Ottawa.
Photo: Mathias Bergeld / BILDBYRÅN

Coach Patrick Reimer is entering this tournament knowing that he’s going to be coaching at the pro level next season. Thus, this is his last hoorah at the U18 level for now and what he’s got is essentially the most anticipated German side in recent years. Having only just regained a spot at the top level again with a flawless D1A U18 Worlds in Denmark last spring, Reimer will be making use of a handful of players who were keys to that promotion, several of whom were already key contributors to Germany’s WJC efforts this past winter.

Particularly the forward group is chock full of players who have taken excellent strides (many at the pro level) in recent years and bring a much higher rate of offensive acumen than just about any German outfit in recent memory. Nonetheless, it’s uncertain how solid this goaltending group can be and if we’re honest, the blueline is currently looking like it’s only one very solid pairing deep. There’s potential within the remaining six defenders, but it’s definitely going to require at least three of them to step up to the plate and show there’s more in them than they’ve indicated internationally to date, even if we were very excited about Max Bleicher this time last year.

With all that in mind, the team is here to stave off relegation. This realistic goal will be plenty hard to achieve and even if the squad believes it can duke it out with anyone it faces, the fact is that the preliminary bout against archrival Switzerland on April 27th will likely be all-decisive in determining if the team heads to the quarterfinals or once again has to decide its fate in a relegation round. On paper, their chances against Switzerland are clearly better than they otherwise have been in recent years.

Players to watch

David Lewandowski - F

As we enter this tournament, Lewandowski is far and away Germany’s top prospect for the 2025 NHL draft. Already talked about heavily throughout Germany’s hockey scene in recent years, it took him all of seven DEL games this season to decide that he’s best suited strutting his stuff in North America. A jump to the Saskatoon Blades, and the ensuing 41 points in 56 total games, gave the hockey world a clear sample of his possibilities and even if his scoring abilities were anything but dominant, his quick and successful adaption to the rough-n-tumble ways of the WHL answered some of the key questions we’ve had in recent years. More importantly, he’s gotten a taste of the North American scene, and you can be certain that he knows all too well what this tournament can mean for his draft chances this summer. Key first line and powerplay roles await him.

Carlos Händel - D

It’s been a long time since a German defenseman was able to head to a Canadian junior league and make an impact, much less at age 17, but righty shot Händel did just that this season for the Halifax Mooseheads. Having just turned 18, Händel is an extremely confident player who wants the puck on his stick and won’t let a few bad bounces get him off his game. Expect him to be on the ice for every important situation Team Germany faces seeing as how he already averaged over 22 minutes of TOI at last winter’s WJC.

Maxim Penkin - F

The 15-year-old gained “exceptional status” to play in Germany’s top U20 league (DNL) this past winter and proceeded to score at more than a PPG pace while then becoming the league’s playoff MVP for the champion Adler Mannheim. Not a shabby start! Likely possessing the strongest offensive skillset since Tim Stützle, Penkin will already be a top nine player at the upcoming tournament and scored in the test game against Canada. He may not make a lot of music in Texas, but just getting to see him at this early stage should be a real treat for the whole hockey world.

Maxim Schäfer - W

A behemoth of a 17-year-old, Schäfer is already 6-foot-4 and moves around the ice with the coordination and purpose of an older player. He’s also coming off what was almost an entire season of top league DEL play, but his 44 points in 18 U20 league games showed that he can dominate teenagers his age and older. three points in five WJC games - played in Canada no less - indicate that he’s ready to make an impact in Texas. However, he’s currently still playing for Berlin in the DEL finals with his team two wins away from the title. Would be a boon if he’s in Texas by April 27th!

Dustin Willhöft - W

A spit in the bucket weightwise, the 5-foot-8 mini might is coming off a dominant year in Germany’s top junior circuit (104 points in 43 games) and was already Germany’s top performer at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where hardly any offensive opportunities were created without him being right in the middle of them. He has a motor and a heck of a shot, but it’s his vision and set-up abilities that will have you (and his teammates) smiling.

Sweden

Djurgårdens Anton Frondell.
Photo: Kenta Jönsson / BILDBYRÅN

Coach Tommy Paananen has nominated a team that has every scout’s mouth watering. Especially when it comes to the forward group, the team is more than “locked and loaded” for a medal in Texas, if not gold itself. An 8-3 romping of Team Canada in a pre-tournament test game verified that. About the only player missing from this dream team attack is Victor Eklund, but that’s because he’s aged out. The group is three scoring lines deep and that’s even considering that the main man up front, Anton Frondell, is still busy vying for promotion for his Djurgarden club, so he’s bound to miss two, if not three of the preliminary round games.

The team will nonetheless have to see one of the goaltenders stand tall at times, with Love Härenstam being the expected frontrunner despite being statistically behind his two netminding colleagues, and the defensive group will need to prove itself capable in the transition and puck-moving game because the bulk of them are of the defense-oriented variety. How Paananen makes it all work will be interesting to see but it’s clear that he has many pieces to work with once everyone is on board. Anything less than a medal would be a terrible disappointment, with all eyes clearly focused on gold.

Players to watch

Viggo Björck - F

An absolutely dynamic offensive dynamo who excels in puck possession (and protection), Björck is entering this tournament as one of the top three prospects for the 2026 draft. A wonderkid in many respects, his strong strides and tricky righty shot release have led to a gawd awful number of points in Sweden’s junior ranks in recent years. He got into one game of pro play this winter and sure enough, he scored his first pro goal. Having led Sweden’s U20 circuit in regular season scoring (then finishing second in the playoffs), we’ve got every reason to believe that Björck could already be Sweden’s go-to offensive force over the next two weeks. He’s that good.

Sascha Boumedienne - D

If there’s one player on this team that the scouting community hasn’t seen too little of, it’s Boumedienne. The son of a former part-time NHL defenseman, Boumedienne headed to the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL last season and excelled as a two-way defenseman with a strong understanding of the defensive side of the game. He’s now completed his first season of college hockey with the BU Terriers and just missed out on a national championship, having logged no less than 22 minutes of TOI over the final six games. He understands tournament play very well, knows what it’s like to live under a microscope, and in Texas, he’ll have one last shot at rounding out his profile as that of a late first rounder. Expect this staff to give him plenty of ice time along the way.

Anton Frondell - F

The ride continues for one of the most exciting offensive juggernauts in the 2025 draft. Frondell brings a variety of weapons to the table but impresses most through his incredible maturity and solid decision making for a player his age. And, well, he just loves to generate offense. Having spent the bulk of the season putting up 25 points in 29 HockeyAllsvenskan games, he’s shown he’s able to play with some of the best players Sweden has to offer. Alas, he and his team have been so good that they’re now in the midst of the championship series and he’s sure to miss the tournament’s beginning, as he continues to hold a top nine role for his team. He’ll be a key once he arrives, and we just hope he won’t be too worn out when the time comes.

Milton Gästrin - F

A bit of a power forward with solid size and both playmaking and finishing abilities, Gästrin got into eight SHL games this season and has been absolutely incredible for Sweden in international friendlies the past two years. The captain of the U17 national team last winter and the assistant captain of his MoDo U20 squad, we’re not doubting that his word weighs heavy in this locker room. The tournament will also be an opportunity for him to entrench himself as a first-round option for a team this summer.

Eddie Genborg - F

Like Gästrin, Genborg is another big, solidly built power forward winger with a strong drive to the net. His production for his club’s U20 team as a 17-year-old was fantastic and his development was at a point where he got into 28 SHL games this season, albeit with little tangible results (2 goals, -1 rating). Nonetheless, some view him as worthy of a 1st round pick this summer, so this tournament will be his final opportunity to convince the scouting community that that’s where he belongs.

Theodor Hallquisth - D

Tall and gangly, Hallquisth is a righty shot defenseman who has a knack for blocking shots while he defends with a long stick that he aptly uses to master the pokecheck. A player who forwards smashed their teeth against trying to get by this winter, Hallquisth has also gotten into 12 SHL games and loves to push up the middle to the slot, adept at carrying the puck himself. We can expect him in a top four role in Texas, but we are curious to see how he’ll match up with some of the smaller skill forwards that teams like the USA and Czech Republic will be throwing out on the ice.

Jakob Ihs-Wozniak - F

A tournament returnee, Ihs-Wozniak is one of this year’s draft prospects who has seen his stock drop a bit, having not been selected to the WJC squad, yet who brings many key attributes to the table, not the least of which being a 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame that doesn’t prevent him from getting around the ice somewhat smoothly. A righty shot, Ihs-Wozniak dressed for 13 games for Lulea, which is currently battling for the SHL championship. Internationally, all he’s done is regularly produce for Sweden’s junior teams, so he’s got an offensive role in the bag at this tournament.

Ivar Stenberg - F

What a winter it’s been for Otto Stenberg’s little brother Ivar, who - as a 17-year-old - got into 25 regular season (3 points) and 12 postseason (6 points) contests for Frölunda. His trajectory has been up and up all season, as his combination of speed, hockey sense, and quick hands already allowed him to dominate the U20 circuit offensively (53 points in 27 games). He’s not eligible to be drafted until 2026, but we fully expect him to use this tournament to continue building on his profile and are hearing that he’s planning on spending the next two springs gunning for his older brother’s statistical U18 Worlds records.

Switzerland

We’re going to be generous by stating that coach Schumacher and his staff will have their work cut out for them in Texas. Despite being able to almost always stave off an appearance in the relegation round, Switzerland hasn’t had a lot of success in recent years and this tournament may not be any different. With the first game against Sweden not even 48 hours away, the world is still waiting for the Swiss to announce the final roster.

Still, there really won’t be any surprises as the team will consist almost entirely of players who spent this past season playing in the nation’s top U20 league, some of whom not getting beyond a middle six role. Sure, the team will be interesting in some respects, like with Lian Bichsel’s little brother Finn expected to make the cut while underagers Clemens Troxler and Jonah Neuenschwander will probably slot into top nine roles.

One way or another, there’s simply no star power for this year’s class and international events have given us little reason to believe this rather nameless group is going to be able to do much more than keep the results close. Critical will be the game against archrival Germany on April 27th. That’ll be the most important game of the tournament for both teams and the Swiss are well aware that Germany is bringing one of the most anticipated waves of players it’s been able to throw onto the ice in recent years. Expect that game to decide if this team will once again have the honor of facing the uphill battle posed by quarterfinals or instead have to duke it out for class retention.

Players to watch

Guus Van der Kaaij - D

The likely captain for this year’s outfit, Van der Kaaij is dual Swiss Dutch citizen and is a solidly built athlete who has seen his star rise this past season more than any other Swiss prospect. Although his U20 stats were just average (better in the playoffs), it’s his all-round game and defensive wherewithal that has raised eyebrows while he’s been lauded for his leadership capabilities. Moreover, his 11 SL games in which he collected two assists, and a +6 rating showed a high level of maturity and a knack for picking up the pace with the higher level. He then got into seven NL games, six of which were in the playoffs. Rest assured that he’ll be made heavy use of in Texas.

Jeremiah Mundy - F

Entering the season, the 6-foot-3, 196-pound forward who is half Canadian was seen as perhaps Switzerland’s top prospect for the upcoming draft. Having flipped over to the Davos program before the season, he proceeded to see that status go lost while always being a top six forward to the tune of 16 goals and 30 total points in 54 games. In addition, he was never called up or loaned out to a pro team, so his good but average stats are only applicable for a league that isn’t an international measuring stick. Is he as good as he was advertised before this season? His performance as a top six forward in Texas will be his last chance to show he is in time for this summer’s draft.

Jonah Neuenschwander - F

First eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft, Neuenschwander just turned 16 not even a month ago and already measures in at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. In addition, Swiss Hockey even brought him along to the WJC this past winter as a 15-year-old and gave him three games of experience, so he should be a top nine forward during this event. All that pales in comparison to the fact that the burly forward got into 15 games of top league NL action this past season while putting up 45 points in 48 total games for his U20 squad, something that saw him finish fourth overall in playoff scoring. He’s a star on the rise in a time where the Swiss program is in desperate need of one.

USA

Cole McKinney

If you’ve been following us all winter long, you’ll know that this hasn’t been the best season for the famed USNTD program, one that experienced a whole lot of losing against USHL clubs and less than inspiring results in some of the international bouts throughout. That the team recently dropped a 4-3 OT decision against Norway in a test game surely had some in the hockey community rolling their eyes but we’re viewing this team with the belief that it can get things together in time for the quarterfinals and then push for a medal when all is said and done.

The reason for this is that by adding WHL defenseman Blake Fiddler, OHL defenseman (and underager) Chase Reid, NCAAers Cullen Potter and William Horcoff, and USHLers Casey Mutryn and Benjamin Kevan, the team will be getting some considerable reinforcements from the outside, all of whom have past ties to USA Hockey in some capacity. From a scouting perspective, we won’t be disappointed if we get to see any of underagers Mikey Berchild, Sammy Nelson, or Teddy Mutryn either, but that’ll likely mean that someone else isn’t carrying his weight.

There are enough tournament-built requisites throughout the line-up for coach Moore to play any type of game that comes but it’d be a big advantage if this US team doesn’t find itself having to chase the scoreboard much. Goaltending and the blueline have proven to be shaky to date, but both Germany and Switzerland should be gimmes in the preliminary round and as long as the outside additions can gel with the core by the time the games start to really count, this team should be in medal contention. Of course, we all thought that back in 20-21, when the team couldn’t get over the oh so deadly hill that is the quarterfinals, where four teams always see their tournaments end.

If that should be the USA’s fate, the program may want to find a different venue the next time it’ll be hosting this vaunted event. The dominant U18 program the past decade plus, the story this team will write over the next 10 days is one of the most anticipated of the tournament.

Players to watch

Blake Fiddler - D

A huge 6-foot-4, 210-pound righty shot defenseman with NHL pedigree, the Nashville-born Blake Fiddler was a do-it-all mechanic for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL this season and already starred for Team USA at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Widely considered a first-round talent, Fiddler may be the best US defenseman in this class and the team will need him to bring his A-game all tournament long. If he solidifies things, this should have an impact on the other talented, but inconsistent blueliners dotting the line-up.

Cole McKinney - F

Probably the biggest riser within the program this past winter, McKinney has a prime opportunity to use this tournament to make a major jump up draft lists. The University of Michigan commit has been one of the program’s more productive players in recent months and is a weapon of all trades. He’s got moves, he’s got deadly wristers and snapshots, he possesses a playmaker’s vision, and he’s proving himself opportunistic on the ice, showing a strong read of where the puck is going to be. He’s a given as an offensive catalyst for a team who’ll need him to step up to the plate in order to play for a medal.

L.J. Mooney - F

Incredibly small, Mooney moves around on the ice like few on this team can. Flashing electric edgework and slick directional changes, Mooney’s hands keep up with his feet and also deliver the best playmaking on the team. Naturally limited in the physical department, he’s an energetic waterbug who’ll look to create space by beating one opponent before finding the next open teammate. Enthusiastic and hungry to create opportunities, his 5-foot-7 height won’t play much of a role at this tournament, so we expect him to be making a serious impact off the rush.

Will Moore - F

A tall forward with a back-n-forth game, Moore has spent the past two seasons clipping at just under a PPG average but could at any time take the bull by the horns and be this team’s offensive catalyst. Is that time now? The Boston College commit has added a bit of playmaking side to his previous profile as an adept sniper and as things stand, he could very well line up with center Potter and left wing Horcoff for a new trio entering tournament play. We’d like to see him use this platform to suggest himself as a surefire 1st round draft pick this summer. His prospect standing is still in flux.

Jack Murtagh - F

Solidly built and consistently a producer, Murtagh looked like a bonafide 1st rounder heading into this season, having shone at the World Hockey Challenge last year. There were ups and downs this winter and as much as the Boston University commit looks like a solid pro in the making, there’s no telling whether we'll see him be all he can be in Texas. If he is, then this team will be getting a player who looks for his teammates but adores picking corners as much as anything else. Look for him to make his presence known.

Cullen Potter - F

Originally a member of the USNTDP, Potter decided to head to college early and pretty much thrived while being one of the youngest players in the NCAA. Having just turned 18 in January, his quick and deceptive game built off of great acceleration and the readiness to shoot with aplomb had Potter’s inclusion on this team being a no-brainer. And it may perhaps prove to be just the jumpstart the US needs, seeing as his natural talent combined with his experience against much older and stronger competition should have him ahead of the game in Texas. To be noted is that Potter is just 5-foot-9 and not even 170 pounds, thus fast but can be pushed around.

Charlie Trethewey - D

Off to Boston University next fall, Trethewey feels like one of the players on this team who most needs to clarify his identity in this event. In general, he has most of the prerequisites of a defensive defenseman with just enough offensive acumen to get rushes started or contain pucks in the offensive zone in a positive manner, but for all the big hits we’ve seen him throw, there have been misses and positioning problems. For the long term, there’s much to build on here, but for the U18 Worlds, he needs to bring an A-game, if he’s got it in him at this juncture.

2025 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PLUS HONOURABLE MENTIONS – March edition – FOR SUBSCRIBERS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:34:18 +0000

Porter Mantone of the Brampton Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

It’s time for an update to our 2025 NHL draft rankings. Back in December, prior to the World Junior Championships, we released our top 64. Now, not only are we updating, but we’re expanding to a Top 100 (plus honorable mentions). This will be our final draft ranking prior to the release of our Top 300 (along with our annual draft guide).

Erie Otters defender Matthew Schaefer remains on top, despite not playing since our last release due to a collarbone injury suffered at the World Juniors. However, we have no doubt that Schaefer will return stronger than ever. He has been skating recently and is gearing up for a return for the OHL playoffs. At this point, Schaefer is our clear number one and we don’t expect that to change.

The other players in our top ten are all the same, with some minor shuffling. Michael Misa moves ahead of James Hagens based on his strong production with Saginaw, mixed with Hagen’s drop in production with Boston College post World Juniors. We feel that both players have similar projections as top six pivots, but we feel Misa’s frame gives him a greater opportunity to be a more complete pro. Caleb Desnoyers is the other big riser. While, admittedly, we do have some minimal concerns about his offensive upside, we appreciate his pro style of play and safe floor, in combination with the improvement he has shown offensively over the course of this season. Roger McQueen is the big “faller” inside our top ten due to injury and durability concerns. He has recently returned to action and we’re eager to see how he performs down the stretch.

Among the biggest risers, Bill Zonnon, Cole McKinney, and Jake O’Brien standout. O’Brien is knocking on the door of the top ten, moving from 23 to 13 thanks to his elite playmaking ability and three zone awareness. McKinney elevated his play in the second half to become the top pivot on the US NTDP, giving our scouts a better indication of his offensive upside. Zonnon is an energetic forward with a pro frame who has been a favourite of our Eastern scouts thanks to consistent production.

Among the biggest fallers are Malcolm Spence (from 13 to 23, switching with O’Brien), Luca Romano (24 to 44), Ivan Ryabkin (26 to 39), and Tomas Pobezal (from 39 to 81).

You may have caught our recent, and annual second chances series that outlined the top “re-entries” available for 2025. Kristian Epperson (49), Francesco Dell’Elce (82), Petteri Rimpinen (84), and Sam Laurila (98) cracked our Top 100. Additionally, Jamiro Reber is listed as an honorable mention.

Overall, the picture is becoming more and more clear regarding this draft class. Simply put, the majority of our scouts are not enamored with the depth of this group. “In a normal year, when we put together our March list, the debate for the first round is often charged, with the regional scouts all fighting to have their personal, regional favourites included in the top 32,” said Director of Scouting Brock Otten. “But this year, the debate was more about who actually deserved to be ranked in the first round…there was significantly less table pounding.”

“The way I see it” continues Otten, “there is a clear drop off after about the 20th position. There are unquestionably some solid players available outside this range, but few high upside players. Potential role players are the name of the game this year. As a staff, we’re really hoping some players step up in their respective league playoffs and at the U18’s to help give this draft class a little more excitement.”

You can expect our final draft ranking to be released in late May, coinciding with the release of our annual draft guide.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS
1	Matthew Schaefer	D	Erie (OHL)	6-2/180	5-Sep-07	17	7	15	22
2	Michael Misa	C	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/185	16-Feb-07	62	59	67	126
3	James Hagens	C	Boston College (NCAA)	5-10/175	3-Nov-06	35	10	25	35
4	Porter Martone	RW	Brampton (OHL)	6-3/205	26-Oct-06	54	32	60	92
5	Jackson Smith	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-3/195	13-May-07	65	7	41	48
6	Caleb Desnoyers	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/180	11-Apr-07	56	35	49	84
7	Victor Eklund	LW	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	5-11/160	3-Oct-06	42	19	12	31
8	Anton Frondell	C	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	6-1/195	7-May-07	29	11	14	25
9	Roger McQueen	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-5/195	2-Oct-06	14	9	9	18
10	Lynden Lakovic	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-4/190	12-Dec-06	45	24	31	55
11	Radim Mrtka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-6/205	9-Jun-07	41	3	31	34
12	Brady Martin	C	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-0/175	16-Mar-07	55	30	37	67
13	Jake O'Brien	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-2/170	16-Jun-07	64	32	64	96
14	Cullen Potter	C	Arizona State (NCAA)	5-10/170	10-Jan-07	34	13	9	22
15	Justin Carbonneau	RW	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-1/190	25-Nov-06	61	46	43	89
16	Kashawn Aitcheson	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-1/195	21-Sep-06	63	25	33	58
17	Cameron Reid	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-0/190	8-Apr-07	66	14	39	53
18	Ben Kindel	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-10/175	19-Apr-07	62	34	64	98
19	Braeden Cootes	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/180	9-Feb-07	58	25	36	61
20	Carter Bear	LW	Everett (WHL)	6-0/180	4-Nov-06	56	40	42	82
21	Jack Murtagh	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/200	22-Aug-07	42	20	24	44
22	Cameron Schmidt	RW	Vancouver (WHL)	5-7/160	19-Jan-07	59	39	37	76
23	Malcolm Spence	LW	Erie (OHL)	6-1/200	22-Sep-06	62	32	38	70
24	Joshua Ravensbergen	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-5/190	27-Nov-06	50	33	12	2.93
25	Jack Nesbitt	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-4/185	12-Jan-07	63	24	39	63
26	Cole McKinney	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/200	16-Mar-07	45	21	29	50
27	Eric Nilson	C	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	5-11/155	11-May-07	37	12	26	38
28	Logan Hensler	D	Wisconsin (NCAA)	6-2/190	14-Oct-06	32	2	10	12
29	Henry Brzustewicz	D	London (OHL)	6-2/200	9-Feb-07	65	10	29	39
30	Blake Fiddler	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-4/210	9-Jul-07	62	9	22	31
31	Shane Vansaghi	RW	Michigan State (NCAA)	6-2/210	11-Oct-06	35	6	10	16
32	Bill Zonnon	C	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/185	3-Oct-06	62	28	53	81
33	Jakob Ihs Wozniak	RW	Lulea (Swe J20)	6-2/185	1-Feb-07	40	23	34	57
34	Nathan Behm	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-1/190	18-Apr-07	57	31	35	66
35	Adam Benak	C	Youngstown (USHL)	5-7/160	10-Apr-07	53	16	38	54
36	Kurban Limatov	D	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-3/195	20-Mar-07	45	8	15	23
37	Carter Amico	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/225	15-Mar-07	13	0	3	3
38	Cole Reschny	C	Victoria (WHL)	5-10/180	6-Apr-07	60	23	63	86
39	Ivan Ryabkin	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Apr-07	18	11	8	19
40	Milton Gastrin	C	MoDo Hockey (Swe J20)	6-1/185	2-Jun-07	40	18	24	42
41	Will Moore	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/175	24-Mar-07	49	21	22	43
42	Sascha Boumedienne	D	Boston University (NCAA)	6-1/175	17-Jan-07	35	3	9	12
43	Conrad Fondrk	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/190	1-Jun-07	40	13	14	27
44	Luca Romano	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/175	25-Jun-07	65	25	26	51
45	Alexander Zharovsky	RW	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)	6-1/165	22-Feb-07	45	24	26	50
46	Max Psenicka	D	Portland (WHL)	6-4/175	18-Jan-07	22	1	5	6
47	Jack Ivankovic	G	Brampton (OHL)	5-11/180	22-May-07	41	23	12	3.13
48	Maxim Agafonov	D	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)	6-2/195	10-Apr-07	33	6	7	13
49	Kristian Epperson	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/180	7-May-06	55	26	51	77
50	Vaclav Nestrasil	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-5/185	6-Apr-07	51	14	19	33
51	Jimmy Lombardi	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/180	16-Feb-07	61	13	28	41
52	Gustav Hillstrom	C	Brynas (Swe J20)	6-1/175	20-Jan-07	43	16	22	38
53	Pyotr Andreyanov	G	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	6-0/205	22-Jan-07	37	23	6	1.75
54	Arvid Drott	RW	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	6-0/180	11-Aug-07	40	18	18	36
55	Matthew Gard	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-5/190	7-Apr-07	63	18	17	35
56	Ethan Czata	C	Niagara (OHL)	6-1/175	29-May-07	65	20	33	53
57	Hayden Paupanekis	C	Spokane-Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/195	4-Feb-07	68	22	19	41
58	Charlie Trethewey	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/200	2-Aug-07	51	6	12	18
59	Aleksei Medvedev	G	London (OHL)	6-2/180	10-Sep-07	33	22	7	2.72
60	Daniil Prokhorov	RW	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-5/210	27-Apr-07	41	19	7	26
61	William Horcoff	C	Michigan (NCAA)	6-5/190	23-Jan-07	18	4	6	10
62	Tyler Hopkins	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/180	23-Jan-07	64	19	31	50
63	Lasse Boelius	D	Assat (Fin-U20)	6-0/180	16-Mar-07	34	4	14	18
64	Eddie Genborg	RW	Linkopings (SHL)	6-1/180	20-Apr-07	28	2	0	2
65	Semyon Frolov	G	MHK Krylia Sovetov (MHL)	6-3/200	17-Jan-07	5	2	2	2.75
66	Ben Kevan	RW	Des Moines (USHL)	6-0/180	3-Jan-07	46	12	29	41
67	Peyton Kettles	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-5/195	1-Sep-07	51	5	9	14
68	Zeb Lindgren	D	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	6-1/195	14-Apr-07	38	4	15	19
69	Everett Baldwin	D	St. George's School (USHS-RI)	5-11/175	15-Jan-07	22	10	10	20
70	Ryker Lee	RW	Madison (USHL)	5-11/180	8-Nov-06	48	27	33	60
71	Michal Svrcek	LW	Brynas (Swe J20)	5-10/175	26-Jan-07	30	14	16	30
72	Zachary Morin	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	25-Jan-07	54	16	20	36
73	Jacob Rombach	D	Lincoln (USHL)	6-6/200	1-Apr-07	50	3	15	18
74	Alex Huang	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-0/170	30-Jul-07	62	6	33	39
75	Tommy Lafreniere	C	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/170	16-Jan-07	66	24	32	56
76	Haoxi (Simon) Wang	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-6/210	27-Jul-07	29	0	2	2
77	William Belle	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/220	14-Jan-07	50	4	11	15
78	Jan Chovan	RW	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-3/185	9-Jan-07	39	11	12	23
79	Luka Radivojevic	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-9/165	3-Jan-07	28	1	16	17
80	Shamar Moses	RW	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/200	6-May-07	58	12	35	47
81	Tomas Pobezal	C	HK Nitra (Svk)	5-10/180	18-Sep-06	42	15	8	23
82	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	Massachusetts (NCAA)	6-0/170	23-Jun-05	38	6	16	22
83	Vojtech Cihar	LW	Karlovy Vary (Czechia)	6-0/175	29-Mar-07	43	4	5	9
84	Petteri Rimpinen	G	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin)	6-0/175	25-Apr-06	40	16	9	2.36
85	Carlos Handel	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/170	31-Mar-07	50	3	23	26
86	Burke Hood	G	Vancouver (WHL)	6-3/195	30-Apr-07	41	18	13	3.21
87	Melvin Novotny	LW	Leksands (Swe J20)	6-1/185	3-Apr-07	41	12	26	38
88	Sean Barnhill	D	Dubuque (USHL)	6-5/205	8-Jan-07	46	4	4	8
89	Tomas Poletin	LW	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-1/200	30-Apr-07	25	13	7	20
90	Roman Bausov	D	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-5/180	28-Apr-07	39	2	9	11
91	Mason Moe	C	Madison (USHL)	6-1/185	26-Mar-07	41	13	24	37
92	Reese Hamilton	D	Calgary-Regina (WHL)	6-0/170	26-Mar-07	59	4	10	14
93	Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen	D	Michigan (NCAA)	6-0/180	18-Dec-06	35	3	6	9
94	Nathan Quinn	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-11/170	29-Aug-07	52	17	29	46
95	Samuel Meloche	G	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-2/190	22-Jul-07	49	29	13	2.96
96	Maceo Phillips	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-6/225	25-Feb-07	47	2	4	6
97	Eduard Bondar	D	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-5/195	31-Jan-07	52	3	9	12
98	Sam Laurila	D	Fargo (USHL)	6-1/185	2-Sep-06	50	7	28	35
99	Owen Conrad	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-2/210	10-Mar-07	62	7	19	26
100	Malte Vass	D	Farjestads (Swe J20)	6-2/185	28-Mar-07	40	2	9	11
HM	Karl Annborn	D	HV 71 (Swe J20)	6-1/185	6-Mar-07	39	3	21	24
HM	Lucas Beckman	G	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-1/180	23-Aug-07	51	30	18	2.68
HM	Carson Cameron	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/190	27-Jun-07	60	7	16	23
HM	Hayden Harsanyi	C	Medicine Hat-Saskatoon (WHL)	5-10/175	10-Jan-07	34	11	12	23
HM	Dmitri Isayev	LW	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	5-9/150	26-Jun-07	43	22	23	45
HM	Atte Joki	C	Lukko (Fin-U20)	6-1/190	21-Jul-07	40	15	17	32
HM	Viktor Klingsell	RW	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	5-10/185	10-Feb-07	43	17	22	39
HM	Nathan Lecompte	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-10/165	19-Jan-07	56	14	35	49
HM	Jeremy Loranger	C	Sherwood Park (BCHL)	5-9/160	15-Jun-07	50	37	57	94
HM	Jamiro Reber	C	HV 71 (SHL)	5-10/170	4-Sep-06	47	8	7	15
HM	Grayden Robertson-Palmer	C	Phillips Academy (USHS-MA)	5-11/195	29-Aug-07	30	16	23	39
HM	David Rozsival	RW	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	6-0/185	1-Jun-07	30	17	20	37
HM	Lukas Sawchyn	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	5-10/175	27-Feb-07	64	15	38	53
HM	Theo Stockselius	C	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	6-2/180	24-Jul-07	40	22	29	51
HM	Mason West	RW	Edina (USHS-MN)	6-5/205	3-Aug-07	31	27	22	49
HM	Max Westergard	RW	Frolunda (Swe J20)	5-11/160	3-Sep-07	41	19	31	50

2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 64 + Honourable Mentions – PRE-WJC

Brock Otten — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:10:07 +0000

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

Sascha Boumedienne – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #18 Winnipeg Jets – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 18th (Last Year - 23rd) GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff Hired: September 2011 COACH: Scott Arniel Hired: May 2024

Isak Rosen, RW, Rochester Americans (AHL) (Currently with the Winnipeg Jets, NHL)

Brayden Yager, C, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Elias Salomonsson, D, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Kieron Walton, C, Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Brad Lambert, C, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Colby Barlow, LW, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Danny Zhilkin, C, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Domenic DiVincentiis, G, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Nikita Chibrikov, RW, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

Alfons Freij, D, Timra IK (SHL) (Currently with Manitoba Moose, AHL)

Kevin He, LW, Flint Firebirds (OHL)

Zach Nehring, RW, Western Michigan University (NCAA)

Edison Engle, D, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)

Thomas Milic, G, Manitoba Moose (AHL)

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #23

Winnipeg Jets Top-15 Prospects

1 - Brayden Yager

2 - Brad Lambert

3 - Elias Salomonsson

4 - Colby Barlow

5 - Sascha Boumedienne

6 - Nikita Chibrikov

7 - Kieron Walton

8 - Domenic DiVincentiis

9 - Kevin He

10 - Alfons Freij

11 - Zach Nehring

12 - Dmitry Rashevsky

13 - Jacob Julien

14 - Owen Martin

15 - Parker Ford

2025 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Skating

Shot

Skills

Smarts

Physicality/Compete

OFP: 53.5

MCKEEN’S HOCKEY 2025 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: TWO-ROUND MOCK DRAFT

1. New York Islanders - Matthew Schaefer - Defense

2. San Jose Sharks - Michael Misa - Center

3. Chicago Blackhawks - Caleb Desnoyers - Center

4. Utah Mammoth - Anton Frondell - Center

5. Nashville Predators - James Hagens - Center

6. Philadelphia Flyers - Porter Martone - Wing

7. Boston Bruins - Brady Martin - Center

8. Seattle Kraken - Radim Mrtka - Defense

9. Buffalo Sabres - Victor Eklund - Wing

10. Anaheim Ducks - Jake O’Brien - Center

11. Pittsburgh Penguins - Roger McQueen - Center

12. New York Rangers - Jackson Smith - Defense

13. Detroit Red Wings - Kashawn Aitcheson - Defense

14. Columbus Blue Jackets - Justin Carbonneau - Wing

15. Vancouver Canucks - Braeden Cootes - Center

16. Montreal Canadiens (via Calgary) - Carter Bear - Wing

17. Montreal Canadiens - Blake Fiddler - Defense

18. Calgary Flames (via New Jersey) - Jack Nesbitt - Center

19. St. Louis Blues - Lynden Lakovic - Wing

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Minnesota) - Joshua Ravensbergen - Goaltender

21. Ottawa Senators - Jakob Ihs Wozniak - Wing

22. Philadelphia Flyers (via Colorado) - Cameron Reid - Defense

23. Nashville Predators (via Tampa Bay) - Logan Hensler - Defense

24. Los Angeles Kings - Sascha Boumedienne - Defense

25. Chicago Blackhawks (via Toronto) - Malcolm Spence - Wing

26. Nashville Predators (via Vegas) - Vaclav Nestrasil - Wing

27. Washington Capitals - Henry Brzustewicz - Defense

28. Winnipeg Jets - Milton Gastrin - Center

29. Carolina Hurricanes - Cullen Potter - Center/Wing

30. San Jose Sharks (via Dallas) - Mason West - Wing

31. Calgary Flames (via Florida) - Cole Reschny - Center

32. Philadelphia Flyers (via Edmonton) - Will Horcoff - Center

33. San Jose Sharks - Bill Zonnon - Center/Wing

34. Chicago Blackhawks - Simon Wang - Defense

35. Nashville Predators - Kurban Limatov - Defense

36. Philadelphia Flyers - Jacob Rombach - Defense

37. Washington Capitals (via Boston) - Michal Pradel - Goaltender

Prospect System Ranking – 18th (Last Year - 23rd)
GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff Hired: September 2011
COACH: Scott Arniel Hired: May 2024