Viktor Klingsell – McKeen's Hockey

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

2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 32 – PRE-WJC

Brock Otten — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:10:01 +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.

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

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

2025 NHL DRAFT: SUMMER OF 25′ – Introducing Sweden

Felix Robbins — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 17:57:58 +0000

The 2024 NHL Draft saw a historic two Norwegian prospects selected in the 1^st round. However, I don’t know if the Swedish region, more specifically Sweden the country, has ever had such a down year at the draft. Of the six players selected in the top 50, only three of them were Swedish-born. Sweden fans, fret not. While it is still early, the regional class of 2025 is looking very talented and very deep – especially at forward. Let’s get to know some of the big names!

Djurgårdens Anton Frondell.
Photo: Kenta Jönsson / BILDBYRÅN

#1 - Anton Frondell – C/LW, Djurgarden (HockeyAllsvenskan)

To those who watched him last year, should come as no surprise that Frondell is headlining the Swedish 2025 draft class. He dominated the J20 level and made his pro debut with Djurgården playing up to 20 minutes a night and looking great doing so. Had his season not been cut short due to a lower body injury, I’m certain his name would be more prominent in conversations about who starts the year at 1st overall.

Brilliant hockey sense. Reads the ice and anticipates play almost innately. Grandmaster levels of tactical play on display night in, night out. With the puck on his stick, expect trickery and manipulation in order to set up the play he planned out in his head before even touching the puck. His shot is laser quick and he can whip it with pinpoint accuracy. He makes expert passing plays other players could only dream of. A triple threat on offence, and a mature, refined two-way game. He’s a pickpocket with the stick, has an exceptional sense of timing and positioning off puck, and has advanced physical skills for his age.

I could go on and on, but the point is this: Anton Frondell is the total package on offence and on defence. You could easily project him as a top 6, do-it-all forward already. So why not a slam-dunk star? What holds Frondell back from that elusive 1st overall type of projection is the relative lack of explosiveness and pace to his game that the truly elite players of the sport possess. It affects his ability to create separation when carrying pucks in transition or to cycle around the offensive zone and play keep away from the opposition. He can’t use pure agility and quickness to tilt the ice in the same way that a Kiril Kaprizov or a Nathan McKinnon can. Frondell is nowhere near a poor skater, in fact he’s a good one, but that’s what’s missing from the equation.

I remember thinking the same thing about Leo Carlsson in 2023 - if he only had some extra quickness to his already fantastic toolkit, maybe him going 2nd overall would haven been a much different conversation. While Carlsson was a more highly touted prospect heading into his draft year, Frondell has a very similar play style and will face similar obstacles to reach his true potential. We witnessed the birth of a pro last year. He’s set himself up for a big year in 2025 in the HockeyAllsvenskan - will we witness the birth of a star?

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-Frondell-good-tactician.mp4

Everyone is playing checkers while Frondell (#14 blue) is playing chess. Before he even receives the puck, he sees the wide-open space in the middle and his teammate sneaking behind the defence on the far side. So, he orchestrates a give and go play to beat his man, draw in additional pressure on him and set up his teammate for a tap in on the doorstep.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-Frondell-good-dangles.mp4

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this move before. Frondell (#14 blue) has some serious hands and a quick processor in his brain to be able to pull that off.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-Frondell-ripper-of-a-shot.mp4

I mean… what are you supposed to do about that as a goalie? Sure, he had to slide all the way over, but Frondell (#14 Blue) didn’t shoot it right away. Just a perfect shot through the puck-sized hole over the shoulder.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/4-Frondell-Not-enough-explosiveness.mp4

Here is an example of that lack of explosive skating. It looks like Frondell (#14 White) thought about chipping it in, but the D didn’t close in on him right away so he chooses to skate it. It looks like wanted to take this puck all the way deep, but his defender caught up and he ran out of room. Had he been quicker, he could have probably kept his initial step on his man and taken it all the way behind the net.

#2 - Victor Eklund – LW, Djurgarden (HockeyAllsvenskan)

Much like his brother William (San Jose), Victor Eklund is entering his draft year with a solid sample size of pro hockey under his belt and “top prospect” status attached to his name. While his lineage does account for his high work rate, fine skill, and solid hockey sense, that alone doesn’t tell the full story.

You don’t have to look very hard to see that players who play like Eklund are plentiful in the NHL. You can throw him over the boards in any situation and good things will happen. He uses his quick and shifty skating on zone entries, on the forecheck, and to push opponents back on their heels when attacking. He’s adept at finding little pockets of ice to work in and is skilled enough to create and maintain that space. Though he’s slightly undersized, he’s tenacious and physical along the wall and in the corners, never backing down from a battle. He shows great two-way habits through smart off-puck positioning and a good stick. On top of it all, he’s got excellent playmaking instincts, inviting in pressure from multiple defenders with his puck-handling in order to free up a passing lane to a teammate in a dangerous spot.

While Eklund’s bravery is undoubtedly a positive trait, it can sometimes border on recklessness and overconfidence, especially with the puck on his stick. At his current skill level, Eklund can sometimes invite too much pressure for him to stickhandle or pass his way out of and will end up turning the puck over. While his fine skill continues developing, he’ll have to hone his decision making and figure out the happy-medium between risk and reward at the pro level. In the dirty areas, it’s a bit more straightforward: he’s got to get physically stronger to play his game at higher levels. Eklund has the tools to play effectively through contact in the HA, and he’s certainly got that dawg in him, but he still needs a bit more bite behind his bark. Not really a whole lot of negative traits to talk about – these are more steps I’d like to see him take to really elevate his game to the next level.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-Victor-Eklund-Good-evasive-and-tenacious.mp4

Here’s the evasiveness and work ethic on full display. Eklund (#7 Blue) takes this puck along the wall and is looking to move it along, dodging stick check and buying himself some space with some nice agility. His pass to his defender is risky and he turns it over, but he grits his teeth and gets that puck back. How can you not love this guy?

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-Victor-Eklund-Good-following-play-and-scoring-second-chance.mp4

Eklund (#7 white) never giving up on the play. He recovers this puck off of a missed shot and moves it from low to high. He gets around the reach of one defender and throws it on net. It’s deflected, but he follows his shot and scores on the second effort.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-Eklund-bad-falling-oof.mp4

Eklund (#7 Blue) gets this puck at his blueline and is looking to move it all by himself. He skates it just past the offensive blueline and cuts back before running into a defender, but he falls. It’s a bit of a scramble an he buys some time for reinforcements to arrive, but he ultimately gets knocked off the puck and turns it over. Maybe a little too much bravery here when a simple chip n chase would have accomplished the same thing.

#3 - Luka Radivojevic – RHD, Örebro HK (SHL)

Radivojevic first caught my eye while watching the great crop of 2024 draft eligibles on the powerhouse Örebro J20 team. He was easily their most skilled puck-moving defenceman, balancing creative playmaking with refined and responsible play in the defensive zone. At the J20 level, he outscored some of his draft eligible teammates who play forward. He even drew into a few games in the SHL, even if he only played a grand total of 20 minutes or so. He also played a big role internationally with Slovakia at both the U18 and the U20 WJC, supplying some much-needed offence from the blueline.

If I had a nickel for every time Radivojevic got the puck along the blueline, drew in multiple defenders by looking shot all the way, all before slipping a pass to a teammate for a scoring chance, I could buy a Mercedes. So much of Radivojevic’s offence flows through his mobility, deception and shot - or the threat of it, anyway. He’s got quite a rip. Defenders have to respect it, which opens up tons of space for Luka’s teammates to get fed the biscuit. Every now and then, he’ll activate into the play below the blueline and even behind the net to really send the defence into a frenzy with some shifty maneuvering from his edges.

He's not all offence, though. Radivojevic has pretty refined physical skills and can deal with larger opponents vying for pucks in dirty areas effectively. He does struggle to get inside positioning and can’t box them out from the net-front, instead relying on his reads and smarts to advantageously position himself where he can tie up sticks or push and pull loose pucks from a maze of feet. Honestly, he plays a pretty well-rounded game for a 5’10” defenceman.

For all the magical moments Luka showed in 2023-2024, there were times his lack of quickness held him back. Most of the time, he can move pucks effectively through both passing and skating in the Swedish juniors. However, it’s a bit tough to project his puck-moving abilities to higher levels without that extra top gear. He could be a surefire 1^st rounder if he adds some extra quickness to his step.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-luka_radivojevic_-_3rd_period_23_20_-_23_52.mp4

All the best parts of Radivojevic (#29 Red) coming together in one play. He moves the puck from coast to coast, he skates down low and fires a quick shot that glances off the goalie, he makes a ridiculous play for a tap in goal. Looking for more of this in 2025.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-luka_radivojevic_-_3rd_period_8_42_-_8_54.mp4

He can take the body, too. Radivojevic (#26 Blue) makes a great defensive play, laying out his man and causing a turnover.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-luka_radivojevic_bad.mp4

Quick and deceptive, but not quick and deceptive enough. Radivojevic (#29 Red) tries to skate the puck from his defensive end through the neutral zone, but can’t escape the reach of the lone forechecker in his way. He ends up taking a penalty on a play where a quicker player would have just blown by his man.

#4 - Filip Ekberg – LW/C, Almtuna IS (HockeyAllsvenskan)

I can’t quite explain it, but it feels like Filip Ekberg is already flying under the radar heading into 2025. He didn’t make the Swedish 2023 Hlinka Gretzky team (although he made the roster in 2024), nor did he play in the U18 worlds, but he did dominate at the U17 level internationally. He scored at nearly a point per game in the j20 for a middling Almtuna IS team and played a ton of games in the HA for a 16-year-old. At face value, that’s a pretty impressive resume for a D-1. So, where’s the hype?

At his peak, Ekberg is a quick, shifty puck handler, dynamic on his edges, faking out defender after defender, on a mission to create a scoring chance. He can really explode into a sprint on rush chances, and it rarely feels like he stops moving his feet once he gets them going. He sees the ice well, hitting teammates with creative and accurate passes. He’s got a laser of a shot that I wish he used more often. There is even a will to get physical, even if he doesn’t quite have his man strength yet. When Ekberg is pushing the pace on and off the puck and he’s driving his line, he is a 1^st round talent, no questions asked.

However, moments where that Filip Ekberg showed up only came in flashes. You saw that Filip Ekberg emerge at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky against Slovakia, and then disappear for the rest of the tournament. In fact, he was a healthy scratch in the bronze medal game against Team USA. When he’s off, more specifically off-puck, he’s invisible. Boxed out, pinned against the wall, pushed to the perimeter. Carelessness with the puck, skating with a lack of awareness, turning it over without a fight. There were painful moments in the HA (even a few in the J20) where the physicality and the pace of play overwhelmed him, which is frustrating because he’s shown that he can keep up and he can ride the lightning. Ideally, as he continues to gain experience at the pro level, his confidence in his skill with the puck will increase and he’ll figure out a way to make a greater impact on play away from the pucks. Sounds optimistic, but that’s what you have to be with high upside swings like Ekberg. Not unlike Lucas Pettersson’s (ANA) profile just last year. You bet on the potential and hope everything comes together in due time.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-Ekberg-good.mp4

This is peak Ekberg (#67 White). Pushing defenders on their heels with skill and evasive skating, manipulating their sticks and bodies to free up passing and skating lanes, making PLAYS. He makes gorgeous feed to a wide-open teammate who hammers it home.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-filip_ekberg_-_2nd_period_24_13_-_24_25.mp4

This is a pretty ridiculous shot. Sharp angle, not a lot of room to get it off, and he roofs it. Would love to see Eklund (#67 red) use his shot more at the pro level.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-Ekberg-bad-i-guess.mp4

One of those moments where Eklund (#67 red) really looked like a junior player amongst men. Gets the puck with tons of space, fumbles it, gets smooshed against the wall and basically eliminated from play. More mental and physical maturity should prevent situations like this from arising too often in the future.

#5 - Viktor Klingsell – LW, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

Klingsell made a bit of a mockery of the J18 level in 2024, scoring 28 goals and 34 assists in 31 games and going over a point per game at the u17 level internationally for Sweden. His stint at the J20 level proved to be an adequate challenge for him. The higher pace of play, physicality, and skill meant that the undersized forward couldn’t just score at will. However, if his performance against the world’s top prospects at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky is any indication, it looks like Klingsell has his sights set on dominating whatever level he climbs to in 2025.

Klingsell is a lethal weapon offensively. He’s a perimeter player, but he still makes magic happen. He oozes skill. His passing ability, peripheral vision, and his ability to read the play is extremely high-level. It allows him to skate and stickhandle with his head up, spot streaking teammates across the ice, and hit them with a perfect tape to tape pass. He’s poised and patient on puck, surveying his options, never feeling the heat - even in tight spaces. He can control play almost equally well from his backhand as he can his forehand. His shot is quick and accurate, on and off his stick in an instant thanks to his quick hands. Quick hands, quick shot, quick skating, quick thinking. Seemingly everything Klingsell does is quick, yet never feels rushed.

When the pucks not on his stick, things get murky. He supports his teams transitional play very effectively, but can sometimes cheat for offense a bit too much. Despite this, he’s actually a pretty good backchecker and defends opposing offensive transitions well with the stick. However, he doesn’t forecheck or play with much of a physical edge at all. In fact, he has a pretty tough time making plays through physical contact… at the U18 level. If there’s one thing Klingsell is going to have to do in order to reach his enormous potential, it’s the same thing countless undersized offensive forwards have had to do: get physically stronger in order to play your game through heavy contact. He could also stand to chip in on defence a bit more, but if he’s filling the net with pucks, you can live without it – even if it substantially lowers his floor.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-Klingsell-quite-the-move.mp4

Here we see the playmaking prowess of Klingsell (#39 Yellow). He receives the puck at the offensive blueline and starts working over his defender. Opening and closing his stance, daring the defenceman to make a move, getting him all the way behind the net before pulling a pretty insane spinning pass right on the tape of his teammate in front for the easiest goal of his life. Knowing Klingsell, that was 100% intentional.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2-viktor_klingsell_-_1st_period_14_41_-_14_53.mp4

Klingsell (#25 Yellow) finishing off a 2-on-1 with a gorgeous shot. He and his line absolutely carried Sweden at the Hlinka. Most conversations for best forward/tournament MVP may have been between Gavin McKenna (CAN) and Adam Benak (CZE), but I think Klingsell edged them out.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3-viktor_klingsell_bad.mp4

If there was any doubt that Klingsell (#25 blue) has a tough time playing through contact, here he is getting knocked over by 5’8” Cameron Schmidt of Team Canada White, turning the puck over for a 2 on 0 against. That simply cannot happen. Time to hit the weightroom.

#6 - Viggo Nordlund – F, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

After a monster 2nd half of the regular season, going nuclear in the J20 playoffs, and being selected to the Swedish U18 WJC roster, Nordlund cemented his status as a top prospect to watch for 2025. The undersized forward found phenomenal chemistry on Skellefteå J20’s unstoppable top line with Oskar Vuollet (CAR 2024) and Swedish U18 WJC teammate Valter Lindberg, carrying the team to a J20 Nationell championship.

When Nordlund hits the ice, expect the unexpected. He’s got silk in his mitts and a deep bag of tricks. With his great vision, skill, and creativity, he pulls off passing plays and chains together moves that you normally only see in video games. Nordlund plays with lots of quickness and pace thanks to his strong skating and agility on his edges. He’s a shifty and slippery puck carrier. He shows off a lot of intelligence on the fly and adaptability, using cutbacks to pivot to plan B when plan A is no longer an option. His shot, like everything else, is quick and accurate.

Despite his small stature, Nordlund doesn’t shy away when the physicality of the game increases. While he’s tenacious and fights through contact well, the reality remains that he gets removed from play fairly easily in the dirty areas - either by a bigger player, or by virtue of him not being strong enough to make a difference in puck battles. He also has a tendency to play a bit of hero puck. While I would rather see a skilled player take risks and learn what works and what doesn’t while developing, there are moments where the obvious best option would be for him to use his teammates… and he looks them off to go 1v5.

He’s a ton of fun to watch, and that shouldn’t change too much while still playing at the J20 level. However, Nordlund isn’t the first small, extremely skilled forward out of the region to be hyped before his draft year. The same question marks apply to him as well. How well will he deal with increased physicality? Will his quickness be enough to be an advantage at higher levels? How much of his skill will translate to smaller ice surfaces? Can he make an impact outside of the offensive zone? There is definitely a boom-bust factor here. Nordlund has shown a lot to be optimistic about, but he’s going to have to prove it at every level he climbs to.

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Here is a regular shift featuring regular moves from Viggo Nordlund (#8 Yellow) … only regular if you’re him, though. The idea was spectacular even if the pass didn’t quite connect.

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Another extended clip of Nordlund (#8 Yellow) being a one-man army, battling through contact, even throwing a reverse hit, slipping and sliding through everyone to set up a man on the doorstep from behind the net. I never tire of watching him.

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Nordlund’s (#8 Yellow) amazing skill on the puck is also a double-edged sword, as we see him look off a good pass option through the middle and skate into an unwinnable situation, turning the puck over.

#8 - Jakob Ihs Wozniak – LW/C, Luleå HF (SHL)

The Ihs Wozniak hype train left the station at lightspeed after a ridiculously productive year both at home and internationally. The big, Australian-born forward led all D-1 players in the J20 Nationell in scoring with 50 points and placed top 15 in points scored overall. That’s quite the bar he’s set for himself heading into his draft season. If I’m being completely honest, I’m not sure how he’s going to live up to expectations. After a rather disappointing start to his draft year campaign at the Hlinka Gretzky, mustering only 4 goals in 5 games, I may not be the only one who thinks so. Now, I’m a big believer in Ihs Wozniak’s stellar offensive package. However, I feel like there are so many tools that he hasn’t figured out how to get the most out of yet.

What he’s definitely got working for him is his passing ability. He’s got the ability to find seams across the ice and put it right to his teammate’s tape. He’s got a lot of poise on odd-man rushes as well, waiting until the defender(s) and the goalie is down and out before sending a cross-crease pass for a tap in goal. Ihs Wozniak has got a terrific shot as well, which may even be better than his playmaking. He can get a lot of whip behind his wrister and seems to put it wherever he wants. He shines his brightest on the man advantage, where he has the time and space to plan from behind the net. It should be mentioned that he had a bit of a tough time generating scoring chances at even strength since neither his hands nor his feet are quick enough to create the same space he thrives in on the PP.

While the points came in bushels and the offensive tools are great, there are bound to be growing pains. Ihs Wozniak is a very raw prospect. He’s still figuring out how to make an impact outside of the offensive zone. He’s got a tall, lanky frame, and has no idea how to leverage it to his advantage yet. No real physical edge, no battling along the wall. Limited contributions defensively, save for using his long reach to poke or deflect pucks. In this regard, he reminds me of Simon Zether (FLA) – lots of hype, lots of points in his D-1, wasn’t able to round out his game during his draft year and fell all the way to the 5^th round. There is still time for Ihs Wozniak to figure that stuff out. Big men usually need a little extra seasoning. I just want to throw up a bit of a warning sign before the hype train goes completely off the rails in the pre-season.

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A perfectly placed shot from Ihs Wozniak (#71 Red), above the pad and below the blocker. Goalie had no idea where it went. If he has the time and space to get it off, his shot is the most lethal weapon in his arsenal.

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I love this play from Ihs Wozniak (#71 Red) on the rush. He uses his big frame and reach to protect the puck from a defender’s stick, but still has the hands to pull the puck across his body a few inches from the crease to thread a pass to his teammate for a tap in goal.

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That’s not what hitting looks like. I know that he’s young, but he’s also 6’3”. Ihs Wozniak (#71 yellow) has got to learn to use that frame to his advantage away from the puck.

#8 - Arvid Drott – RW, Djurgården (HockeyAllsvenskan)

Despite being overshadowed by his Djurgården teammates at the top of the list, Drott is an impressive talent in his own right. Drott profiles as a power-winger. He’s got good size and plays with a physical edge. He’s an exceptional skater with lightning quick straight-line speed and impressive agility, which he uses to create miles of separation on the rush. He’s constantly pushing the pace on and off the puck, pushing defenders on their heels on offence and disrupting opposing breakout attempts by forechecking hard. In addition, Drott sees the ice quite well and can typically find skating lanes in transition or pockets of soft ice to work with in the offensive zone without much of a hassle. He’s got a nice shot and he can get it off in stride, adding to the lethality of his rushing game.

Drott has shown flashes of finesse with the puck and has good playmaking instincts, but he tends to turn the puck over a bit easier than you’d hope for. He’s a determined, creative player, but his hands need to catch up to his feet and his ideas. To take it a step further, it would be very beneficial for Drott to work on adding some east-west into his already very promising north-south offensive game. Again, this hinges on his ability to refine his puck handling ability.

If his Hlinka performance is any indicator, Drott can do everything you need from a bottom six forward already, but the offensive game still needs a bit more time to cook. I don’t expect him to make the jump to the HA right away like his two highly touted teammates already have. However, I could easily see him getting into pro games later in the season, depending on how far his game progresses and how big of a role he seizes with the Djurgården J20 squad. Drott already has a pretty high floor thanks to his skating, physicality, and motor. If the softer skill continues to develop, we might be mentioning his name among the best in the region in a few months.

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Really good speed, really good shot. Drott (#66 White) showing off the best parts of his game on this play. He’s pretty hard to stop once he picks up his feet. Would love to see more drives to the net in situations like this, too.

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Drott (#66 White) using his speed, frame, and motor to turn a blocked shot into some offensive zone time. I love his intensity and the way he initiates contact in the corner. Gold star in my books.

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Unfortunately, Drott (#66 White) hasn’t learned how to apply his skill at the pace he plays the game yet. As a result, you get situations like this. You can clearly see he wants to pass the puck to his teammate waiting along the boards near the blueline, but he has to stop moving his feet to attempt a pass or a move.

#9 - Oliwer Sjöström – LHD, Luleå HF (SHL)

Making the list is another undersized, offensive defenceman who earned a brief call up to the SHL. Luleå is chalk full of interesting prospects in their system, and Sjöström is no exception. He led the Luleå J20 team in scoring by defencemen as a D-1 and moved the puck up ice well with some smooth and mobile skating. Points are great and all, but points don’t tell the full story. In that respect, it feels like Sjöström has a little bit more to prove despite his productive year.

Sjöström definitely looks his best in the offensive zone. He can walk the blueline with some great lateral mobility, he can bomb a shot from the point, or spot and feed a teammate set up for a shot. He can activate into the play, exhibiting stellar control from his edges and pull in defenders to open up space for his teammates in high danger areas of the ice. Sjöström’s IQ helps him seemingly always be in the right place at the right time off-puck, whether it be jumping up on the rush or supporting the breakout. He rarely leads the breakout, however. His passing and puck handling in general is very safe and lacks a certain creative flair.

Unfortunately for Sjöström, creative flair and risk is something I tend to want from undersized blueliners, especially on offence. He lacks a certain dynamism, too timid to attempt the dramatic. I know he’s skilled and capable enough to pull those kinds of plays off, so it’s frustrating to watch him play it safe. Defensively, there isn’t enough pace or compete in his own zone, even if his physical skills are pretty good. He tends to fade into the background quite a bit in general. This point was further reinforced by his diminutive performance at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky. He just couldn’t find a way to make much of an impact. I think Sjöström must go within himself and find a little more confidence. Players who profile like he does don’t go far unless they can prove that they’re game breakers in one form or another. As it stands right now, the best parts of Sjöström’s game are solid, but haven’t shown to be ice-tilters at higher levels *yet*.

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Here, we see the smarts and the playmaking of Sjöström (#27 Red) allow his team to take advantage of a poor change and score. It isn’t the highest pace play; he doesn’t try to do everything himself. Instead, he calmly skates up the ice and distributes the puck to a teammate with a ton of space and a good shooting angle.

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Once we put his feet to the fire a little bit in the SHL, some good stuff starts to happen. The speedy Isak Born is barreling down the wing and Sjöström (#26 Red) has him gapped up. It looks like he’s about to be beat, but Sjöström smacks the puck out of Born’s control and takes him to the boards. The puck comes free, there’s a bit of scrambling, but Sjöström takes initiative and grabs it before rimming it to a less busy side of the ice.

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So where was that at the J20 level? This is an extended shift for Sjöström (#27 Yellow), but there’s really no excuse to defer this much or to be this passive and removed from play. I need to see the fire, the want, the need to get that puck.

#10 - Milton Gästrin – C/LW, MoDo Hockey (SHL)

It wasn’t every game that they shared the ice, but Gästrin certainly caught my eye a few times while watching last year’s 35^th overall pick Lucas Pettersson. If you only go by counting stats, his 16 points in 41 games with MoDo’s J20 squad may not be the most interesting thing in the hockey world. If you factor in his performance at the u17 WJC and the most recent Hlinka Gretzky cup, however, you’ll see that every high-flying offensive duo needs a pacey workhorse to do their dirty work. This was Gästrin’s role on the Klingsell-Gästrin-Stenberg line, far and away the most productive line at the tournament. brings size, speed and intelligence to the ice, and, since he’s captained almost every international team he’s played for, intangibles to the locker room.

He plays a very solid two-way game and has refined physical skills for his age. He knows how to use his frame to get inside positioning on foes in stationary battles along the wall, but he also uses his strong skating ability to backcheck opponents and knock pucks loose with his reach. He plays with great spatial awareness on offence and can skate the puck up ice pretty well in transition. Gästrin is the fantastic compliment to higher-skilled players who struggle in the dirtier areas, playing a vital role in retrieving pucks on dump-ins and supplying a steady dose of forechecking pressure.

Offensively, there isn’t a whole lot going on just yet. He’s got a bit of a tough time controlling the puck at a high pace, he often skates with his head down while handling, and he doesn’t have a lot of slick moves in his bag. He does have some vision and passing skill, so he can supply some secondary playmaking in a pinch. He probably won’t be scoring a ton of goals from the quality of his shot alone, but he can tap them in from the doorstep or clean up the garbage. Gästrin will always be a great glue guy with some intriguing tools. However, unless the offence takes a big step in his draft year, he may be limited to just that. We’ve already seen one positive step, considering he had 10 points (3G, 7A) in 5 games at the Hlinka. Will he be able to build on that heading into the J20 season and, more importantly, be able to create that kind of offence himself?

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Here we see the amazing speed of Gästrin (#49 White) and his ability to use it to move the puck in transition. He gets a shot off in stride, too, even if it isn’t the best.

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Gästrin (#49 White) digging deep at the end of his shift to catch up to an opposing puck carrier and stripping him of it.

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The thing holding Gästrin (#49 White) back from being able to fully utilize his speed: Stickhandling with his head down because he has a hard time controlling the puck at high speeds. He runs right into a defender and can’t make a move in time before turning the puck over.

Honourable Mentions

Eric Nilson – C/LW, Djurgården (HockeyAllsvenskan)

You might have caught Nilson’s heroic performance in the bronze medal game vs the US at the Hlinka just a few days ago, where he scored three goals and added an assist in Sweden’s 6-3 victory. Nilson, son of former NHLer Marcus Nilson, is an Alberta-born Swedish forward who spent a good chunk of last season with Örebro alongside two of the top scoring draft eligibles in the whole J20 Nationell (Alex Zetterberg and Melvin Fernstrom (VAN)). Someone had to play defence on that line, and, luckily for the other two, that someone was Nilson. He’s got a mature, positionally smart two-way presence and solid physical skills for a kid who only weighs a buck-fifty according to his most recent measurements. He’s not afraid of using his frame to block shots or lay hits, and he clearly subscribes to the idea that “the best time to get the puck back is right after you lose it” – in other words, deftly using his stick to strip opponents of the puck in the OZ or in transition.

Nilson is a very smart player in general, lending itself to his patient puck distributing abilities in the offensive zone and his vision lets him make some great passing plays. He’s got a decent shot that he locates well, and can get a surprising amount of power behind his one-timers. However, he lacks the high-end puck-handling abilities and quickness that would make his offensive game more projectible. If he can find some sort of go-to space creator, I could see Nilson being someone that skyrockets up draft boards in the mid to late season. It has just recently been announced that he’s transferred from Örebro to Djurgården, a team stacked with high-end offensive talent. Hopefully some of that rubs off on him.

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Here we see transition defence turn to a goal for from the stick of Nilson (#19 Red). Some great awareness and off-puck movement to follow the play and to pounce on a puck-bobble by the defenceman trying to break it out, and some great moves to tuck the puck home.

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Nilson (#19 Red) can’t pick his feet up or put a move on the defender closing him out in time and gets pinned to the wall. His 154 lbs frame can’t really push back too much, either, and the puck is stuck in a scrum. If he had higher-end skating or handling, he might have been able to escape that unscathed.

Mikkel Eriksen - C/LW, Färjestad BK (SHL)

After a historic draft for Norway in 2024, it looks like the country is entering a golden era of producing talent. Eriksen, nephew of Espen “Shampo” Knutsen, hopes to continue the trend. He was on my radar as one of the top Norwegian prospects for 2025 and did not disappoint at the u18 WJC, playing a huge role in staving off relegation and staying at the top level of competition. He showed a few different things at different levels of play in Sweden and in Norway, but ever-present was his high-end puck handling ability, high-end hockey sense, and stellar finishing touch. His sense of timing, his awareness and his ability to read and react to play is markedly above average and he’s weirdly good in the faceoff dot as well.

His two-way game is still developing, mostly relying on smart positioning on defence. Something I’m really missing from him is pace and intensity in his off-puck game. He can look very passive, especially since he plays without much of a physical edge and without much willingness to battle. Seeing that in high-end junior scorers always makes me skittish, but Eriksen is one of the youngest players in the draft so he’ll have loads of time to figure it out. Not to mention, he’s going spend 2025 in the terrific Färjestad BK program, who have the cupboards chalk full of Norwegians – including former Vålerenga teammate Stian Solberg (ANA) – so maybe they’ll have some tips for him.

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Not a good idea to leave Eriksen (#16 Red) all alone in front. He’s got quite the scoring touch to be able to roof that thing from right up close.

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This type of behaviour would frustrate any coach. Eriksen (#10 white) is skating the puck from the neutral zone deep into the Leksands zone with a defender a half step behind. As soon as the defender looks to close the gap, he just pulls away and cedes possession. I get that you don’t want to get hit, but that was a little bit soft to be completely honest. Hopefully he learns how to absorb contact properly so something like this doesn’t happen again.

Max Westergård – F, Frölunda HC (SHL)

Another very young prospect for the draft class and I love the cut of his jib. The Finnish Westergård is a quick, pacey offensive forward who does a great job of reading the play developing in front of him and reacting accordingly. Strong positional awareness, a great set of hands, feet, and a nice finishing touch saw him enjoy a torrid D-1 season in Frölunda’s junior system. Now, he’s very light, but that doesn’t stop him from driving the net and taking contact to make a play. The lightness doesn’t do him any favours in battles along the boards, but the heart and the hustle are there. We love intent, folks.

He’s a blast to watch when he gets his feet moving and dekes around guys, but his passing ability is still developing. The ideas are there, it’s just the execution and timing that has to improve. This is true in transition as well as in the offensive zone. His offensive game would be pretty hard to stop if he focuses on improving that this season.

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And here I thought driving the net was illegal if you’re under 6’0! Westergård (#22 White) with a fantastic power move, catching everyone off guard and leading directly to a rebound goal.

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One of the many well-intentioned passes that simply do not work out in Westergård’s (#22 Red) favour. They always seem to hit a leg or go just long/short. However, after many such cases, you gotta think the passing skills need some work.

2024 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP: Three standout performances by country

Adam Tate — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:14:30 +0000

The unofficial start of the scouting season, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a summer tournament that gives scouts and teams their first looks at the players to see how they’ve improved with a summer of training. This year’s tournament took place from August 5th to 10th in Edmonton, Alberta, and McKeen’s Hockey was there to take in the action and get some early impressions of the players.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an international tournament for U-18 players looking to jump start their seasons, represent their countries, and show off their current level of play. Though not sanctioned by the IIHF, it’s still a prominent event for NHL clubs, and is well attended by scouts and team management. The participating players are generally in their draft eligible seasons. Some teams may bring 16-year-olds to the tournament if there is room on the roster and their play warrants inclusion.

This year’s tournament was won by Canada, with Czechia taking the silver medal. They were the two best teams of the tournament, with both squads going undefeated in the group stage. Sweden won the bronze medal game over the USA. Slovakia had a good tournament only losing to Canada and Sweden (in overtime). Finland posted a disappointing result, only winning their last game of the tournament. Germany only won one game as well, but it was against Finland, and the Germans seemed like they were on the cusp of better things. Finally, Switzerland struggled at the tournament and didn’t have the talent level to match the other teams, only scoring five goals in four games.

Here are our three Standouts from each team. Included with each is a video highlight from their play at the tournament.

Canada

This year’s squad from Canada was loaded with talent, as is usually the case. Led by Captain Matthew Schaefer, the team rarely struggled and deserved the Gold Medal. The team was loaded with upwards of six possible first round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (not to mention Gavin McKenna, who’s only eligible to be drafted in 2026), was well balanced, and most players saw their fair share of ice in front of the scouts. It’s almost unfair to only pick three standouts.

Matthew Schaefer - Defense

Schaefer turned this tournament into his coming out party to the world. The smooth skating, two-way defender was everything for Canada. He played in all situations, frequently double shifted, and was one point off the team scoring lead. He was dynamic on the ice, using his skating to play in all parts of the offensive zone. He was a force defensively, showing some physicality to go along with excellent positioning and stick disruption. He may have played his way into a top three pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

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This clip shows a little of everything that makes Schaefer (#5 in red) so great. From helping win the faceoff in his own zone, to taking advantage of a mistake by his opponent to create a zone exit and leading the rush for Canada, to the nice drop pass in the offensive zone, to getting back into position to have an effective pinch to keep the puck in the offensive zone for longer. All while killing 20 seconds of a Czechia power play.

Gavin McKenna - Forward

By the already lofty standards that he’s set, McKenna had a good, but not great, tournament. He was tied for Canada’s goal scoring lead, and shared second place in the team’s points race with Schaefer. He was dynamic with the puck, often playing a game of keep away with his opponents. He used his skating and puck handling skills to circle the offensive zone, looking for weaknesses. His shot was hard and accurate, often picking top corners of the net. He flashed his next level talent, but didn’t dominate as perhaps expected, even as a 16-year-old.

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This is an otherworldly shot from McKenna on the power play for Canada. Picking the top short side top corner on a shot from that distance is not a skill that every player possesses.

Caleb Desnoyers - Forward

While not the most offensively talented forward on Team Canada, Desnoyers was relied upon in all situations, and was often used as its top Center. He was a jack of all trades for Canada, and it suited his skill set. That being said, he was still dangerous on the ice and produced at a point per game pace, with a goal and four assists. He was strong on the puck and hard to play against in all three zones. Desnoyers should hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft and will likely be the first player from the QMJHL taken.

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This clip shows Desnoyers operating on the power play, taking the puck down below the goal line and then taking advantage of the defender’s opened up triangle.

Czechia

Team Czechia’s goal this year was to win the tournament, after coming in second place to Canada last summer. The players made it a point to let people know that they wanted “revenge” on Canada for last year’s loss. They brought a top-heavy roster loaded with offensive talent with the likes of Adam Benak, Vit Zahejsky, Adam Novotny (2026 draft eligible), and Tomas Poletin. Unfortunately, they were unable to win the big prize and settled for Silver for the second year in a row.

Adam Benak - Forward

Easily one of the most gifted offensive players in this year’s tournament, Benak led the Czechs in scoring and was second in overall tournament scoring. Benak’s footspeed and shot were outstanding in this tournament, and he was difficult to contain at all times. You could see the determination in his play every game, and he led the Czechs by example. Despite being a smaller player, it wouldn't surprise to see him selected in the first round of the 2025 Draft due to his offensive talent. He’s going to play in the USHL with Youngstown this year, and a good season will help his draft stock.

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Another player with a next level shot, this top corner short side goal by Benak is almost impossible to stop.

Radim Mrtka - Defense

The large (6’6” / 198 lbs) right-handed defenseman got better with every game and was a solid two-way defender. While he didn’t score much, his zone transition work with his skating and passing was really good. He was strong in his own end, using his positioning, size, and length to disrupt passing lanes. In the offensive zone, he activated from the blue line often and created chaos for opposing defenses. Already in consideration for a mid-round pick in the 2025 Draft, Mrtka may move into the first round if he continues to play this well in the regular season. Mrkta may also jump over to the WHL and join the Seattle Thunderbirds this season if he’s not playing in the men’s league in Czechia.

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This clip is from the first minute of the Gold Medal game against Canada. Mrtka (#5 in white) helps lead the rush, something he got more and more comfortable doing as the tournament went along, and then sets the tone by absolutely crushing a Canadian player in their own zone.

Vit Zahejsky - Forward

Another Czech player that improved during the tournament, Zahejsky was promoted to the top line after the group stage and posted 7 points (3g - 4a) in 5 games. A slick offensive player that was used on the power play and 4 on 4 situations, Zahejsky showed good offensive awareness with both his passing and his shooting. Another potential mid-round pick who could move up if this level of play continues, Zahejsky will play for Kamloops in the WHL this season. He should see plenty of ice time and opportunity there.

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Czechia’s power play was lethal in this tournament, and it’s goals like this one from Zahejsky that made it so.

Sweden

While it would be hard to call Sweden’s Bronze medal a disappointment, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the team felt that way. It’s still a step in the right direction for a program that didn’t medal in last year’s tournament, but with talent up front and in goal, more could’ve been possible. Anton Frondell, Sweden’s best prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, was unable to take part due to injury, and top prospects Sascha Boumedienne and Jakob Ihs-Wozniak had disappointing tournaments compared to what was expected of them. Despite all of that, Sweden only lost to Canada in the group stage and Czechia in the semi-final.

Viktor Klingsell - Forward

With Frondell unable to play, Klingsell took it upon himself to help lead the team, and was the top scoring forward in the tournament. His 12 points (4g - 8a) were one point better than Czechia’s Adam Benak. Klingsell was a constant at both even strength and on the power play, and had points in all but one of Sweden’s games. His game shined in the offensive zone where he was able to use his hockey sense to create for his teammates.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/viktor_klingsell_-_1st_period_28_16_-_28_29.mp4

Klingsell’s (#25 in yellow) vision and offensive awareness are the highlights in this clip as he makes a nice pass over to Ivar Stenberg for an easy goal.

Ivar Stenberg - Forward

Another consistently good offensive player for Sweden, Stenberg was tied for third in scoring for the tournament with Milton Gastrin. A late 2007 birthday, Stenberg isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2026, but his age didn’t stop him from standing out on a line with Klingsell and Gastrin. Stenberg will likely start his regular season in Sweden’s J20 league and is expected to be a high level prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ivar_stenberg_-_2nd_period_18_7_-_18_20.mp4

This is a really nice goal from Stenberg (#15 in yellow). He identifies time and space for himself in the offensive zone, and then loads up a hard and accurate wrist shot that goes into the top corner.

Milton Gastrin - Forward

The center of the line with Klingsell and Stenberg, Gastrin was still a factor despite being a bit less heralded than his linemates. He, perhaps more so than his linemates, took advantage of their big game versus Switzerland to add to his point total. That being said, he was still one of the team’s better playmakers in this tournament.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/milton_gastrin_-_1st_period_27_11_-_27_24.mp4

This is a great pass from Gastrin (#22 in yellow) to a streaking Klingsell for a goal.

USA

Ending the tournament just outside of the medals, it’s hard to consider the result a failure by Team USA as they generally don’t bring their best prospects to this event. The USNTDP players don’t play here, so it can be hard for them to compete against nations that bring their best of the best, like Canada and Czechia. Despite that, they were still in a tier above nations like Slovakia and Finland.

Matthew Lansing - Forward

Lansing was USA’s top center and one of, if not their best, forwards. He was used in all situations by the coaching staff and was usually one of the first players over the boards for power plays and penalty kills. As good a playmaker as a goal scorer, he used his skating to slash into the offensive zone with the puck and get defenses to commit to him to open up passing lanes. He was equally as creative taking the puck to the net for his own scoring chances where he had a bit more success. Not considered a top draft prospect currently, this tournament along with a strong season in the USHL might make teams take more notice.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/matthew_lansing_-_2nd_period_8_3_-_8_16.mp4

Lansing’s (#22 in blue) display of deft pucking handling along with some good skating allow him to keep this puck all the way to Sweden’s goal where he takes advantage of their goaltender committing first.

Blake Fiddler - Defense

The Captain of this US team, Fiddler was asked to play a defensive defenseman role by the coaching staff, and he played the role very well. The right handed defender snuffed out plays with good gap control, stick work, and physicality throughout the tournament. He showed he’s capable of defending at a higher level than seen in his first season in the WHL, and it bodes well for his draft stock. He even found opportunities to rush the puck from his own end and scored a nice goal. There were rumblings from the media that this tournament may have raised his stock to the first round of the NHL Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/blake_fiddler_-_1st_period_2_55_-_3_8.mp4

The aforementioned nice goal. Fiddler (#3 in white) creates a zone exit and a zone entry with the puck on his stick, dangles a German defender, and then makes a power forward type move to the net to score.

Ben Kevan - Forward

This spot could’ve easily belonged to Sam Spehar or Alexander Donovan, but Ben Kevan’s consistently high compete level makes the selection easier. Kevan was used in all situations by the US coaching staff, and was noticeable every game they played. He played with pace and was always looking to be on the right side of the puck. His skating ability was one of his better traits. He had a couple of multi point games as well. Kevan is expected to be a mid-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but a season where he plays like he did in this tournament might see his stock rise.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/usa_ben_kevan_01.mp4

This clip is a little longer but is a good example of Kevan’s (#7 in white) overall game. He was always looking to disrupt opposition puck carriers while getting himself into advantageous positions in the offensive zone.

Slovakia

Winners of the fifth place game in this year’s tournament, Slovakia didn’t have as many players with 2025 NHL Draft pedigree as the nations that finished ahead of it. That being said, they do have some standout players such as Jan Chovan, as well as some that could rise in the draft rankings over the course of the season such as Andreas Straka and Tobias Tomik. They have some dark horse players eligible for the draft as well that stood out in this tournament.

Jan Chovan - Forward

Easily Slovakia’s best forward in the tournament, and likely its best player, Chovan was their top line center and played in all situations. He had points in all of Slovakia’s games and used good footspeed to get up and down the ice. He possesses good size and skating ability. He showed good playmaking skills in the offensive zone, and some defensive play in the neutral and defensive zones where he got himself into passing lanes regularly. He plays in Finland during the regular season, and will either start his season with Tappara’s U20 team or join the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. If he has a good season, it’s possible to see him picked in the second or third round of the 2025 Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/jan_chovan_-_3rd_period_4_53_-_5_6.mp4

This is a really nice pass from Chovan (#26 in blue) on Slovakia’s power play. It displays really nice vision and awareness on Chovan’s part. The goal scorer may never score an easier goal in his life.

Michal Svrcek - Forward

Playing on Jan Chovan’s wing, Svrcek was the recipient of much of Chovan’s playmaking, and scored goals in three of Slovakia’s four games. He scored the overtime game winner in the fifth place game. He has really nice puck skills and can get creative in the offensive zone. He’s played his regular season games in Sweden the last two years, moving up Brynas’s system, and he’ll likely start with their J20 team this year.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/michal_svrcek_-_1st_overtime_3_2_-_3_15.mp4

This clip is a good example of Svrcek’s (#10 in blue) ability to score goals. Leading the rush and starting the give and go on a two on one is a good way to get the lone defender moving and the goaltender scrambling.

Michal Pradel - Goaltender

It might seem a bit unusual to list a fifth place team goaltender as a standout, but Pradel was really good for a Slovakian squad that was underwhelming defensively. He was very good in two of the three games he played in, but was pulled in the game against Canada. He battles hard, covers the bottom of the net well, and has good lateral movement. He has great size for a goaltender at 6’4” / 194 lbs. It will be interesting to see how he develops over the year in Europe and see if he can play his way into a mid to late round 2025 NHL Draft selection.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/michal_pradel_-_1st_period_12_30_-_12_52.mp4

This video of Pradel making some saves using good positioning only tells half the story here. With Sweden already up by a goal mid-way through the first period, Pradel needs to shut the door to keep Slovakia from falling too far behind in the game, and in this series of chances, he’s able to do that.

Germany

Starting the tournament with an overtime win over Finland, Germany must’ve been thrilled with the win knowing that they had to face Czechia and the USA in the group stage. The win got them into the fifth place game where they were downed by Slovakia, but it proved to be a worthwhile tournament for the Germans overall. Some of their more hyped prospects like David Lewandowski and Max Bleicher had decent tournaments, but the best Germans were some of their lesser regarded players. If they can continue to improve, this year’s class of German players could see a few more players picked in the NHL Draft.

Carlos Handel - Defense

Handel was Germany’s best two-way defender and his transition play from zone to zone either by carrying or passing the puck was a highlight for this year’s team. A good skater with and without the puck, he was able to activate offensively by using his speed. His puck skills are a plus as well. His defensive play will need to be an area of focus moving forward. Handel was drafted by Moncton of the QMJHL in this summer’s Import Draft, and it’s expected he will play there. A good season in the Q will help his draft stock.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/carlos_handel_-_3rd_period_21_51_-_22_4.mp4

Perhaps the best play of Handel’s (#7 in black) tournament, his ability to transition the puck while leading the rush, is something scouts saw often from him. The goal at the end is really nice as well as he loads up a wrist shot to pick a top corner.

Dustin Willhoft - Forward

Willhoft was one of the smaller players at the tournament this year, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in skill and desire. He skates very well and uses his foot speed and pace to slash into the offensive zone with the puck where he looks to make plays or take the puck to the net. He’s not a perimeter player and will go to the slot with and without the puck. His play in his own zone isn’t as polished as his offensive play and he struggles a bit with a lack of length due to his height. He’s a notable prospect for the Germans, but it would likely take a massive breakout season to put him on the NHL’s radar for the Draft.

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This is one of Willhoft’s nicer goals and he’s able to elevate the puck even with the Czech defender harassing him.

Gustavs & Rihards Griva - Forwards

Is it a cheat to include the twins together as one standout player? Yes, probably, but these two were attached at the hip and were tied for the scoring lead for Germany in the tournament. They finished with four points each (both had 2g - 2a) and they bookended Germany’s goal scoring with the first and last goals of the tournament. They also combined for the game winning goal against Finland, and in this case, that’s enough to be a combined standout for this squad. They will likely continue to play together in Germany this upcoming season as they try to raise their draft profiles.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/gustavs_griva_-_3rd_period_26_54_-_27_7.mp4

This play has Gustavs (#28 in white) using his hockey sense to steal the pass from the goaltender and get the puck to Rihards (#27) in the slot. Rihard’s shot is good and finds the top corner of the net. Any goal a twin scored, the other had an assist.

Finland

A bit of a disappointing tournament for Finland this year, only managing a seventh place finish. There was a lack of high end offense and star power on this year’s team and they averaged only a goal per game in the group stage of the tournament. They broke the seventh place game open, scoring five goals against Switzerland, but by then the tournament had gotten away from them. Jesper Kotajarvi, their best prospect heading into the tournament, struggled and wasn’t the effective mobile, puck moving defenseman that was expected for the most part.

Patrik Kerkola - Goaltender

Just on statistics alone, Kerkola was one of the better goaltenders of the tournament, despite his team’s record and overall play. He had the third best save % (.913) and third best goals against (2.31) of the goaltenders who started most of their team’s games. More so, behind a less than stellar Finnish defense, Kerkola’s steady play stood out and he gave his team a chance to win all of the games he started. The netminder has strong fundamentals and could start his season with Barrie in the OHL, who took him 75th in this summer’s CHL Import Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/patrik_kerkola_-_1st_period_18_47_-_19_0.mp4

This is a good breakaway save by Kerkola, especially given that the puck was turned over in his zone, not giving him much time to prepare.

Max Westergard - Forward

One of the best Finnish skaters at this year’s tournament, Westergard led the team in goal scoring with three, scoring in all of their games but one. A strong skater with good pace, Westergard is able to get up and down the ice quickly with or without the puck. He’s skilled with the puck and can flash in the offensive zone when he has some room to make a play. He played in Sweden last year and was very good in their J18 league. With a birthday close to the cutoff for the 2025 NHL Draft, it’ll be interesting to see how he fairs if he continues to play with Frolunda’s J20 team.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/max_westergard_-_3rd_period_11_20_-_11_33.mp4

This is the easiest, but also nicest, goal Westergard scored in the tournament this year.

Lasse Boelius - Defense

The best overall defender for Finland in the tournament, Boelius was able to use his skating to be an effective transitional defenseman. He was noticeable for all the right reasons when bringing the puck out of his own end, either with his skating or passing. He was used on the power play and showed good passing touch. His play in his own zone needs improvement as he struggled with puck battles along the boards and wasn’t very physical anywhere in the zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/lasse_boelius_-_1st_period_32_29_-_33_1.mp4

This is a good zone exit clip from Boelius (#9 in white). His patience, vision, and skating allow him to find space to skate the puck out of the defensive zone with ease.

Switzerland

The last place team in the tournament, Switzerland lacked the overall talent that the other teams had, and it showed. They gave Slovakia a scare before losing in overtime, this after losing to Canada and Sweden by 10+ goals in their games. Switzerland was another team that lacked 2025 NHL Draft pedigree, but a few of their players may have made an early impression on NHL scouts.

Mike Aeschlimann - Forward

Their leading scorer and goal scorer, Aeschlimann scored two of Switzerland’s five goals in the tournament. He scored both of his goals in the seventh place game against Finland and one was a very nice backhand shot that found the back of the net. A decent skater who flashed some offensive skill, Aeschlimann will return to Langnau’s U20 team this upcoming season.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/mike_aeschlimann_-_1st_period_31_38_-_31_51.mp4

This is a great goal from Aeschlimann (#11 in white), from the steal at the defensive blue line to create his own breakaway to the backhand shot that finds the top of the net, it’s a high quality play at each step.

Florian Schenk - Forward

Their top center, Schenk was used in all situations by the Swiss coaching staff. He added a goal and an assist to Switzerland’s scoring totals in the tournament, but his real value was in being as good defensively as he was offensively. He had a good hit on Gavin McKenna early in the game against Canada, and he was committed to good two way play. Schenk will have an opportunity to improve this season as he has committed to the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, who selected him seventh overall in this summer’s CHL Import Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/florian_schenk_-_3rd_period_26_19_-_26_32.mp4

For a team that didn’t score very many goals, this is a pretty good one from Schenk (#21 in white). Good positioning in the middle of the neutral zone helps to force the Slovakian puck carrier to make a poor passing decision. From there Schenk goes to the net and scores off the rebound. Solid play in both zones from Schenk.

Lars Steiner - Forward

Steiner played with Schenk on Switzerland’s top line and contributed with a goal and an assist during the tournament, with both of his points coming in the game against Slovakia. His goal was a nice shot from the right wing that found the top corner of the net. Another Swiss player drafted to the QMJHL in the CHL Import Draft, Steiner will play for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies this upcoming season. A late 2007 birthday, Steiner is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/lars_steiner_-_3rd_period_25_26_-_25_39.mp4

The aforementioned goal from Steiner (#15 in white). He starts the play by looking for an outlet to pass to but he decides to keep the puck and place a hard wrist shot into the back of the net.

2024 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP — Top 10 2025 NHL Draft Prospects

Derek Neumeier — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 19:01:52 +0000

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is almost a full calendar year away, but the work that goes into the decisions that will be made that weekend has already begun in earnest. Scouts always need to gather a dizzying number of views on the top prospects, which includes both regular season games and special events.

Even ones that happen in the heat of summer, such as the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which just took place entirely within the past week up in the host city of Edmonton, Alberta.

Hockey teams from eight different nations took part in this under-18 tournament, fielding rosters that featured many of the best players in the entire world who were born in the years 2007 and 2008.

Canadian forward Gavin McKenna, the budding superstar who plays for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, was on the ice for the entertainment of both fans and scouts alike, but due to his birthday falling later in the year he will actually have to wait all the way until the 2026 draft before he is eligible to get picked (which will likely happen with the very first selection. He’s just that good, already).

However, there were a lot of other young men in Edmonton who prepared for weeks or months to showcase their stuff specifically at that event. And while most of those names aren’t well-known right now to casual hockey fans, that anonymity won’t last for long, because the majority of them are now entering their all-important draft years and will later be hearing their names get called by NHL teams next June.

Here now is a rundown of the 10 draft-eligible prospects for 2025 that had the strongest tournaments at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup. They’re arranged alphabetically, and this list isn’t a ranking or a prediction for which ones will get picked the highest in 2025, but rather, a snapshot in time of which ones stood out the most in this instance.

Adam Benák — Forward — Czechia

Benák talked during the tournament about his quest for revenge against Canada, in reference to the gold medal game at this same event back in 2023. Unfortunately for him, the Czechs once again had to settle for silver at the hands of the Canadians. However, one impressive consolation prize that he walked away with was the new tournament record for points, with 21 in total split between last summer and this one. He is an electrifying presence who deals damage through his combination of quickness, hockey sense and slick hands.

Adam Benák and his 4th goal of the tournament , 19 point all-time. He's just absolutely phenomenal today#2025NHLDraft #HlinkaGretzkyCup
pic.twitter.com/txRQtoENUG

— Honza Zoufal (@HZoufal) August 9, 2024

Blake Fiddler — Defense — United States

Fiddler was an absolute rock on the back end for the Americans. He was always in the right position without the puck and consistently stopped opposing possessions whenever they came near him. The U.S. captain even chipped in a bit of offense as well, including a gorgeous individual goal in a win over Germany. He played his heart out in the bronze medal game against Sweden, but despite playing a mountain of shifts and emptying the gas tank he wasn't able to will his team to victory.

captain and @EdmOilKings d-man Blake Fiddler splits the defence! #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/y3kxPq6ISo

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) August 7, 2024

Jack Ivankovic — Goaltender — Canada

Ivankovic may be a little lacking with regards to his height, but he makes up for that by being one of the best big-game goalies that Canada has produced in quite some time. He started four of his team's five games and provided exactly what was needed in all of them, with expert efficiency on all the routine saves he had to make, and then a few show-stopping ones mixed in as well. He was in complete control between the pipes, and you could clearly see how much confidence that his teammates had in him.

2025 #NHLDraft prospect Jack Ivankovic of the @OHLSteelheads was in fine form on Wednesday, making 23 saves to backstop Canada past Sweden and into the #HlinkaGretzkyCup semi-final pic.twitter.com/OLvvQdlMq9

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) August 9, 2024

Viktor Klingsell — Forward — Sweden

Klingsell wasn't involved in a particularly high quantity of offensive chances for the Swedes, but he certainly made the most of those opportunities, finishing as the tournament's top scorer, with 12 points in just five games. That’s now two events in a row where he filled up the score sheet, with a point-per-game pace at last year’s World U-17 Hockey Challenge. The skilled winger has quick-strike ability in the offensive zone, with a small edge to his goal-scoring over his playmaking.

Viktor Klingsell (2025 draft eligible) impressive in stretching the ice from D zone to O zone on breakouts. Shows impressive vision on cross ice seam passes. Threat in walking downhill on the PP. pic.twitter.com/6YwQEichex

— cellycenter (@cellycenter) August 10, 2024

Matthew Lansing — Forward — United States

Lansing hasn’t been much of a scorer while coming up the ranks over the past couple of seasons, but you wouldn’t have been able to guess that by his play at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The top center for the Americans, he had four goals throughout his five games, including one of the fanciest of the entire tournament. But far from being a one-trick pony, he was also one of the best defensive forwards on his team, killing a lot of penalties and handling touch matchups. This was a great showing for him to get on the radar of NHL scouts.

WHAT A PHENOMENAL INDIVIDUAL EFFORT FROM MATTHEW LANSING.

The United States has life thanks to this absolutely filthy goal. #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/Og0MeCxMaS

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2024

Radim Mrtka — Defense — Czechia

Most NHL scouts in attendance at this year's tournament surely watched all of Mrtka's shifts with enhanced focus and scrutiny, because defenders like him are a hot commodity in the league these days. He's huge (listed at the event at 6-foot-6), a right-handed shot, makes smart decisions, plays assertively in all three zones, and has workable mobility and puck control. His shutdown abilities were instrumental in Czechia's march to the championship game, and he helped generate some offensive chances, too, by constantly looking for opportunities to activate up the ice. There were some hiccups with his play here or there, but overall, it was easy to get excited about his long-term potential.

Radim Mrtka hits the post #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/RGgoQ31fyG

— Sajdlik. (@Sajdlik667) August 9, 2024

Eric Nilson — Forward — Sweden

The son of former NHLer Marcus Nilson, Eric saved his very best performance of the tournament for the bronze medal game, scoring a hat trick and adding one assist against the United States. He didn't generate very much offense in his other outings, but he was a workhorse for the Swedes in other ways in those contests, taking a lot of important faceoffs and doing crucial work on the penalty kill. And just like his dad, his NHL upside is more so as a two-way forward than as a major point-producer.

Eric Nilson double dips for his second goal of the game as he UNLEASHES a one-timer at the net.

The Swedish forward came into the Bronze medal game seeking his first point of the tournament, and currently has two goals and an assist!

Sweden leads 4-2! #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/1INZEDOgfY

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2024

Michal Pradel — Goaltender — Slovakia

Slovakia wrapped up their trip with a victory over Germany in the 5th-place game, but they likely would have finished even lower than that had it not been for the play of their number one netminder, Pradel. The massive, 6-foot-5 goalie naturally covers up a lot of the net, but he also displays a lot of maturity and fine details that echo how netminders that are his size play in the NHL. His 42 saves against Sweden helped eke out an important point in that overtime loss, and his save percentage for the tournament would have ended up a lot higher had it not been for his team badly falling apart in front of him in the game against Canada, a match where he still managed to turn aside 38 shots before being mercy pulled.

SR18 proti Švédsku siahala na senzáciu:
zvláštny meter rozhodcov nás nerozhodil a vrátili sme sa do zápasu z 1:3 na 3:3, to sa často u našich nevidí
škoda nevyužitej PP v predĺžení
Michal Prádel zaslúžene vyhlásený našim najl. hráčom, svoj výkon okorenil top zákrokom: pic.twitter.com/vOjcFpBi7T

— Peter Vretenička (@vretenicka) August 5, 2024

Matthew Schaefer — Defense — Canada

With all due respect to McKenna and also to the other names on this list, Schaefer was easily the best player at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, from his very first shift all the way up until his last. The two-way blueliner is an excellent skater and has a prodigious level of hockey IQ, and he maximized those traits to influence this tournament at his whim. Canada consistently tilted the ice whenever their captain was out there, and his ability to carve through traffic and then distribute the puck resulted in some beautiful assists at key junctures. There's already early buzz about him being the undisputed best defenseman available for the 2025 NHL draft, and don't be surprised if he never loses that status between now and then.

Matthew Schaefer Hlinka-Gretzky Cup reel.

The fourth gold medal of his young career pic.twitter.com/pDer0qUX8H

— Kyle Watson (@kyle_nw) August 11, 2024

Vit Záhejský — Forward — Czechia

The Robin to Benák’s Batman, Záhejský really turned heads in Edmonton, both metaphorically and literally. He’s dangerously slippery and is quite adept with the puck, and he prefers to keep himself in motion as much as possible, which makes him that much harder to contain. He put forth great performances against Finland in the preliminary round and then against Sweden in the semifinals, and finished with seven points in five games overall.

David Hrubý finishes off the sweet pass from Vít Záhejský, 2-0 CZE.#HlinkaGretzkyCup

pic.twitter.com/q6csGWL9o1

— Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) August 7, 2024