The Florida Panthers will visit the Carolina Hurricanes this evening to begin the Conference Final stage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which means it’s time to update our mock draft. The draft order has now changed in the bottom half of the first round with some teams heading to the golf courses earlier than expected, which helps a few teams that have already traded for picks later in the round.
While we enjoy watching the IIHF Men’s World Championship tournament and the remaining four teams battle in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, we’re also now just a few short weeks away from the 2025 NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo. That will be the next step in the evaluation process of the top prospects in this year’s class.
So, with a new draft order and some more rumors swirling around what some teams might do, let’s take another run at the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft with a freshly updated mock draft!
2025 NHL Mock Draft — First Round
1. New York Islanders** — Michael Misa, C/LW
6-1, 184
Shoots: Left
The Islanders moved all the way up to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery, and the awkward part of the Isles picking first is… we don’t know who’s going to make the decision! The Islanders are still searching for a new general manager. Even with that in mind, the Isles need an offensive spark and identity more than anything else. Misa’s a beast. They took John Tavares first overall in 2009 and will take their next all-star center here. The sleeper here is James Hagens, who grew up an Isles fan. We’ll see if the new front office wants the hometown kid or the highly productive Misa.
2. San Jose Sharks — Matthew Schaefer, LHD
6-2, 183
Shoots: Left
The Sharks “lost” the lottery when the Isles moved up in front of them, but the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class is still available for them here. Schaefer would be a great addition to the Sharks’ pipeline. If their top four on the blue line includes Schaefer and Sam Dickinson — San Jose’s second pick in the first round last year — they’re in great shape on the back end. The Sharks are one of the teams that owns multiple picks in the first round this year.
3. Chicago Blackhawks — Caleb Desnoyers, C
6-1, 178
Shoots: Left
Desnoyers has the size and skating ability to be an impact center at the NHL level. He plays a responsible, 200-foot game that will likely lead to him getting compared to Jonathan Toews if the Blackhawks take him here. There’s increasing buzz around the potential of a Blackhawks-Desnoyers fit since I first mocked him here. I’m also strongly considering Porter Martone and Anton Frondell here, but the potential top-line center is still my pick in this mock draft.
4. Utah Hockey Club** — Porter Martone, RW
6-3, 208
Shoots: Right
Utah won the second drawing at the lottery last night and move up the maximum ten spots to No. 4 overall. Which is great for them. They’re a young, fast team that was close to the playoffs this year. Now, they’ll get to add another impact player to their group. I think they’ll look at the physical play in these playoffs and see a need for Martone in their lineup.
5. Nashville Predators — James Hagens, C
5-11, 170
Shoots: Left
The Preds were the “big” loser in the draft lottery, moving back from third to fifth overall. But if Barry Trotz wants to draft a center to build the future around, this is still a great spot. I think they’ll go Hagens incredibly quickly here. Again, Hagens could go No. 1 overall to the Islanders, however; he grew up an Isles fan and there’s some smoke he could be their pick to start the draft.
6. Philadelphia Flyers — Anton Frondell, C
6-0, 196
Shoots: Right
The Flyers have a ton of draft capital this year, so they’ll be busy. They have already brought Rick Tocchet “home” to be their new head coach, so now the front office can focus on the draft. They need to get stronger down the middle, and Frondell would do that for them. He figures to be in the mix in the top 3-7 picks in June.
7. Boston Bruins — Jake O’Brien, C
6-2, 172
Shoots: Right
O’Brien’s stock continues to climb; he’s gone from a guy in the early teens to being a clear-cut top-ten prospect with potential to slide all the way into the top five. The Bruins desperately need to add depth down the middle, and will have options here. I’m leaning O’Brien. Boston moved back two spots in the draft in the lottery, which actually makes O’Brien a more comfortable pick. They still need a new head coach, though.
8. Seattle Kraken — Roger McQueen, C
6-5, 197
Shoots: Right
The Kraken are also looking for a new head coach still, but they know where their first pick will be in the first round. McQueen is a wild card in this draft because he missed most of this past season because of an injury, but he’s an enormous center who can be a game-changer when he’s healthy. There might be a few more known commodities here for Seattle to take conservatively if the red flags on the medical scare them off of McQueen, but he’s a top-five talent in this class when he’s healthy.
9. Buffalo Sabres — Brady Martin, C
6-0, 178
Shoots: Right
The Sabres are a hot mess right now and have some big decisions to make this summer. They could use a physical force to bang people in their top six, though, and Martin is that guy. He isn’t big, but he throws the body as well as anyone in this draft. I feel like a hitter makes sense for the Sabres here.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins — Carter Bear, LW
6-0, 179
Shoots: Left
The Penguins might have two picks in the top 12 (see my comments below) and that will undoubtedly influence what they do with this pick. But Bear is a strong forward who could help their forward group pretty soon.
11. Anaheim Ducks — Radim Mrtka, RHD
6-6, 207
Shoots: Right
I’ve been on Mrtka to the Ducks from the jump because he’s a big, right-handed defenseman. He’s moved a bit in some of my recent mock drafts, and there’s some heat behind Kashawn Aitcheson possibly being the second defenseman drafted this year. But this makes a lot of sense and he’s available for Anaheim in this mock draft.
12. New York Rangers — Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD
6-1, 196
Shoots: Left
The Rangers have some decisions to make this summer, and the first one will be whether they make this pick or give it to the Penguins (it was part of the trades that ultimately ended with JT Miller in New York and Marcus Pettersson in Vancouver). New York has until 48 hours before the start of the draft to make that decision official. If they make the pick here, I think they’ll take the left-handed defender with some sandpaper to his game.
13. Detroit Red Wings — Victor Eklund, RW
5-11, 161
Shoots: Right
The Yzerplan hasn’t produced a playoff berth recently, so there’s pressure for something to change quickly. Unfortunately, they aren’t getting a guy here that’s going to change the trajectory of the franchise. But Eklund is a good player who presents good value and fits the mold of what Yzerman has liked in previous picks.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets — Jackson Smith, LHD
6-3, 195
Shoots: Left
The Blue Jackets have two picks in the first round and I have them taking a big defenseman here to help their back end. They’re young up front already and could use some size like Smith to bolster their blue line. We’ll talk about Columbus again later in this mock draft.
15. Vancouver Canucks — Lynden Lakovic, LW
6-4 , 190
Shoots: Left
The Canucks will now have Adam Foote as their head coach, but there are still lots of questions about the direction of the organization. To me, the best player available here with some size to help upgrade their top six is Lakovic.
16. Montreal Canadiens (from CGY) — Cole Reschny, C
5-10, 187
Shoots: Left
Reschny’s stock has absolutely skyrocketed in the last couple weeks after a superb performance for Canada at the U-18s. He’s a good prospect whose size appeared to be a limiting factor for his draft stock before that tournament. The Habs get to go back-to-back in the middle of the round, so they might be a big trade buzz team to watch in the coming weeks.
17. Montreal Canadiens — Logan Hensler, RHD
6-2, 192
Shoots: Right
With their second straight pick, the Canadiens balance their draft with a big, right-handed defenseman in Hensler. These two picks would be a nice win for an organization that wants to see more than the first round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
18. Calgary Flames (from NJ) — Justin Carbonneau, RW
6-1, 191
Shoots: Right
Carbonneau is a really nice prospect who could be gone before the 18th pick is made, but this is a really nice add for the Flames with the first of their two picks in the first round.
19. St. Louis Blues — Blake Fiddler, RHD
6-4, 207
Shoots: Right
The son of Vernon Fiddler is a big right-shot defenseman who would be a nice addition to the Blues’ pipeline. They need defensemen in St. Louis and he would be a terrific piece.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (from MIN) — Joshua Ravensbergen, G
6-5, 195
Columbus having two picks in the first round affords them the ability to grab a couple future difference makers. Ravensbergen is the only netminder in this year’s draft who has a first-round grade, and this is a good spot for him. The Blue Jackets landing a premium goaltender makes them a dangerous proposition in a few years.
21. Ottawa Senators — Malcolm Spence, LW
6-1, 203
Shoots: Left
Spence is a polarizing prospect because, when he’s on and playing right, he’s a top ten talent. But the inconsistency in his game has him going anywhere from the early teens to the mid- to late-20s in mock drafts. He’s got the size and skill that this would likely be a great lottery ticket for the Senators here.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (from COL) — Ben Kindel, C
5-10, 176
Shoots: Left
Kindel is a solid prospect, but his size might be a reason for him to slide. As a complement to Frondell, their first pick in the first round of our mock draft, the Flyers start a busy draft by adding two quality players to their pipeline — and they need that depth.
23. Nashville Predators (from TB) — Cameron Reid, LHD
6-0, 175
Shoots: Left
The Preds, like the Flyers, are going to be busy in the first two rounds of the draft. I have Nashville taking a center in Hagens early, so coming back with Reid here is a nice pick. He has a big shot from the point and could eventually be the quarterback of their top power play unit. Nashville is back on the clock again later in the first round of our mock draft, so stay tuned for more from the Preds.
24. Los Angeles Kings — Jack Nesbitt, C
6-4, 185
Shoots: Left
Nesbitt has quickly become one of the hottest names in this year’s draft class, sliding from a potential early second round pick as high as 12 in some recent mock drafts. He’s a big, tough, two-way center who plays with good pace — which is why scouts love him. But his skating is a concern, so I feel like the mid-20s is a good spot for him to come off the board in this mock draft. The Kings will need to replace Anze Kopitar at some point and Nesbitt’s size will make him a tempting pick here for Ken Holland, LA’s new general manager.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (from TOR) — Braeden Cootes, C
6-0, 183
Shoots: Right
Another player who could/should be off the board earlier than this point of the draft, Cootes is a great value play here for the Blackhawks. He served as the captain for the Seattle Thunderbirds this past season and for Canada at the recent U-18s and had a very good tournament (12 points in 7 games), which has helped raise his draft stock. Chicago loves guys who were leaders, and Cootes checks the boxes.
26. Nashville Predators (from VGK) — Bill Zonnon, LW
6-2, 190
Shoots: Left
The Preds third pick in the first round is a bigger winger to go with Hagens up front. They need to add some depth to the organization and they can do that in the draft this year. Zonnon is a solid prospect with good size.
27. Washington Capitals — Jack Murtagh, C
6-0, 185
Shoots: Left
The Caps had the best record in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, but they didn’t make it out of the second round of the playoffs. So they’re one of the teams moving up in our new mock draft. They have some older players on their NHL roster but also have some youth mixed in. Murtagh might be their best player available here.
28. Winnipeg Jets — Cole McKinney, C
6-0, 198
Shoots: Right
McKinney and Murtagh are two guys I have circled for the picks from the two teams who were initially at the end of the first round of our mock drafts. McKinney is a really good faceoff guy who could eventually be a solid middle-six center for the Jets.
29. Philadelphia Flyers (from EDM) — Ivan Ryabkin, C
6-0, 170
Shoots: Left
The Flyers’ next pick moved back a few spots because the Oilers advanced to the Western Conference Final. That doesn’t change their need to continue stockpiling quality depth for the organization. Ryabkin is one of the lottery ticket prospects in this class because some scouts think his ceiling is high and others are concerned his floor is very low. A good gamble for a team with a lot of picks.
30. Carolina Hurricanes — Cullen Potter, C
5-10, 172
Shoots: Left
One of the better skaters in this draft will likely be someone who interests the Blackhawks, but Carolina could use his speed and playmaking up front. And the Canes have been able to succeed with smaller players in the past. Smart play here for Carolina.
31. Calgary Flames (from FLA) — Sascha Boumedienne, LHD
6-1, 175
Shoots: Left
Boumedienne didn’t put up big offensive numbers at Boston University, but he had a historic run at the U-18s and is flying up draft rankings. He’s shown the ability to be a steady, stay-home defenseman at the NCAA level and then drive offense against his peers at the U-18s. That versatility might make him a nice chip for the Flames’ pipeline. Carbonneau and Boumedienne is a strong first round for Calgary in this mock draft.
32. San Jose Sharks (from DAL) — Milton Gästrin, C
6-1, 185
Shoots: Left
This is a spot where the draft could get very interesting. If you subscribe to my mock draft order — which implies the Dallas Stars win the Stanley Cup — the Sharks would have back-to-back picks to close the first round and begin the second round. That sounds like a sweet spot for trades to start flying, especially in a draft where teams are going to start circling names and scrambling to get “their guy” where they think he might be available. If the Sharks stay put at 32 and 33, I think they’ll look to add some speed (Gästrin) and then potentially balance their blue line with a right-handed shot next.
2025 NHL Mock Draft — Second Round
33. San Jose Sharks — Henry Brzustewicz, RHD
34. Chicago Blackhawks — Will Horcoff, C
35. Nashville Predators — Shane Vansaghi, RW
36. Philadelphia Flyers — Simon Wang, LHD
37. Washington Capitals (from BOS) — Charlie Trethewey, RHD
38. Seattle Kraken — William Moore, C
39. Buffalo Sabres — Ryker Lee, RW
40. Philadelphia Flyers (from ANA) — Daniil Prokhorov, RW
41. Montreal Canadiens (from PIT) — Jakob Ihs Wozniak, RW
42. New York Islanders — Matthew Gard, C
43. New York Rangers — Cameron Schmidt, RW
44. Detroit Red Wings — Eddie Genborg, F
45. Philadelphia Flyers (from CBJ) — Carter Amico, RHD
46. Utah Hockey Club — Jack Ivankovic, G
47. Vancouver Canucks — Adam Benák, C
48. Calgary Flames — Kurban Limatov, LHD
49. Montreal Canadiens — Alexander Zharovsky, RW
50. New Jersey Devils — David Bedkowski, RHD
51. Boston Bruins (from STL) — Vaclav Nestrasil, RW
52. Minnesota Wild — Theo Stockselius, C
53. San Jose Sharks (from OTT) — Eric Nilson, C
54. Toronto Maple Leafs (from FLA) — Nathan Behm, RW
55. Boston Bruins (from CAR) — Peyton Kettles, RHD
56. Anaheim Ducks (from EDM) — Alexei Medvedev, G
57. Philadelphia Flyers (from COL) — Artyom Vilchinsky, LHD
58. Nashville Predators (from TB) — Vojtech Cihar, LW
59. Tampa Bay Lightning (from LAK) — Luca Romano, C
60. Chicago Blackhawks (from DAL) — Mason West, C
61. Seattle Kraken (from TOR) — Ben Kevan, F
62. Vegas Golden Knights — Heyden Paupanekis, F
63. Pittsburgh Penguins (from WSH) — Ethan Czata, C
64. New Jersey Devils (from WPG) — Pytor Andreyanov, G
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