With points in their last three games, the Chicago Blackhawks have successfully moved out of the worst point percentage in the NHL. Congratulations are in order for the fightin’ Celebrinis in San Jose, because they’re now on the clock! So let’s update our 2025 NHL Mock Draft.
Since our last mock draft effort, a lot more than the draft order has changed. NHL Central Scouting published their mid-term rankings, which threw a whole lot of names into the blender with players’ stock sliding and skyrocketing. We’ve got more new names in the first round of this mock draft than our previous few attempts.
But this time, we’re going to elevate the effort and give you a full two rounds in our mock draft.
Note: for this mock draft I used the league standings in reverse order based on point percentage before games on Tuesday, Jan. 21. With that, the San Jose Sharks moved up into the No. 1 selection.
2025 NHL Mock Draft — First Round
1. San Jose Sharksย โ Matthew Schaefer, LHD
6-2, 183
Shoots: Left
Schaefer is trending up to the top spot in many rankings now, and I’ve had him going to San Jose for a couple mock drafts now. So the Sharks owning the top pick and getting him there is easy… and makes life easier for the teams after them to pick their best available forward.
2. Chicago Blackhawksย โย Porter Martone, RW
6-3, 208
Shoots: Right
Ya know what? If the Blackhawks end up picking second and the decision to take Schaefer is taken out of their hands that might make life a whole lot easier for everyone. I’m sticking with Martone as my guy for the Blackhawks at the top of this mock draft. He’s a Tkachuk-style player and the Hawks could use that. Martone and Spellacy in the same lineup some day could be scary.
3. Buffalo Sabresย โ Michael Misa, LW
6-1, 184
Shoots: Left
Misa is absolutely in play for the top pick. Heโs dominating the OHL this season; entering Friday, Misa has 37 goals and 38 assists in 38 games. Buffalo can’t get out of their own way but taking an elite offensive talent like Misa likely makes him the pick over Hagens here.
4. Nashville Predatorsย โ James Hagens, C
5-11, 170
Shoots: Left
Hagens has been considered the top prospect by most analysts since the summer and his performance at the World Juniors only helped that case. Nashville GM Barry Trotz has long coveted centers to build around, so this might be the best-case scenario for the Preds.
5. Anaheim Ducksย โ Anton Frondell, C
6-0, 196
Shoots: Right
I’ve had the Ducks going with a right-handed defenseman in most of my mock drafts previously, but it’s hard to justify that in the top five at this point. Frondell is a center with size and a strong game who makes sense as they continue to build.
6. Seattle Krakenย โ Victor Eklund, RW
5-11, 161
Shoots: Right
The Kraken are in need of quality across the board. Eklund’s stock had a big up arrow next to it thanks to his strong play at the World Junior Championship. He’s a smart forward who would help them sooner than later at the NHL level.
7. New York Islandersย โ Roger McQueen, C
6-5, 197
Shoots: Right
Theย Islanders picking here means they had another bad season, which means there might eventually be some changes in their front office. But taking a big center makes sense for them. McQueen is the biggest center in the first round of our mock draft.
8. Pittsburgh Penguinsย โ Jackson Smith, LHD
6-3, 195
Shoots: Left
The Penguins aren’t having the season they wanted, and they also might be looking at some changes in their front office if they are indeed in the top ten in the draft. Smith is a very good defenseman with good size who would help fill a need for them eventually.
9. Detroit Red Wingsย โ Caleb Desnoyers, C
6-1, 178
Shoots: Left
If the Red Wings are in the lottery and not the playoffs, it will be fascinating to see if Steve Yzerman is still making this selection when the draft arrives in June. Assuming he is, and the Red Wings donโt make a dramatic move before the deadline, I think theyโll look to add more offensive firepower to their pipeline.
10. Philadelphia Flyersย โ Radim Mrtka, RHD
6-6, 207
Shoots: Right
The size of Mrtka will make him one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft class. Heโs playing for Seattle in the WHL this season after coming over from Czech.ย I’m sure Philly would love to have a right-handed defenseman with this size coming on board.
11. Utah Hockey Clubย โ Malcolm Spence, LW
6-1, 203
Shoots: Left
Spence is a very good, strong forward prospect who could be in play earlier than this pick. Utah made a lot of moves beyond leaving Arizona last summer but injuries have kept them from taking a big step forward. They’re loaded with young forwards but Spence is a smart pick here.
12. St. Louis Bluesย โ Cameron Reid, LHD
6-0, 175
Shoots: Left
The Blues need to add depth on their blue line, and Reid is a good one who’s stock is rising quickly. He has decent size for a LHD, but his offensive ability is opening eyes.ย He projects as the power play quarterback of the future in St. Louis.
13. New York Rangersย โ Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD
6-1, 196
Shoots: Left
The Rangers might not own this pick if they make a bold trade to get back into the playoff picture (cough, JT Miller, cough). If they move a player like K’Andre Miller off their NHL roster, replacing him eventually with a left-handed defenseman makes sense here.
14. Boston Bruinsย โ Jake OโBrien, C
6-2, 172
Shoots: Right
OโBrien is a really good center with ideal size for the Eastern Conference. And how did the Bruins succeed for as long as they did? Strength down the middle. So putting a good center with size and offense in Boston feels like an ideal marriage.
15. Columbus Blue Jacketsย โ Cameron Schmidt, RW
5-8, 152
Shoots: Right
Not a big player by any means, but Schmidt has a knack for putting the puck in the net and scorers come at a premium. Columbus has some big bodies in their building already but could use a sniper.
16. Montreal Canadiensย โ Carter Bear, LW
6-0, 179
Shoots: Left
Bear is a solid winger with good size and ability whose stock appears to be rising quickly right now. Montreal is pushing for a playoff berth and might be another team that considers moving their pick to bolster those chances.
17. Vancouver Canucksย โ Lynden Lakovic, LW
6-4 , 190
Shoots: Left
Who knows where the Canucks will be when the dust settles in Vancouver? They might have more than one pick in the first round… their own pick might be earlier than 17 as well. Lakovic has terrific size on the wing. He turned 18 in mid-December and has already almost matched his production in 68 games last year (39 points) his first 31 games this year.
18. Ottawa Senators โ Brady Martin, C
6-0, 178
Shoots: Right
The Sens are hoping to finally make the postseason this year. But they need to continue to focus on adding quality to their pipeline. Martin is a solid center prospect who projects to go in the mid- to late-teens.
19. Montreal Canadiensย (from CGY)ย โย Justin Carbonneau, RW
6-1, 191
Shoots: Right
Can you imagine a guy named Carbonneau in Montreal? (See what I did there?) This is a good player who should come off the board around this spot, so Iโm making it happen for the Habs in this mock draft.
20. Nashville Predators (from TB)ย โ Logan Hensler, RHD
6-2, 192
Shoots: Right
Nashville got their center with their first of three picks in the first round of our mock draft, so I have them taking a really good right-handed defenseman who could go as high as the top ten here. Hensler is a solid defenseman with decent size.
21. Calgary Flames (from NJ)ย โ William Moore, C
6-2, 161
Shoots: Left
The way our mock draft order lines up right now, Calgary would own two of three picks at this point. Would they consider packaging them to move up? Possibly. But they could use two more good prospects to inject more quality into their pipeline. Moore is a good center who projects as a middle-six player.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (from COL)ย โ Braeden Cootes, C
6-0, 183
Shoots: Right
The Flyers went with a massive RHD earlier in our mock draft, so taking an athletic center here makes sense. Cootes is a nice prospect who will likely be in play in the 20s.
23. Calgary Flamesย (from FLA)ย โ Bill Zonnon, LW
6-2, 190
Shoots: Left
With their second pick in the first round, the Flames take another athletic forward with good size. Zonnon is climbing a lot of draft boards right now, so while this might feel a little early for the player at this point his trajectory could have him in play here in June.
24. Los Angeles Kingsย โ Blake Fiddler, RHD
6-4, 207
Shoots: Right
Yes, this is the son of Vern Fiddler.ย And heโs a big right-handed defenseman, which is a trendy thing for NHL teams to target.ย And, at some point, the Kings are going to have to replace Drew Doughty on the right side of their blue line. His injury this season made that even more apparent.
25. Carolina Hurricanesย โ Joshua Ravensbergen, G
6-5, 195
Goaltending has been an issue in Carolina since Cam Ward left. So they’ll use their first-round pick this year on the top netminder in the glass — and the only one with a first-round grade.
26. Columbus Blue Jacketsย (from MIN)ย โ Shane Vansaghi, RW
6-2, 214
Shoots: Right
With their second pick in the first round, Columbus takes a college player from Michigan (State this time). Vansaghi has a pro body already and could complement their previous pick’s lack of size ideally. Schmidt and Vansaghi is a nice first round for Columbus.
27. Dallas Starsย โ Nathan Behm, RW
6-2, 198
Shoots: Right
The Stars have consistently been considered among the best front offices at identifying talent and developing prospects in recent years.ย Behm is another new name in our mock draft’s first round because his stock is moving up. He, too, has a pro-ready body and Dallas likes players with good size.
28. Chicago Blackhawksย (from TOR) โ Jack Nesbitt, Cย
6-4, 185
Shoots: Left
Nesbitt is a big-time helium prospect right now since NHL Central Scouting released their mid-term rankings and others have followed suit. He was one of the fastest skaters at the OHL Top Prospects Game (something the Blackhawks like a lot) and he’s playing alongside Spellacy in Windsor, so Chicago has seen plenty of him.
29.ย Nashville Predatorsย (from VGK)ย โ Jakob Ihs Wozniak, RW
6-2, 184
Shoots: Right
Another pick for the Preds has them taking a talented winger from Sweden. He has good size and is playing at a high level in Sweden as a 17-year-old.
30. Philadelphia Flyersย (from EDM) โ Ben Kindel, C
5-10, 176
Shoots: Left
I have the Flyers taking the best player on the board here. Kindel doesnโt turn 18 until April and has blown past his 68-game production from last year, posting 24 goals and 44 assists in his first 41 games for Calgary in the WHL this year.ย
31. Winnipeg Jets โ Cole Reschny, C
5-10, 187
Shoots: Left
I’ve got the Jets taking the best player available here, pretty simple. Reschny isn’t a big player and likely projects as a wing at the next level, which is why his draft stock has him ranked anywhere between the mid-20s and mid-30s. Solid add for the second-to-last pick in the first round of our mock draft.
32. Washington Capitalsย โ Ivan Ryabkin, C
6-0, 170
Shoots: Left
The Caps have been magnificent this season, and selecting here means theyโre Stanley Cup champions. In this yearโs draft class, once you get past the top 14-16 picks thereโs a lot of talk about wild cards and lottery tickets. After being released from his contract with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL, he’s now skating with Muskegon in the USHL. We’ll see if that elevates him back into more solid first round consideration.
2025 NHL Mock Draft — Second Round
33. San Jose — Cullen Potter, C
34. Chicago — Milton Gรคstrin, C
35. Buffalo — Ben Kevan, F
36. Nashville — Kurban Limatov, LHD
37. Philadelphia (from ANA) — Henry Brzustewicz, RHD
38. Seattle — Charlie Trethewey, RHD
39. NY Islanders — Jack Murtagh, C
40. Montreal (from PIT) — Emile Guite, LW
41. Detroit — Eric Nilsson, C
42. Philadelphia — Haoxi “Simon” Wang, LHD
43. Tampa Bay (from UT) — Dakoda Rhรฉaume-Mullen, LHD
44. Edmonton (from STL) — Peyton Kettles, RHD
45. Colorado (from NYR) — Gustav Hillstrรถm, C
46. Washington (from BOS) — Sascha Boumedienne, LHD
47. Philadelphia (from CBJ) — Melvin Novotny, F
48. Montreal — Max Psenicka, RHD
49. Vancouver — Zachary Morin, LW
50. Ottawa — Vojtech Cihar, LW
51. Calgary — Tomas Pobezal, C
52. Nashville (from TB) — Artyom Vilchinsky, LHD
53. New Jersey — Pyotr Andreyanov, G
54. Calgary (from COL) — Cole McKinney, C
55. Toronto (from FLA) — Jack Ivankovic, G
56. Tampa Bay (from LAK) — Petteri Rimpinen, G
57. Carolina — Carter Amico, RHD
58. Minnesota — Oscar Davidsson, LW
59. Chicago (from DAL) — Will Horcoff, C
60. Utah (from TOR) — Owen Conrad, LHD
61. Nashville (from VGK) — Adam Benak, C
62. New Jersey (from EDM) — David Bedkowski, RHD
63. New Jersey (from WPG) — Viktor Klingsell, LW
64. Washington — Reese Hamilton, LHD