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2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects dish on most underrated, most difficult, NCAA

New York Times

31 minutes ago

New York Times

2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects dish on most underrated, most difficult, NCAA

This season, The Athletic's prospects writers Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman set out to do something ambitious: pull off a 2025 NHL Draft player poll similar to the player polls our staff conduct in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. In the fall, they settled on 10 questions — three on the record and seven anonymous — and spent the season gathering as many responses as possible. By year's end, 50 of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft class were surveyed for our inaugural NHL Draft player poll. Advertisement These are the results of the anonymous poll questions. We asked players to rank the big three OHL prospects of Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa and Porter Martone. We asked them for the hardest draft eligible to play against and the most underrated. We asked them for teams they'd like — and not like — to go to. We asked them if they check their draft ranking. And, yes, we asked them if they're considering the NCAA. The results were sometimes revealing, sometimes insightful and candid throughout. Among the chorus of Matthew Schaefer answers, one player called him "unreal," another said "he was doing whatever he wanted out there" at Hlinka, another said he just as the "ability to take over games and win games for his teams," and yet another said "the kid can eat minutes (and) it seemed like he played every other shift at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge and Hlinka." On James Hagens, another player said, "You don't want the puck in his hands." On why he didn't like playing against Porter Martone, one player said, "He's cocky." Another player said Martone "can do a lot of things with the puck." One of the players who answered Kashawn Aitcheson called him a "big boy who loves to throw his weight around." Among the two players who answered Carter Bear, one said, "He is always hard on the forecheck and he's not afraid to lay hits, plus he's also very skilled and smart." One player credited Matthew Gard as being "big, heavy, skilled and hard to play against." Another player said Brady Martin is the hardest forward to play against in the corners because "he never gives up on plays." On Caleb Desnoyers, one player said, "He's one of the best players I've played against. He's complete. He's good both sides of the rink. He's so smart with and without the puck. He's hard to contain, and he can also defend." Advertisement The player who answered Adam Benak said he was "hard to catch" because of how shifty he is. One player credited NTDP center Cole McKinney for his strength in the faceoff circle and his ability to shut down opposing players. The player who answered Ben Kindel said, "He is a super talented player who is super hard to play against because of how well he slows the game down and can speed it up as well." The player who answered David Bedkowski said he "doesn't give up anything defensively." On Anton Frondell, one player said: "Played against him in international play, and he's an elite talent. His shot's unbelievable. You've got to be aware when he's on the ice. He's a really good player." Another player credited 6-foot-6.25 USHL defenseman Jacob Rombach for his "long stick, long reach and good body positioning, too." One of the players who said Ben Kindel said, "I know he is still ranked quite high, but I think his IQ is off the charts." "Not very flashy, but he's a solid, smart player," one player said of Cameron Reid. Another said of Reid: "I think he defends very well." On Luca Romano, one of the three players said: "He's a really skilled player and he can shoot the puck. I think he could be higher for sure." One of the players who gave Malcolm Spence said, "Doesn't get enough love — very skilled player." The player who gave L.J. Mooney said it's "Not even close." On Filip Ekberg, one player said, "He's super skilled and he's got pretty much everything." On Swedish center Milton Gastrin, one player said he's "always competing and always works hard." "You know what you're going to get from him. I'd trust him so much," the player said of Gastrin. The player who answered Tyler Hopkins said, "his compete level is unmatched." On Swedish defenseman Theo Hallquisth, one player said, "he makes every player he needs to make and plays the easiest game." Advertisement The player who answered top-ranked forward Michael Misa said he's still underrated "because he is such a smart player where he doesn't have to be flashy to impact a game — he creates plays by using his passing, hockey sense and speed, which is very hard to defend." One of the players who answered Logan Hensler argued, "It's hard to play in college, and just because he didn't have crazy points, I still think he's a really good player and people don't give him credit for it." One player said Carter Bear doesn't get enough love because he's a late-2006 and hasn't played in any Hockey Canada events. The player who answered Quinn Beauchesne argued the Guelph defenseman hasn't been able to show his potential yet because he has been injured a lot. The player who answered Jett Lajoie said he was "just a player — has that dog in him." The player who answered NTDP forward Richard Gallant said, "If someone picks him up, he'll be a steal. He had a great season, and he's a smaller guy, but he gets to those dirty areas." As NCAA eligibility becomes more accessible to both CHL and European players, nearly two-thirds of the 44 players surveyed said they were considering the NCAA option, signaling a potential shift in the natural pathway for top prospects. We thought it was still interesting that more than a third of the players surveyed said they aren't even considering it, though, as well. The CHL is still going to be able to retain many of the game's top prospects, and several of the Swedes surveyed said they've decided to sign one- and two-year contracts beyond the draft instead of going the NCAA route. It'll be interesting to track which direction the pendulum swings over the next few years. With three of the top prospects in this class all playing in the same league, we decided to ask players who played all three players to rank them. The goal was to see if there was a divergence between how their peers view them and how we do. More than 24 of the players had played all three, but in the end, only two dozen of the 50 players we surveyed who'd played with or against the trio of Schaefer, Misa and Martone agreed to participate. Advertisement The results were fascinating. Schaefer, the presumptive No. 1 pick, received the fewest first-place votes from his peers, while Martone, who is projected to be the third player picked, led the way and was ranked first by half of the respondents. There was also the greatest consensus around Misa, who received the most combined first- and second-place votes (21 of 24). Of note: The players' answers, like those of scouts, changed over the course of the season. Those surveyed in the fall were more likely to rank Martone No. 1, while those surveyed in the second half were more likely to rank Schaefer or Misa first. Interestingly, 21 of the league's 32 teams received at least one answer as the team the prospects would most like to land with. In some instances, prospects' allegiances to the team they grew up cheering for clearly ran the strongest. Otherwise, the players said they were more interested in warm weather, the cities themselves or what they'd seen or heard about the fans and the arenas, with warmer climates such as Dallas, Nashville, Florida, Tampa, San Jose and Los Angeles all chosen multiple times. Even though they were granted anonymity, the players were more reluctant to answer this question, with many saying they'd be happy with any team and just 19 of 50 offering up a team or a market they didn't want to go to. Canadian markets didn't fare well, however, with six of the 10 teams that players said they'd cross off sitting north of the border and 14 of 19 (73.7 percent, or almost three-quarters) answers going to Canadian teams. Only the Oilers were spared. This was a fun one we wanted to finish with, and one that got a chuckle from a few of the players, given who it was coming from. Anecdotally, by giving them anonymity, the answers were much more honest than usual. Typically, almost all players say they don't check or care about their rankings when asked in interviews. Anonymously, more than three-quarters of them confessed they do check, and an almost equal number said they either check frequently or don't at all. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of Sascha Boumedienne, Michael Misa and Carter Bear: Michael Miller, Jonathan Kozub, Erica Denhoff / Getty Images)

2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects give their own NHL projections

New York Times

31 minutes ago

New York Times

2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects give their own NHL projections

This season, The Athletic's prospects writers Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman set out to do something ambitious: pull off a 2025 NHL Draft player poll similar to the player polls our staff conduct in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. In the fall, they settled on 10 questions — three on the record and seven anonymous — and spent the season gathering as many responses as possible. Out of it, 50 of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft class were surveyed by year's end for our inaugural NHL Draft player poll. Here are the responses from when they asked the prospects, 'What NHL player do you realistically think you could become?' The goal was to have the players think honestly and answer candidly about a projected outcome for themselves, rather than asking them for usually lofty player comparables. Carter Bear: I think a player comparison for me is Zach Hyman. … His motor and his intensity in all zones, and then obviously he has a scoring touch, and I think that I have that too. And also just his play without the puck, he's relentless on (the) puck. Adam Benak: Clayton Keller and Brayden Point. Advertisement Justin Carbonneau: I think I can become Adrian Kempe. … He's a big guy, he has speed and a good shot, and he grinds. That's the type of player I want to become. … It's my grind and my compete level that gets me to my offense, and then I use my skills. But I would say it starts with my compete. Braeden Cootes: I like to watch Wyatt Johnston on Dallas, the way he plays. … And Brayden Point, a guy like that. I think they just play a great overall game, and they can obviously score goals, and they're great in the playoffs, too. Ethan Czata: I like Dylan Larkin or one of the Tkachuk brothers. … I like Larkin because he's a 200-foot player and does all of the right things, but also likes to be physical. Caleb Desnoyers: I think I can be a Jonathan Toews type. A complete player, versatile, can play in every situation. He's a winner who has won Stanley Cups, and I'd love to become that type. Victor Eklund: Travis Konecny for sure. … He has a high motor, he's pretty physical out there, and it feels like he never runs out of energy. That's pretty much like me. Conrad Fondrk: I like to watch the Wild a lot. Kaprizov. Boldy. I don't know if I exactly replicate those guys' games, but I love watching those guys and taking things from their game and putting them in mine. Anton Frondell: My game is compared to (Aleksander) Barkov. Captain. Good guy. Good size. Good hockey sense. Eddie Genborg: Matthew Tkachuk. James Hagens: I think a Jack Hughes. Just kind of the way he skates, the way he handles the puck, and the way he plays. William Horcoff: Brady Tkachuk. Jakob Ihs-Wozniak: I would say Filip Forsberg. I feel that we're the same type of player, and I model my game after him a little bit. … He's good at scoring, he's good at finding areas where he can score, and I'm striving to become as hard-working as him in the intensity and stuff like that. Advertisement I feel like it has gotten better and better. Of course, the Hlinka was tough for me, but after that, it has just gone in a positive direction, I would say. It's getting better and better all the time, and I think I'm taking steps. Ben Kevan: I'd say Jordan Kyrou. Me and him have kind of the same build. Not super big but not undersized type winger. Both of us can get up the ice quick and make quick plays off of the rush and in the zone, so I think that's my comparable. … I'm always trying to stay fast. I played a lot of soccer growing up, too, so that's where I got a lot of my leg strength from. Ben Kindel: I'd say a guy like Nick Suzuki on upside and the offensive side — a very smart player, two-way center. I'd also say I could become a guy like Phillip Danault. Kind of a third-line checking center in a shutdown role. … (Because of) my hockey sense, my ability on faceoffs, my defensive awareness and my ability to strip pucks and play in the defensive zone. Lynden Lakovic: I think I could realistically become a top-six player who can contribute scoring. I think I could be a good playoff player who can be physical if the time comes, just growing into my body and physically maturing my game. … A player comparable I use is Tage Thompson. That's someone that I think I can become, and I think we play a lot alike with our frame, our skill sets are pretty similar, and at my age, I think I definitely had better skating, and he definitely has the better shot. I'm not saying my shot's bad, I have a good shot. … I'm definitely more used to the wing, but I think I'm smart enough that I could play center. Ryker Lee: William Nylander's probably the biggest one for me. Guys like that. David Pastrnak. … Their understanding of time and space, their hands. They're playmakers, but they can shoot the puck for sure. Advertisement Brady Martin: I like to think Matthew Tkachuk. Just a clutch guy, an instigator who is always in the scrums and everything. Porter Martone: I like Corey Perry and Matthew Tkachuk. You can see Matthew Tkachuk is such an impact player with the Florida Panthers on a deep run to the Stanley Cup. Corey Perry's older now, but the way he had a knack for creating offense and just helping his team every night and being a hard player to play against and just really leaning on his team. They put up good numbers and they're hard players to play against and a pest on the ice. … It's just in my character and the way I finish my checks and get to the net front. I think I just play the right way and then that comes. Michael Misa: I like to think I play a lot like Kirill Kaprizov, just the way he distributes the puck offensively. But he's a 200-foot player, and he's someone that I think I can model my game after. … It's just the way he plays, but I think I'm more of a center. Will Moore: Matt Boldy. … Tall, super poised, super creative, but has a great scoring touch. Jack Nesbitt: Tom Wilson. I love Tom Wilson. … He's a physical guy and he can move the puck well. He's a great leader, and I plan to be like him. Eric Nilson: I feel like I model my game after Jack Eichel. I love to see him play. He uses his ability to skate and his skill to the inside. I use my skating ability and skills. Jake O'Brien: I think I can become Wyatt Johnston because of my hockey IQ and my passing ability. Cullen Potter: I hear (Mathew) Barzal, and I think that's realistic for me. Cole Reschny: I think I could definitely become a player like Brayden Schenn, or Ryan O'Reilly, or Brayden Point. I think they're just very strong, 200-foot centermen, they think the game well and they're very fast. You see the high-end plays that they can make at the speed of the game, that's just something that I've always had, my hockey IQ and taking pride in the defensive zone just as much as the offensive zone and then in the offensive zone setting up a teammate or shooting the puck. Advertisement Luca Romano: Dawson Mercer. … He plays heavy. Two-way game. Good on pucks. Skill. And he's fast. Cameron Schmidt: He hasn't been in the league long, but I'd say (Logan) Stankoven, just the size similarities and his scoring ability that he has. Two years ago, we played in the first round, and I went and watched that. Malcolm Spence: A player I try to play like is Carter Verhaeghe. I like his game a lot. He's a fast player, he can play anywhere in the lineup, he can play penalty kill, he can play power play, he's on at the end of a game if you need a goal or if you have a lead and you're trying to keep it. And I think Ryan O'Reilly as well. I know he's a centerman most of the time, but I like his details, and I think he's a good player. Theo Stockselius: I really like Joel Eriksson Ek from Minnesota. … I think we have the same size, and he wasn't the best skater when he was my age. I really like him for his skating and his speed and he's good defensively and offensively. Shane Vansaghi: I think like Josh Anderson in Montreal. He's a big power forward who plays that north-south game that I would consider myself to play as well. He's physical and effective on the forecheck, and I see him take pucks to the net all the time, and that's what I try and do, and I feel like I do a pretty good job of that. Mason West: I think Tage Thompson with his size and athletic ability. I think I really play like an athlete and I think he really worked on his shot, which I'm really trying to do and work on my body control and edges, which he does a really good job of. So I think I'd just say Tage Thompson. I think I can kind of become that type of player and also do different things that he doesn't. Bill Zonnon: Adrian Kempe. I think we're pretty similar. He's good both ways. He's got good size. He's pretty dynamic offensively. He's a big boy. I'd like to be a player like him in the NHL. Advertisement Kashawn Aitcheson: Charlie McAvoy. … I think I'm a great skater, good IQ, and I play a really shutdown defensive game and can stop other teams' top lines, but also create secondary offense. … I think I can grow into (a power-play guy) for sure. Quinn Beauchesne: That's a tough question. Someone I try to model my game after is someone like Charlie McAvoy, a good skater and good puck-moving defenseman who can join the offense and shows a physical side when he needs to. … For me, it's just really trying to model my game and not setting any limits on myself and just trying to become the best player that I can become. I think he's just good at everything, so it's really just trying to watch and learn. He's a great puck-moving D, he can skate really well, and he plays really well with his stick. Sascha Boumedienne: Miro Heiskanen. Blake Fiddler: I think I could become a big two-way, top-four defenseman in the NHL. … Shea Theodore's a guy I model my game after. Milton Gastrin: Maybe Landeskog. … He works hard, he's good offensively and good defensively. That's the way I play. Reese Hamilton: I would like to become like a Miro Heiskanen from Dallas. Smooth-skating defenseman, I'm pretty mobile. … It really has nothing to do with his draft and where he went; it has more to do with his playing style. We both have pretty good feet, and he's pretty good in the defensive zone as well as the offensive zone. Eventually, down the road, I think it's realistic. Logan Hensler: Jake Sanderson. Not the flashiest guy, but great skater and how efficient and reliable he is. That's a big piece I'm trying to grow into. Radim Mrtka: I would say Moritz Seider. … I think that we are kind of the same. He's high IQ, we play a two-way game, and I've always found we're really similar. Jack Murtagh: Mikko Rantanen or Matthew Tkachuk. Advertisement Max Psenicka: I think in the future I think I can be something similar to Victor Hedman … I think we both are similar heights. I need to get stronger to get to his size, but I think I can probably be him. Cam Reid: I'd say someone like Morgan Rielly. He moves his feet well and he thinks the game well. It's something I model my game after, and I think that will carry me. Jackson Smith: I feel like I could become like a Miro Heiskanen. He's a big, good-skating, 200-foot defenseman, and I feel like that's what I am. Matthew Schaefer: I like to model my game after Cale Makar, so hopefully a Cale Makar. But I want to be a two-way defenseman and kind of just play my game. … I feel like I look at Makar for a lot of things with his skating ability and hockey IQ, but I feel like Heiskanen's another one and I just want to be a two-way defenseman that can play both offense and defense when needed. There's maybe not one guy; there's a lot of guys you watch and take from each of their games. Simon Wang: I think there's a lot of guys that are tall and mobile with the wingspan: (Colton) Parayko, (Victor) Hedman, (Brandon) Carlo. Jack Ivankovic: I like Juuse Saros. He's not a big goalie, but he's one of the best goalies in the world. He's definitely the big one for me. I take pride in my skating and work on it all the time, and I watch his skating and watch him play and think, 'I can do that.' He wins games for his team, and that's something I want to do at the next level. Joshua Ravensbergen: I think maybe one day become something like a (Jake) Oettinger. He's big like me, he uses his size well, and I think there's a reality where I can become something like that. (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Martin and Porter Martone: Brian Babineau/NHLI, Kevin Sousa, Michael Miller/ISI Photos / Getty Images)

Big Ben makes bold prediction on Aaron Rodgers' future: 'I think this might be it for him'

Yahoo

32 minutes ago

Yahoo

Big Ben makes bold prediction on Aaron Rodgers' future: 'I think this might be it for him'

Aaron Rodgers hasn't even unpacked in Pittsburgh — and Ben Roethlisberger is already predicting how it all ends. On his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the legendary Steelers QB shared why he believes 2025 may be Rodgers' last season in the NFL: Advertisement 'I don't think he's got much more after this year,' Roethlisberger said. 'I think this might be it for him — personally. I have no reason — you could ask, 'Well how do you know?' I don't know. I'm just guessing in terms of you coming off an Achilles [tear]. Coming off my elbow [injury], my first year back I felt like I was 100. I wasn't even — you don't realize you're not 100 until the next year when you are 100.' Roethlisberger stated that Rodgers will feel healthier this season, but it doesn't necessarily mean he'll play better — before ultimately concluding his speculation on Rodgers' future: '…He's going to feel better, but it doesn't mean that he's going to have two or three years left. I think this might be his last go.' If this truly is his last season — and this may be wishful thinking — here's to hoping Rodgers can lead the Steelers to their first playoff win since the 2016 season. Advertisement For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' Aaron Rodgers may retire after 2025 season, per Big Ben

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2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects dish on most underrated, most difficult, NCAA

2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects give their own NHL projections

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2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects dish on most underrated, most difficult, NCAA

2025 NHL Draft player poll: 50 top prospects give their own NHL projections

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