3 days ago
NHL Draft 2025 ranking: Matthew Schaefer leads Corey Pronman's top 125 prospects list
Today, we release my final big board for the 2025 NHL Draft. I may make some mild tweaks after going to Dan Milstein's camp and seeing some of the top Russians, but for the most part, this is the end product after getting as much information as possible from last week's NHL Scouting Combine and throughout the season.
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As the season went along, the 2025 draft class began to look better. It's still a slightly below-average group, without true star power at the top other than Erie's Matthew Schaefer, but this top 10 group projects to produce numerous high-quality NHL forwards.
Ranked players are placed into tiers and given tool grades. Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). 'Average' on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.
Player comparables are my best attempt at giving readers an idea of what I think these prospects could realistically become in the NHL.
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer, Porter Martone: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
