Latest news with #ScottWheeler
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Athletic Hockey Show NHL Draft debate: Our panel ranks the top 12 prospects
By Max Bultman, Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman By this point in the 2025 NHL Draft cycle, you know what the top of Corey Pronman's list looks like, just as you know Scott Wheeler's. If you're a regular listener to The Athletic Hockey Show Prospect Series or the Flo Hockey podcast 'Called Up,' you're also familiar with Max Bultman's and Chris Peters' takes on the 2025 draft class. Advertisement But what happens when those differing lists and perspectives are forced to collaborate and produce one shared list? Not just by taking the averages of each panelist's ranking, but through debate, persuasion and compromise? That was the question the most recent episode of TAHS Prospect Series set to answer. And the results lived up to the curiosity. By the end of nearly an hour and a half debating 12 prospects, the group settled on four tiers of players ranked 1 through 12, and no one on the panel got exactly what they wanted. Whether it was a favorite player slotted a little lower than hoped, or having to compromise high on a prospect with some risk, the collaborative nature of the process, meant to loosely mimic the process NHL teams go through to compare thoughts and produce a draft list, meant everyone had to give in somewhere. In most cases, our panel was able to reach satisfactory conclusions and cut deals to keep everyone content, even if there were some gritted teeth involved. But in cases of true gridlock, each analyst was given one 'super vote,' allowing them to break a 2-2 tie on a player they were particularly passionate about, in either direction. You can listen to the whole episode to hear how it all went down, but here were some of the key debates and takeaways from the exercise. This was our liveliest debate, which is fitting given Hagens has among the widest ranges of potential outcomes of the top group we debated. He came into the season as the favorite to be the first pick in the draft, but after a strong, though not necessarily spectacular, freshman season at Boston College — and perhaps some nitpicking of such a known player — there's real debate over where he fits within the top of this class. That was true in our debate, too. Pronman noted Hagens' outstanding track record over the years, including a 'really, really good' draft year at Boston College. He called him arguably the most offensively skilled player in the class, headlined by his skating. But he also raised the issue of Hagens' size, as a 5-foot-10 forward, and whether the relative lack of interior offense in his game this season could be a product of playing against bigger, stronger opponents — the kind he will continue to see as he progresses to the NHL. Advertisement Wheeler and Peters, meanwhile, were adamant in Hagens' favor, with Wheeler advocating for Hagens at No. 3 on our list and threatening to use his Super Vote to keep him no lower than No. 4 on the collective list. 'I have, actually, fewer questions — despite the fact that he's 5-foot-10, despite the fact that he didn't score a ton — I've got fewer questions about projecting James Hagens than I do about protecting Anton Frondell or Porter Martone,' Wheeler said. Peters took it a step further in rejecting Pronman's argument, telling Pronman, 'Corey, put the f—ing tape measure away, all right?' 'I think that we are gonna see a very different James Hagens this year,' Peters said. 'And I do think he'll be one of the best players in college hockey, and I feel like we're gonna have a reset. And when we're doing a redraft, he's gonna be really high on a redraft. … In terms of potential, he is my number three with a bullet.' But Hagens did not finish at No. 3. Bultman sided with Pronman on the debate between Hagens and Martone (the 6-foot-3 winger from the Brampton Steelheads), creating a 2-2 gridlock. Rather than use his tie-breaker, though, Wheeler opted to strike a compromise with Pronman that Hagens would sit behind Martone on the final list, but ahead of Frondell. Moncton (QMJHL) center Caleb Desnoyers was also mentioned at No. 3, but ultimately finished at No. 5. Peters still wanted Hagens at No. 3, but with the other three panelists already agreeing to that order, he had no choice but to, in his words, 'sit and stew in the corner.' Prior compromises came into play on multiple occasions through our process. The Martone-Hagens compromise, for example, resurfaced as an issue for Peters when discussing which tier to place Desnoyers into. He had Hagens ahead of Desnoyers, but Desnoyers ahead of Martone, making it tricky to place Desnoyers with Martone already ahead of Hagens on the consensus list. Advertisement And later on, Wheeler nominated Seattle (WHL) defenseman Radim Mrtka at number seven, but had to watch as the other analysts' votes not only bumped Mrtka down, but into a separate tier, which ultimately left him outside the top 10. But Wheeler did get passionate and use his veto vote to ensure that one of the draft's most divisive players did not end up higher than where he was comfortable. Brandon (WHL) center Roger McQueen has some of the best athletic tools in the class as a highly skilled 6-foot-5 center who can skate, but has struggled with a back injury. When the group was deadlocked as to which tier McQueen should fit into, Wheeler stepped in 'against taking a chance that we risk making a mistake on Roger McQueen.' That put McQueen into the fourth tier with Mrtka, instead of into a third tier that ultimately included OHL center Jake O'Brien, Swedish winger Victor Eklund, OHL forward Brady Martin and OHL defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson. After all the debating, the final top 12 — separated into four tiers — came out like this: Matthew Schaefer Michael Misa Porter Martone James Hagens Caleb Desnoyers Anton Frondell Jake O'Brien Victor Eklund Brady Martin Kashawn Aitcheson Roger McQueen Radim Mrtka (Photo of James Hagens: Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images)
New York Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
NHL Mock Draft 2025: Pronman, Wheeler and Bultman play GM and pick Round 1
By Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and Max Bultman Two years ago, we tested out a new idea and called it our 'if I were GM' mock draft. The idea was simple: In place of the mock drafts our prospects writers Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler do individually where they predict what will happen on draft day, we wanted to give them a chance to draft the first round making their own selections for each team. Advertisement Today, for a third year running, it's back by popular demand. Once again, Max Bultman has joined Pronman and Wheeler in making the selections as a way to limit their ability to read off each other's lists. The order for the first round was drawn at random, with Wheeler going first, Bultman second and Pronman third. Here's how they'd pick if they were in charge of each team's draft board. Schaefer, Michael Misa and James Hagens are my top three prospects in the class, so I can understand the desire to at least consider the hometown player. I'd certainly consider Misa long and hard too (I've debated ranking him atop by board at various points). The Islanders could use a top-of-the-lineup center, to be sure. I even understand the hesitancy some have in taking a D with a No. 1 pick. But I still think the right place to land is probably on Schaefer, who has the makings of a franchise defenseman. He's a world class skater who projects as a two-way stud and he would be my pick. — Wheeler The Sharks certainly would have loved to have gotten Schaefer, with defense more of a long-term need in their system, but Misa is an excellent alternative and adds to the impressive firepower they're amassing. Misa could become an outstanding second-line center behind Macklin Celebrini, or bump to the wing to form a dynamic future top line. In either case, the Sharks are building quite the foundation. — Bultman I get the first big decision of this mock. That's fine, it's why they pay me to be the (mock) GM, to handle the pressure. I think Brampton winger Porter Martone is the best player available right now. Looking in the playoffs, he has the potential, if he hits, to do things that Sam Reinhart and Mikko Rantanen (in best, best case) are doing. I also am not in love with the idea of Connor Bedard as the 1C of the future, and think on a winning team he's likely best suited for the wing. Desnoyers is my top ranked center available, and I think he's a slight nudge behind Martone as an overall player. I don't love taking a slightly worse player at 3. But my team has had high picks three years in a row, taking defensemen with two of them and a center who is probably a winger with the other. This is where you find potential first-line centers. Reinhart, Rantanen are nice, but you can trade for wingers as those teams did in both cases. I'm getting my two-way play driving center. — Pronman Conventional wisdom will say that a 1-2 down the middle of Logan Cooley and Hagens is too small to win in May and June. For that reason, I think the Mammoth, who've prioritized size in their drafting and also have 5-11/6-foot players like Clayton Keller and Tij Iginla up front, probably go a different direction than I do here. But precisely because they have prioritized size, particularly on their blue line (where it matters most) but also up front (they still have it with guys like Jack McBain and Lawson Crouse, with Daniil But and the heavy strength of Cole Beaudoin on the way), I think you can take Hagens. Not only would he add skating and skill to a center depth chart that needs more of both, but also the Mammoth should like him for many of the reasons they liked Cooley. I think you can win with Cooley and Hagens, too. I'd also consider Porter Martone here, though, despite Utah's relatively stronger depth on the wings because the Mammoth are actually a little thin in right-shot wingers. I'd strongly consider Desnoyers here if he were available as well. And I'm taking all three of those players over Anton Frondell. — Wheeler Thanks to the new decentralized draft format, no one could see me grimace on camera as Scott called that last name. The Predators could certainly use an injection of Hagens' pace and skill in their system. Martone is tempting here too, and he certainly feels like a Nashville type. But it's just too hard to pass on the chance to take a two-way center with dangerous goal-scoring ability, so I'm going to take Frondell. He didn't finish on a high note, with a so-so showing at the U18 World Championship, but his body of work on the season is still very impressive, as is the toolkit. He'll slot perfectly into a Nashville system crying out for high-end centers. — Bultman This is going to be a challenging and potentially unpopular pick with our fans. The organization is dying for a premier center talent. Jake O'Brien is staring us in the face. He's a great player. I just did a similar analysis at 3 with Chicago where I opted for Desnoyers. The difference now is centers went off the board three picks in a row, we're now at the fourth option, and the difference between O'Brien and Martone is larger than the analysis was at 3. I feel I'm going substantially off my list if I take O'Brien over Martone for positional reasons. I think O'Brien is probably a second-line center on a good team. The Flyers rebuild is probably years away from completion, you have to imagine they will be back picking high again, even if next year's draft early on doesn't seem overflowing with premium center talent. We elect for the big, powerful winger with star upside even if his skating is a flaw. I hope this doesn't bite us in the ass. — Pronman Those top six are my top six and this is where the draft starts to open up for me and I'd start to consider Roger McQueen or a D like Radim Mrtka. But with McQueen's injury history, I don't think there's enough of a gap between him and O'Brien to justify taking him here. The Bruins are better off starting this bit of a reset they're in with a premium prospect down the middle rather than on D, too. O'Brien's combination of skill, skating, two-way commitment and hockey IQ make him the right choice. I'd bet that with his lean frame and summer birthday that he still has steep development in front of him, too. — Wheeler This one all comes down the medical, but the Kraken — with a stocked system of young centers — are in a great position to take this swing on a player who would go higher than this on pure talent. McQueen's combination of size, skill and skating is rare, and if he hits, he could give the Kraken the kind of cornerstone they sorely need. I considered a defenseman here, which Seattle has yet to take in the first round, but felt the talent with McQueen was just too much to ignore. — Bultman Victor Eklund is the BPA here, but in the background is the plethora of smaller, skilled forwards Buffalo has drafted over the past five years. It would be hard to justify Eklund into the mix the Sabres have already picked, even if he's a great and highly competitive player. We opt for Aitcheson here. He's our second ranked-defenseman in this class. He brings a combination of tenacity, skill and athleticism to the blue line and will help us at both ends of the ice on top of making our team harder to play against. — Pronman I'm only thinking about three names here: Mrtka, Eklund and Brady Martin. Coincidentally, they all play different positions and are all good fits for the Ducks for different reasons. Martin would give them an ultra-competitive center who fits the identity they want to play. Eklund, another competitor, would give them a right-shot winger to bolster the depth they began prioritizing with the Beckett Sennecke pick last year. And despite having a good, young group of defensemen to work with, all of Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger and Stian Solberg are lefties, and none of them look like Mrtka. Mrtka's combination of handedness, size and skating would make him unique for the Ducks, even if this would be a real debate for me. — Wheeler I thought long and hard about Eklund, but this is still the early stages of what could be a long rebuild, and I'm taking every chance I can to build down the middle. Martin brings so many likable elements as a thick-bodied center with skill and an edge to his game. I don't think he'll be the first-line center of the future in Pittsburgh, but he projects to play a huge role, and should be a great culture-setter for the next era. — Bultman Really, really, really super not thrilled with this outcome because the last thing my organization needs is another first-round winger, but Eklund is the clear best player left on our board. We have to take him. He projects to be better than our recent first-round picks. This potential outcome, though, may be why the Rangers could lean to letting go of the pick to the Penguins because it's very possible there is a run on the premium centers and defensemen right in front of them. — Pronman Once the 12 names we just saw get picked, there's a case to be made that the next best players are wingers. I think Carbonneau has more puck skill than Carter Bear or Lynden Lakovic, and that gives him the edge for my Red Wings (take that, Bultman!). He has several of the elements the Red Wings have targeted (a 6-foot-1, pro-built forward who can play through contact), but he's got better hands than Michael Brandsegg-Nygård or Nate Danielson as well. He's my BPA and I think he makes sense for Detroit, checking some boxes while also adding offense and a talent grade that we need. Don't let the familiar profile fool you, he has legit offensive skill. — Wheeler The perfect scenario would have been if Mrtka had fallen here, giving us a right-shot D to replace David Jiricek, but even though Smith is a left shot, he still brings plenty of upside to the system. He's a great skater at 6 feet 3, and has the potential to become a big-minute blueliner who shuts down transition offense as a defender and helps spark it on the breakout. — Bultman Reschny's strong second half put him squarely in the conversation to go in this range. Whether or not he's an NHL center is to be determined due to his size, but he could be. He's a good enough skater and competes hard, but his skill and hockey sense are excellent. He provides an offensive element that Vancouver's organization needs post J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. — Pronman Teams can get too cute when they have back-to-back picks like this. I'm not going to. Bear is the best player available on my board and could fit as an excellent up-and-down the lineup winger in bleu, blanc et rouge. His Achilles rehab appears to be trending in the right direction, and with the premium centers capable of filling our 2C hole off the board, Bear's our guy. — Wheeler Back-to-back wingers here makes me a little itchy, but without a slam dunk center fit (though I did consider Braeden Cootes), I'm going with the premium athlete in Lakovic. He can skate, shoot and handle the puck, and brings a needed size factor to our young forward group at 6 feet 4. Cameron Reid was another consideration, as a great skating blueliner, but with that part of our system in pretty good shape, we'll take the rare athletic traits with Lakovic. — Bultman We're very excited to see Cootes still there at 18 and we will take advantage of his slide. Cootes is a skilled center who plays with pace and a high compete level and projects as a middle-six center in the NHL. The Flames need young center depth and he's the clear best center left. We didn't sprint up to the virtual podium but it was a light jog. — Pronman Wingers Jimmy Snuggerud and Zach Bolduc have arrived, center Dalibor Dvorsky will follow them, and there's a case to be made that the two top prospects available are defensemen Logan Hensler and Cameron Reid, which suits us well. We've taken four defensemen in the first two rounds of the last two drafts but only one of them (Adam Jiricek) is a righty and none of them are true top-end prospects (though Jiricek and Theo Lindstein are legit prospects). We're happy to get Hensler — a 6-foot-2 righty who can skate, has two-way potential and is a comparable prospect to Jiricek and Lindstein. — Wheeler We got our D earlier this round, now we're taking a versatile forward we can deploy anywhere in the lineup. Nesbitt has a lot going for him with size, physicality and slick hands. He can use those qualities to complement offensive players, or he can use them to check. He does have one big question mark with his skating, but if he can iron that out as he adds muscle, there's a lot to like in Nesbitt's projection. — Bultman Ottawa acquires a hopeful goalie of the future that it hasn't had since Robin Lehner. The system needs a lot of things, but it does need a goalie. He's the best player available, has starting goalie level tools and makes sense as the pick here. Yes, goalies take forever to develop. But Ottawa just committed to Linus Ullmark for years so ideally he can be a bridge to Ravensbergen. — Pronman I strongly considered Reid here but we need to take some swings and Potter, the best skater in the draft, represents that in this range for me. I project him as a more likely winger than center at the next level, but once the top group in the draft is gone — and in my estimation it now is — his blend of elite skating and plus-level puck skill is worth the bet. We added speed with the Jett Luchanko selection last year and we're adding even more to a pool that could still use it here. Patience will be important for both him and us as he learns how to best deploy his skating and talent, but there's upside with proper development. Matvei Michkov, Martone, Luchanko and Potter gives us a diverse mix of players to work with and suddenly a lot more skill after our first two selections of 2025. — Wheeler I'm not going to watch Reid tumble any longer. It's true that we already have a smaller puck-moving left D in Tanner Molendyk as our top defense prospect, which made me consider big-bodied righty Blake Fiddler here instead. There aren't many playoff teams with two smaller D (at least ones who aren't dynamic-offense-types) in their top four. But Reid is an excellent skater, a smart defender and the kind of player I want in my lineup. We'll figure out the rest later. — Bultman Boumedienne's season ended on a high note after a lot of ups and downs. I have some reservations on him this high, but I also think there's potential for this pick to age well. He's an excellent skater, a defenseman with size, and although his hockey sense can worry you at times, he's had a history of showing legit offense as well. The tools are just to good to pass up at 24. — Pronman The two most-talented players left on the board are Ben Kindel and Ryker Lee, but we have a lot of the skilled 5-10/11 variety up front in Chicago, and Spence represents a better fit as a competitive and driven 6-1, 200-pound winger who can skate with our speed and projects to be able to play up and down our lineup. — Wheeler Turns out we're going to get both of the defensemen I considered at No. 23 — now adding a 6-foot-4 mobile righty in Fiddler to the future defense corps. He projects to take on tough matchups, and could form a great second pair of the future with Reid. — Bultman Washington has drafted a lot of wingers in recent years, and we use the 27th pick to add one of the most competitive centers in the age group. Gastrin isn't a flashy player, but he's a steady two-way player who could be a potential third-line center for the Capitals. — Pronman We were hoping a D would be available here but in the absence of one who fits this range, we're excited by Kindel's smarts and skill. We have good size up front in our pool already and Kindel gives us more of a thinking offensive game and a potential point producer (99-point CHL players aren't typically available in this range). He's the best player available at this slot. — Wheeler After getting Cootes earlier in the round, we'll take a tooled-up winger here in Ihs-Wozniak, who skates quite well at 6 feet 3 with slick hands and playmaking feel. That offense in a bigger body has the potential to be a valuable, versatile piece in our future top nine. — Bultman Prokhorov is an ideal gamble with the Flyers' third pick. He's a big, fast, physical winger who could provide secondary offense in the NHL. He will become adored by Flyers fans for the way he plays. — Pronman We're going to swing on skill here and Lee's a dynamic on-puck talent with one of the best sets of hands in the draft. He has to get quicker but we believe he's not done developing or growing and his skill level is hard for us in Carolina to find when we're always drafting so late. We can also afford to give him the time he needs at Michigan State, where he'll be in good hands (pun intended) under a great coaching staff. They don't call him The Wizard for nothing. — Wheeler We didn't get our D at No. 2, so we're getting one here in Brzustewicz. And our guy just so happens to be a teammate (and sometimes defense partner) of our 2024 first-rounder Sam Dickinson. Brzustewicz can make defensive stops thanks to his skating and compete level, and shows poise with the puck to help chip in offense as well. — Bultman (Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Anton Frondell, Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL Mock Draft 2025: Predicting all 64 picks of the first two rounds with Pronman and Wheeler
Today, we attempt a projection of how the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft will take place, this time with our two NHL prospects writers, Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, alternating picks. After a coin toss, Pronman selected for the odd-numbered teams in the draft order and Wheeler picked for the even-numbered teams. A note that the mock was finished on Friday, before the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was completed. As a result, the draft order at the end of Rounds 1 and 2 has changed slightly since these picks were made. Schaefer is the most special talent in this year's class. Despite the limited number of games, when healthy, he displayed that he's the only true game-breaker in this draft. He could be a potential No. 1 defenseman for the Islanders. — Pronman Schaefer would have been the preferred outcome for the Sharks, but they should be excited about building around the trio of Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and Misa — three of the bright young forwards in the game — up front as well. — Wheeler Chicago picks the top player in Europe in Frondell. He's a great all-around center who is highly skilled and competitive and a gifted goal scorer. — Pronman The Mammoth get their 2C of the future to play behind Logan Cooley. Desnoyers' combination of smarts, skill, leadership and two-way play is an ideal fit for them. — Wheeler Nashville adds much-needed dynamic traits to its organization by picking Hagens. He will hopefully provide a spark to the Predators' offense. — Pronman The Flyers strongly consider center Brady Martin and winger Porter Martone here, but O'Brien's smarts come the closest to matching Matvei Michkov's, and they bet on that pair working in sync. — Wheeler Boston rolls the dice on a player who could quickly reset their organization if he hits. McQueen is the rare game-breaker you can get at 7, and is here solely due to injury concerns. He addresses a critical need for them at center. In an ideal world, there isn't a huge run on centers like there was in this mock. — Pronman The Kraken's pool could use a top D prospect and they consider Seattle's WHL standout Radim Mrtka and the ultra-competitive Kashawn Aitcheson here for that reason, but they pass on a defenseman (again) because they can't pass on a winger of Martone's skill to pair with one of the three centers they've already taken in the top 10. — Wheeler Mrtka is tempting here for Buffalo but the Sabres opt for the skill and hard elements that Martin brings to their forward group. — Pronman Mrtka is tempting here as well, but after taking a right-shot winger with their first pick a year ago with Beckett Sennecke, the Ducks double down at an area of organizational focus and turn it into a strength with the competitive, skilled and fast Eklund. — Wheeler It's tempting to add a center or defenseman here for the Penguins, but Bear's high-end skill and tenacity will be highly appealing, especially since he's a late birthday who can be on the team potentially in a year or two to play alongside their aging star centers. — Pronman There's never just one D taken in the top 12 picks and the Rangers could use another one in their pool. They consider the toughness of Kashawn Aitcheson here but they prioritized length and skating with their selection of E.J. Emery a year ago and they double down on those two attributes with even more emphasis with Mrtka. — Wheeler Aitcheson brings the high-end compete traits that Detroit tends to crave while also being mobile and skilled with decent size, too. — Pronman The Blue Jackets would probably love to get Mrtka or Aitcheson here, and likely consider defensemen Cameron Reid, Logan Hensler and Jackson Smith, but they could also use a left-shot wing prospect and Lakovic fits their type/range. — Wheeler Vancouver adds a much-needed quality young center in Cootes who provides a very good two-way game, with NHL caliber speed, skill and compete. — Pronman All of Lakovic, Bear, and Carbonneau fit the bill of the type of winger the Habs should/could be after. Two of them are gone for good reason but Carbonneau's combination of strength and skill make him a natural choice. Center Cole Reschny and defensemen Cameron Reid, Jackson Smith and Logan Hensler would warrant consideration here as well. — Wheeler Smith's stock is down after a so-so U18 worlds but his slide ends here. Montreal jumps at the opportunity to pick a big, mobile defenseman who can move a puck and hope his trajectory can be similar to Thomas Harley's from the same age. — Pronman The Flames could benefit from taking a center here and Reschny's combination of skill, smarts and two-way play fits their type. They haven't shied away from taking 5-10/11 players in the last couple of years either. — Wheeler The Blues add a defenseman with their top pick in back-to-back drafts. Boumedienne is a 6-foot-2 defender who can fly and just set the record for most points by a defenseman at the U18 worlds. He projects as a two-way second or third pair guy in the NHL. — Pronman After going forward with their earlier pick, the Blue Jackets draft one of the top remaining D in Reid with their second selection. Blue Jackets rookie Denton Mateychuk is a natural comp for Reid. — Wheeler Ottawa continues to build a huge, mobile, physical blue line adding USA's top defenseman from the recent U18s. Fiddler projects as a very reliable NHL defenseman. — Pronman After taking a center with their first pick, the Flames add a potential up-and-down-the-lineup two-way winger. Spence is also off to Michigan with Flames prospect Henry Mews in the fall. Jack Nesbitt and Ben Kindel made some sense if they decide to double down on centers here, too. — Wheeler Carolina drafts arguably the best skater in the draft in Potter who is a very skilled forward albeit on the small side. He is a gamble but one the Hurricanes have shown a history of taking before. — Pronman In one fell swoop, the Flyers rebuild their pool's center depth. O'Brien, Jett Luchanko and Nesbitt give them their potential top three Cs of the future. — Wheeler Hensler slides, but it ends here as the Flyers use their third pick of the first round on the 6-2, mobile puck-mover who was up and down as a freshman. — Pronman After trading Yaroslav Askarov, the Preds take Ravensbergen, whose timeline better aligns with Juuse Saros'. — Wheeler The Kings add a potential future middle-six center in Gastrin, who is highly competitive, fits their team identity and has decent offensive traits as well. — Pronman Ideally the Sharks get a D here but the top group is gone and this is a little early for the next tier. Instead, they continue to add smarts and skill up front with Kindel, who moved from the wing to center this year but may end up back on the wing in the NHL. — Wheeler Zonnon is a well-rounded forward with strong speed and skill and the ability to provide value on both special teams. He fits in with the type of player Chicago wants to build with. — Pronman The Preds inject more skill and scoring into their pool with the talented 6-foot-2 shooting winger, who fills an area of need as a right-shot winger within Nashville's system. — Wheeler Washington takes the top Russian in this class in Prokhorov. He's a big winger who skates well, is very physical and has shown a goal-scoring touch. — Pronman The Jets pool could use a D prospect behind Elias Salomonsson and while the top group has all been selected, Brzustewicz, a teammate of Jets prospect Jacob Julien in London, is justifiable in the 30s. — Wheeler San Jose would probably be frustrated if this is the way the draft goes, with a run on the top defensemen before their later picks. They opt for one of the best athletes in the draft in Wang who is huge, mobile and physical, but very raw and a work in progress with the puck. — Pronman The Blackhawks have an abundance of 5-11 speedsters, but Romano is their type and has another level to find still. — Wheeler Once a potential lottery pick, Moore falls to the early parts of Day 2 due to worries about his compete. He's still a big, fast, skilled center who, on his best days, looks like a legit NHLer. — Pronman The Flyers add more size with Horcoff, betting that a positive second half at Michigan and U18 worlds is sign of things to come. He's got pro attributes for an NHL bottom six. — Wheeler Washington adds the program's top center in McKinney. He's a well-rounded player whose compete, speed, hands and shot could make him a bottom-six center in the NHL. — Pronman After taking a forward (yet again) at the top, the Kraken add Kettles, a 6-foot-5 right-shot D who is one of the youngest players in the draft and has the potential to be a stopper. — Wheeler Buffalo opts for the two-way center in Nilsson who was excellent at the Swedish junior level this season. He has strong offensive skills and some bite in his game as well although he is average sized. — Pronman The Flyers can afford to take a swing with their bevy of first-round picks and they take a big one on the talent of the mercurial and frustrating Ryabkin. They've taken three Russians in the last two drafts as well, so he'll have some countrymen in the organization. — Wheeler Montreal takes one of the most purely talented players in the draft in West, a 6-6 center who can skate and has legit offensive tools, but has scared teams during the draft process due to being a football recruit as well. — Pronman A year after drafting an NTDP scorer bound for Boston University in the first round in Cole Eiserman, the Islanders take another in the second round in Murtagh, a natural goal scorer and standout athlete who is one of the younger players in the draft. Murtagh isn't Eiserman, but he gives the Islanders pool some more scoring punch. — Wheeler The Rangers add a huge center in Gard who skates well for a big guy and has a hard, interior style game even though he's not the most creative offensive player. — Pronman The Red Wings add Vansaghi, a big, strong, powerful, heavy forward playing at MSU who can skate and projects as a bottom-sixer. — Wheeler A true throwback Flyers type of pick, Genborg is one of the most physical players in the draft while also having a strong athletic toolkit and some offensive touch. — Pronman The Mammoth scouting staff has prioritized size over the years and they add more to their pool with Nestrasil, a rangy 6-5 winger who projects as a potential bottom-six forward. — Wheeler Vancouver goes back to Sweden with Hallquisth, who is a tall right-shot defenseman who can skate, makes a steady first pass and provides value at both ends. — Pronman Philly adds Behm, who was a riser in the first half. While he regressed a little in the second half, he's still a pro-built 6-2 winger who scored 30-plus goals in the WHL this season and makes sense for the Flyers. — Wheeler Montreal picks one of the top players in the USHL last season. Lee's skating worries teams but he's super skilled with a great shot and has legit scoring potential at higher levels if he can handle the pace. — Pronman The Devils add Zharovsky, a highly skilled winger who was one of the top young forwards in the MHL this season. With the right patience, his talent could deliver value in the late second. — Wheeler Psenicka is a tall right-shot who can skate and is a steady all-around defenseman. It wouldn't surprise me if he's gone by 51 but if not he fits what Boston likes for its blue line. — Pronman After a challenging season for Jesper Wallstedt, the Wild shore up their goaltending depth with the best European goalie prospect in this class. Andreyanov was lights out in the MHL this season. — Wheeler Limatov is a good sized defenseman who skates well, plays hard and shows good flashes of skill with the puck. He has a lot of NHL traits and there were points in the season where he looked like he may go higher. — Pronman Brad Treliving has prioritized building through size on the back end and the 6-foot-6 Rombach, a Minnesota commit, offers what they're looking for in Toronto right now. — Wheeler Czata is one of the more physical players in his age group who played a big role for Niagara and won gold for Canada at the U18 level twice. He's fast, makes some plays and could be a versatile pro center. — Pronman The Flames have drafted a lot of talented, average-sized, offensive defensemen over the last couple of years. Amico's a 6-foot-5 D who gives their pool something a little different. He lost almost all of his draft year to knee surgery but has appeal for his length and mobility. — Wheeler Nashville drafts the smooth skating Schock who played big minutes for the NTDP. He can make difficult plays with the puck while being one of the most mobile players in his age group albeit with average size. — Pronman Andrei Vasilevskiy isn't getting any younger and the depth chart behind him is thin within the Lightning organization. This is the range where goalies like Medvedev, Semyon Frolov, Lucas Beckman and Jack Ivankovic could start getting serious consideration, too. The Lightning take Medvedev, a talented goalie who is one of the youngest players in the draft. Austin Elliott wouldn't give back the net with the Knights this year but Medvedev impressed in his action in the first half of the season as well. — Wheeler Conrad is mobile, especially for being 6-foot-3, and played big minutes for Charlottetown. He makes a decent first pass, although his offense underwhelmed this year. — Pronman This is the range where the talent gap between the draft's three big-name 5-7 forwards and the rest of the available players will be noticeable enough that some teams will consider taking a swing. The Golden Knights have never been shy, even if they've often ended up dealing their prospects. Schmidt can frustrate but his speed and shot are both dynamic. — Wheeler Klippenstein is one of the most competitive players in this draft. That he's 6-3, a center, and skates like an NHL player gives him a path to potentially making it for Anaheim even if he's not a huge points producer. — Pronman Paupanekis is a big two-way center who skates well, works and played in all situations for Kelowna this season. He's got a chance to become a reliable depth forward. — Wheeler Pittsburgh drafts a hopeful goalie of the future. Frolov is a talented goalie, but he had sparse playing time this season. In his best games, he looked like a potential first-rounder. — Pronman The Devils add Stockselius, a good-sized forward who was very productive on a talented J20 team playing with good players, and also showed he could play with good players in more of a support role with the Swedish national team this year. — Wheeler (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer and Caleb Desnoyers: Michael Miller, Dale Preston / Getty Images)
New York Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Submit your questions for Scott Wheeler's 2025 NHL Draft mailbag
The Athletic's Scott Wheeler released a new 2025 NHL Draft ranking on Monday and his first 2025 mock draft on Thursday. Have a draft, prospects or scouting question for him? Submit them below for his upcoming mailbag.
New York Times
14-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Scouting the Frozen Four: What we saw and heard about top NHL prospects
By Scott Wheeler, Joe Smith and Jeremy Rutherford ST. LOUIS — The 2025 Frozen Four featured many of the top prospects in college hockey at the Enterprise Center this week. They included first-rounders like Zeev Buium (Wild), Cole Eiserman (Islanders) and Tom Willander (Canucks), a potential 2025 first-rounder in Sascha Boumedienne, star freshman like Cole Hutson (Capitals), Mikhail Yegorov (Devils) and Hampton Slukynsky (Kings) and top college players like Alex Bump (Flyers), Jack Devine (Panthers) and Eric Pohlkamp (Sharks). Advertisement Throughout the week, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, Joe Smith and Jeremy Rutherford were on site and picked the players' brains about, well, each other. Here's what they had to say about their peers and Wheeler's game notes on all of the prospects of note. Alex Bump (Flyers): Bump went scoreless in all four tournament games, his first four-game pointless streak of his college career in the last four games of it. But he had more looks than anyone else in the Frozen Four, registering 12 shots on goal (a game-high nine in the semifinal and three more in the final). Several of them came from the slot, too, and he could have easily had a couple of goals. He looked dangerous in puck control/protection, beating guys one-on-one in the guts of the offensive zone and along the wall. He tried things. He got to or got open for a lot of pucks and then held them. He looked strong. He loves the curl-and-drag wrister. He hunted and kept his feet moving, major progress since his USHL days. His average speed was noticeable at times when he couldn't pull away in transition but he also had the puck on a string at times and he worked throughout. Zachary Nehring (Jets): Nehring played second-line right wing for the Broncos and finished off a bounce-back freshman year after a disappointing season in the USHL a year ago. He hit a crossbar on a wide-open net about a minute into the semifinal and was more noticeable in that game than in the final. Joona Vaisanen (Penguins): Vaisanen was named to the All-Tournament Team and played an important role on WMU's first pair with Samuel Sjolund. I thought he had a little nerves early in the semifinal, uncharacteristically. There were times when I wanted to see him move the puck quicker on the PP as well. But he settled in nicely and was effective in moving pucks and steering play for the most part. Matteo Costantini (Sabres): Costantini centered Bump on the top line and was his usual consistent and hardworking self. He struggled in the faceoff circle but finished the semi with an assist and four shots, and was better than his pointless stat line in the final indicated. He's shifty laterally but not fast going in straight lines, and while his production didn't take a jump this year, he looks like he'll have a solid pro career, even if it's as more of an AHLer. Advertisement Ty Henricks (Rangers): WMU's depth was a story all year and the 6-foot-5 Henriks was good in a fourth-line left-wing role, finding ways to contribute on the cycle, the forecheck and around the net. They'll need him to take a step next year and I think he's got some more in him, even if his upside may top out as more of a bottom-six AHLer than NHLer. He's worth following. Hampton Slukynsky (Kings): Slukynsky was the goalie named to the All-Tournament Team and played well without needing to steal either of the games this week. He was square to shots, hitting his spots early. He was tracking well. He showcased his good glove. He needs to get stronger to hold the crease better on jam plays, which seemed to be the one way teams had success on him (crowding the net and poking pucks loose). With some added strength, I think he's going to be a good NHL goalie. Tim Washe (free agent): Washe, the Broncos' captain, was named to the All-Tournament Team and was a big part of Western Michigan's success on and off the ice this season. He's a well-rounded center who can play with anyone and do whatever's needed of him. Owen Michaels (free agent): Michaels was named the national tournament's most outstanding player and he was the clear choice for it. Michaels was outstanding in both of Western Michigan's games in St. Louis, making plays, driving, playing with speed and intention, and spending his shifts in the offensive zone. He went from seven points as a freshman to 36 as a sophomore, but staff with the Broncos will tell you he was owed better last year and that this was always who he was as a player. He's a true competitor and the kind of player you want on your team. There's already NHL interest after his one big year. Mikhail Yegorov (Devils): Yegorov was one of the stories of college hockey this season. The five goals he gave up in the final were the most he'd surrendered since joining the Terriers for the second semester, but he wasn't the reason they lost and he'll bounce back next year. The talent is all there. He's a big, long, lean goalie who should get strong, is super athletic and is quick on his feet and in and out of his butterfly with clear technical skills as well. Advertisement Cole Hutson (Capitals): I thought Hutson belonged on the All-Tournament Team and was one of the biggest reasons the Terriers made it as far as they did. The offensive talent and shiftiness always pops but he has really learned to play inside body positioning into contact as well. He always seems to make things happen and create looks. He was physically engaged. He had several big blocks. He created the bulk of BU's entries and rotations/swing plays inside the offensive zone. I thought he was better in the semi than the final but he had a huge year, tying Lane's freshman year to the number with 48 points in 39 games. He was also named the national rookie of the year on Friday. Sascha Boumedienne (2025): Boumedienne played on BU's second pair with Tom Willander as the youngest player in the tournament and performed well. His movement is smooth. He had a couple of timely pinches in the offensive zone. He's starting to creep off the line more. He played tight gaps in the neutral zone. I don't think he always thinks it fast enough and there are times when he's got the puck and he takes too long to move it, but he made significant progress towards becoming a top-four D for them in the biggest games of the year. Tom Willander (Canucks): I didn't think Willander was very noticeable in either game, but sometimes that's a good thing in his role and the way he plays. His defending and mobility will always be his calling card. His offense doesn't flash but he should be a solid two-way NHL D. Kamil Bednarik (Islanders): Bednarik was the Terriers' 3C as a freshman and only played 13 and 14 minutes at the Frozen Four. I wanted to see him play with more intensity in the semifinal but I thought he was better in the final. He had a fine year and is a fine college player but two goals is a little disappointing and he'll need to get around offensive plays more next year. Look for him to be in the mix for USA's thin World Junior team down the middle next year. Cole Eiserman (Islanders): Eiserman played third-line left wing with Bednarik and Kaplan and was one of BU's standouts in St. Louis. He was also their only player named to the All-Tournament Team. He had a couple of his usual one-and-done, trying-to-do-much moments, but he also scored a couple of big goals, was around the net and going to the net, played with energy, and found ways to make things happen, finishing the tournament with four goals in four games and the season with a team-high 25 goals and a very respectable 36 points in 39 games. I expect him to challenge for 30 goals next year. Matt Copponi (Oilers): I thought Copponi, the Terriers' 2C, was one of their most consistent forwards in the two games. He had a couple of dashes off the wall to cut and attack into the middle third. He picked up an assist and seven shots on goal in the two games. He had ton of good shifts. And he was on a lot of pucks and poised when he had it. Ryan Greene (Blackhawks): The Terriers' 1C and captain, Greene played an important all-situations role for them over the last three seasons. I thought he was underwhelming in St. Louis and wasn't at his best, turning some pucks over and struggling to create, but his contract with the Blackhawks is well-earned. Jack Harvey (Lightning): I thought Harvey was good without being a standout on BU's second line. He scored the empty-netter in the semifinal and had a couple of good looks around the home plate area, playing 20 and 16 minutes in the two games. Devin Kaplan (Flyers): An alternate captain and third-line winger for the Terriers, Kaplan hasn't taken the steps I hoped he would in college. He's a good, strong player at this level. He works and he's got size. He's a competitor. He had some drives over the weekend and an assist in both games, but I don't find he creates much of his own offense. Advertisement Shane Lachance (Devils): A first-line forward and co-captain for the Terriers, Lachance's size and ability to shield pucks well on the cycle make him consistently impactful and noticeable out there. I thought he was skating well, too, even if he wasn't able to break through. Brandon Svoboda (Sharks): Svoboda fits as a 4C at the college level, but I'm not sure he'll become much more than that. He needs to work on his hands and poise. He can be sloppy in control of it. He certainly has the physical frame and the skating/forechecking down, but I don't see enough skill to project it into a fourth-line NHL role someday. Jack Hughes (Kings): Hughes is a player I liked in his draft year for his smarts but who never took a step in college to put himself in the conversation for an NHL contract. He played his best hockey down the stretch for the Terriers, though, and made some plays in the last few weeks on the second line with Copponi and Harvey. Quinn Hutson (free agent): Hutson was quiet on BU's first line with Lachance and Greene at the Frozen Four but had a big year, hitting 50 points and breaking 20 goals to put himself in line for lots of NHL interest. He's a talented 5-foot-11 scorer with legit puck skill and an NHL shot who should be an AHL scorer at minimum. Gavin McCarthy (Sabres): Hutson's partner on BU's first pair, McCarthy is the same player he has always been: A little chaotic at times but firm and competitive, too. Zeev Buium (Wild): Buium played a ridiculous 51:41 in a game that ran just over 80 minutes in Denver's semifinal. As you can imagine, given how much he was out there, there was inevitably some good and some bad. He turned some pucks over, looked gassed on a few shifts hemmed in and got beat a couple of times. But he also looked his usual calm walking the line with a guy off him in a dangerous area, made a couple of plays and came alive on a couple of shifts in the third and overtime, helping to set up the game-tying goal and nearly winning it on a dancing moment to the slot in overtime. All in all, this was a heck of a year from a heck of a player. I think he's ready for the Wild right now and into the playoffs. Eric Pohlkamp (Sharks): Pohlkamp was used as Denver's No. 2 D during this stretch run, even though he technically played on a separate pair from Buium, and played almost 40 minutes himself in the semi. I thought he was excellent. He's always decisive with his shot but I thought he was decisive in other ways. He was physical and on time defensively. He forechecked when in a couple of sequences for his team. He attacked. He side-stepped pressure and skated pucks. And fittingly, it was his point shot that led to the 2-2 goal. He had an excellent year after his transfer to Denver and should be one of their top players next year after they lose their best player at every position (Buium on D, Davis in net and Devine up front). Advertisement Hagen Burrows (Lightning): Burrows was a fourth-line right winger for Denver in his freshman year. I noticed him working to apply pressure a couple of times early but he didn't play a ton. Jack Devine (Panthers): I thought Devine, the country's leading scorer this year, actually had a bit of a quiet game in the semifinal. He struggled to get to the inside and play-make like he has over the last two seasons. Still, he's just put together 56- and 57-point junior and senior years and pro hockey is up next for him. Sam Harris (Canadiens): Harris had a really positive development year but wasn't much of a factor at left wing alongside Samu Salminen and opposite James Reeder on Denver's second line in the semi. Rieger Lorenz (Wild): Lorenz skated as a third-line left winger for the Pioneers and I thought he played some good hockey down the stretch and into the tournament. He was on pucks on the cycle throughout the semi but struggled to generate out of his puck protection and battles. They'll need him to take a step and become more of an offensive catalyst next year. James Reeder (Kings): I thought Reeder was OK in the semifinal, if a little vanilla. He broke 10 goals and 20 points as a teenage freshman this year, though, which is a solid year. Samu Salminen (Devils): Salminen slotted as the Pioneers' 2C and had one great look that just missed the far post in the third period and seemed to be around the net consistently on scrambles. He took an unnecessary holding penalty in the offensive zone as well, though, and hasn't progressed since the draft like I hoped he would (I was a fan but his pace has never come and he still looks a little stilted out there). Aidan Thompson (Blackhawks): Thompson was an important part of Denver's impactful top line this season, skating at left wing alongside captain Carter King and Devine. He had the puck a lot in the semifinal but struggled to break through until he scored in the third period. He bobbled a couple of pucks but also drove play and played hard and was one of their more noticeable players. This was a big year for Thompson, who broke 50 points and earned an NHL deal with the Blackhawks out of it. He plays an up-tempo, driven game and has some skill and quiet competitiveness. I'm not sure he's going to be a full-time NHLer but he's going to be a good top-nine AHLer and probably get some call-ups at some point. Advertisement Jared Wright (Kings): In a game where the Pioneers' forwards by and large struggled to get to the interior and create around the net, Wright was central to the third line having some success doing that and finished with a team-high four shots, scoring on a jam play at the top of the crease to tie the game and send it to overtime. Garrett Brown (Jets): Brown played more with Boston Buckberger out following an injury against Western Michigan in the conference championship, slotting onto the team's third pair with Tory Pitner. He skated some pucks up ice and swung deep into the offensive zone a few times. He can look a little awkward out there at times but he's a strong skater going north when he gets going. He can create havoc when he gets a head of steam, too, and nearly set up a goal in overtime. He also turned a couple of pucks over and got caught flat-footed in his own zone a couple of times, though, and got beat one-on-one a couple of times as well. Aresenii Sergeev (Flames): Sergeev lost the puck on a routine shot into his body off the rush on the 1-0 goal and made a mistake by spinning off it and revealing it to Jack Hughes, but played well the rest of the way. He covers a lot of the net down low and uses his size well. Aiden Fink (Predators): Fink was one of the leading scorers in all of college hockey this season, and the big thing I was looking out for in the semifinal was his speed against a quick BU team. He's a little winger with tons of individual talent and offense, but his knees have always knocked and his awkward skating stride resulted in him falling to the Preds further than his talent otherwise merited. I thought his feet looked quicker and his stride looked less wonky, too. He got out in transition and created off the rush a few times. Reese Laubach (Sharks): Laubach emerged as the Nittany Lions' 1C this year and had a really positive sophomore campaign (though he would sometimes play 16-17 minutes to Cerrato's 20), finishing with 30 points in 35 games. I thought he was just OK in the semifinal but he has progressed well for a kid taken 217th in the draft. Charlie Cerrato (2025 NHL Draft): Cerrato is an overager with a chance to get picked in 2025 after he became an important 2C. I thought he protected pucks well in the semifinal and was consistent for them all year, and the 42 points in 38 games are a testament to that. So is the way he was relied upon by Guy Gadowsky. He's an average-sized, average-skill player but I'd consider using a late-round pick on him. He was a very good college center this year. BU HC Jay Pandolfo: He just has a confidence about him and he wants the puck on his stick. He's really competitive, he sees the game really well, he uses his instincts, and he has the confidence. He wants to help our team win. Advertisement Eiserman: He's so good with the puck, protects it like no other guy I've been around. He's not the biggest guy, but the way he moves and protects the stick. Super strong with his stick. When you're on the ice, nobody can really touch him. Sick passer. Slukynsky: (It's) just how dynamic he is on the blue line. You see him out there breaking guys' ankles basically, going downhill from there. I would say those two things, for sure. Eiserman: He's one of my good buddies. Won some games with him. Great kid. Unbelievable on the ice. At Shattuck, he was very good. He made the program, and that was huge for him, he wasn't necessarily a lock. When we got to the program, I'm like, 'This kid is legit.' He was playing with Leonard, Smith and Perreault on that power play, so he might have gotten overlooked a little bit. But he comes to a place like Denver, he's absolutely dominating. He's been good, but he's gotten very good. Slukynsky: (Buium's) similar to Hutson how dynamic he is at the blue line, how good he is at making guys miss and going downhill from there. C. Hutson: He's a really good two-way player, super skilled. Took a few things from his game to put in mine, learning from him at World Juniors was really cool too. Pandolfo: Tom's a great two-way defender. I mean, he's an 11th overall pick, so he's obviously highly touted. He's competitive, he's really tough to play against, he ends plays quickly with his stick and his strength, and he transitions really fast. I mean, he's a tremendous player. You're going to see him in the National Hockey League in the not-too-distant future, and he's a big part of our D core. Slukynsky: You see it every game. He loves to shoot, too. You can see his stick bend in real time when he's shooting. He's got a really quick release, a really hard shot, and really accurate, too. He's tough to stop, for sure. Advertisement Cole Hutson: I think it's more his one-timers, he shoots it so hard and places it so well. It's similar to Quinn's. He's a good guy to have on the power play for sure. Pandolfo: We wanted to strengthen the goaltender position. In the first half, we just felt like we needed some help there and we thought that he could come in and compete for the starting job. And we gave him an opportunity and he really never looked back. That was kind of the thought process behind it: 'Let's see if he can do it.' He's a terrific kid. He's just got an infectious personality. And he's really grateful for the opportunity that he has gotten and he has enjoyed every moment. There's just a lot of great things about him and we're certainly glad to have him. Eiserman: Very flexible. We were in the gym stretching before practice and he's doing these crazy splits. Then you get on the ice with him, he's super competitive. Super agile on his feet. Very good goalie, very hard to score against. Very nice kid, so you really respect him.. He's so good at being in spots where you think you have him and he makes a crazy save. He's never out of it. C. Hutson: What I noticed with him is he's really good side to side. He's a mobile goalie that can control where pucks go after it hits him. Western Michigan captain Tim Washe: Nobody can take the puck from him. He's big, he's strong, he can skate. Great shot. But he wants that puck on his stick and he makes plays with it. Slukynsky: The way he creates, it looks like he has nothing. But the way he creates, the way he can finish, it's unreal. Vaisanen: He's a great, great player, a great leader, and one of those players that is so talented that he can take games over. And he's just a great goal scorer overall but he also helps his team win. He's definitely a huge part of our team and coming in as a freshman, he kind of makes everyone comfortable and just shows the culture and the hard work that everyone needs to bring into this team. And then during games, he's just trying to get the best out of everyone and he shows the way first. Advertisement Eiserman: You watch him, he's had a great year. You see all the goals and points. A pretty big OT winner for them in their championship, lot of credit to him. Denver HC David Carle: Eric has been a great addition as a human first. It's hard to embed yourself into a team as a transfer sometimes with how much he wants to win. And then he's a hell of a hockey player. I think it was probably Eric's best weekend he's had all year just with keeping pucks in front of him, staying firm, and playing a defense-first game that allows him to play my offense. I'm really happy for him and I'm certainly happy that he chose Denver. Carle: I think he has bought into that power forward type mentality in terms of being first on pucks. You need good depth and Rieger is really confident that he can play a full 200-foot game and given the chances that they get that he'll be able to chip in offensively as well. Pandolfo: He's the older brother, not drafted like his two younger brothers are. He has come a long way as a player for us. He has always had the ability to score. I think he has the most goals for our team over the last three seasons. He can really shoot. But he has rounded out the rest of his game. He's a real good defensive player for us now. I think he's over plus-20, so that tells you that and he's also out against the other team's top lines a lot. He plays with Ryan Greene and Shane Lachance and they get tough matchups and not only are they very good defensively but they also chip in offensively and help us that way. He has come a long way as a player and I think for him, he has shown NHL teams that they're certainly going to have interest in him and I'm certainly pretty sure that he's going to find his way onto an NHL roster at some point. He's going to get an NHL contract and he deserves it. He has earned it, he has worked at it, and it's a credit to him. He has been a great player for us the last three years and he's a big reason why we've been to three Frozen Fours. C. Hutson: He's a goal scorer, can put the puck in the net. It's not easy to do. Pandolfo: He's a really good player, he's got really good skill, but he's also very good defensively. He's got a great stick. He's really smart. He's an intelligent player … The first half of the year, we didn't really use him on the penalty kill and I think in the second half that has really helped his overall game. He's usually first over the boards on the kill and he's so quick and anticipates the play really well. He has been tremendous for us. He's got really good offensive ability as well and that's starting to show a little bit more too. I'm really happy with where he's at. He's a senior but he's only 21 years old and he's really young, he came into college as a 17-year-old, so sometimes it takes a little bit longer but he's really starting to find his game and we're really happy for Jack. (Photo of the Western Michigan University Broncos hoisting the national championship trophy after beating the Boston University Terriers: Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)
