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New York Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 NHL Draft class superlatives: Ranking the best skaters, shooters, hands and more
Welcome to my annual draft class superlatives. This year-end class project (pun intended) is like the 'best of' or 'most likely to' section of your high school yearbook, except the graduating class is each draft class. My final draft board and draft package ranking the top 100 prospects (plus 30 honorable mentions and 15 overagers) in the 2025 NHL Draft is already out. Today, I rank the prospects across several different categories: best skaters, best shooters, best hands, most competitive, smartest, most physical, most well-rounded forwards and strongest. The three 5-foot-7ish guys in this class can all absolutely fly, but the two best skaters in this class are Cullen Potter and Matthew Schaefer. Nobody can wind up like Potter (Cameron Schmidt, who I've seen pointed to as the top skater in the class, included), who is one of the fastest skaters I've scouted both in straight lines and rounding corners through his edges. And nobody flows north-south up and down the ice as effortlessly as Schaefer does. Reese Hamilton's edges also get high marks, and Radim Mrtka and Simon Wang aren't just good skaters for 6-foot-5-plus but good skaters by any measure. Advertisement 1. Cullen Potter 2. Matthew Schaefer 3. Cameron Schmidt 4. L.J. Mooney 5. Adam Benak 6. Ben Kevan 7. Reese Hamilton 8. James Hagens 9. Michael Misa 10. Sascha Boumedienne 11. Cameron Reid 12. Luca Romano 13. Haoxi 'Simon' Wang Honorable mentions: Radim Mrtka, Lasse Boelius, Jackson Smith, Viggo Nordlund, Tomas Galvas, Daniel Nieminen, Kieren Dervin, Arvid Drott, Malcolm Spence, Lirim Amidovski This draft class doesn't have any big-time shooters, and trying to find names for this category underscored that. Last year's class had snipers such as Cole Eiserman and Justin Poirier, and defensemen such as Zayne Parekh and Carter Yakemchuk who could really shoot it. Even Tij Iginla had a noteworthy shot. None of the players in this class have that kind of pop off the blade, with Schmidt maybe being the closest thing when he really rocks it back into his pocket and lets it rip. 1. Cameron Schmidt 2. Justin Carbonneau 3. Anton Frondell 4. Jakob Ihs-Wozniak 5. Kashawn Aitcheson 6. Jack Murtagh 7. Porter Martone 8. Bryce Pickford 9. Michael Misa Honorable mentions: Daniil Prokhorov, Emile Guite, Charlie Trethewey, Cooper Simpson, Brent Solomon, Brady Martin, Carter Bear They call Ryker Lee 'The Wizard,' and he lives up to the name, with the slickest hands and puck skill that I watched in this draft from an ankle-breaking/in-a-phone-booth/one-on-one perspective. Jake O'Brien is the next closest in terms of touch and feel on the puck. L.J. Mooney's hands are particularly impressive for how they blend in with his skating and agility, though, too. He finds his way out of trouble and through holes better than anyone in the class. There are a couple of big, strong wingers whose hands I wanted to draw attention to in Justin Carbonneau and Porter Martone as well. Those two love the toe drag and execute it very skillfully. Fondrk is a sneaky one, too. His teammates give his skill level a lot of love, and if he'd been healthy this year, I think it would have been more of a talking point. Advertisement 1. Ryker Lee 2. Jake O'Brien 3. L.J. Mooney 4. Justin Carbonneau 5. James Hagens 6. Porter Martone 7. Alexander Zharovsky 8. Michael Misa 9. Conrad Fondrk 10. Ivan Ryabkin Honorable mentions: Brady Martin, Benjamin Kindel, Cullen Potter, Adam Benak, Viktor Klingsell, Aidan Lane, Filip Ekberg, Philippe Veilleux, Benjamin Rautiainen, Roger McQueen, Caleb Desnoyers, Cole Reschny For what this class might lack in the shooters category, it makes up for with some high, high-end hockey IQ types. I think Adam Benak thinks it at the highest plane, but there are some very, very smart players in this group who really understand how to navigate the ice. You'll notice Martone appearing in some places you might not have expected (like here), too, and not in some others you might have thought (like most competitive and most physical). I think he has been miscast in the public sphere a little. People see the size, the penalty minute totals and that he dropped the gloves a few times this year and assume he's the ultra-competitive type. But scouts actually want him to be more consistently competitive and intense, and folks around the OHL laud him for his smarts and skill first. 1. Adam Benak 2. James Hagens 3. Jake O'Brien 4. Caleb Desnoyers 5. Benjamin Kindel 6. Michael Misa 7. L.J. Mooney 8. Matthew Schaefer 9. Cole Reschny 10. Cameron Reid 11. Porter Martone Honorable mentions: William Moore, Roger McQueen, Victor Eklund, Luka Radivojevic, Jack Ivankovic I think Brady Martin stands alone in this attribute in this class, with Kashawn Aitcheson and Victor Eklund in another class behind him. Martin's only got one mode, and it's all-out. He runs hot, he imposes his will on shifts and he never gives up on a puck. Aitcheson plays consistently hard and mean as well, but Martin has no let-up. And then Eklund's motor and stick-to-itiveness are really admirable for a sub-6-foot, sub-170-pound winger. Shoutout to the diminutive Mooney, who gets full marks for his effort level and compete at his size. I wanted to give him some flowers as well. Advertisement 1. Brady Martin 2. Kashawn Aitcheson 3. Victor Eklund 4. Carter Klippenstein 5. Milton Gastrin 6. Carter Bear 7. Malcolm Spence 8. Bill Zonnon 9. Caleb Desnoyers Honorable mentions: Theo Hallquisth, Cole Reschny, Jacob Kvasnicka, Eddie Genborg, Braeden Cootes, Travis Hayes, Malte Vass, Brendan McMorrow, Ethan Czata, Charlie Cerrato, L.J. Mooney, Shane Vansaghi, Tyler Hopkins, Tomas Pobezal Nobody in this class delivers hits harder or more often than Martin, though NTDPers Mace'o Phillips and William Belle sure can't help themselves (often to a fault) either. Physicality is also Swedish D Malte Vass' calling card. 1. Brady Martin 2. Kashawn Aitcheson 3. Mace'o Phillips 4. William Belle 5. Malte Vass 6. David Bedkowski Honorable mentions: Carter Bear, Jack Nesbitt, Peyton Kettles, Shane Vansaghi, Carter Klippenstein, Daniil Prokhorov Shane Vansaghi looks like a 30-year-old pro physically already, and, importantly, you can actually see it on the ice as well. He bullied mid-20s players in college hockey as a teenager this year, dominating some games on the forecheck and manhandling some guys below the goal line. He plays big-boy hockey the way a lot of bottom-six NHLers do. 1. Shane Vansaghi 2. Mace'o Phillips 3. William Belle 4. David Bedkowski 5. Charlie Trethewey Honorable mentions: Anton Frondell, Kashawn Aitcheson, Brady Martin, Cole McKinney, Porter Martone, Carter Klippenstein, William Horcoff, Sean Barnhill, Jack Murtagh, Daniil Prokhorov, David Bedkowski, Justin Carbonneau, Carter Amico, Hayden Paupanekis, Brady Peddle, Peyton Kettles I always like to finish with this, because I think it's important to highlight young players who understand both sides of the puck and the intangibles of the game, because they're the hardest attributes to find in teenagers. These are all very mature, complete players at an age where many play immature, incomplete games. Guys who understand the little things. Advertisement 1. Caleb Desnoyers 2. Milton Gastrin 3. Cole Reschny 4. Braeden Cootes 5. Cole McKinney 6. Victor Eklund 7. Malcolm Spence 8. Carter Bear Honorable mentions: Eric Nilson, Jake O'Brien, Anton Frondell, Michael Misa, Tyler Hopkins (Photo of Matthew Schaefer at the NHL Scouting Combine: Joe Hrycych / NHLI via Getty Images)
New York Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Ricky Pearsall and 7 other young 49ers poised to break out in 2025
The San Francisco 49ers spent the offseason searching for the fountain of youth. They wanted to lose some of the gray — and some of the weighty salaries — that marked previous rosters. That means the team will rely heavily on its recent draft classes, including the 11 prospects selected last month. Advertisement Which of those youngsters are in the best positions to make a splash in 2025? To make the list below you have to be 25 years or younger. And you can't already have made a big impact, which is why players like Malik Mustapha (22), Renardo Green (24) and Dominick Puni (25) aren't included. The list below is ranked in order — most likely to least likely — of a player's chance of having a true breakout season. As the 2024 season wound down, Pearsall said he wanted to make up for lost time by training with Brock Purdy in the offseason. He made good on those plans, meeting up in Jacksonville, Fla., where Purdy works on his throwing fundamentals each year, as well as their native Arizona. Pearsall missed six games as a rookie after being shot in the torso Aug. 31, 2024. He also sat out most of training camp with hamstring and shoulder issues. It meant quarterback and receiver never fully coalesced, at least not to the extent they wanted. 'There's been so many moments throughout the year where he's run a route and I've thrown a ball and it's just slightly off,' Purdy said in January. 'And we know that, hey, once we get a real offseason together and we can talk about the basics, the fundamentals, the timing of concepts and everything and just get a bunch of reps together — dude, it'll get way better.' The 49ers might need that chemistry early since one veteran receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, could miss the start of the season while recovering from his ACL injury while another, Demarcus Robinson, might be suspended due to a DUI incident in November. If that's the case, the 49ers no doubt will lean on Jauan Jennings like they did last season. But Pearsall is also essential because he's good against press coverage. After Aiyuk was injured last season, defenses played increasingly more press coverage against San Francisco, and the passing game suffered as a result. Advertisement The Purdy-Pearsall connection was on a positive trajectory when the season ended, including a 141-yard receiving outing in Week 17 against the press coverage-heavy Detroit Lions. Their offseason work together ought to enhance that. It's hard to bank on a rookie getting starts and snaps early, but that doesn't seem to be a big hurdle with Williams. He's got exceptional power, especially for someone who doesn't turn 21 until late June, and ought to be an immediate asset in run defense. In fact, among Williams, Nick Bosa and Yetur Gross-Matos, the 49ers have their three best edge setters of the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era. Pass rush is the question mark. Most of Williams' college sacks came as a result of his strength and relentlessness. Those are excellent foundations for an NFL edge rusher, but he didn't show much of the finesse and creativity true sacks masters possess. Comparisons to former 49er Aldon Smith are accurate from a length-strength standpoint, but Smith was more elastic and also had Justin Smith as a valuable pass-rush accomplice. How quickly Williams incorporates more moves into his arsenal will determine whether he's solid or spectacular in his first NFL season. The 49ers might hold a summertime competition between Martin and third-year linebacker Dee Winters, 24, for the vacant weakside spot. But they obviously drafted Martin in the third round — earlier than most expected him to go — because they think he can win the role. And not just because he can make tackles all over the field like he did two seasons ago at Oklahoma State when he finished with the second most solo tackles (83) of any player in the nation. The 49ers also were drawn to his personality and leadership skills. They believe Martin, a two-time team captain at Oklahoma State, can lead this year's group of talented rookie defenders and become a locker-room leader in years to come. The 49ers won't hand Stout, the short-statured cornerback with big-time swagger, the starting nickel job. But it's the outcome they prefer because it would allow their erstwhile nickel, Deommodore Lenoir, to be a full-time outside cornerback. An alternative scenario would be for newcomer Tre Brown or former draft pick Darrell Luter Jr. to take over the No. 3 cornerback role Isaac Yiadom had last year. Neither, however, has a background as a nickel back, meaning Lenoir would have to pull double duty again. Advertisement Pearsall wasn't the only receiver who trained with Purdy in Jacksonville and Arizona. Cowing was there, too, signaling he was dissatisfied with a 2024 rookie season in which he served as the team's punt returner but was used sparingly (just four receptions) on offense. George Kittle said recently that he was impressed that Cowing, who weighed 168 pounds at last year's combine, added more weight in the offseason. He's never going to reach Deebo Samuel in terms of heft — he won't come close! — but ought to be an asset on some of the quick hitters and jet sweeps that went to Samuel in recent years. While Samuel bowled over defenders, Cowing has the speed to run by them. It should be noted that because of the circumstances at receiver, all of the young players at that position — including second-year player Terique Owens (25) and rookie Jordan Watkins (23) — have a chance to make a mark. The 49ers have three young defensive tackles who have an opportunity to earn significant roles this season: Collins, fourth-round draft pick CJ West (22) and second-year player Evan Anderson (23), who is four months younger than Collins. Collins stands out because of his unique size. His 85-inch wingspan is greater than that of former 49ers DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead, and he's another rookie who defended the run well in college. It's possible that Collins begins the season behind veteran Jordan Elliott on the depth chart. But the hope is that he eventually takes over a starting role next to one of the quick-footed penetrators on the roster like Kevin Givens, West or even Anderson. Most observers have earmarked the vacant left guard spot to Ben Bartch (26), who was the first guard off the bench last season. While Bartch's experience — 22 career starts — makes him the frontrunner for the job, don't discount Zakelj, who looked sharp in a late-season stint at left guard and ended up playing more snaps there than Bartch. A year ago, Zakelj had to split practice time between center and guard. With center Matt Hennessy now on the roster, Zakelj can concentrate fully on guard in 2025. He and Bartch are scheduled to become free agents in March and it's hard to see the team holding onto both. Advertisement This is the biggest longshot of the group. Sigle has a background at cornerback and as a slot defender but doesn't have much experience as a deep safety. Still, the team doesn't have a lot of great options should Mustapha (ACL) miss games at the start of the season. One of the starting roles likely goes to Ji'Ayir Brown. Jason Pinnock, Richie Grant and George Odum are options at the other spot with Pinnock, 25, having played for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh with the New York Jets in 2021. None of those veterans, however, has excelled as a free safety and none has Sigle's speed. He not only ran his 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds, he reached 15.13 mph in his first five yards, the fastest mark of any prospect at this year's combine.
