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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)
National Post
16-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: Which centres could Calgary target in 2025 NHL Draft?
There's no doubt that the Calgary Flames scouts have been focused on faceoff men. Article content It wouldn't be a surprise if the Flames select a pivot prospect with both of their first-round selections in the 2025 NHL Draft. Even if they go a different direction with one of those up-high picks, their two-day haul should include several centres. Article content Meet some of the middle-men who might be on Calgary's radar, whether that's at No. 18 overall or as the proceedings continue. Article content Braeden Cootes Article content Hometown: Sherwood Park, Alta. Article content This season: 26 goals, 63 points in 60 games with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds Article content Measurements: 6-foot, 183 pounds Article content The skinny: This up-and-comer hails from Oil Country, but we won't hold that against him, not with so many traits that make him an intriguing fit for the Flames. Cootes was Canada's top scorer at the World Under-18s, with six goals — including a pair of game-winners — and a dozen points in seven tournament tilts. He brings boundless energy and has a righty curve on his stick, a rarity in Calgary's pipeline. Cootes was the youngest captain in the WHL this season and also rocked the 'C' for Team Canada, so he earns another checkmark for his leadership qualities. Article content Cole Reschny Article content Hometown: Macklin, Sask. Article content Measurements: 5-foot-11, 183 pounds Article content The skinny: Did any draft hopeful do more to boost their stock over the past couple of months? Reschny went berserk — in a good way — during the WHL playoffs, racking up nine goals and 25 points in only 11 outings. As a late arrival at the World Under-18s, he continued his spring show-off by scoring five times in five appearances with Team Canada, including the overtime winner in a quarterfinal nail-biter. Reschny has a well-rounded game, but nothing gets the scouts scribbling faster than the ability to come up with a clutch goal at a crucial moment. Article content Article content Article content The skinny: There isn't a ton of size among the projected first-round centres — and especially among the guys who are expected to still be available into the teens and beyond — so Nesbitt stands out from the crowd. While he doesn't offer as much offensive sizzle as some of the other options, this power-forward-in-progress is considered a 'safe' pick because he has all the attributes to be an effective middle-six sort. The question is whether the Flames, needing to eventually fill a first-line vacancy, would rather swing for the fences. With a pair of first-round picks, could they maybe do both? Article content Ben Kindel Article content Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C. Article content Measurements: 5-foot-10, 176 pounds Article content The skinny: If you follow the Hitmen, you're aware that one of the top-scoring prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft already is accustomed to dazzling fans at the Saddledome. Kindel finished seventh in the WHL points race this winter and continued to produce in the playoffs, with eight goals and seven assists in 11 post-season spins. He is both creative and competitive. He's elusive, but doesn't shy away from the high-traffic areas. Although some figure he will be better slotted as a winger at the big-league level, that shouldn't be a deterrent for the Flames, since they're also thin on right-shots on the flank.
New York Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How does Matthew Schaefer compare to recent No. 1 NHL Draft picks? Scouts, execs weigh in
The first-overall pick in the NHL Draft is always highly anticipated. This article compares the last nine No. 1 picks with this year's top prospect, Matthew Schaefer, based on rankings from NHL scouts and executives. The idea of this article is to ask the evaluators to compare Schaefer to the other players at the time of their drafts, not incorporating how they have played since then. Six NHL scouts and executives were polled for this list. 1. Auston Matthews, 2016 (Toronto Maple Leafs) Average ranking: 1.67 Range of votes: 1st – 2nd Matthews consistently ranked at the top for the scouts, replacing Connor McDavid in this annual exercise for the top position. He was viewed as a potential franchise center due to his size, elite skill and shot. 2. Macklin Celebrini, 2024 (San Jose Sharks) Average ranking: 2.83 Range of votes: 1st – 5th While I try to use mostly the same scouts every year for this exercise, sometimes I have to change the voters. I say this because Celebrini was fifth last year, behind Matthews, Connor Bedard and Jack Hughes. This exercise is about how players were viewed at the time of the draft, and Celebrini was highly regarded for his all-around play, but some evaluators last season were worried about his offense in the NHL. The ones I polled this year were not, and most claim they always viewed him as having star offensive upside to go with great compete level. 3. Connor Bedard, 2023 (Chicago Blackhawks) Average ranking: 3.33 Range of votes: 1st – 6th Bedard was a consensus top pick in his draft, with a massive hype machine behind him after his dominant performances in the WHL and World Juniors. There were minor concerns on his size and lack of elite speed, but overall a ton of love for the player. His ranking reflects how high scouts were on the offense, but the variance reflects some uncertainty on the player. One NHL executive on why he put Celebrini over Bedard: 'I think Celebrini makes others better more often. He's a true center who you'll trust in more situations.' Another test in hindsight bias, as last year no evaluator placed him lower than third, but this year he got a fourth-, fifth- and sixth-place vote. 4. Jack Hughes, 2019 (New Jersey Devils) Average ranking: 4.67 Range of votes: 3rd – 7th Hughes had a monster draft season as the leading player on one of the very best U.S. NTDP teams ever. His combination of elite skating and skill excited scouts. The one who placed him seventh noted worries about his frame and how that would hold up in the playoffs. 5. Matthew Schaefer (2025 NHL Draft Eligible) Average ranking: 4.83 Range of votes: 2nd – 7th This year's top pick comes in right at the middle of the pack. Schaefer is a great skating defenseman with size and very good puck-moving ability. He missed most of the season due to mono in the fall and a broken clavicle he suffered at the World Juniors. When healthy, he dazzled at several major events such as the Hlinka Gretzky and CHL/NTDP series. The executive who ranked Schaefer second thinks he could be a Norris-winning defenseman around whom you can build a contender. The scouts who ranked him lower had minor questions on his offensive upside, as well as the lack of data on him. 'He's a consensus No. 1 pick in part based on a handful of great international showings, but who knows how his season would have gone if he wasn't hurt all year,' said one scout. 6. Rasmus Dahlin, 2018 (Buffalo Sabres) Average ranking: 5.33 Range of votes: 3rd – 8th It's easy to forget the hype there was for Dahlin in 2018 and the lengthy highlight reel he piled up in Sweden. He's one of the most skilled defensemen I've seen. One NHL executive said at the time of his draft that they viewed Dahlin as an annual Norris contender. The exec who ranked him lower pointed to a worry at the time about how his style of play, an aggressive skill-driven defenseman, would translate to the NHL. 7. Owen Power, 2021 (Buffalo Sabres) Average ranking: 7.00 Range of votes: 6th – 10th The voters saw a drop off after Dahlin to the next group of players. Power was a very unsexy No. 1 pick. His assets were being a huge defenseman who could skate well and make legit offensive plays. That's an exciting package, but there was never anything truly 'special' about his toolkit, even if the scouts who had him highest thought he could be Victor Hedman if he truly hit. 8. Nico Hischier, 2017 (New Jersey Devils) Average ranking: 7.83 Range of votes: 6th – 9th Hischier was a well-liked player in his draft season who excited evaluators with his skill, hockey sense and all-around play. He wasn't considered the most dynamic forward you'll ever see taken at the top of the draft, though, which was reflected in the votes. 9. Alexis Lafrenière, 2020 (New York Rangers) Average ranking: 8.00 Range of votes: 3rd – 10th I appreciated the brutal honesty from the executive who put Lafrenière at No. 3, as he was very highly touted coming out of the QMJHL. His footspeed has held him back in the NHL to date, though, and was the main concern of evaluators for why they put him toward the bottom. 10. Juraj Slafkovský, 2022 (Montreal Canadiens) Average ranking: 9.50 Range of votes: 8th – 10th Slafkovský got beat up by the panelists a bit over his hockey sense, but keep in mind he's probably been better than some expected in the NHL. His draft season was up and down with great international showings but scouts didn't love him in Liiga. (Photo: Dennis Pajot / Getty Images)
