The 2025 NHL Draft is taking place in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater, but this year it’s a decentralized event, meaning the front offices and scouting teams will be making their picks from war rooms in their home cities. In attendance in Los Angeles still will be most of the first-round of prospects, and look out for some celebrity appearances to announce the picks as well, among other surprises.
Speaking of surprises, the day got off to a fast and early start, with several transactions and rumours indicating that Day 1 of the draft will be a busy one.
In the lead up to the draft, and all the way through Round 1 Friday night, follow along with our live blog here for the latest news, rumours and analysis. And of course, you can watch the draft live on Sportsnet, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
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Watch the NHL Draft on Sportsnet
Who will the New York Islanders select first overall? Watch the NHL Draft live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ with Round 1 coverage beginning Friday at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Could San Jose trade the second overall pick? (2:47 p.m.)
With Matthew Schaefer highly likely to go first overall, the uncertainty immediately begins right after at pick No. 2. The San Jose Sharks have been connected to a number of prospects who could go there, including Michael Misa, Anton Frondell and Porter Martone.
Now we hear that the rebuilding team may even be open to moving the pick for a young NHL player.
If so, this would be indicative of how few truly “rebuilding” teams are left. Aside from the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are trying to add young players and assemble a prospect pipeline, lots of non-playoff teams are trying to make a push.
Keep an eye on the Sharks for now. But the draft really starts with whoever ends up holding the second overall pick this evening.
Columbus was also trying to land Noah Dobson (2:38 p.m.)
In his 32 Thoughts column earlier this week, Elliotte Friedman wrote that Don Waddell’s Blue Jackets were a team we probably were not talking about enough as one trying to make a major move. The Blue Jackets were one of the league’s best stories this season, making an unlikely push for the playoffs, and the hold the 14th and 20th overall picks.
According to Aaron Portzline, the Islanders were asking Columbus to beat Montreal’s offer and they just couldn’t do it. So where might Columbus turn its attention to next? Stay tuned, the day is young.
Islanders send Noah Dobson to Montreal; can they make a play for James Hagens? (2:35 p.m.)
Another name has been plucked off Nick Kypreos’ trade board, with Noah Dobson headed from the NY Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens. A 25-year-old, right shot defenceman, Dobson scored 70 points two seasons ago, but dipped back to 39 in 2024-25. While there is still some question exactly where he’ll end up settling in as a scorer, he is another highly talented young defenceman to join Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle and the upcoming David Reinbacher. Dobson, who was an RFA, signed an eight-year extension with a $9.5 million AAV right away.
In return the Islanders get Emil Heineman and both of the first-round picks Montreal held for Friday night, Nos. 16 and 17. This now puts New York in quite an interesting situation.
The Islanders, with new GM Mathieu Darche at the helm, already held the first overall pick, which they are expected to use on defenceman Matthew Schaefer. But it’s been rumoured they’d also like to position themselves to get James Hagens, a centre who was the projected No. 1 player in this class before the season began, but fell a few spots by the end of the season. Hagens, a Long Island native, scored a point per game for Boston College this season and the decline of his draft stock was not about him having a down year.
Could Darche now use the 16 and 17 picks to move up in the order to grab Hagens?
