The last month has given great context to the 2025 NHL draft class. Scouts have been able to view players in a number of different and difficult environments, with the world juniors being the most prominent of those events. The 2025 edition featured three of the projected top four picks in the upcoming draft.
Our projected first overall pick in this month’s rankings, Matthew Schaefer of Erie, played just four periods at the WJC in Ottawa, but his time leading up to that, including a phenomenal showing at the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge, has vaulted him to the top of the class. Not to mention what his absence meant to Canada.
Being dethroned as the projected first overall pick for the first time in this space, American James Hagens performed exactly as expected at the world juniors. He played a key role as an underaged player on a gold medal-winning team. He was the seventh-most played forward in the tournament averaging over 20 minutes per game, while anchoring the Americans’ top line. His nine points and plus-9 rating also finished in ties for third amongst all participants.
Porter Martone, like his Canadian teammate Schaefer, also missed a couple of world junior games. The scuttlebutt was that his time off was due to healthy scratches, but Martone was dealing with a groin issue that played at least a part in the decision to sit him. When he was in the lineup he played to his strengths, working the corners as well as the net front. Martone also performed well in the first-ever OHL Prospects Game, adding an assist to his overtime game-winning goal.
Michael Misa of OHL Saginaw is the fourth player who is in the conversation to go first overall. The exceptional player didn’t get invited to Canada’s world junior camp, but tore up the OHL while the others were away.
While Schaefer has emerged as the top defenceman, there is a gap to the next highest rated d-man in Jackson Smith of WHL Tri-City. As he continues to play a heavy schedule on North American ice, WHL Seattle’s Radim Mrtka is headed towards a push into the top 10, but is currently outside that range. With a mix of forwards, centres and wingers all jockeying for position, it will be a fun ride in the second half.
Prince George netminder Joshua Ravensbergen continues to be the top rated goalie, with Brampton’s Jack Ivankovic located near the bottom of my top 32. NHL Central Scouting has three other North American goalies rated after Ravensbergen and ahead of Ivankovic. Central Scouting’s European goalie list also has some interesting options, including world junior top goalie Petteri Rimpinen. It will be interesting to track the netminders throughout the rest of the season, be it with their club teams or those who will participate in the world under-18 championships in April. This begs the question: how many goalies will eventually be picked in Round 1 of the draft? At this point, I still have just the two North Americans in this month’s list.
As we know, defencemen and centres hold the greatest draft value. There’s no shortage of high-end centre depth which, when added to the three top rated defencemen, should make for a diverse positional array of players picked with the top 10. We also have players in all sizes spread throughout the first round, from Arizona State’s 5-foot-10 Cullen Potter, to Seattle’s hulking defenceman, the 6-foot-6 Mrtka.
In a broader sense, it’s a banner year for North American players. It’s safe to say we’ve moved past the pandemic effect and into a golden age of North American-trained players. The pandemic definitely saw CHL draft numbers negatively impacted, especially in the top third of the draft. That trend will reverse this year, with as many as 20 CHL players likely to be taken in Round 1. That number sat at 15 last year.
More curiously, there’s just one player from Russia on this list. Things have loosened up slightly in terms of scouts being able to get over there, but there remains plenty of intrigue as to how Russian players fit in the draft landscape.
It’s definitely a down year for Finnish prospects. As usual, there’s a number of Swedish prospects in the conversation. There’s a smattering of Slovakian and Czechia-born players, with most of them entering the fray beyond Round 1. The 2025 first round will be less geographically diverse than it was last year, when we saw seven different countries represented, including two Norwegian-born players.
Typically at this time of year, fans start to become more interested in the NHL draft as their team’s playoff fate is more clear. That’s not quite the case this season. As of writing on Jan. 22, eight teams were within five points of the wildcard in the East, while six teams in the West were within six points of playoff contention. In total, 26 of 32 NHL teams woke up this morning thinking there’s still a ticket to the Stanley Cup tournament available, and as a result, less concern about looking ahead to the future.
In the meantime, here’s how things shake down for the month of January.
No. 1: Matthew Schaefer, D, 6-foot-1, 183 pounds, Erie Otters (OHL)
As brilliant as his play was in key games at the world juniors, his absence for Canada was equally as noticeable and evidence as to why he’s the top rated player in this class.
No. 2: James Hagens, C, 5-foot-11, 177 pounds, Boston College (NCAA)
He played to his identity for the gold medal Americans at the world juniors. He anchored the tournament’s top line and wasn’t a liability defensively.
No. 3: Porter Martone, RW, 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Was slowed by groin issues at the world juniors, but showed enough to maintain his spot amongst the top three prospects this draft class has available.
No. 4: Michael Misa, C, 6-foot-1, 184 pounds, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
At the very least, he should’ve been invited to Canada’s world junior camp. Since the snub, has put up 26 points over his past 13 games.
No. 5: Caleb Desnoyers, C, 6-foot-2, 178 pounds, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
By the time we get to the draft, he may very well end up being a top three pick. His details and compete level present a game mature beyond his years.
No. 6: Victor Eklund, LW, 5-foot-11, 161 pounds, Djurgardens (Allsvenskan)
He’s so well aware of open ice, and does great work quietly finding it. Despite being a little light, he will engage and often win battles using elusiveness and a quick stick.
No. 7: Anton Frondell, C, 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, Djurgardens (Allsvenskan)
Utilizes his size well to present a solid, two-way game. His season has been slowed by injury, but if he can maintain his health and continue his fine play, he too may find himself amongst the top three.
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No. 8: Jackson Smith, D, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Is rounding into form by continuing to develop his physical game. Keeps good gaps and projects to provide at least secondary offence at the next level.
No. 9: Roger McQueen, C, 6-foot-5, 197 pounds, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
There is a cautionary tale here based on what we saw last year with Cayden Lindstrom going fourth to Columbus. With everyone else healthy and playing, it’s hard to use eight early-season games and a good draft minus-one season to project McQueen over the group ahead of him.
No. 10: Jake O’Brien, C, 6-foot-2, 172 pounds, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Gaining strength will be key for a player willing to play the game all over the ice. He has the ability to control the pace of the game when the puck’s on his stick. A dual threat.
No. 11: Ivan Ryabkin, C, 6-feet, 198 pounds, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
After making the move over from Russia mid-season, we will need to see a full month of games in North America before we can start making the apples to apples comparison on Ryabkin.
No. 12: Brady Martin, C, 6-feet, 178 pounds, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
Martin’s ranking has grown along with his play as the year has gone on. He’s the type of player you need multiple viewings of in order to properly appreciate his game.
No. 13: Carter Bear, LW, 6-feet, 179 pounds, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Excels in every facet of the game. He can play with pace, play defence, make offence, score and generally elevate his teammates.
No. 14: Radim Mrtka, D, 6-foot-6, 207 pounds, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Has adjusted seamlessly to play in North America despite fits and starts just after his arrival. The blend of size, skating and puck moving ability in a right shot defenceman is extremely rare.
No. 15: Malcolm Spence, LW, 6-foot-1, 203 pounds, Erie Otters (OHL)
Consistency is the key element in his game. Like few others his age, Spence brings consistent effort, point production and defensive detail to the table each night.
No. 16: Logan Hensler, D, 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, Wisconsin (NCAA)
Was serviceable for the US at the world juniors in a third-pairing role. Skating and agility are his best assets. What that translates to at the next level is uncertain.
No. 17: Milton Gastrin, C, 6-feet, 185 pounds, MODO (Sweden J20)
Similar in style and stature to Liam Ohgren, who Minnesota picked 19th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Gastrin doesn’t excel in any one area, but plays a solid, honest game with some undercover skill. Like Ohgren, Gastrin will get NHL games before many expect.
No. 18: Cameron Reid, D, 6-feet, 193 pounds, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Has rebounded after two pedestrian showings at the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge in November, and earned player of the game honours for Team East at the OHL Prospects game.
No. 19: Jack Nesbitt, C, 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Was less refined at this point last year, but is tracking along the lines of teammate Liam Greentree who ended up going 26th to Los Angeles in the 2024 NHL Draft.
No. 20: Ben Kindel, C, 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Extremely intelligent player who rarely takes a shift off. There’s a little Brayden Point in Kindel. He thinks the game at an elite level and, at the same point in their careers, their skating looks a little awkward.
No. 21: Kashawn Aitcheson, D, 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, Barrie Colts (OHL)
Teams love his old-school approach and positive attitude. He’s not likely to provide the offence level of offence at the next level that he does in junior.
No. 22: Joshua Ravensbergen, G, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
His numbers look a little worse than last year, but his size will always be attractive. A calm, patient approach with a long developmental runway is the best path a team should take with this player.
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No. 23: Braeden Cootes, C, 6-feet, 183 pounds, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
Pro habits on and off the ice make him a safe pick. Even if he’s not producing, he’s good enough to impact the game in other areas.
No. 24: Justin Carbonneau, RW, 6-foot-1, 191 pounds, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
His skating stride could be a little more compact and efficient, but he gets to where he needs to go on time. He’s strong on his stick, yet still has soft hands to protect pucks and make plays.
No. 25: Lynden Lakovic, LW, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
If he can find consistency in both effort and hard physical play, he will be a force at the next level. Absent those elements, he is still a super skilled player with size.
No. 26: William Moore, C, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, USNTDP
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride for a player thought to be in top 10 consideration at the start of the season. He’s back to using his smarts and creativity and is producing at a level we expected at the start of the season. Without doubt, Moore is one of the most polarizing figures in this draft class.
No. 27: Cameron Schmidt, RW, 5-foot-8, 161 pounds, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Immediately thinking of Alex DeBrincat and Cole Caufield, Schmidt is a smaller player who can shoot the lights out. The challenge will be developing his overall game to still be a contributor if he’s not scoring.
No. 28: William Horcoff, C, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, University of Michigan (NCAA)
Leaving the USNTDP for Michigan mid-season was a bold move, but the right one for a player who plays a pro-style game that’s better suited for the structure seen at that level. NHL bloodlines (father Shawn) will always be a contributing factor in the draft process.
No. 29: Sascha Boumedienne, D, 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Boston University (NCAA)
The youngest player in college hockey at the toughest position has been challenged to produce points, but when matched up against his peer group, he belongs.
No. 30: Jack Ivankovic, G, 5-foot-11, 178 pounds, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
He is the only sub-6-foot goalie of the 48 listed by NHL Central Scouting, which includes goalies from North America and Europe. But all he does is stop pucks.
No. 31: Jack Murtagh, LW, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, USNTDP
Has emerged as a top prospect on this year’s edition of the USNTDP. He works hard, goes to all areas of the ice and has enough skill to convert the turnovers he creates.
No. 32: Bill Zonnon, C, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Ended 2024 with a six-point night. He hasn’t been as consistent here in the new year, but there’s plenty to like about him. He has shown a willingness to play a complete game and there’s lots of room to add to his frame.
