Columbus is slated to pick 14th and 20th; Get to know the highest-rated prospects in our yearly look at the best players available
For the first time since 2020, the Blue Jackets head into the NHL draft without a top-10 pick in the first round.
That symbolizes progress for the team’s rebuild – Columbus came within two points of returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season – and puts a different spin on the 2025 NHL Draft, which will be held June 27-28.
The Blue Jackets won’t be looking for immediate help but instead to add more talent to a pipeline that already has helped the team rise up the standings. They also have two first-round selections – their own at No. 14 overall and the 20th pick, acquired in a midseason trade with Minnesota – for the first time since 2022, which will allow them to either draft two pieces or make a deal with another squad to bolster the current outfit.
It will be a bit of a different world as the draft will be held with a decentralized format, much like the drafts conducted by the NHL and NBA. While the top prospects and some team representatives will be at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for the event, front offices and scouts will be in their home markets, which should give the fans at draft gatherings more up-close access to the proceedings.
RSVP for the CBJ draft party featuring Mathieu Olivier on June 27
So who are the players who might be on the board when the Blue Jackets make their selections – as well as those who are in the running to hear their names when the New York Islanders kick things off with the No. 1 overall selection?
With the draft now just 10 days away, today we debut our annual consensus draft poll. This piece should allow fans a chance to get to know the top players ahead of next Friday night’s first round.
The poll in this story combines the NHL draft rankings of 14 different media and scouting experts, all mixed into one to give CBJ fans a look at the players that could be available where Columbus will select in the first round and perhaps even beyond.
To create the consensus poll, we took each of the 14 rankings and assigned points to the top 32 players listed. The top player in each draft ranking received 32 points, the second 31, and so on until one point was given to the No. 32-rated player. We then combined all the results to come up with a consensus poll of the top 32 players in the draft.
It’s important to note this is not the draft board being used by the Blue Jackets’ front office, but merely a way to get a sense of how the prospects available are viewed by the hockey world at large going into the draft.
The rankings used include those produced by Corey Pronman (The Athletic), Scott Wheeler (The Athletic), Craig Button (TSN), Chris Peters (FloHockey), Ryan Kennedy (The Hockey News), Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet), Jason Bukala (Sportsnet), Peter Baracchini (The Hockey Writers) and Byron Bader (HockeyProspecting.com) as well as EliteProspects.com, FC Hockey, McKeens Hockey, HockeyProspect.com and Smaht Scouting.
In all, 53 players appeared on the different lists, with 17 players appearing in the top 32 of all 14 rankings.
A couple of trends fans should be aware of going into the draft:
A race for No. 1: At the start of the season, the smart money was on American forward James Hagens being the top prospect in this draft, but he’s since been overtaken by Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Twelve of the 14 rankings had Schaefer as the No. 1 prospect available, partly because of how impressive he was this season and partly because Hagens had a good but not great season as a freshman at Boston College. Such prospects as OHL forwards Michael Misa and Porter Martone have pushed, but Schaefer appears to be the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 (though it bears watching that the Islanders have the No. 1 pick and Hagens hails from Long Island).
Centers lead the way: If you’re looking to add a center, this might be the draft for you. The middle of the ice leads the way with 15 players in our top 32, including seven of the top 10 picks. Maybe it’s a bit ironic, then, that Schaefer tops the rankings considering only two defensemen – Buffalo selections Owen Power in 2021 and Rasmus Dahlin in 2018 – have been taken first overall in the past 10 years. In all, 15 players are listed at center, eight at wing and eight on defense, while one goalie makes the final 32.
Where they’re from: O Canada! Big changes are on the horizon for the junior hockey landscape, with players in the Canadian Hockey League eligible to enter NCAA hockey starting this upcoming season, but the CHL and the three leagues that comprise it are dominant in this year’s top 32. Twenty-three players in our consensus rankings played this past season in either the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League or Western Hockey League, including the top four players.
It’s also a solid year for Swedish prospects, as the International class is headlined by those from the Scandinavian country. All four players in the top 32 who hail from outside of North America are Swedish and played this past year in their native land.
Outside of that, four prospects played college hockey a year ago, while one – the consensus poll’s lone Russian – played in the United States Hockey League. In a change from recent years, no players who finished this past season at the U.S. National Team Development Program are in the top 32, though a handful have worn the Stars and Stripes at some point in their careers.
Stats and profiles of the top 32 players in the consensus poll follow. Heights and weights are from the NHL Scouting Combine when available, while positions are those listed by NHL Central Scouting.
1. LHD Matthew Schaefer
6-2, 186/Erie (OHL)/No. 1-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Schaefer was limited to just 17 games this year with the Otters thanks to a broken collarbone suffered at the World Juniors, but the fact he made that team at just 17 years old shows how well respected he already is as a player. He posted seven goals and 24 points in those 17 games, and while he isn’t a monster physically like Power, Schaefer is lauded for his elite skating skills, ability to create offense from the blue line and the maturity in his game.
2. C Michael Misa
6-1, 182/Saginaw (OHL)/No. 2-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Misa has been viewed as a can’t-miss prospect since becoming the OHL’s eighth-ever player granted exceptional status to join the league at age 15. He was a productive player his first two seasons in the OHL (51-80-131 in 112 games) but jumped to the next level this year, leading Canadian juniors with 62 goals among 134 points, the most in the OHL since Patrick Kane in 2006-07. A great skater with offensive touch, Misa should be a high-end scorer at the NHL level.
3. RW Porter Martone
6-3, 204/Brampton (OHL)/No. 6-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Martone is generally believed to be top wing available on the board after an excellent season with the Steelheads in which he posted 37 goals among 98 points, then played for Canada’s national team at the World Championships. Blessed with excellent size, Martone plays a physical game and is viewed as having the potential to become a premier power forward à la Matthew Tkachuk given his mix of physicality, an excellent shot and good puck skill.
4. C James Hagens
5-10½, 186/Boston College (NCAA)/No. 3-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Hagens was generally thought to be in line to be the No. 1 pick coming into the season, but his first year at BU saw success – he posted 11 goals and 37 points in 37 games – but not the dominant showings that earned freshmen Adam Fantilli (2023) and Macklin Celebrini (2024) the Hobey Baker Award in their respective draft seasons. The Long Island native is still a heck of a prospect, excelling at the IIHF World U-18s and World Juniors and boasting elite skating and playmaking ability.
5. C Caleb Desnoyers
6-1½, 178/Moncton (QMJHL)/No. 7-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Desnoyers appears set to be the first top-10 pick from the Q since Alexis Lafrenière went No. 1 to the Rangers in 2020. The No. 1 pick in the league’s draft two years ago, he lived up to the billing, posting 35-49-84 in 56 regular-season games and adding 9-21-30 in 19 playoff games to lead the Wildcats to the QMJHL title this season. Desnoyers is projected to be a solid all-around player who can play a two-way game – he was plus-51 this season – while producing in a top-six role.
6. C Anton Frondell
6-1¼, 204/Djurgårdens IF (Sweden)/No. 1-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
The top European in the draft, Frondell has been in the mix to be a top-five pick throughout this season, as scouts love his size, competitiveness and scoring ability. Playing in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan this past season, he helped Djurgårdens earn a promotion to the SHL by posting 11 goals and 25 points in 29 regular-season games and seven more points in 16 qualification games. Frondell has also impressed while wearing the Tre Kronor sweater at the international level.
7. RW Victor Eklund
5-11, 169/Djurgårdens IF (Sweden) /No. 2-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
Frondell’s Swedish teammate and the brother of young San Jose Sharks standout William Eklund, this Eklund could make the brothers 2-for-2 in being top-10 picks. In fact, the elder Eklund was taken at this same spot in 2021, and teams will hope to get a similar player considering William nearly notched 60 points this past season at age 22. Victor is coming off a season in which he posted 21 goals and 38 points in 60 games between the season and qualification, while also notching six points in seven games at the World Juniors. He has skill, smarts and competitiveness.
8. C Jake O’Brien
6-1½, 177/Brantford (OHL)/No. 4-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
The center has turned in two excellent seasons in the OHL, earning league rookie of the year honors in 2023-24 and then posting 32 goals and 98 points in 66 games this past season. Playmaking seems to be O’Brien’s key skill, as he has the vision and skill to set teammates up with aplomb, but he can also put the puck in the net. He also has decent size and competitiveness and excellent hockey IQ.
9. C Brady Martin
6-0, 186/Soo (OHL)/No. 11-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
If you’re looking for a player who has moved up draft boards throughout the year, Martin fits the bill. He’s a player who grows on you over time thanks to a relentless work ethic – perhaps learned on his family farm growing up – and a motor that allows him to make plays all over the ice. Martin can also score, as evidenced by his 33-39-72 line in 57 games this year with the Greyhounds. He wore a letter for Canada’s U-18 Worlds team and brings all the intangibles to the table in addition to his talent.
10. C Roger McQueen
6-5¼, 198/Brandon (WHL)/No. 8-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
McQueen will be one of the most polarizing players near the top of the draft, largely because he was limited to 17 games this past season by a back injury. The injury may cause teams to take a second look, though McQueen did all activities at the combine and said he’s good to go. He could be a top-five player just based on talent, as McQueen has excellent size, compete and ability to score around the net. A veteran of Canada’s international squads, McQueen had a 10-10-20 line when he did suit up for the Wheat Kings this season.
11. LHD Jackson Smith
6-4, 199/Tri-City (WHL)/No. 13-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Scouts seem a bit divided on the big defensemen, as some see him as worthy of a top-10 pick while others are a little bit lower on his potential, but there’s no doubt Smith is an intriguing package. He has the requisite size and shot for the position and also good skating ability that portends offensive production down the road, but Smith’s game still has the ups and downs of a young defenseman. He posted 11 goals and 54 points in 68 games this past season for the Americans and recently committed to play next season at Penn State.
12. RHD Radim Mrtka
6-5¾, 218/Seattle (WHL)/No. 5-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Staying with large defensemen who played this past season in the Pacific Northwest, Mrtka is another intriguing option. Adding to his resume is the fact he plays the right side, a position where it’s hard to find elite options at the NHL level. There’s plenty to be excited about here, as the Czechia-born blueliner started this season in his home country’s top league before joining the Thunderbirds and posting 3-32-35 in 43 games. Mrtka has size and can lead the rush while playing a poised game.
13. LW Carter Bear
6-0, 179/Everett (WHL)/No. 10-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
The Manitoba native has produced in each of his two seasons in the WHL, posting 57 points a year ago and then following it with a 40-goal, 82-point campaign in 56 contests this season. Without elite size, he makes a mark with his competitiveness and motor, but Bear also has the ability to score as evidenced by his production. He suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon in March but hopes to be healthy by the start of next season.
14. LHD Kashawn Aitcheson
6-1½, 199/Barrie (OHL)/No. 9-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
If he’s available, the Blue Jackets may just run up to the podium – well, you can’t quite do that with a decentralized draft, but you know what we mean – as Aitcheson brings a combination of nastiness and talent to the table. Scouts are a bit divided on his future – some see him as deserving of going higher, others lower – but Aitcheson will likely excite some team out there with his abilities, as he posted 26-33-59 and 88 penalty minutes in 64 games with the Colts this year. He’s not afraid to make a hit or drop the gloves and has a hard shot that can find the back of the net.
15. RW Justin Carbonneau
6-1¼, 205/Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)/No. 16-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
In the realm of pure goal scorers, Carbonneau is near the top of the list after tallying 46 times this past season to tie for second in the QMJHL. He also posted 31 the year before, all thanks to hockey intelligence and a quick release that allows him to score from different places on the ice. He’s also a former football player and brings that type of aggressive mentality to the ice. Most analysts see him as someone who should go in the middle of the first round, but some projections have him on the border of being in the top 10.
16. LW Lynden Lakovic
6-4, 200/Moose Jaw (WHL)/No. 14-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Playing on a rebuilding Moose Jaw team after Denton Mateychuk led the Warriors to the Memorial Cup in 2023-24, Lakovic posted a 27-31-58 line in 47 games this past season despite suffering a fractured collarbone during the season. It’s not hard to see why he’s considered a top prospect given his size and ability to both shoot and pass the puck, but consistency appears to be an area where he can improve according to scouts.
17. C Cole Reschny
5-10¾, 180/Victoria (WHL)/No. 25-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Some scouts aren’t quite as high on Reschny but some are after an excellent season out west in which he notched 26 goals and added 66 assists for 92 points in 62 games, then had nine goals and 25 points in 11 dominant playoff contests. Headed to college hockey to play at North Dakota, Reschny doesn’t have prototypical size down the middle but makes up for it with skill and a competitive streak that makes him a dependable player across all 200 feet.
18. C Braeden Cootes
5-11½, 186/Seattle (WHL)/No. 20-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Some analysts see Cootes as someone who could go just outside the top 10 after captaining the Thunderbirds this past season and posting a 26-37-63 line in 60 games. He also wore the “C” for Canada at the World U-18 Championship, notching six goals and 12 points in seven games. A complete centerman with a strong work ethic, Cootes has a lot to like about him and projects as a middle-six player down the road who can both contribute and provide energy.
19. LHD Cameron Reid
6-0, 183/Kitchener (OHL)/No. 23-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Reid isn’t a towering figure on the blue line but is still a highly respected prospect thanks to his elite skating, strong hockey sense and skill from the back end. An assistant captain with the Rangers this season, Reid was a consistent, productive player, posting a 14-40-54 line with a plus-39 rating.
20. C Ben Kindel
5-10¼, 180/Calgary (WHL)/No. 21-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
If only he could have converted one more shot, as Kindel finished just a point shy of the century mark this past season with the Hitmen, posting a 35-64-99 line in 65 games as well as eight goals and 15 points in 11 playoff games. He added 1-6-7 in five games with the U.S. U-18 Worlds squad, and Kindel has an excellent shot to go with solid playmaking skill and a good sense for the game. Size might be the biggest limitation for Kindel, but all he’s done is produce at the junior level.
21. RHD Logan Hensler
6-2½, 198/University of Wisconsin (NCAA)/No. 12-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
An October birthday, Hensler spent two seasons with the USNTDP before heading to Wisconsin, where the Minnesota native had a 2-10-12 line on a Badger team that struggled through much of the campaign. A member of the U.S. World Juniors squad that won gold, Hensler has a lot of the skills – including excellent mobility – and enough size to make it as a middle-of-the-lineup, two-way defenseman.
22. LW Malcolm Spence
6-0¾, 190/Erie (OHL)/No. 17-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Teammates in Erie with Schaefer, the projected No. 1 overall pick, Spence is headed to the University of Michigan this upcoming season, which alone could put him on the CBJ draft board. Spence was a productive part of the Otters forward lineup this year, tallying 32 goals among his 73 points in 62 games. The Ontario native is a dependable, versatile forward who added bite as the season went on, but the question will be just how far his skill will take him.
23. C Cullen Potter
5-9¾, 172/Arizona State University (NCAA)/No. 22-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Potter left the Stars and Stripes early this past season to join the Sun Devils, who came close to making the program’s second appearance in the NCAA tournament. An excellent skater, Potter had a solid first season at ASU, notching 13 goals and 22 points in 35 games. Scouts seem to have the Wisconsin native all over the board, with some seeing a player whose size will limit him and others viewing his skill and skating ability as good enough to make him an effective NHLer.
24. C Jack Nesbitt
6-4½, 186/Windsor (OHL)/No. 15-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
If all else fails, you can always take a big center near the end of the first round, and the Ontario-born Nesbitt fits the bill. After just 18 points in his first season in the OHL, Nesbitt made a big leap this past season to post a 25-39-64 line in 65 games with the Spitfires. He skated with Canada at the U-18 Worlds (2-3-5 in six games) and plays the type of game of someone you’d expect given his size and numbers, but his skating will have to continue to improve.
25. RW Bill Zonnon
6-1¾, 185/Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)/No. 31-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Zonnon had remarkable consistency across the board, as almost every ranking used pegged him to go in the final few picks of the first round. A Montreal native who attended prep school in the U.S. before heading back across the border, Zonnon had a 28-55-83 line in 64 games with the Huskies this year as well as 8-8-16 in 13 playoff games. Traded to Blainville-Boisbriand for this upcoming season, Zonnon is a hard-working forward who can play both center and wing and led the NHL Combine in pull-ups.
26. LHD Sascha Boumedienne
6-1¾, 184/Boston University (NCAA)/No. 18-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
The defenseman is well-traveled, including a stop in Columbus, where he played for the Ohio AAA Blue Jackets program when his father – former NHL defenseman Josef Boumedienne – worked for the CBJ. A Swedish national, Boumedienne started his freshman season at BU as the youngest player in college hockey at age 17 and earned more time and responsibility as the season went on, posting 3-10-13 and a plus-8 rating in 40 games. This summer, the smooth-skating blueliner set the points record for a defenseman at the U-18 Worlds with a 1-13-14 line in seven games.
27. RHD Blake Fiddler
6-4½, 220/Edmonton (WHL)/No. 26-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Oh, to be reborn as a big, right-shot defenseman. There’s only so many of them out there these days, which makes Fiddler someone who will be attractive at the draft (and could fill a big hole in the CBJ pipeline). The son of longtime NHLer Vernon Fiddler, Blake was born in Nashville and represents the U.S. at the international level but went the CHL route, posting 10-23-33 and a plus-6 rating in 64 games with the Oil Kings. A member of Team USA at the U-18 Worlds, Fiddler excels on the defensive end of the ice but can add some offense.
28. G Joshua Ravensbergen
6-5¼, 191/Prince George (WHL)/No. 1-ranked North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting
Could Ravensbergen be the first goalie taken in the first round since Sebastian Cossa (Detroit) and Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota) went in 2021? Scouts love his prototypical size and athleticism, and the right-catching netminder projects as someone who could be a standout No. 1 given time and experience. After posting a 1.98 GAA and .931 save percentage in the playoffs in 2023-24, Ravensbergen was more up and down this season (33-13-4, 3.00, .914) for the Cougars but has the skill to keep getting better.
29. C Milton Gastrin
6-0¾, 194/MoDo (Sweden)/No. 3-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
Just the third international player on the list, Gastrin spent most of this season with MoDo’s U-20 team – totaling 18-24-42 in 40 games – but did play in eight games without any points with the senior team in the second-level Allsvenskan. Internationally, he had three goals among 10 points in seven games while captaining Sweden at the U-18 Worlds, a strong showing among his peers. Gastrin is fundamentally sound, a great athlete and adds decent size down the middle, but upside is the question.
30. C Ivan Ryabkin
5-11, 210/Muskegon (USHL)/No. 35-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Born in Russia, Ryabkin came up through the Dynamo Moskva system – even playing two games at the KHL level this past season – before coming to the U.S. to play for the Lumberjacks and posting 19-11-30 in 27 games (plus 7-9-16 in 14 playoff games for the USHL champs). Ryabkin put up Matvei Michkov/Ivan Demidov-level numbers in Russia’s junior league a season ago with a 24-34-58 line in 44 games, so the skill is elite, but many reports cite concerns about consistency and coachability. Where he’ll go is a mystery in this draft.
31. RW Cameron Schmidt
5-7½, 160/Vancouver (WHL)/No. 43-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting
Schmidt measured in as the second shortest player at the NHL Scouting Combine, but as we’ve seen in recent seasons, smaller players are more able to succeed in the league than a generation ago. Players have to have some combination of excellent skating ability, elite skill and dogged competitiveness to do so, and that’s the book on Schmidt, who used those abilities to post 40 goals and 78 points in 61 games a season ago with the Giants.
32. C Jakob Ihs-Wozniak
6-2¼, 190/Luleå (Sweden)/No. 19-ranked International skater by NHL Central Scouting
The fourth Swede on this list, Ihs-Wozniak has a lot of offensive upside thanks to an excellent shot, and he used it to fill the net with a 23-34-57 line for Luleå’s U-20 team this past season. He had just 1-1-2 playing 13 games in the top-level SHL, but that’s to be expected playing against men at his age. Ihs-Wozniak had five goals in seven games at the U-18 Worlds, and he might have the best pure offensive ability of the players in this range.
Other players ranked, in order of their finish:

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