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The 2025 NHL Draft marks the introduction to the league for a fresh batch of young prospects from North America and around the world.
The New York Islanders made the first pick, selecting 17-year-old Matthew Schaefer from Hamilton, Canada.
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Matthew Schaefer selected by New York Islanders with first pick in 2025 NHL Draft
Calgary Hitmen forward Ben Kindel goes to the Penguins at No. 11 overall. A lot of projections had him going much later than that. Think late first-round, maybe even gone very early on Day 2.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have selected 18-year-old Calgary F Benjamin Kindel with the 11th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Kindel was one of the best forwards in the WHL this season. He's small but checks every other box you want. He's a very good skater with the first few steps and top speed to play at the higher levels. He's a skilled, creative offensive player who sees the ice well and has scored in large numbers in junior. He creates well on the move and has a direct style of offense. I wouldn't describe him as the typical small, dynamic offensive player you would see as a projected NHL player. Rather, I think he could make it because of his talent plus his work ethic. Kindel is a diligent player away from the puck who gives a strong effort at both ends of the ice. He projects as a middle-six winger.
If the rest of the draft continues as the first 10 picks have, it will take more than 5 hours to get through 32 selections tonight.
Pick grade: B+
Thoughts on the pick: Anaheim takes a major dice roll on McQueen, who should have gone closer to 5 in terms of pure talent, but his back injury, a stress fracture, scared off a lot of teams. At this point in the draft, I appreciate the risk. Almost all of the premier talents are off the board, the Ducks have a good cupboard of talent, and if McQueen hits, he could be an excellent top two line center, or potentially a first-line winger given the Ducks’ depth at that position. The injury is scary, especially in his lanky frame, but at 10, I respect it.
The NHL has all the players doing Zoom interviews with the local press in their respective cities. The problem is, they're all in the same small room, conducting their Zooms at the same time. It makes asking or answering a simple question comically difficult. The NFL, in contrast, has individual rooms for each draftee. Fans, understandably, probably don't care about that, but it's worth noting that this decentralized draft has been a failure at almost every level.
Roger McQueen was selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks.
Read more on the Ducks latest draft pick below.
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Why Ducks’ Roger McQueen is the 2025 NHL Draft’s most fascinating top pick
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Through 10 picks, here's a rundown of each team's celebrity pick-announcer:
The Anaheim Ducks have selected 18-year-old Brandon C Roger McQueen with the 10th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
McQueen got off to a great start to the season before a back injury sidelined him in the fall. He returned for a handful of games toward the end of the year. He's a 6-foot-5 center who, when healthy, can skate and has high-end offensive skills. His reach and hands can let him break shifts open, especially when he's attacking with tempo. I wouldn't call McQueen a truly high-end playmaker, but he sees the ice well, makes difficult plays and can create in the high percentage areas. McQueen is big, but what scouts will love is that he uses his big frame. He has an edge in his play, and even after a near season-long injury, he returned and played with bite. He projects as a potential No. 1 center who can play big minutes in the NHL, presuming his health checks out.
Pick grade: B
Thoughts on the pick: Mrtka is a huge right-shot defenseman with legit mobility and puck-moving skill. He had a strong half-season in the WHL. His physicality isn’t a calling card, but he projects as a top-four defenseman who can contribute value at both ends of the ice. Buffalo also adds some much-needed size to its system full of smaller forwards with a premium pick.
Radim Mrtka was selected with the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
Scouts have been debating who the second-best D prospect in the draft is after No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer. Mrtka, selected at No. 9, might be the answer.
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Why Sabres’ Radim Mrtka is one of the 2025 NHL Draft’s top — and most unique — prospects
I wonder if it’s by design that these interactions from the draftees and their teams are becoming shorter and shorter as this process goes on?
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Jake O’Brien is the reigning OHL Rookie of the Year. After leading all OHL rookies with 64 points in 61 games last season at 16, he’s chasing 100 points and a top-10 finish in OHL scoring at 17 this season.
He’s got a chance to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, too. NHL Central Scouting slotted him eighth among North American skaters on their midterm rankings.
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How ‘incredible’ Jake O’Brien became a top 2025 NHL Draft pick for Kraken
The Buffalo Sabres have selected 18-year-old Seattle RHD Radim Mrtka with the ninth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Mrtka's season started off playing limited minutes in Czechia's top league so he made the midseason move to the WHL where he ended up playing half the game often for Seattle. Mrtka has the look of an NHL defenseman as there aren't many 6-foot-6 defenders who can skate and handle the puck well. On his best shifts, Mrtka makes a major impact with how he can make stops and get up into the attack. He has some offense, with good hands and offensive instincts, but I wouldn't call him a projected power-play type in the NHL as I don't see a player who thinks the game at a super high level. Mrtka uses his size well enough to make stops. You'd like him to be a bit meaner at times, but he gives a strong effort and will break up a lot of plays due to his natural athleticism. He projects as a second pair defenseman.
Pick grade: B+
Thoughts on the pick: There was some pressure on Seattle to take a defenseman here, given how few the Kraken have selected with a high pick in their young history. But going from O’Brien to players like Radim Mrtka or Jackson Smith would have been a notable decline in talent. They took the clear best player, and arguably the second most purely talented player in the draft, in O’Brien, even if he’s very physically underdeveloped. This was the right decision, and a potential top-six forward of the future for Seattle.
The Seattle Kraken have selected 18-year-old Brantford C Jake O'Brien with the eighth pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
O’Brien has been an excellent junior player as a leading player on a top OHL team. O'Brien displays the high-end patience and vision to hold onto pucks for an extra second to make difficult plays and run an NHL power play. He's extremely skilled with the puck, showing the soft touch and quick hands to create a lot of scoring chances and improvise on difficult plays often. He's a decent enough skater. His game can lack pace at times in part because he pulls up to make his skilled plays too much, but when he gets going, he moves well. O'Brien isn't overly physical, but he gets to the net to create chances, can kill penalties and isn't a pushover. He projects as a very good top two line center who could score a lot in the NHL.
Pick grade: A-
Thoughts on the pick: The Bruins had a clear need for high-end talent in their farm system and a pressing need for top center talent. In Hagens, address both. He’s an electric skater, puck handler and passer. He becomes the clear top young talent in their organization, and despite how he’s been picked apart at times for his size and physicality, he projects as a potential top-line forward.
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Porter Martone was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Read more on the Flyers' latest draft pick below.
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How ‘phenomenal’ Porter Martone went No. 6 to Flyers in the 2025 NHL Draft
James Hagens tries saying hi to the Bruins MGMT staff, but some technical issues keep that from happening. Those are the constraints you dread for a setup like this.
I may have spoken too soon about my feelings over the NHL Draft House after Schaefer was taken. Also, this draft continues to run slowwwwwwly.
Flyers general manager Daniel Briere was true to his word. Despite the need for another high end center in the system, the club instead took burly scoring winger Porter Martone, thought by many (including our Corey Pronman) to be the best player still available when they selected him at sixth overall. And, Martone does add some needed size to the Flyers’ system as a player that can not only score, but can play a physical game when necessary.
The Flyers will still have a couple of opportunities to find centers later in the draft, as they still have the No. 22 and No. 31 picks.