NHL
It’s no secret that the game changes in the NHL once April rolls around. The postseason is way more physical than the regular season, and what gets called in November doesn’t always get called in the spring. This list re-orders my 2025 NHL Draft big board through the lens of playoff hockey, emphasizing players who have great pace, physicality and compete level.
It’s easy to envision Schaefer playing half of some playoff games. His skating will be an impact trait with how well he kills plays and transitions pucks up ice. He’s hard to play against and gives a consistently great effort on top of having a lot of offense in his game. He has star potential and could be a foundational piece of a winning team.
Misa thrives in transition. He’s not going to run opponents over, but he attacks through high-end speed and skill, and competes well enough to win plenty of pucks. He will more than be able to handle the postseason pace while providing plenty of offense.
Martone brings a rare mix of size, touch and edge. His skating is a question, but playoff hockey suits his game. He can lean on defenders, battle net-front and create plenty of chances in the high-percentage areas.
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Desnoyers is a coach’s dream down the middle. He’s efficient, plays a full 200-foot game and has the skating and size to survive grinding series. He can match up against top lines and hold his own. In a playoff context, he projects as a dependable all-situations pivot who is detailed without the puck and can provide scoring as well.
O’Brien is known for his high-end hockey sense. But what is really appealing about O’Brien is that, on top of his flashy plays, he creates a ton of offense right at the net, especially at even-strength. He’s not physical, but he plays with courage and between that, his 6-2 frame and decent enough quickness, he could absolutely make an impact at the top level.
McQueen brings a tantalizing toolkit. He’s massive, fast and is very skilled. If he were perfectly healthy, I would probably put him third in this exercise. His injury history is the only true hedge in his projection.
Frondell plays with an edge, competes well and has enough offense to be dangerous. His versatility as a forward who can play with pace, dangle, finish chances or battle in traffic makes him playoff-relevant. He’s physically mature and has shown he can score versus men.
Aitcheson competes hard, finishes hits, fights and embraces contact. His skating is good enough to close space, and while he won’t run a power play, he can log tough defensive minutes and provide secondary offense. He’s the kind of defender teams win with.
With his size and skating, Mrtka is an ideal player to log heavy minutes in the postseason. His skating eats up ice quickly, he breaks up a lot of plays and is poised under pressure, making quick plays with the puck.
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Eklund is small but fearless. He plays fast, with edge and consistently gets under opponents’ skin. His feet allow him to win races and stay disruptive. In a high-tempo, high-pressure series, he will be valuable even though he’s 5-foot-11.
This is the controversial one. Hagens’ skating and skill are undeniable, he’s the most talented offensive player in the draft. But he’s small, not overly physical, and against bigger players this season in college, he got pushed to the outside too much. College isn’t junior, and he looked excellent at the World Juniors with no issues on his compete, but if college defenders gave him trouble, how will NHL defensemen do when the refs put their whistles away?
Prokhorov plays heavy, straight-line hockey. He’s a big winger who finishes a lot of checks. He isn’t dynamic, but he has enough speed and skill to earn minutes and be trusted when the games get difficult.
Martin is relentless. He’s a highly physical forward who makes life hellish for opponents. He is also a highly skilled forward who can create offense off the rush. The only reason a guy like him isn’t higher is the questions on whether he is going to be this major physical force at 6 feet.
Fiddler is big, mobile, physical and simple. His puck play may stress coaches out at times, but you look at what Brandon Carlo has brought to teams and Fiddler could do the same thing.
Smith’s U18 worlds and hockey sense concern some evaluators, but at the end of the day, he’s still huge, skates well and has legit offense in his game. That’s the kind of profile that will just be fed minutes at the premier level of hockey.
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Like Smith, Boumedienne’s puck play and decisions cause scouts some concern. The profile, though, is clearly NHL quality: 6-foot-2, high-end skating and good enough puck play. He absolutely can be his own worst enemy and will give coaches some (extra) grey hairs, but they will still rely on him more than a small puck-mover or a slow big guy.
Carbonneau isn’t a great playmaker, but he’s a straight-line winger with legit NHL speed, hands and goal-scoring ability. He competes hard and will win battles in the postseason.
Postseason goaltending is about competing and being able to make the toughest saves. Ravensbergen does that, showing tendencies to make stops in the high-percentage areas and unique athleticism.
Spence doesn’t dazzle but plays the kind of steady, hard game that wears down opponents. He gets to a lot of pucks through his speed and effort and excels in the middle third of the offensive zone.
Cootes has a good motor, plays fast and makes a lot of plays with the puck. His skill for his size isn’t special, but he will play regular minutes. You’re hoping for a Vincent Trocheck/J.T. Compher type if he hits.
Reid isn’t that big, but he’s a tremendous skater who competes hard. He closes on pucks quickly and transitions well, with the potential to have secondary offense in the NHL.
He’s developed into a strong two-way defenseman with skating and size who has fought a few times this season and doesn’t shy away from the physical elements. He makes a good first pass and won’t hurt his team.
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Wang has a huge frame and solid feet. His puck play is very raw and may never truly come, but he’s a clear NHL athlete with bite in his game. If he develops even a little touch, coaches will roll him in the playoffs.
Bear is a likable player. He’s very skilled, competes well and is a decent enough skater. He’s an average-sized winger who isn’t truly special at anything, though, so I can see that player type not being as valuable in the playoffs.
Horcoff is a heavy skater, but he’s big, creative and can score. He makes smart plays and will be able to get inside versus NHL defenders.
Lakovic has top 10-15 tools. He’s big, fast, skilled and has a great shot, but his game is quite unlikable some nights. Scouts carve up his effort and decisions, and I can see him testing a coach’s patience when everything is on the line.
Gastrin is responsible and steady, with good enough overall talent to be reliable at even strength.
Genborg’s hockey sense and overall scoring touch are concerns, but he’s big, fast and highly physical. If he scores a little bit, a coach will bend over backwards to get him into the game, and I think he can cross that bar.
I love Reschny as a player and have him rated way higher on my main list. He’s super clever and skilled, but his size and skating could limit him in physical, high-speed playoff series.
Nesbitt is big, physical and skilled, but his skating is a major issue when the game is at its fastest.
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Ihs-Wozniak has a great shot, a big frame and is overall talented, but he doesn’t bring it every shift. Playoff hockey demands more urgency than he’s shown at points this season.
Zonnon has a solid all-around skill set. He will earn NHL minutes, but I’m not sure which special team he would be slotted into on a contender.
(Photos of Matthew Schaefer and James Hagens: Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images and Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images)
Corey Pronman is the senior NHL prospects writer for The Athletic. Previously, Corey worked in a similar role at ESPN. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreypronman
