It’s finally here! Just several hours from now the Philadelphia Flyers will be selecting sixth overall at the 2025 NHL Draft, and some other teams are involved too.
But, how will it play out? Who will be some surprise reaches? What prospect is going to fall down and have several fan bases scream and plead for their favorite team to snatch him up? Will there be trades? What team is going to take the goaltender prospects? Which team will draft someone who is taller and heavier than every single hockey prospect known to man?
Those questions will (hopefully) be answered Friday night, but before the actual Draft goes down, we decided to try our hand at a little 2025 NHL Mock Draft. We went with the first 64 selections since the Flyers have six of them, and we would probably be institutionalized if we tried to do the entire draft.
In case you missed it, we did this on the Broad Street Hockey YouTube channel, livestreamed as we made our selections. You should probably just watch it since we will expand on why we matched up each prospect to each team in much more detail:
Or, if you don’t want to watch and listen to us, here is how it went down with a small blurb on our decision.
1st overall — New York Islanders — Matthew Schaefer, D
The easiest selection of the bunch, Schaefer is a dynamic skating defenseman who should control play with excellent vision, shooting, handling, passing, and just general ability from the back end. A gift to have.
2nd overall — San Jose Sharks — Michael Misa, C
Again, easy, but Misa is by far the top forward of this class. A dual-threat center that brings the most out of every teammate he plays with and has an undeniable and undying motor. Sharks get to have two of the most dynamic young top-six centers in the game.
3rd overall — Chicago Blackhawks — Anton Frondell, C
The Blackhawks want some size and physicality and stability up front to go with their skill-first young players. Frondell can do that and with someone who will make create some space for the likes of Connor Bedard, it’s easy to see why Chicago would go with this.
4th overall — Utah Mammoth — Porter Martone, RW
Martone is such a unique talent. A playmaking winger that possibly has the best hockey sense of the entire draft class, but in a 6-foot-3 frame. He doesn’t play with incredible pace, but he just does everything else so incredibly well. Utah is getting some size on the wings to go with Logan Cooley. Maybe a complementary to the shoot-first Dylan Guenther with even higher upside.
5th overall — Nashville Predators — Caleb Desnoyers, C
A center for those who like details. Not the most exciting player, but when he gets in the offensive zone, he can make things happen and will drive play towards the high-danger areas. As safe as an option in this range and Nashville should be happy to get that kind of center. Paul Gaustad but with much more skill.
6th overall — Philadelphia Flyers — James Hagens, C
Hagens is a dynamic player among dynamic players. An incredibly agile skater that makes zone entries look incredibly easy and when partnered with the right linemates, can make a certain combination the most dangerous trio in the country. Flyers need talent above everything. Screw trying to see if he could work with the projected lineups. Hagens is too good to pass up on at this point.
7th overall — Boston Bruins — Brady Martin, C
A wrecking ball on skates that can make some plays, also. Martin will forecheck the opponent into oblivion but his projectability as an impact offensive player in the NHL is questionable. It does seem like the Bruins like him enough and want more tenacity in their prospect pool.
8th overall — Seattle Kraken — Radim Mrtka, RD
The second defenseman off the board and the first in a clear tier below Schaefer, Mrtka has all the tools you want in a blueliner if he can put it together. He is 6-foot-6, right-handed, can make smart offensive reads, and skates well enough for his frame. Mrtka can be a workhorse and considering the Kraken don’t have a whole lot of defenseman prospects, he is an easy bet to make.
9th overall — Buffalo Sabres — Roger McQueen, C
The Sabres need to do so much work at the NHL level, that they can take much more of a swing for specific needs. They won’t go small and skilled again, so how about giant and skilled? McQueen has dropped to Buffalo because of a brutal back injury that could scare some teams, but the Sabres get someone who, if everything pans out, could be a top-three talent in this class.
10th overall — Anaheim Ducks — Jake O’Brien, C
O’Brien is an incredibly smart playmaker with undeniable passing skill but needs a longer development leash than most. The Ducks have time to do exactly that and when he’s ready (and gained some mass and improved his skating and increased his pace of play) he can join a potential playoff team in a few years.
11th overall — Pittsburgh Penguins — Jackson Smith, LD
The Penguins need talent in the pipeline and Jackson Smith has all the tools in the world. A wonderful four-way skater on the blue line and is physically everything you could possibly want, but he just needs to get a better hockey sense. He’s severely lacking in that department, so the Penguins can take the bet.
12th overall — Pittsburgh Penguins — Lynden Lakovic, LW
While they are getting a prospect who is lacking sense, with the second of back-to-back selections, Pittsburgh is getting someone with an overwhelming amount of smarts on the ice. Lakovic has good size, but doesn’t use it, and all the offensive tools to be a powerful offensive threat at the next level.
13th overall — Detroit Red Wings — Victor Eklund, RW/LW
Oh, a skilled Swedish winger goes to the Red Wings. Big surprise. Victor Eklund compared his game to Travis Konecny and we see that. He forechecks like a mad man despite not having size. He is fearless in his opportunities and was often the main driver on a line with Anton Frondell this season.
14th overall — Columbus Blue Jackets — Carter Bear, LW/C
If we’re taking fearless, Carter Bear is also that. He goes into the corners. Has the vision and awareness to take advantage of the right loose-puck opportunities. Bear always wants to make something happen and his plus passing game and hockey brain can make him do it.
15th overall — Vancouver Canucks — Kashawn Aitcheson, LD
The Canucks have opted for some swift skill in the first round recently. Not here. They’re getting mean, aggressive, and bruising defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson. There are questions about his game translating, but if the Canucks make this pick, there are not many prospects more exciting than Aitcheson.
16th overall — Montreal Canadiens — Justin Carbonneau, RW
We swear we’re not just pairing the Habs with Justin Carbonneau because he is French-Canadian. In this range, he is perfectly at home. Carbonneau is a walking highlight reel with buckets and buckets of skill in a fairly decent frame. There is no telling what he can do at the next level and if his development goes well enough, he could be seen as a steal even in this range.
17th overall — Montreal Canadiens — Logan Hensler, RD
Hensler is one of the oldest defensemen in the first round but already having one season at University of Wisconsin under his belt, he brings a short development timeline to whichever team selects him. He would be considered an electric skater if he was smaller, but considering his 6-foot-3 frame, he is a bulldozer on blades. He will suffocate offenses and turn the puck around for quick counteracts all game long. An incredibly easy projection as a top-four defenseman.
18th overall — Calgary Flames — Ben Kindel, C/RW
Maybe it’s just Kindel playing for the Calgary Hitmen, but we see a fit here. The Flames can take some gambles on skill after getting some late-round steals last year like Luke Misa and Henry Mews. So, they get swift playmaking center Ben Kindel.
19th overall — St. Louis Blues — Cameron Reid, LD
Cameron Reid is an incredibly solid passer from the blue line and if his overall game develops well, should be considered one of the top talents on the blue line of this class. He has a little bit more of a development path than others, but he is dynamic. And the Blues need someone in their prospect pool that can bring some of that, even from the blue line.
20th overall — Columbus Blue Jackets — Cole Reschny, C
Cole Reschny is overwhelmingly intelligent with the puck and plays bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame. He might need to play with a higher pace to make it in professional hockey, but he is already committed to the University of North Dakota for next season and could take all the right steps to excel there. Despite a lack of high-end skating and speed, Reschny gets things done. This is a luxury pick for the Blue Jackets, so getting a player like this that could potentially be a middle-six center behind Adam Fantilli, is a golden opportunity.
21st overall — Ottawa Senators — Jack Nesbitt, C
The Ottawa Senators love their big boys. Jack Nesbitt is a very Logan Brown-esque draft pick and that thought just couldn’t leave our heads. Without being forced to nail a top-five selection, the Senators try to get someone for the current NHL team, despite Nesbitt probably taking three or four years to get there.
22nd overall — Philadelphia Flyers — Braeden Cootes, C
Cootes slipped further in our mock draft than expected, but we can’t complain. He plays maybe the most projectable game after the top 10 of the first round. If we were to gamble on this class, we would put all our savings on Braeden Cootes being some team’s middle-six center for the next six to eight years. For the Flyers, they need stability and projectability at center, and they’re getting exactly that. Danny Briere would probably skip and giggle his way to the phone to make this pick.
23rd overall — Nashville Predators — Cullen Potter, C
Potter is possibly the best skater of the class. He is powerful, swift, can accelerate from standing still with ease, and his top-end speed is undeniable. He is a risk to stay down the middle like he has as one of the youngest players in college hockey last season, but he’s a really fun project. The Predators are counterbalancing their safe pick of Desnoyers with this one.
24th overall — Los Angeles Kings — Blake Fiddler, RD
Blake Fiddler has size, speed, and handles. What else is there to say? He’s a really projectable player and in this range, you are more than happy to get someone who can be a second-pairing defenseman on the right side and potentially play on both special teams. When the Kings retire Drew Doughty and have Brandt Clarke leading their right side, they’ll have Fiddler coming up and banging on the door in a few years.
25th overall — Chicago Blackhawks — Malcolm Spence, LW
Spence is an incredibly safe player. He can cause some chaos when needed, but he is good and everything but not great at one specific thing — maybe other than having a physical edge to his game. There’s nothing too exciting about his game but he will be a middle-six winger in the NHL, there’s no doubt about it. Chicago can use that well.
26th overall — Nashville Predators — Joshua Ravensbergen, G
Hey, a goalie! The Predators need to replace Yaroslav Askarov in the pipeline and they get the projected top goalie of the class. With three first-round picks, you can take that sort of risk.
27th overall — Washington Capitals — Alexander Zharovksy, RW
The Capitals and their Russians. Zharovsky is quickly ascending into the first round as one of the most electric players in the entire class, but there are questions about his skating. He is an incredibly raw player that could see KHL ice next season. Washington can bet on that and wait a few years to see him, after Ovechkin retires.
28th overall — Winnipeg Jets — Sascha Boumedinne, LD
A breakout machine, Sascha Boumedienne had an underwhelming freshman year at Boston University, but should get more of a role there next season. The Swedish blueliner now joins a Jets prospect pool that desperately needs a playmaker from the back end.
29th overall — Carolina Hurricanes — Bill Zonnon, C
Zonnon is a Checker. And not someone who is just going to try and get the puck back for some easy offense, but the centerman out of the QMJHL is going to cause chaos for whatever team is in front of him not wearing the same colors. His skating can do some work, but he is absolutely relentless and that doesn’t hold him back. A really solid bet for the Hurricanes as they eventually need to replace someone like Jordan Martinook.
30th overall — San Jose Sharks — Henry Brzustewicz, LD
With some prospects already on the London Knights, the Sharks get someone who they must have seen a lot. Henry Brzustewicz should get even more of an opportunity with Oliver Bonk and Sam Dickinson most likely leaving the Knights, and he has some tools to bring him to the next level.
31st overall — Philadelphia Flyers — Shane Vansaghi, RW
With the third of their three first rounders, the Flyers are getting a dawg. Vansaghi out of Michigan State is a physically gifted winger with the brain to disrupt plays on the forecheck. Not the strongest skater, but he can work on that.
32nd overall — Calgary Flames — Milton Gastrin, C
To round out the first round, the Flames get Milton Gastrin, a smart, physical, and well-rounded center who got to play in some SHL games to end his season. Not the most attractive of picks but if the Flames can just give him some of that Mikael Backlund secret stuff, maybe there’s something there.
33rd overall — San Jose Sharks — Jack Murtagh, RW
34th overall — Chicago Blackhawks — Mason West, C/RW
35th overall — Nashville Predators — Cameron Schmidt, RW
36th overall — Philadelphia Flyers — Semyon Frolov, G
37th overall — Washington Capitals — Daniil Prokhorov, RW
38th overall — Seattle Kraken — Vaclav Nestrasil, LW
39th overall — Buffalo Sabres — Simon Wang, LD
40th overall — Philadelphia Flyers — Carter Amico, RD
41st overall — Montreal Canadiens — Will Horcoff, C
42nd overall — New York Islanders — Ryker Lee, C/RW
43rd overall — New York Rangers — Cole McKinney, C
44th overall — Detroit Red Wings — Kurban Limatov, LD
45th overall — Anaheim Ducks — Eric Nilson, C
46th overall — Utah Mammoth — William Moore, LW/C
47th overall — Vancouver Canucks — Luca Romano, C
48th overall — Philadelphia Flyers — Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, LW
49th overall — Montreal Canadiens — Eddie Genborg, LW
50th overall — New Jersey Devils — Matthew Gard, C
51st overall — Boston Bruins — Gustav Hillstrom, C
52nd overall — Minnesota Wild — Adam Benak, RW/C
53rd overall — San Jose Sharks — Kristian Epperson, LW
54th overall — Calgary Flames — Ben Kevan, RW/LW
55th overall — Nashville Predators — Jack Ivankovic, G
56th overall — Tampa Bay Lightning — Ethan Czata, C
57th overall — Seattle Kraken — Vojtech Cihar, LW
58th overall — Vegas Golden Knights — Ivan Ryabkin, C
59th overall — Pittsburgh Penguins — Sean Barnhill, RD
60th overall — Anaheim Ducks — Jacob Rombach, LD
61st overall — Boston Bruins — Charlie Tretheway, RD
62nd overall — Chicago Blackhawks — LJ Mooney, LW
63rd overall — New Jersey Devils — Pyotr Andreyanov, G
64th overall — Toronto Maple Leafs — Alexei Medvedev, G
