It’s that time of year again, folks! We’re still a little ways out from the Draft Lottery and the setting in stone of the Flyers’ own first-round draft pick, but with the excitement building over the heaps of picks the Flyers have between these first two rounds (seven in total), we simply can’t wait any longer before we begin diving into our prep around here. So we’re here to introduce this year’s BSH Community Draft Board!
If you’ve been around the block with us before, you know the drill by now, but for anyone who’s new to this whole thing, here’s your rundown: Over the next month or so, we’ll be profiling one player per day, working our way through the whole of the first round, and as an extra bonus this time around, deep into the second round as well, and what order are those players going in? Well, that’s up to you (yes, you!) to decide. We’re all coming together here to collaborate a bit and learn a whole lot about these top draft prospects, with the aim, of course, of becoming the smartest person at our draft party. What more could you want?
We’ll kick things off with our first overall pick tomorrow, and while we have an inkling of who that’s going to be, it’s still up for voting. Let’s meet our first options, shall we?
Matthew Schaefer – D – Erie Otters (OHL)
Schaefer showed everything he’s capable of. The offensive zone became a canvas for his creativity. He found Gavin McKenna with a deceptive, backdoor pass at the far post at the end of the first period. When Canada struggled to break out the puck early in the game, he took matters into his own hands, pushing the play across the full surface. Around the ten-minute mark, he stuck to his coverage as the opposition attacked, caught the puck, and then with a couple of touches to space and powerful crossovers, he broke through the neutral zone. After pushing back the defensive line and creating space for a teammate, he dropped the puck and rushed the net, starting a tic-tac-toe play for a scoring chance. With his skating, give-and-goes, and vision in transition, Schaefer dominated the rush. Comfortable playing forward roles in transition, he drove the net and made plays off the half-wall. His passes were decisive. They snuck past defenders and hit teammates in the perfect spot. Being up in the play so much could have tanked Schaefer’s defensive results, but it wasn’t the case. From his advanced, offensive positions, he easily gapped up with attackers. When the puck turned over, he was right in the face of opponents, erasing their space and options. Just like the OHL, attackers couldn’t outmanoeuvre him, as his stick, wingspan, and lateral mobility gave him too much lateral range. They were either forced to take a detour, which placed them offside or slowed down their attack, or they dumped the puck past him, which allowed his team to get a first touch on it in the defensive zone and start a breakout. At the 16-minute mark of the third period, wanting to close his gap on an opponent and knock the puck away, he gave up in the middle of the ice. A Finnish forward cut inside and connected with a teammate at the far post. This single, memorable performance may be enough to cement him as the best player in the 2025 draft class for many scouts, especially ones looking to bolster the transition game of their NHL team.
David St-Louis, Elite Prospects, on Schaefer’s WJC vs. Finland
Michael Misa – C/LW – Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Misa is a beautiful skater with some quiet explosiveness and a real knack for weaving, cutting, turning and spinning in control of the puck to either shake defenders under pressure in the offensive or defensive zone or slip past them in transition with his speed and agility. He’s also a very smart player who makes his linemates better with his playmaking, vision and ability to execute while tightly covered.
Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
James Hagens – C – Boston College (NCAA)
Hagens has shown exceptional growth in his game at a difficult level of play in a tough role. Largely centring Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, it seemed like their play styles didn’t quite resonate as expected to my eye. Leonard loves to possess the puck just as Hagens seems to, and it felt like Perreault had issues keeping up outside of being a complimentary give-and-go option with some finishing ability that Hagens was zipping past all night. Play just felt disjointed and strange a lot, but Hagens always looked great with an off-puck forechecking menace in Teddy Stiga just as he did last season at the U18s, and I would imagine those two are reunited next season if Perreault and Leonard jump to the NHL. Hagens specifically has shown consistently excellent metrics in many areas of my work. I would love to see him land more scoring chances for himself as he was one of the more infrequent shooters at the top end, but his wrist shot can be a tough one to stop when it comes out. Where he really shines is as a playmaker, with great success on the rush and in the offensive zone connecting with linemates and moving the puck where it needs to go. He’s quick on his feet, highly skilled, and highly creative. The thing that he’s really improved since he arrived at Boston College is the physical side of the game. The first few games of the season, he seemed completely allergic to chipping in off the puck outside of the offensive zone, but as Christmas approached, something shifted. He’s attacking puck carriers much more directly and throwing hits at a rate beyond names like Frondell, Bear, Martone, Nesbitt, and Desnoyers. He’s come a long way this year, and while I have him a shade behind the best in the class, he’s got a ton of potential to be a flashy, offensive second line centre with a growing level of grind to his game. He may be a bit undersized, but the speed, skill and quick strike playmaking is impressive, and another season in college could do him extremely well to refine the areas that are still a bit deficient.
Will Scouch, Scouching
Porter Martone – RW – Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Martone’s game is much more finesse-based than most assume. His skill with the puck and his playmaking ability will make him a difference-maker, especially if he can increase his pace just a bit. Any mean streak he brings will be an added bonus.
Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News
And there we have it! And all that’s left is for you to cast your vote. First overall pick, who’ve you got?
