The final order for the 2025 NHL Draft is more or less set. With the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers facing off once more in the Stanley Cup only the final two spots in the first round are yet to be decided, with both teams already having traded away their picks as part of deals that got them to this point.
We’ll have time ahead of the draft to dive deeper into these prospects, but here’s the full first round as I see it, followed by a breakdown of why I think the Top 5 is going to pan out the way it is.
2025 NHL Mock Draft
Pick
Team
Name
Position
Current Team
Nationality
Pick
Team
Name
Position
Current Team
Nationality
1
New York Islanders
Michael Misa
C
Saginaw Spirit
CAN
2
San Jose Sharks
Matthew Schaefer
D
Erie Otters
CAN
3
Chicago Blackhawks
Porter Martone
RW
Brampton Steelheads
CAN
4
Utah Mammoth
James Hagens
C
Boston College
USA
5
Nashville Predators
Caleb Desoyners
C
Moncton Wildcats
CAN
6
Philadelphia Flyers
Anton Frondell
C
Djurgårdens
SWE
7
Boston Bruins
Victor Eklund
LW
Djurgårdens
SWE
8
Seattle Kraken
Radim Mrtka
D
Seattle Thunderbirds
CZE
9
Buffalo Sabres
Jackson Smith
D
Tri-City Americans
CAN
10
Anaheim Ducks
Roger McQueen
C
Brandon Wheat Kings
CAN
11
Pittsbugh Penguins
Jake O’Brien
C
Brantford Bulldogs
CAN
12
New York Rangers
Lyden Lakovic
LW
Moose Jaw Warriors
CAN
13
Detroit Red Wings
Kashawn Aitcheson
D
Barrie Colts
CAN
14
Columbus Blue Jackets
Cullen Potter
LW
Arizona State
USA
15
Vancouver Canucks
Cameron Reid
D
Kitchener Rangers
CAN
16
Montreal Canadiens (from Flames)
Brady Martin
C
Soo Greyhounds
CAN
17
Montreal Canadiens
Justin Carbonneau
RW
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
CAN
18
Calgary Flames (from Devils)
Cole Reschny
C
Victoria Royals
CAN
19
St. Louis Blues
Ben Kindel
RW
Calgary Hitmen
CAN
20
Columbus Blue Jackets (from Wild)
Cole McKinney
C
Michigan
USA
21
Ottawa Senators
Carter Bear
C
Everett Silvertips
CAN
22
Philadelphia Flyers (from Avalanche)
Kurban Limatov
D
Dynamo Moskva
RUS
23
Nashville Predators (from Lightning)
Malcolm Spence
LW
Erie Otters
CAN
24
Los Angeles Kings
Braeden Cootes
C
Seattle Thunderbirds
CAN
25
Chicago Blackhawks (from Maple Leafs)
Jack Nesbitt
C
Windsor Spitfires
CAN
26
Nashville Predators (from Golden Knights)
Logan Hensler
D
Wisconsin
USA
27
Washington Capitals
Jack Murtagh
C
Boston University
USA
28
Winnipeg Jets
Bill Zonnon
LW
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
CAN
29
Carolina Hurricanes
Joshua Ravensbergen
G
Prince George Cougars
CAN
30
San Jose Sharks (from Stars)
Sascha Boumedienne
D
Boston University
SWE
31
Philadelphia Flyers (from Oilers)
Blake Fiddler
D
Edmonton Oil Kings
CAN
32
Calgary Flames (from Panthers)
William Horcroff
C
U.S. National U18
USA
No. 1: New York Islanders — C Michael Misa
There’s not really a wrong way to go between Misa and Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick, but at the end of the day the Islanders need scoring — and the majority of their best forwards are on the wrong side of 30.
Misa is the kind of offensive forward this team is in desperate need of. He can make the jump quickly and have an impact on this team with his playmaking ability, smooth skating, and willingness to mix it up on the forecheck to fight for the puck.
Perhaps most importantly he’s someone who can set the tempo. This team needs leadership amongst its forwards and someone who can forge a new identity for this team. Michael Misa can be that kind of guy.
No. 2: San Jose Sharks — D Matthew Schaefer
The old adage goes that the less you hear a defenseman’s name the better, and you don’t hear Schaefer’s name often when he’s on the ice. A brilliant all-around blueliner with play that’s reminiscent of Jaccob Slavin, Schaefer can be a lifer for the Sharks and do literally everything this team needs as a top line defenseman.
He’s a solid skater, a great passer, and has ludicrous hockey IQ when it comes to his body and stick positioning. It’s rare to see a player this young with those traits and still possess an NHL body, but he has it all. Schaefer can make the jump immediately and have an impact from the jump.
This is likely who the Sharks would have taken with the No. 1 overall pick, and that makes it a boon that he’s still available at No. 2.
No. 3: Chicago Blackhawks — RW Porter Martone
I totally understand the need to get a second line center to bolster the depth, but right now this team is in dire need of someone to pair with Connor Bedard who can score the damn puck.
Right now nothing is more important than Chicago putting help around Bedard and turning him into the 100 point monster he should be. Ryan Donato just is not enough, and the nightmare scenario is that Bedard grows weary of playing for a perennial loser and asks out.
Martone scored 37 times for Brampton in 57 games this year and his shot placement might be the best in this class. Pair that with a willingness to use his frame in the corners to play in the dirty parts of the ice and he’s someone who can immediately make Bedard better, and be better as a result.
No. 4: Utah Mammoth — C James Hagens
The incredible thing about Hagens is his ability to morph into whatever his team needs. An elite goal scorer for the U.S. U18 team, Hagens morphed at Boston College last year to be a distributor, notching 26 assists in his first year in the NCAA.
Utah needs multi-faceted skaters who can move around the lines a lot while they find a combination that works, and I think in time Hagens can form a really dangerous pairing with Dylan Guenther that’s too promising not to see happen.
No. 5: Nashville Predators — C Caleb Desoyners
Desoyners can do it all, and that’s exactly what the Preds are looking for. A multi-faceted young center, this is a kid who is equally talented at scoring and playmaking. While he may not have the high ceiling of guys taken before him, Desoyners makes up for that with perhaps the best hockey IQ of any forward in this class.
Nashville has four solid centers who are all getting older. By the time Desoyners is ready to be called up it’s entirely likely we’ll see the twilight of Filip Forsberg, Jonathan Marchessault, Steven Stamkos, and Ryan O’Reilly. That means getting youth in the center spot is of paramount importance.
Desoyners can easily be a Forsberg-type do-everything player with time and conditioning.