Jack Murtagh 2025 NHL Draft Profile

It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL draft rankings and draft profiles! If you haven’t yet, take a look at our TWC consolidated 2025 NHL Draft rankings. The 2025 NHL Draft will take place on June 27 and 28 in Los Angeles. The next prospect we’re exploring is Jack Murtagh of the US National Team Development Program.

Who is Jack Murtagh?

PlayerPositionHandednessHeightWeightJack MurtaghLW/CLeft6’1”184 lbs

Murtagh’s on-ice production

YearDraft RelativeLeagueTeamGPGAP2022–23D-2U15 AAABishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA685249101NEPACK 15UBishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA866122023–24D-1NTDPUS National U17 Team53162137USHLUSNTDP Juniors34910192024–25D+0NTDPUS National U18 Team56223153USHLUSNTDP Juniors2471118

The product of East Greenbush, New York, Murtagh jumped up to the U17 National Team and finished fourth on the team last season in points with 37. He also spent some time with the USNTDP and put up 19 points as one of the youngest players on the team. His -19 that year was a bit of a challenge as he struggled to find his feet.

This season was a major step forward for the playmaker, and he got even better as the year went along. He finished fourth in scoring with 53 points in 56 games and looked quite good night in and night out. On top of that, he played at the World Juniors this year, putting up six points in seven games.

Murtagh’s strengths

Determination to get to the net

Perhaps the best thing to like about Murtagh is the way he drives to the net and continues to push everything toward the net. He averaged 5.8 shot attempts per game and has been a reliable net-driver this season. Murtagh has decent straight-line speed and is able to use his size to get to dangerous areas of the ice.

Jack-of-all-trades

The key to Murtagh’s game is that he’s very good at things that coaches really like. He’s net-oriented, strong on his feet, comes with good size and good muscle, and plays the game the right way. He’s decent defensively as well, able to create turnovers in his own end, and has the skating skills to push the puck up ice on his own. While he is more of a playmaker, his shot is also quite decent, which bodes well for his future.

Murtagh’s areas of improvement

Decision-making

This is the biggest issue with Murtagh. He constantly makes poor decisions. He takes shots at times when there are better decisions available, and turns the puck over far too easily for his own good. While he can get shot attempts off, they are blocked far too often for a player of his calibre.

Is it possible that he’s in his own head too much in his draft year and unable to play under this level of pressure at 17? Yes, absolutely, but this has been an issue for a few years that he needs to clean up.

Defensive play

While he’s not terrible defensively, he doesn’t have the commitment to playing well in his own end reliably throughout the game. He tends to lean on his stickwork to block chances and knock pucks away, but in terms of his ability to play hard in the corners or really use his size to his advantage, this is not part of his game.

Murtagh has not been used much at all on the penalty kill, and this all points to a future as a winger, not a centreman.

Murtagh’s comparables

A complementary winger who projects to be a middle-six winger down the line, Murtagh feels like a player like Ross Colton. EliteProspects has his comparable player as Chris Kreider, but I feel as though Colton is probably a fairer representation of him.

Fit with the Flames

Murtagh feels like a player who has the tools in his toolbelt, but someone who just hasn’t put them all together. While there are things to like in his game, Murtagh simply doesn’t feel like someone Craig Conroy and the Flames’ scouting team would go for. Given he projects to be a winger more than a centreman, and the Flames have an endless supply of those in the system, I’m not sure that Murtagh is someone the Flames go for.

If he does fall far and the Flames are confident that the New York-born prospect will play for the Flames following his college career, he could slot in as a third-line left winger in a few years.

Summary

Murtagh is a safe bet to be at least a fringe NHLer. He has a lot of things that scouts like, including his skating and nose for the net. However, getting from there to being an impact NHLer is a big step, and it seems unlikely that he gets there. While getting to the NHL is a major accomplishment, drafting for needs that are freely available on the waiver wire feels like a poor strategy.

Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2025 NHL Draft prospects:

Jack Murtagh 2025 NHL Draft Profile

Tags: