With NHL teams approaching the 20-game mark and American Thanksgiving right around the corner, the league has officially reached the quarter-season mark. The quarter-season mark is a good time to give a two-sentence update on how the first-round picks from the 2025 NHL Draft are performing so far this season.
So far in the early part of the season, we have seen some first-round picks struggle to meet expectations; some have been just okay, but there have been some truly exceptional standouts, starting with the first overall pick, New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
Schaefer’s currently leading all defenders in goals scored with seven, while also boasting an impressive on-ice goal share and expected goal share above 55% while averaging twenty-two and a half minutes per game as the youngest player in the league. The first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft has not only met but surpassed expectations to such an extent that he could make Team Canada for the Olympics, not the World Juniors.
Oct 21, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa (77) skates against the New York Islanders during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Despite only featuring in seven games thus far, Misa has put up encouraging underlying numbers with an impressive 50% high-danger chances for percentage while only averaging 11:44 per game so far. Misa looked destined to stay in the NHL and avoid the World Juniors, but with his injury, he looks destined to play for Canada on Boxing Day.
Frondell is currently playing his draft-plus-one season for Djurgardens IF in the Swedish Elite League. Frondell is off to an impressive statistical start for a teenager with thirteen points in nineteen games. He has good numbers, but has been inconsistent as a play-driving center so far. If he shows out as a dominant two-way center for Team Sweden at the World Juniors, all the concerns will be quelled.
Desnoyers is a two-way standout pivot who is just as good defensively as he is offensively. He has gotten off to a bit of a slow start to the season, though, with only four points in seven games in the notoriously offensive-friendly QMJHL. Not to worry, though, as a slow start was to be expected as he recovered from offseason surgery; however, look to him to be a big part of Canada’s world junior team.
Oct 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Nashville Predators center Brady Martin (44) skates with the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The surprising fifth overall pick got off to a great start this season as he surprised everyone by making the Nashville Predators out of camp and playing in three NHL games. Since returning to the OHL, Martin has played well, looking like a stronger, more confident version of the hard-hitting, highly skilled player we saw last year.
Stay tuned for part two of our quarter-season review of the first-round picks from the 2025 NHL Draft as we take a look at how picks number six through ten have played so far, a quarter of the way through the season.