My top 15, Jan 2025
Matthew Schaefer, 6'2" LHD - He's good. Skating is excellent, his ideas are excellent, his skills are excellent. He can close space, make passes, stickhandle when needed, and engage physically. He won't be 18 until September so great chance that he is a 6'3" guy at the pro level who is your all around #1 defender.
Michael Misa, 6'1" C - I tried to resist but Misa checks almost every box I want. He's a beast on the forecheck, his shot is amazing, he constantly is finding ways to use it. His playmaking is below Hagens but everything else is a step above. I want his dangles to get better but everything else is there.
James Hagens, 5'11" C - He's good, smart, and skilled. His ability to make plays that others don't see is at the top of this draft. Skating is good but not dynamic and he uses his high IQ to stay ahead of plays. He needs some physical development before coming to the NHL.
Porter Martone, 6'3" RW - If he was consistent like Misa, he could be number 2. He has better dangles and is bigger but sometimes his motor revs lower and I want high octane. Smart player with excellent playmaking instincts, Martone has been compared to Tkachuk which is very premature IMPO.
Victor Eklund, 5'11" RW/LW - What if you merged Misa's forechecking and motor, with Martone's playmaking? You'd get this guy and frankly, he's been very good in the Allsveskan. Needs to work on finishing plays and getting stronger, his shot holds him back a little as he looks to make the pass.
Roger McQueen, 6'5" C - Sadly McQueen has been out since October with a back injury and reports are that sometime in Feb or March he will return. Without an injury concern, he's a physical monster with nice hands and a good shot. We haven't seen him since October so some of this is projection, however he would not be the first big center injured in his draft year who gets overdrafted and then kinda falls flat.
Carter Bear, 6' C - Bear meet Benson, Benson meet Bear. Bear is an apt name for him, he hates you, your team, and your grandma. They all stole his favorite puck and he wants it back. He works harder than perhaps anyone else in this class. This is not some misdirected aggression though, he is smart and deliberate, cutting hands, using body positioning, and engaging and disengaging as needed. He has good instincts with the puck and my only complaint is, I wish he had some more handling skills. This guy will win you playoff games or die trying. Pleasure to watch and his consolidated ranking is way too low.
Jackson Smith, 6'3" LHD - He's a solid LHD that is good.
Caleb Desnoyers, 6'2" C - very smart and has a high motor, kinda like discount Carter Bear (not meant to be bad). I like his engagement and playmaking. His calling card is the fact he couples his motor with really good positioning and game mechanics, this helps him make impactful plays all over the ice. He needs some more consistency and I wish he had a better shot but overall he's probably going to be a solid 2nd line player in the NHL in a few years.
Braeden Cootes, 6' C - Also discount Bear. Cootes is fine, he does everything well and he has a great motor. There's some high end ideas in there but the projection is more questionable by all accounts. If he puts it all together he could be a reletive steal at 10 but he might also just pan out as a middle 6 forward in the mold of say smaller but more talented Marcus Foligno. A guy who is a solid 200ft player and gives 40-50 pts a year (again, better skilled foligno). Of course he could also turn into much more than that and he could be a ROR type of guy.
Brady Martin, 6' C - Guess what? We have another discount Bear. Martin has all the physical game of Bear with less of the soft skills IMPO. Still he has skills and his insanely engaged, I almost put him over Cootes. He will separate opponents from the puck and then use his skills to execute smart plays and get pucks up ice or into scoring positions. His defensive game is advanced. He plays on a mediocre Greyhounds team and is only player in double digit +/- at +12. He's a guy that has a wide range of outcomes from ROR to more physical Krebs.
Cameron Reid 6' LHD - Oh look, a good lhd... next.
Cameron Schmidt, 5'7" RW - I personally don't want to count out Schmidt but I refuse to rank him higher. He has that short scorer thing going for him and he's really a nice player. If he was 6' tall he would be ranked higher but his severe height/size issue is going to restrict him a bit. He's probably best in that 2nd line winger role where he has a more physical playmaking center getting him pucks. His skills are good enough to create space and his shot is very good. Good motor and lots of soft skills will help still be a useful top 6 player in the NHL.
Lynden Lakovic, 6'4" LW - I get it, but also like... I don't. He's 6th in the WHL for draft eligibles and all but 1 of those guys are on this list. I can't really justify putting him up higher when he just doesn't impress me. He's big and skates well. He has good ideas and when he's engaged can be a force with his size and reach. His playmaking is very good and he has all the skills there you want from drawing in defenders, to using his hands to change angles on passing lanes. I just always want more from him, like there is something missing when I watch his stuff. A few times a game he puts it all together, reminds me a bit of Tuch.
Benjamin Kindel, 5'10" RW - Kindel's consensus ranking at 23 is laughable. He currently leads the WHL in PPG for draft eligibles, he's on a good Hitmen team that he leads in pts, and his playmaking is beautiful. He's got some of that Patty Kane in him where he will use dirty dangles coupled to very good skating to open space and terrify defenses. He does get physically removed from plays at times but it isn't because he isn't trying. Needs some development there. His hockey sense and timing are fun to watch and with an April b-day there is a chance he gets bit bigger. Lots of ways he could go as a player but a Kane-esque playmaking winger is where I see him thriving.
