2025 NHL Draft ranking: Scott Wheeler's preseason top 32 list (2024)

C

🇺🇸

Tier 1

NTDP

The top Swedish prospect in the 2007 age group, Frondell dominated at the J20 level last year; has excelled internationally at the World Junior A Challenge, the world under-17s and particularly the U18 Five Nations, and looked like he belonged with the Djurgarden pro team in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan as a 16-year-old before hurting his foot in late Feburary (he has been sidelined since but is expected to be ready for his draft year). There’s a lot to like about Frondell’s game. He’s strong, he plays with pace and power and he’s got high-end skill on the puck as a handler and play-creator. He engages himself on and off the puck, offensively and defensively, so that he’s involved shift-to-shift in impacting play. He’s got quick hands, a natural release, a good sense for spacing and attacking and an ability to both create his own looks and challenge defenders. Though he played mostly wing for Djurgarden, he has played center for the national team and I’ve liked him at both positions but project him as a center (his natural position). He’s got pro quality and offensive skill, and teams are going to be high on him as a result.

C

🇸🇪

Tier 2

J20

RW

🇨🇦

Tier 2

OHL

Ryabkin is a well-rounded offensive threat who broke Matvei Michkov’s U17 scoring record in the MHL last year and put up comparable numbers to those Ivan Demidov put up in his Draft-2 season while four and a half months younger than Demidov was. He’s a strong, fast, balanced skater. He’s got a quick release. I like his instincts off of the puck offensively to get open and jump into gaps in coverage. He’s got soft hands and makes a lot of plays off of his backhand. He sees the ice well and uses his linemates. I like him in give-and-go plays and on the puck with his individual skill level. He’s got some real craft and creativity to his game. He’ll pursue and track pucks and looks like a player who will be able to stick at his natural center position up levels. His work rate isn’t always high, there have been some rumblings about him not being the easiest kid to play with/coach, and I do find he can get ahead of the play at times, but he’ll engage and finish his checks. By and large, I’ve really enjoyed watching him, and it’s hard to find centers with his skill and offensive sense/intuition.

C

🇷🇺

Tier 2

MHL

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 OHL draft and top defensive prospect in the 2025 NHL class, Schaefer has impressed scouts over the last year — domestically and especially internationally. He regularly logged mid-20s minutes for Erie as a rookie. He led Canada White to gold at world under-17s as captain and a big-minutes player, pushing 30 a game when it mattered. He was impactful as an underager at U18 worlds in Finland. And he was outstanding last week at Hlinka as Canada’s No. 1 defenseman and captain again. His numbers don’t leap off the page with the Otters, but when you consider he was less than two weeks away from being eligible for 2026, and the maturity and smarts that already exist in his game, there’s a lot to get excited about. He’s a heady two-way defenseman and a high-end skater. He’s got great posture and glide. He’s a balanced and flowing skater with light edges. He’s mobile in all four directions. He manages play in front of him. He’s got a good stick and an ability to close out on carriers, be disruptive and then advance and steer play down the ice. His game is so, so efficient. He’s mature beyond his years in terms of reads/decision-making. He’s competitive. Schaefer looks like a projectable No. 2 defenseman and I considered ranking him higher here.

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier 2

OHL

C

🇨🇦

Tier 2

OHL

Another big October 2006 forward with size (I actually heard from a source who works with McQueen that he's closer to 6-foot-6 or 6-7 now), some athletic ability and some real secondary skill, McQueen is a big, right-shot center with talent on the puck for his size and skating that has come a long way over the last couple of years. When he was younger, he lacked strength, and his skating dragged behind/never properly loaded because he was trying to cheat his mechanics to keep up, but it has started to come, and there's belief that it will continue to develop as he adds strength (he moves fine). He has played well for Canada at U17s, Hlinka and U18s — where after an impressive first game, he got injured in the second game of the tournament — and has had stretches of dominant play for Brandon in the WHL. I like his tenaciousness/willingness to go get pucks and then stick with them when he has them. He uses his linemates well. But it’s his ability to control and manipulate pucks in tight to his body, with his length, that I think distinguishes him and gets scouts excited. He can carry pucks into traffic and problem-solve in ways that players his size typically struggle to. He can also go to the net and make tuck plays/rebounds with good dexterity, which has helped him play the net front successfully on the power play, a translatable role for him. There are the makings of a really unique player there, and the payoff could be significant, especially given how quickly his skating has improved. It looks better and better every time I see him, and the same goes for his comfort level with his size.

C

🇨🇦

Tier 2

WHL

Hensler, who because of his October birthday has already played his two years at the program, consistently impressed me in early viewings last year, then left me wanting more pretty often in the second half, and then I thought acquitted himself well at the World Junior Summer Showcase a couple of weeks ago. He's clearly a talented player and top prospect. He’s a strong, smooth, balanced skater. He keeps his head and eyes up. He’s skilled with the puck. He’s got a decent stick and defensive instincts. He reads the play well on both sides when he’s dialed in. But there are times when I’d like him to be more dialed in, and others when it seems like he doesn’t know his identity as a player. I really just want to see him take over/take charge more — and certainly wanted to see him do it more than I thought he could on a blue line that had some ups and downs and could have used him really become their horse, even as a 2025, last season. His game is missing that grab-it mentality. He has moments when he jumps up in transition and makes something happen. I want to see more of that, and an equal assertiveness defensively. He's capable of it. He’s a great athlete. He’s really fluid in and out of his edges. He’s got pro size. He’s got balanced posture on his heels and toes, and he’s capable of using it to play strong stick-on-puck gaps and carry and lead in transition. He’s got poise and comfort in all three zones. He has good instincts on the ice. He’s got skill and offense. He's a righty. It’s in there. I want to see him showcase it more.

RHD

🇺🇸

Tier 2

NCAA

Spence is a competitive, fast, hardworking player who can get out in transition or attack off the wall. He plays the game with intention, sticks with plays and has decent-though-not-dynamic skill. He plays with pace on and off the puck, keeps his feet moving, gets up and under sticks to win back possession, and is by all accounts an awesome kid. He wore an “A” and was a real play-driver for the Otters as a second-year OHL player last year thanks to his late-’06 birthday. He again wore an “A” for Canada and stirred the drink with his pace, effort level, skating and shot at U18 worlds. He was invited to the World Junior Summer Showcase. Though he primarily plays the wing, he has played a few games at center over the last year and has some real versatility to his game. I’m not sure his skill level or playmaking is high-end enough for him to stay as a top-10 pick, but he’s one of the most likable players I’ve come across in more than a decade of doing this, and teams love him. He may land more in the teens on my list if I don’t see certain things over the course of this season, but he belongs here for now. I hate the cliché, but he embodies "plays the game the right way” and he can really drive down ice with his skating and straight-line speed. He’s going to be a good 200-foot forward at the next level. This year will be about figuring out if that’s with a middle-six projection or a top-six one.

LW

🇨🇦

Tier 3

OHL

One of the top 2007s at the program even though his August birthday makes him one of the younger players in the draft, Trethewey is a talented and confident right-shot defenseman with pro size, a booming shot (his slap shot and wrister are both high-end), stability over his skates and a real command of the game on the puck. He can attack, he can handle the puck, he defends hard (though his decisions/reads/timing could use a little polish) and there’s just a lot of pro quality to his game that should refine as he continues to get reps. He is going to need a fair amount of refinement, though, because his game doesn’t always seem buttoned up and he can tend to look for the shot a little too much. He’s got the potential to be a real stud into college and beyond offensively, and he’s got the makeup to defend better than he does, but he’s got some work to do to put it all together and he may not hold in this range in my ranking if he doesn’t take some important steps. He's got clear talent and tools, though.

RHD

🇺🇸

Tier 3

NTDP

C

🇺🇸

Tier 3

NTDP

One of my favorites early on in this draft class, Reschny is a player I’ve really enjoyed watching over the last year and a bit. He’s highly skilled but also highly competitive, and drove both play and creation as a small center in the WHL last season. He’s got a motor but he’s also a natural playmaker, including when under pressure and with limited time and space. He creates chances for himself and his linemates, is a natural handler, finisher and passer, and then will work off of the puck and seems to take pride in his play in all three zones. He's a good skater. He's got lightning-quick hands. He’s stronger on pucks and in battles than his 5-foot-10 listing might suggest at a glance (I’d bet that listing hurts him in early rankings, but that he will be a riser as the year progresses). He’s got finesse on the puck and a natural shooter’s shot. He impressed at world under-17s and the Hlinka, and the Royals relied on him and counted on him to create offense and carry the load as a 16-year-old. He rose to it as a multi-time rookie of the week and even player of the month in the WHL last season, too. I think he’s going to be a heck of a player and expect him to build on his Hlinka and really pop in the WHL this season. He looks like he’s got top-six upside.

C

🇨🇦

Tier 3

WHL

Desnoyers was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 QMJHL draft after a run to a silver medal at the Telus Cup (Canada’s under-18 championship) and captaining Quebec at the Canada Winter Games. He was one of the top young players in the Q as a rookie last season, too, playing an important role (he was counted upon and regularly played 20 minutes as a forward) for a good Wildcats team, and wore a letter for the gold medal-winning Canada White at under-17s as well as for Team Canada at the Hlinka. I thought he had a tough time as a center in a limited role at U18 worlds (despite registering five points in five games), but he looks like a pro. He’s got great habits. He’s committed to playing defense, supporting pucks, staying in good positions and not cheating for offense. He’s opportunistic and gets open really well. He involves himself in play, he can carry and hold pucks or play off of his linemates in give-and-gos, he’s got a real feel for the game offensively and he’s consistent. While he’s not a dynamic skater or individual creator, I’ve seen him display skill (including a Michigan goal and some nice plays in tight/in traffic) and he’s a better skater than his older brother Elliot (a Philadelphia Flyers prospect) was at the same age.

C

🇨🇦

Tier 4

QMJHL

Mrtka is a giant right-shot defensem*n who moves really well and played huge all-situations minutes for Czechia at the Hlinka. He can transport pucks down ice, activate and join the rush, walk the line, and even side-step pressure in control. He shows good poise and comfort on the puck, with a willingness to hold onto it and make a play. He’s got a hard point shot that he does a good job of keeping low and on target. With his length and mobility, his defensive upside is high. He’s still got a lot of development in front of him, he’s a June birthday who should be able to take advantage, and he already doesn’t have some of the kinks you expect a D his size and age to have. I expect him to play Czech Extraliga this season and if he manages it well, I could see him becoming even a top-10 candidate.

RHD

🇨🇿

Tier 4

Czechia

Aitcheson was a big-minutes player for both Barrie and Team Canada at U18 worlds, where his ice time rose when the games and the shifts mattered most, especially in defensive situations. He’s a powerful, bullish defender who is hard to play against, defends firmly and commands his ice. He knows who he is and plays with confidence and command, often directing his teammates and always talking (to his teammates and opponents). He’s strong on the PK. He’s chippy. He’s a willing shot-blocker. He’s got step-up physicality and likes to knock guys around (I saw him lay some huge hits in visits to Barrie last year). He’s got a hard shot and makes a good first pass. He's a strong skater. His discipline and decision-making can get him into trouble, and he takes a lot of stick penalties, but he can play in all situations and has a lot of the tools you look for in a hard-nosed two-way type.

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier 4

OHL

Guite is a high-end shooter who finishes a lot of plays and has shown legitimate skill off the wing both in the Q and with Hockey Canada. He's not a great skater, with knees that can knock and splay, but I think he's a little more competitive than he has gotten credit for in conversations I've had with folks (though he's certainly got work to do to round out his game) and he does have some big-game pedigree at a young age (he was a Quebec U18 AAA champion and Telus Cup MVP, the leading scorer on Canada White's gold medal-winning team at world under-17s, and a top producer at the Hlinka and for Chicoutimi). If you leave him open in the offensive zone, he's going to burn you. He's got a multifaceted shot (one-timer, catch-and-release, in-motion, standing still, you name it). He's got clear power-play skills and is a lethal threat on his off wing on the flank. He can be a little one-dimensional but he's a clear first-round talent with legit skill/offensive instincts at 6-foot-2.

LW

🇨🇦

Tier 4

QMJHL

Ihs Wozniak was the most productive 2007 at Sweden’s J20 level last year, even playing to a slightly higher point-per-game rate than Frondell, but underwhelmed at U18 worlds and didn’t live up to expectations at the Hlinka, where a player with his skill set should have filled the net. Still, he’s a compelling player as a 6-foot-3 forward with a clean catch-and-release shot, an ability to handle pucks in tight or protect them out wide, and good sense about when to slow the game down or play at speed. His actual posture can look a little funky, with a very upright stance from the hips up and legs that can trail behind, but he's actually pretty fast. He can handle the puck and play one-on-one, he can play off of the puck and use his linemates, and he's got an ability to finish plays.

RW

🇸🇪

Tier 4

J20

Huang is a dynamic offensive defenseman who was heavily recruited by top NCAA programs before he decided to go the QMJHL route via Chicoutimi (which took him with the No. 5 pick in the Q draft). He was named the top defenseman in Quebec’s competitive U18 AAA loop and created a ton of offense from the back end for the Sagueneens last season, after also helping Canada White to gold at U17s. He’s a righty with high-end skill, hockey sense, skating and overall intelligence (off the ice as well, I’m told). He’s a flowing north-south skater, an agile adjuster on his edges, and a clever and talented player on the puck who sees the play develop early, identifies and finds lanes before the opposition as a passer and has made some highlight-reel skill plays. He can carry it, manipulate it, play it with finesse and poise and make guys miss. His game defensively is mostly about his stick, but his skill level, vision, problem-solving and planning should really translate up levels into a talented NHL player and natural power-play quarterback. I expect him to be a point-per-game defenseman in the QMJHL this year pretty comfortably. He’s not regarded in this range in the public sphere or private sphere (yet) but I’m a big fan. He's also a summer birthday.

RHD

🇨🇦

Tier 4

QMJHL

One of the standouts at this year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Fiddler captained Team USA and had a couple of the better games of the tournament. The son of Vernon Fiddler, he’s a big, right-shot D who defends at a high level with a rapidly developing game on the puck. I don’t think his offense is as natural as it looked in some moments at the Hlinka, but he moves really well for a 200-plus-pound teenager and he has shown some poise in possession and a willingness to transport. His decision-making and reads still need some refinement, but there’s a lot to work with there, and Fiddler’s game is primarily about his ability to take up ice, defend the rush and break up plays in-zone. He’s also a summer birthday, so there’s hope that this is the start of a steep trajectory.

RHD

🇺🇸

Tier 4

WHL

Fondrk is a highly skilled player who can excite in space. He's got a dangerous midrange shot, excellent individual skill/hands and good overall skating. The talent level and the ability to execute finishing plays is top-end, for sure. There are some who question his B-game/competitiveness, though (he's got good instincts off of the puck defensively, which helps). If he can develop more layers/intensity to his game, he'll be a high pick this year. He made some pretty plays last year and he's definitely a threat when the puck lands on his stick in the slot, but I've also wanted to see him separate from the pack and find another level, because I think it's there. He needs to show that he’s the guy there offensively this season.

LW

🇺🇸

Tier 4

NTDP

Gastrin’s the longtime captain of this Swedish age group who centered Sweden’s very successful top line with fellow 2025 prospect Viktor Klingsell and top 2026 talent Ivar Stenberg, making waves with an eight-point game against Switzerland. He’s got size, he’s a natural center, he’s a strong skater and he plays well off of his linemates, offering a responsible and heady game. He’s not a dynamic offensive player but he handles it well, makes plays around the net, and seems to really understand timing and spacing. He’s also got a natural shot and release that I expect him to show more of this year. He looks like a projectable middle-sixer.

C

🇸🇪

Tier 4

J20

The best skater I've seen in this age group by a margin, Potter is a small but talented and extremely fast player who uses his electric speed to put defenders on their heels, back them off, create opportunistic chances, get out in transition and jump onto loose pucks. He's a fun player to watch with his ability to go inside out and outside in on players, his ability to round corners, and his desire to attack off the rush. He's tough to catch in straight lines or track in and out of cuts. He can really get going in a hurry and has shown an ability to finish plays as well, with a great release. It sounds like he's not done growing, either, which could upgrade his projection, so I’ll be interested to see what his listing comes in at. His decision to leave the program to join an Arizona State program in flux was a peculiar one. If he wasn’t happy at the NTDP, I think the CHL would have been a better path for him, given where he’s at as a player. There's still some real learning of the game and how to deploy his speed that needs to happen, but there's also a real draw/appeal to his game. I expect him to have some ups and downs in college this season, but he’s an exciting player to watch when he winds up.

C

🇺🇸

Tier 4

NCAA

Klingsell is a dynamic, skilled winger with an NHL release, quick hands and an ability to slice up coverage both on the puck or through his touch and vision as a passer. I thought about rating him as high as the mid-teens here. He’s a ton of fun to watch manipulate, shoot and play-make with the puck, and I expect him to really pop at the J20 level in Sweden this year. It’s hard for 5-foot-10 wingers to go in that range, but I think he’s got the pop to do it and I won’t hesitate to move him up if he continues to flash the kind of skill level he showed at the Hlinka.

LW

🇸🇪

Tier 4

J20

Smith, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft, had a solid 16-year-old season in the WHL last year and made an impact in his minutes and role at the Hlinka. He’s a big, strong, powerful left-shot defenseman who plays hard and can impact play in a variety of ways. He’s strong through his pushes as a skater, regularly beating the first layer of pressure laterally. He walks the line proficiently and gets his shots through. He plays the game firmly and at times even boldly. His reads and processing still need some fine-tuning, but he has pretty well all of the makings of an NHL defenseman and I thought about ranking him higher here. There's some buzz here.

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier 4

WHL

Carbonneau is on the older side as a Nov. 2006 birthday, but he looked like he was ahead of his peers in a rebound year for the Q in this draft class last season, breaking the 30-goal mark as the Armada’s leading goal scorer and second-leading point getter. He’s a talented offensive-zone player with naturally quick hands, a quick release that can beat goalies from midrange and change angles on defense, and strong athletic tools as a plus-skater with a pro frame. He can challenge defenders and threaten offensive on or off the puck and he had a 10-shot night in the playoffs last season. I don’t think he’s got star power but he looks like he’s skilled enough to project as a secondary top-nine scorer and play-creator potentially.

RW

🇨🇦

Tier 4

QMJHL

LW

🇸🇪

Tier 4

HockeyAllsvenskan

RHD

🇸🇰

Tier 4

J20

Viewed by some as the top forward in the 2007 age group at the NTDP, McKinney was the first player the U18 team called up from the U17 team last year and looks and plays more like a pro than those in his age group, though I don’t think he has the offensive upside of some of his teammates and it’s a weaker year from a talent standpoint up front at the NTDP. His production didn’t leap off the page, but he’s a center who was counted upon to play an important role on both special teams and is credited for his well-rounded game on and off the puck. He’s got above-average skating, tools and work ethic, with an eager and involved approach and an ability to make plays when they're there and execute. His skill level isn’t flashy but he sees and reads the game well and has more talent than his production last season indicated. He’s well-liked as a projectable pro center. If he finds the scoresheet more this season he’ll generate a lot of interest.

C

🇺🇸

Tier 4

NTDP

Benak is the top Czech player in his age group and has now played at two U17s, a U18s and two Hlinkas, having broke the latter’s all-time scoring record last week after back-to-back 10-point performances in the event. At his first Hlinka, he looked like maybe the best 16-year-old Czech I’ve watched and was certainly ahead of where Martin Necas and Eduard Sale were at the same age. His skating and skill both get high marks, with a quickness from a standstill that matches his quick reads of the ice. He’s got jump and straight-line speed. He’s got slick hands and feel on the puck. It can feel, because of his anticipation, smarts and skating, like he’s constantly one step ahead of the game when he’s playing against his peers. And while he’s small (he was listed at 5-foot-7, his Czech team listed him at 5-10 last year, and I was told last week he’s actually 5-8.5), he defends really well and plays a mature off-puck game with an advanced understanding for his age of how to angle and track and a willing work ethic to do it. His projection is complicated, especially as a center, but he’s got the tools and brain you look for in a smaller player. I know his dad, a former longtime pro in Czechia, is 5-10, and if he could get there he’d be considered a high pick. I think the edge of the first round is appropriate for now.

C

🇨🇿

Tier 4

USHL

I’ve been hearing about Boumedienne for some time, and he’d lived up to the billing before a disappointing showing at Hlinka (he impressed as a rookie in the USHL to play his way onto its All-Rookie Team and internationally with the Swedish national under-17 team). He’s a plus-skater who provided two-way transition value in junior, with a long and fluid stride that is complemented by good footwork and strong four-way mobility. He’s got natural glide but can also stay on top of the ice and flow through his skating patterns. He sees the ice well and plays a poised game, though I have started to question his puck-management/decision-making in control at times. He handles the puck comfortably. He layers fakes into his carries well, though he can try to do too much. He’s going to get stronger and fill out his frame further to add some more power to his game. I’d like to see him play a more assertive and sure-of-himself game on both sides of the puck, though, as there are times when it seems like he doesn't know what play to make and others when it seems like he can execute when he does identify the right play. I think he’s going to be challenged in college this season after making what some believe (myself included) is a too-early move to college. There's definitely a better player/prospect in there than the one we saw at Hlinka, though.

LHD

🇸🇪

Tier 4

NCAA

C

🇺🇸

Tier 4

NTDP

Schmidt is a high-end skater, handler and natural goal scorer who scored 31 goals for the Vancouver Giants last year and scored the golden goal for Canada White (his fifth in eight games) at U17s. He plays the game to attack, challenge and score, with an ability to threaten inside the offensive zone and off the rush. He’s also a worker who will get after it, jump on loose pucks, win races and then manufacture offense out of it in quick bursts. He’s on the smaller side but he’s sneaky strong and because of his speed, his size doesn’t present itself as an issue very often. As with Mooney and Benak, teams will have to figure out where they land on him because he’s a very likable player but he's a tricky projection. I think his talent and pace could carry him, though, and I expect him to pop production-wise this season.

RW

🇨🇦

Tier 4

WHL

RHD

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

RHD

🇸🇪

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

G

🇷🇺

Tier Honorable Mention

MHL

RHD

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

🇫🇮

Tier Honorable Mention

Liiga U20

LHD

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

RHD

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

QMJHL

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

LW

🇸🇪

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

C

🇳🇴

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

LW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

G

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

RW

🇷🇺

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

RW

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

USHL

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

QMJHL

LHD

🇫🇮

Tier Honorable Mention

Liiga U20

RW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

PHC

LW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LW

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

C

🇸🇪

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

LW

🇸🇪

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

C

🇸🇰

Tier Honorable Mention

Slovakia

LW

🇨🇿

Tier Honorable Mention

Liiga U20

G

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

LHD

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

C

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

OHL

LHD

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NTDP

LHD

🇸🇪

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

C

🇺🇸

Tier Honorable Mention

NCAA

LHD

🇷🇺

Tier Honorable Mention

MHL

C

🇫🇮

Tier Honorable Mention

J20

RW

🇨🇿

Tier Honorable Mention

WHL

LW

🇨🇦

Tier Honorable Mention

QMJHL