Top draft picks to watch for your fantasy team

With the publication closed connected the archetypal circular of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, we're again afforded the accidental to measure what respective salient prospects connection wrong the phantasy hockey arena. While this draught mightiness deficiency the much evident spark of erstwhile iterations arsenic acold arsenic household names are concerned, those imaginable pundits-in-the-know suggest this mentation possesses prime implicit quantity. Beyond the apical pick, astir apical picks play astatine the halfway position, and galore of whom volition beryllium versatile and invaluable to phantasy managers successful years to come.

Additional investigation provided by ESPN's Rachel Doerrie.

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Matthew Schaefer, D, New York Islanders, Erie (OHL) Selected: 1, Rank: 1

Rachel Doerrie: "A dynamic beingness astatine some ends of the ice, the 6-foot-2 blueliner skates with easiness and elite mobility to unopen down opponents successful each situations, portion creating discourtesy with prime modulation play. ..."

This young defender is going to beryllium a star, it's lone a substance of when. With Noah Dobson headed to Montreal, the Islanders are intelligibly pegging Schaefer to instrumentality implicit arsenic a salient blue-line constituent and apical power-play anchor. Compared to Ottawa's Jake Sanderson by imaginable expert Shane Malloy, the existent Erie Otter is lauded for his superior skating, hockey IQ, and carnal play.

Most important to phantasy managers, Schaefer projects to execute himself arsenic a top-15 defenseman by checking categorical boxes crossed the board. Probably not adjacent season, adjacent if the dynasty-league gem cracks New York's lineup, but eventually. Keep successful mind, the young lad doesn't crook 18 until September. For what it's worth, successful Sanderson's 3rd NHL season, astatine the property of 22, the aforementioned Senators' blueliner erupted for 2.4 phantasy points/game successful ESPN modular competition.

Michael Misa, F, San Jose Sharks, Saginaw (OHL) Selected: 2, Rank: 2

Doerrie: "Misa's violative instincts are elite. He processes the crippled astatine a precocious level and executes astatine apical speed. Scouts judge helium is NHL-ready and has the imaginable to go an elite top-line center. ..."

Forecast to beryllium a prima successful the NHL, Misa offers the Sharks a delectable one-two punch down the mediate arsenic moving mate to Macklin Celebrini. Leading the CHL with 62(!) goals and 72 assists done 65 contests this past season, the Saginaw standout is going to people connected the regular astatine even-strength and with the other skater. An contiguous must-grab successful dynasty competition, Misa is besides forecast to yet blossom into an exceptionally charismatic people successful re-draft leagues. Alongside different young San Jose talents similar Celebrini and Will Smith, this kid sports 90-100 constituent imaginable successful the bigs.

Keep an oculus on...

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Adam Sandler announces Bruins prime astatine NHL draft

Adam Sandler gives a motion to his celebrated "Happy Gilmore" quality to denote the Bruins picking Boston College's James Hagens with the seventh pick.

Anton Frondell, F, Chicago Blackhawks, Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) Selected: 3, Rank: 5

Doerrie: "He has shown play-driving capabilities against men successful the Allsvenskan, which has translated to the NHL for different prospects successful the past. He's projected to nutrient betwixt 75-85 points per season. His benignant of play translates good and has executives excited astir his quality to measurement successful the league successful the adjacent 18 months. ..."

Able to descent successful astatine halfway oregon connected the wing, Frondell is admired for his coagulated two-way play, carnal approach, and outstanding shot. The just-turned 18-year-old should yet find himself tucked into the Blackhawks' top-six -- his versatility offering a large woody of flexibility arsenic to wherever precisely -- and connected a powerfulness play portion with Connor Bedard. In summation to a projected archetypal haul of 60 points successful 2026-27, Frondell should besides beryllium counted connected to enactment up a bully fig of shots and hits.

Caleb Desnoyers, F, Utah Mammoth, Moncton (QMJHL) Selected: 4, Rank: 7

Doerrie: "He projects to beryllium a prime second-line halfway with a decent accidental of becoming a first-line player. He's cerebral, with speedy hands and playmaking ability. He's not flashy, but he's consistently effectual and makes intelligent plays with the puck. ..."

Loosely destined to descent successful down Logan Cooley arsenic Utah's second-line halfway and connected a apical power-play unit, the Quebec autochthonal sports 70-point imaginable with a Mammoth squad connected the rise. Drawing quiescent comparisons with Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews -- arsenic Doerrie besides points retired -- the speedy, towering playmaker potted 35 goals and 49 assists successful 56 games with the Wildcats this past season.

Brady Martin, F, Nashville Predators, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) Selected: 5, Rank: 13

Doerrie: "A Swiss Army weapon benignant of subordinate who volition beryllium astir effectual connected the helping due to the fact that of his beardown partition play, Martin projects arsenic a middle-six guardant susceptible of scoring 20 goals routinely, with upside arsenic a second-line forward. ..."

Likened to Florida's Sam Bennett, Elmira, Ontario's astir celebrated hockey-playing husbandman isn't forecast to enactment up piles of points similar different members of this draught class. However, likewise to Bennett, Martin should inactive gain his phantasy support successful deeper leagues that reward a assortment of categories, including hits.

Porter Martone, F, Philadelphia Flyers, Brampton (OHL) Selected: 8, Rank: 4

Doerrie: "A big, cerebral forward, Martone is simply a dual-threat violative subordinate with quality to people connected his ain and facilitate. He projects to beryllium a second-line scoring winger who should spot apical power-play minutes. ..."

He's big, creative, and fiercely competitive. If Martone's skating -- a weakness -- improves, helium could ace the Flyers' apical enactment successful the not-too-distant future. No question, phantasy managers should support a presumption of however the teen progresses successful that area, oregon doesn't, successful the coming months. If Marone gears up to stride, his productive ceiling lies adjacent the 70-point mark, dense connected the helpers.

James Hagens, F, Boston College, Boston Bruins (NCAA) Selected: 7, Rank: 3

Doerrie: "Hagens is projected to beryllium a top-line center, oregon 1 of the NHL's champion second-line centers. He brings a bully enactment complaint with fantabulous velocity and passing quality that should spot him efficaciously thrust play astatine the NHL level. ...He's smaller and slighter than different prospects, which worries immoderate teams, but there's a premix of Clayton Keller and Jack Hughes successful him successful presumption of modulation play and creativity. ..."

Goodness knows the Bruins could usage a boost down the middle. After 1 much collegiate year, Hagens should upwind his mode into a top-six lineup spot successful Boston. Perhaps yet alongside 1 the game's champion scorers? Remember, David Pastrnak is signed with the B's done 2031. Fantasy managers successful deeper leagues should decidedly show for that imaginable configuration successful seasons to come.

Jake O'Brien, F, Seattle Kraken, Brantford (OHL) Selected: 8, Rank: 9

Doerrie: "Deceptive and incredibly smooth, O'Brien projects to beryllium a point-producing, top-six halfway with a accidental to go a top-line center. ... He's 2 oregon 3 years distant from playing an impactful relation successful the NHL, and patience could beryllium the cardinal to O'Brien reaching his top-line ceiling. If helium does, he's going to beryllium an elite power-play backmost and violative driver. ..."

As a top-six halfway successful Seattle, O'Brien is going to people successful bunches. At immoderate point, possibly much than immoderate different subordinate of the Kraken. Meriting contiguous information successful heavy dynasty leagues, the just-turned 18-year-old should emergence connected each phantasy cheat sheets further down the line. If each goes well, the existent Bulldog sports a 90-point ceiling.

Wild cards

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Ducks draught prime Roger McQueen celebrates astatine Disneyland

Roger McQueen arrives astatine Disneyland to observe being drafted No. 10 by the Ducks.

Roger McQueen, F, Anaheim Ducks, Brandon (WHL) Selected: 10, Rank: 6

Doerrie: "His projection arsenic an elite top-line halfway lacks confidence, owed to deficiency of playing clip from his backmost injury. Without the injury, we mightiness beryllium discussing McQueen adjacent the apical of this draught people due to the fact that his bundle of skating, accomplishment and carnal gifts are rare, and the benignant of toolbox of which executives dream. ..."

Further described arsenic a "textbook high-risk, high-reward player", McQueen could look arsenic an outright bargain if genuinely recovered from his nasty backmost injury. Whether helium yet bumps Leo Carlsson, oregon whoever else, from the No. 1 halfway presumption successful Anaheim, oregon shifts to the wing, the towering skater sports point/game potential. Fantasy managers volition get a amended consciousness of however his backmost is holding up done adjacent season.

Joshua Ravensbergen, G, San Jose Sharks, Prince George (WHL) Selected: 30, Rank: 24

Doerrie: "Ravensbergen is the clear-cut apical goaltender imaginable successful this draft. He projects a composed, assured demeanor, with a assured projection arsenic a starting NHL goaltender who tin grip a important workload. ..."

Only tabbed a wild card due to the fact that each young goalies are truthful considered astatine this signifier successful their careers, Ravensbergen is apt going to play often for a Sharks squad that should beryllium considerably improved by the clip he's acceptable to launch. Just springiness it 3 years oregon so.

Other first-round selections with projected phantasy upside: Carter Bear, F, Detroit Red Wings; Viktor Eklund, F, New York Islanders