NHL Mock Draft: Top-5 Prospects Named for 2025 NHL Draft
The NHL's trade deadline has come and gone, and now the focus turns to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the 2025 NHL Draft.
Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis, who is known as one of the best prospect analysts around, and was almost perfect with his top-10 selections last season, recently released his 2025 NHL Mock Draft, and needless to say there's a ton of talent on the board this year.
Here's Ellis' first top-5 2025 NHL Mock Draft of the season:
San Jose Sharks, Matthew Schaefer, LHD
The Erie Otters defenseman is back on the ice finally, after suffering an injury during the World Juniors, and look for Schaefer to continue to impress to finish out his 2024-25 season. Ellis mentions: "Schaefer is the No. 1 prospect for most scouts, and he’d fit a perfect need in San Jose’s pipeline. Sam Dickinson is going to be a solid player, but Schaefer is a better all-around defenseman – and the best in this class by a large margin. Schaefer is so smart, so skilled, and the results at just about every single level have been so promising. You can see some similarities between Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes in the way he moves and makes decisions with the puck."
Chicago Blackhawks, Michael Misa, C/LW
The Saginaw Spirit forward has been turning heads since he was 10 years old and has been highly touted ever since. Misa's versatility and ability to put the puck in the back of the net has scouts drooling. Ellis mentions: "Misa is one of the best pure goal-scorers in the CHL and is on track for one of the most impressive goal-scoring draft campaigns that we’ve seen out of the OHL in quite some time. The big thing here is his ability to take over a shift – there isn’t another player in this draft I’d trust more to go out and win a game."
Nashville Predators, James Hagens, C
The Predators could land a number-one center in Boston College's James Hagens, who has been lighting up the NCAA all season long. The Preds were supposed to compete for a division title this year, and have struggled in a major way all season long, and their reward could be a big-time prospect in Hagens. Ellis mentions: "That’s why I like the idea of Hagens here – he could be a key piece of this organization quite soon. Hagens could go No. 1 overall and it wouldn’t surprise me. He’s really smart, plays a great two-way game and can thrive with just about anyone. Hagens has all the makings of being a No. 1 center on many NHL teams – Nashville could use that in the long run."
Buffalo Sabres, Porter Martone, RW
The Brampton Steelheads winger is arguably one of the best goal-scorers on the planet right now outside of the NHL. The Sabres are once again one of the worst teams in the league, and their longstanding rebuild continues. Ellis mentions: "I like the idea of them selecting the no-nonsense Martone. He’s got an excellent combination of skill, size and power, and he’s equally dangerous as a shooter and a passer. He’s not your typical power forward player, and that’s because he can beat guys with pure skill. I like Martone as a future top-six forward who can finish plays and throw the body around."
Seattle Kraken, Anton Frondell, C/RW
The Djurgardens Allsvenskan product is the best prospect outside of North American this season. Considering the Kraken's need more high-end talent up front, Frondell makes a ton of sense here. Ellis scribes: "The Kraken love selecting centers, and this draft is full of them. If Martone is available, I think Seattle would take him instead to give them that wing depth they need. But with Frondell, he has experience down the middle and on the wing, and he’s really intriguing. Injuries derailed the early part of his season, but he’s having one of the most productive campaigns in league history. Frondell has a fantastic shot release and he’s getting even better at attacking pucks, too. Frondell has had to make up for lost time, but he has put himself back on the map as a potential top-five pick."
Photo credit: GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
