Soon, the next wave of hockey talent will arrive in the NHL.
In late June, the league’s draft will be held in Los Angeles for the second time ever, and the first time since 2010. Following Monday’s lottery, the official order will be set — and the expectation is that whichever squad lands the No. 1 pick will select Matthew Schaefer.
Behind Schaefer, center Michael Misa is also heavily expected to go No. 2. But beyond those two standouts, league insiders and analysts have some differing opinions on how the draft will shake out, with some valuing certain prospects over others based on potential team fits.
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Here’s a look at some of the top recent NHL mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic and more.
MORE: Explaining the odds, rules for the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery
Rachel Doerrie’s mock draft (ESPN)
Doerrie’s mock draft was released on April 24:
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | Previous Team |
| 1 | Sharks | Matthew Schaefer | D | Erie (OHL) |
| 2 | Blackhawks | Michael Misa | C | Saginaw (OHL) |
| 3 | Predators | James Hagans | C | Boston College (NCAA) |
| 4 | Flyers | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton (OHL) |
| 5 | Bruins | Caleb Desnoyers | C | Moncton (QMJHL) |
| 6 | Kraken | Jackson Smith | D | Tri-City (WHL) |
| 7 | Sabres | Victor Eklund | LW | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) |
| 8 | Ducks | Anton Frondell | C/RW | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) |
| 9 | Penguins | Jake O’Brien | C | Brantford (OHL) |
| 10 | Islanders | Roger McQueen | C | Brandon (WHL) |
| 11 | Rangers | Radim Mrtka | D | Seattle (WHL) |
| 12 | Red Wings | Carter Bear | C/LW | Everett (WHL) |
| 13 | Blue Jackets | Brady Martin | C | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) |
| 14 | Utah | Lynden Lakovic | C/LW | Moose Jaw (WHL) |
| 15 | Canucks | Kashawn Aitcheson | D | Barrie (OHL) |
| 16 | Canadiens | Justin Carbonneau | RW | Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) |
*Doerrie’s mock draft included only the top 16 picks
Notable:
- Doerrie predicts the Sharks come away with the right to selection Schaefer, who was previously the top selection in the 2023 OHL Draf and had 22 points in 17 games for Erie last season.
- This year’s draft is heavy on centers, with six of the top 10 players here listed at the poistion.
Corey Pronman’s mock draft (The Athletic)
Pronman’s latest mock draft was released on April 24:
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | Previous Team |
| 1 | Sharks | Matthew Schaefer | LHD | Erie (OHL) |
| 2 | Blackhawks | Michael Misa | C | Saginaw (OHL) |
| 3 | Predators | Caleb Desnoyers | C | Moncton (QMJHL) |
| 4 | Flyers | James Hagans | C | Boston College (NCAA) |
| 5 | Bruins | Anton Frondell | C | Djurgarden (Allsvenskan) |
| 6 | Kraken | Jake O’Brien | C | Brantford (OHL) |
| 7 | Sabres | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton (OHL) |
| 8 | Ducks | Radim Mrtka | RHD | Seattle (WHL) |
| 9 | Penguins | Victor Eklund | RW | Djurgarden (Allsvenskan) |
| 10 | Islanders | Roger McQueen | C | Brandon (WHL) |
| 11 | Rangers | Kashawn Aitcheson | LHD | Barrie (OHL) |
| 12 | Red Wings | Jack Nesbitt | C | Windsor (OHL) |
| 13 | Blue Jackets | Jackson Smith | LHD | Tri-City (WHL) |
| 14 | Utah | Carter Bear | LW | Everett (WHL) |
| 15 | Canucks | Brady Martin | C | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) |
| 16 | Canadiens | Justin Carbonneau | RW | Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) |
| 17 | Canadiens | Cameron Reid | LHD | Kitchener (OHL) |
| 18 | Flames | Cole Reschny | C | Victoria (WHL) |
| 19 | Blues | Logan Hensler | RHD | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 20 | Blue Jackets | Joshua Ravensbergen | G | Prince George (WHL) |
| 21 | Senators | Lynden Lakovic | LW | Moose Jaw (WHL) |
| 22 | Flames | Malcolm Spence | LW | Erie (OHL) |
| 23 | Hurricanes | Cullen Potter | C | Arizona State (NCAA) |
| 24 | Flyers | Daniil Prokhorov | LW | Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL) |
| 25 | Flyers | Milton Gastrin | C | MoDo (Sweden Jr.) |
| 26 | Predators | Braeden Cootes | C | Seattle (WHL) |
| 27 | Kings | Sascha Boumedienne | LHD | Boston University (NCAA) |
| 28 | Sharks | Blake Fiddler | RHD | Edmonton (WHL) |
| 29 | Blackhawks | Bill Zonnon | LW | Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL) |
| 30 | Predators | Mason West | C | Edina (MN High School) |
| 31 | Capitals | Henry Brzutewicz | RHD | London (OHL) |
| 32 | Jets | Simon Wang | LHD | Oshawa (OHL) |
Notable:
- The general consensus is that Ravensbergen will be the lone first-round goalie selection, as Pronman predicts here. There hasn’t been a first-round goalie since 2021.
- Beyond the Schaefer-Misa top two, Pronman has Desnoyers, coming out of the QMJHL with 84 points in 56 games last season, as the third prospect to emerge at the top.
Logan Horn’s mock draft (The Hockey Writers)
Horn’s latest mock draft was released on April 25:
| Pick | Team | Player | Position | Previous Team |
| 1 | Predators | Matthew Schaefer | LD | Erie (OHL) |
| 2 | Red Wings | Michael Misa | C | Saginaw (OHL) |
| 3 | Sharks | Anton Frondell | C | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) |
| 4 | Blackhawks | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton (OHL) |
| 5 | Flyers | James Hagans | C | Boston College (NCAA) |
| 6 | Bruins | Caleb Desnoyers | C | Moncton (QMJHL) |
| 7 | Kraken | Roger McQueen | C | Brandon (WHL) |
| 8 | Sabres | Radim Mrtka | RD | Seattle (WHL) |
| 9 | Ducks | Jake O’Brien | C | Brantford (OHL) |
| 10 | Penguins | Victor Eklund | RW | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) |
| 11 | Islanders | Kashawn Aitcheson | LD | Barrie (OHL) |
| 12 | Rangers | Jackson Smith | LD | Tri-City (WHL) |
| 13 | Blue Jackets | Joshua Ravensbergen | G | Prince George (WHL) |
| 14 | Utah | Jack Nesbitt | C | Windsor (OHL) |
| 15 | Canucks | Brady Martin | C | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) |
| 16 | Canadiens | Carter Bear | LW | Everett (WHL) |
*Horn’s mock draft included only the top 16 picks
Notable:
- Horn has the Blue Jackets going for their next goalie at No. 13 overall in Ravensbergen, a bit higher than most analysts have predicted.
- Horn goes with the Swedish forward Frondell as his No. 3 selection, who captained Sweden to a bronze medal at the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
Bob McKenzie’s mock draft (TSN)
McKenzie’s latest big board was released on May 2:
| Ranking | Player | Position | Previous Team |
| 1 | Matthew Schaefer | LD | Erie (OHL) |
| 2 | Michael Misa | C/LW | Saginaw (OHL) |
| 3 | Porter Martone | RW | Brampton (OHL) |
| 4 | Anton Frondell | C | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) |
| 5 | James Hagans | C | Boston College (NCAA) |
| 6 | Caleb Desnoyers | C | Moncton (QMJHL) |
| 7 | Jake O’Brien | C | Brantford (OHL) |
| 8 | Roger McQueen | F | Brandon (WHL) |
| 9 | Victor Eklund | LW | Djurgardens (Allsvenskan) |
| 10 | Jackson Smith | D | Tri-City (WHL) |
| 11 | Radim Mrtka | D | Seattle (WHL) |
| 12 | Brady Martin | C | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) |
| 13 | Carter Bear | C/LW | Everett (WHL) |
| 14 | Kashawn Aitcheson | D | Barrie (OHL) |
| 15 | Logan Hensler | D | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 16 | Lynden Lakovic | F | Moose Jaw (WHL) |
*McKenzie’s rankings were a top-16 big board that did not include team selections
Notable:
- McKenzie’s January big board placed Hagans over Misa as the second-ranked prospect, going against the general consensus among NHL Draft analysts, but he has since dropped Hagans to No. 5. Misa had 134 points in 65 games in the OHL last season, while Hagans totaled 37 points in 37 games for Boston College.
- McKenzie places a higher value on players like Logan Hensler and Lynden Lakovic compared to others’ projections, including both of them as lottery selections.
2025 NHL Draft Lottery Odds
Here’s a look at which teams have the best chance to land the No. 1 pick this year, where they would presumably select Schaefer, based on their 2024-25 record:
| Team | Chance at No. 1 pick |
|---|---|
| San Jose Sharks | 18.5% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 13.5% |
| Nashville Predators | 11.5% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 9.5% |
| Boston Bruins | 8.5% |
| Seattle Kraken | 7.5% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 6.5% |
| Anaheim Ducks | 6.0% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 5.0% |
| New York Islanders | 3.5% |
| New York Rangers | 3.0% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2.5% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2.0% |
| Utah Hockey Club | 1.5% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 0.5% |
| Montreal Canadiens (via Calgary) | 0.5% |
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