Analysis of the Needs of NHL Teams Heading into the 2025 Draft
As the 2025 NHL draft approaches, scheduled for June 27 and 28, it’s time to assess each team’s needs. The primary strategy is to select the best player available, especially in the first three rounds, regardless of position. While some teams have more urgent positional needs, prioritizing position or size can lead to regrets.
Teams that have been contenders for years, such as the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights, have thinner prospect pools and need everything, having traded picks and prospects to stay on top. Others, who have kept their picks but haven’t drafted in the top 10, lack high-end talent (Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, to name three). Furthermore, there are teams that have an abundance of talent in one position but lack elite talent in another. Only one prospect pool is truly balanced, largely because their scouting strategy over the past five years has been to select the best player available, regardless of position.
What does each team need and who could satisfy those needs in the next draft?
Anaheim Ducks
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 2nd (WPG), 3rd, 3rd (TOR), 4th (DET), 5th, 5th (EDM), 6th, 7th
The Ducks have been the league’s best developers of defensemen for over a decade. They have drafted many defensemen who have become top-tier defensemen, including Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, Shea Theodore, Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm, and Brandon Montour.
More recently, the Ducks have promoted Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zelwegger, who have shown legitimate promise in the NHL. However, Anaheim currently lacks a large defenseman with mobility to complement the offensive gifts of their young star defensemen. Stian Solberg brings competitiveness and is mobile, but his puck-moving skills need to develop to the NHL level. Players in the current draft class who fit this mold include Radim Mrtka, Blake Fiddler, and Carter Amico.
Boston Bruins
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 2nd (CAR), 2nd (STL), 3rd, 4th (PHI), 5th, 6th, 7th
In the entire prospect pool, the Bruins need high-end talent. There is no developing player with the skill level projected to be a difference-maker in the NHL. This will hinder the Bruins in their attempt to rebuild as a top-tier contender.
Specifically, the Bruins need a dual-threat center who can create offense through playmaking and be a shooting threat. They also need defensemen with good puck-moving ability and excellent mobility. Given the Bruins’ success over the past 20 years, it’s not surprising that their prospect pool lacks high-end talent. However, they have had success with picks outside the top 10, including David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jake DeBrusk. Players who could inject skill into the prospect pool include Roger McQueen, Caleb Desnoyers, and Anton Frondell at forward, and Sascha Boumedienne and Luka Radivojevic on defense, all of whom could be available for them to select in the upcoming draft at the 7th overall pick.
Buffalo Sabres
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th (MIN), 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th (NSH), 7th (WSH)
The Sabres have a deep and talented prospect pool. What they lack, and it’s not much, is a big, skilled forward who can develop into a power forward. This pipeline has many smaller players with soft skills like Konsta Helenius, Brody Ziemer, Noah Ostlund, and Isak Rosen, in addition to smaller NHL players like Zach Benson, Jiri Kulich, JJ Peterka, and Jack Quinn. Some of those players are two-way forwards who have hard skill attributes, but none of them are able to impose themselves physically.
Buffalo needs a power forward who combines soft and hard skill to win puck battles, and who can be a presence in front of the net and a physical presence in general. Players in the draft class who fit the description include Brady Martin, Porter Martone, and Bill Zonnon. If the Sabres prefer hard skill over size, Carter Bear and Viktor Eklund would also fit well.
Calgary Flames
2025 Draft Selections: 1st (FLA), 1st (NJ), 2nd (COL), 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th
Calgary has two selections in the first round, with a fantastic opportunity to add a skilled player to the prospect pool.
Zayne Parekh, selected in the first round of 2024, is the most skilled offensive defenseman outside of the NHL, and the Flames have other solid prospects like Matvei Gridin and Andrew Basha. They need a skilled, dual-threat forward who can drive the offense, as many of their forward prospects are complementary players. Samuel Honzek and Aydar Suniev are excellent examples of skilled forwards who should play complementary roles alongside playmakers. The aging of their current group of centers should make the Flames look to add players at that position, but it’s not an urgent issue that would force them to overlook a play-driving winger. There should be many options for the Flames in the draft, including Benjamin Kindel, Carter Bear, Cullen Potter, and Cole Reschny.
Carolina Hurricanes
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 3rd (TB), 4th, 6th, 6th (TB), 7th
The Hurricanes have drafted well, and their modus operandi has been to add skill, regardless of position. You will often see the Canes in the “winners” column of any draft analyst who uses analytics as a key component of player evaluation, because they are excellent at extracting value throughout the draft. That said, if the Canes lack a specific position, they could use some centers in their prospect pool. Many of their projected high-level players are defensemen (Dominik Badinka, Alexander Nikishin, Scott Morrow) or wingers (Bradly Nadeau, Nikita Artamonov, Felix Unger Sorum). All of those players are projected to be mid- or top-line contributors in the coming years. However, the Canes lack a center prospect projected in the same category.
Given their selection position and M.O., some players that might intrigue them are Jack Murtagh, William Moore, Cameron Schmidt (although he is a winger), Ivan Ryabkin, Jack Nesbitt, and Milton Gastrin.
Chicago Blackhawks
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 1st (TOR), 2nd, 2nd (DAL), 3rd, 4th, 4th (NYR), 6th, 7th
It’s no secret that the Blackhawks have serious developing talent, but most of it is on defense. After opting for Artyom Levshunov over Ivan Demidov, and drafting Kevin Korchinski, Sam Rinzel, and Ethan Del Mastro, Chicago has depth on the blue line for the foreseeable future. However, they lack a star-caliber forward to complement the franchise’s most important piece, Connor Bedard. It is imperative that the Blackhawks add a forward with a top-line projection who can produce and facilitate offense. Ideally, this player can drive play on their own, which could allow Chicago to distribute the riches in the top six. It is necessary to inject serious talent at the top of the lineup for the rebuild to move forward more quickly.
Given the draft capital and the position (their first pick is number 3 overall), they should absolutely target Michael Misa, Porter Martone, or James Hagens with their first pick, and look for players like Shane Vansaghi, Benjamin Kindel, Nathan Behm, and Ryker Lee with their other picks in the first 64.
Colorado Avalanche
2025 Draft Selections: 4th (VAN), 7th
After trading Calum Ritchie at the deadline, the Avalanche lack upside in their prospect pool. Outside of Mikhail Gulyayev, there is a real lack of players who have a chance to play impactful roles, and zero forward prospects with top-six projections. Given their contention window and “all-in” mentality, it’s not surprising that the Avalanche lack high-end talent in their prospect pipeline. However, the Avalanche are going to need players who can play impactful minutes to complement the supreme talent at the top of their roster. The Avalanche have two total picks in the upcoming draft, and without maneuvering to add draft capital in the first three rounds, they will struggle to find the type of upside they need in their prospect pool.
Columbus Blue Jackets
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 1st (MIN), 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 7th (VGK)
The Blue Jackets took a big step forward this season, and some of their younger players played a key role in that development. The Blue Jackets are well-positioned at center, as long as Cayden Lindstrom stays healthy and develops into a second-line player. They have tremendous young talent on the wings, and offensive firepower on the blue line. But after trading David Jiricek this past season, the Blue Jackets do not have a developing prospect who projects as a top-four defenseman who plays minutes against the opposition’s best players. Charlie Elick has a long-range projection to be a number 4, but he will most likely be a depth defenseman who plays on the penalty kill.
Columbus could satisfy this need in the form of Logan Hensler, Kashawn Aitcheson, Cameron Reid, Blake Fiddler, and/or Sascha Boumedienne, given their two first-round picks in the upcoming draft.
Dallas Stars
2025 Draft Selections: 3rd, 5th, 5th (NJ), 6th, 7th
Given the Stars’ situation, and their ability to recruit and develop players outside the top 20, it is not terribly concerning that their prospect pool lacks a high-end center. Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz should be their top two centers for the foreseeable future. However, the Stars lack any center depth in the prospect pipeline, and would benefit from bolstering that position. Mavrik Bourque and Emil Hemming are their best remaining prospects up front. Both are wingers, and Bourque is graduating from the prospect pool after this season. Lian Bischel, Christian Kyrou, and Aram Minnetian represent legitimate potential on defense, making the need for a center more pronounced. Given their lack of draft capital, it will be difficult to acquire the type of player their prospect pool needs without the acquisition of draft picks.
Detroit Red Wings
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd (NYR), 4th (TB), 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th (STL)
The Red Wings have a plethora of young prospects, but most of their high-end prospects are defensemen. Both Lucas Raymond and Marco Kasper can no longer be considered prospects, and the Red Wings lack a single player in their pipeline with a top-line projection. Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are projected to become middle-six forwards, while Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Andrew Gibson are expected to join an excellent young blue line. Trey Augustine is projected to be a starting NHL goaltender, leaving the Red Wings with projectable players everywhere except at the top of their forward lineup.
The Red Wings need players who can produce offense and drive play. Players who would be a welcome addition to the prospect pool include Carter Bear, Jake O’Brien, Lynden Lakovic, and Cole Reschny. If players like Viktor Eklund or Roger McQueen were to fall out of the top 10, the Red Wings would be thrilled to get either of them.
Edmonton Oilers
2025 Draft Selections: 3rd (STL), 6th, 7th
The Oilers have three selections in the entire draft and none in the top 64. It’s not surprising that a team in their contention window lacks talent in their prospect pool because it means they’ve drafted late, traded their picks, or traded their high-end prospects. The Oilers have done all three and lack high-end talent outside of Matthew Savoie. Sam O’Reilly and Beau Akey represent the best opportunity to become middle-of-the-lineup players for Edmonton, which desperately needs a skilled winger to flank Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. They will need to trade or go on the offensive with players like LJ Mooney, Shamar Moses, Filip Ekberg, and Gustav Hillstrom.
Florida Panthers
2025 Draft Selections: 4th, 4th (CGY), 5th, 5th (SJ), 6th, 7th
When a team has recently won the Stanley Cup and made several deep playoff runs in recent years, it’s likely to have a barren prospect cupboard. That’s the case for the Florida Panthers who need… well, everything. There isn’t a single position of strength in the pipeline, nor is there a single player projected to be an impact player at any position. Justin Sourdif, Jack Devine, and Gracyn Sawchyn have the best chance to become NHL forwards, while Marek Alscher and Tobias Bjornfot have a chance to become NHL depth defensemen. Goaltender Spencer Knight is gone, and the Panthers have no goalies projected to play NHL games in their system. There’s no need to be picky, and given that they don’t have a draft pick in the top three rounds, the Panthers need to bet on skill and potential with their late-round picks.
Los Angeles Kings
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 7th (PHI)
The Kings do not have a single defensive prospect projected to become an NHL player after Brandt Clarke graduated. However, forwards Liam Greentree, Koehn Ziemmer, and Kenny Connors have NHL projections to varying degrees. Greentree is the most likely to be a top-six forward, and the other two are projected to become NHL depth players. In goal, the Kings are overflowing with talent among Carter George, Hampton Slukynsky, and Erik Portillo. In fact, there is a strong argument that the Kings have the best goaltending prospect pool in the NHL. The Kings need defensemen in the prospect pool, and they are well-equipped to add some in the upcoming draft. Top-90 targets include Blake Fiddler, Sascha Boumedienne, Carter Amico, Kurban Limatov, and Alex Huang.
Minnesota Wild
2025 Draft Selections: 2nd, 4th (TOR), 5th (CBJ), 6th
It’s very strange to look at a group of prospects and have the initial impression that a playoff team doesn’t have any holes. But that’s what happens when you have the best ratio of drafted to signed contracts in the NHL over the last five years. The Wild are packed with high-level prospects at every position, from goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to defensemen David Jiricek and Zeev Buium, and forwards Danila Yurov, Ryder Ritchie, Charlie Stramel, and Hunter Haight. There is no shortage of talent in the Wild’s prospect pool, and they are poised to have excellent depth for years. Their drafting strategy is one that many fan bases wish their team had: select the best player available. There’s no “high floor, low ceiling” nonsense, nor concerns about a smaller, more skilled player. The Wild have a pick in the top three rounds this year, but they hope to continue extracting value in later rounds.
Montreal Canadiens
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 1st (CGY), 2nd, 2nd (PIT), 3rd, 3rd (NJ), 3rd (VAN), 4th, 4th (BOS), 5th, 6th, 7th
The Canadiens’ rebuilding process through the draft has been no joke. Capitalizing on opportunities with smaller players like Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson has been nothing short of brilliant. Add Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, and Filip Mesar to the mix, and the Habs have plenty of quality skaters in development. Jacob Fowler is one of the best goaltending prospects in the sport, and he is projected to be an NHL starter, perhaps better suited for a platoon role. On defense, the club hopes David Reinbacher stays healthy and becomes a top-four minute-eater that they envisioned when they drafted him in early 2023. To round out the Canadiens’ roster, they need some hard skill. A player who can complement their soft skill scorers and win puck battles, score in front of the net, and be a physical presence on the wall. They have that with Kaiden Guhle on the back end, and if Owen Beck and Joshua Roy can make the jump, they will be solid bottom-six players. Having someone in the top-six who can bring physicality and produce 65-70 points per season would add a dimension. Juraj Slafkovsky has some of those traits in his game, but a player like Brady Martin or Caleb Desnoyers would be the perfect fit. If Roger McQueen happens to slide like Lane Hutson did, he would fit well in this mold.
Nashville Predators
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 1st (TB), 1st (VGK), 2nd, 2nd (TB), 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 6th (COL)
Barry Trotz hasn’t minced words in his evaluation of the draft, and thank goodness, because the Predators need skill. They’ve lacked a true top-line scoring center to play with Filip Forsberg for years. There are scoring wingers and two-way centers in development, but no point-producing centers. With a top-five pick, the Predators are poised to add an elite center. Anyone of Hagens, Misa, or Frondell would be a great pick for the Preds. If they chose to go offense if Misa isn’t available, McQueen makes sense, but there are understandable reservations with his injury history. Regardless of who the Preds select at number 5, there will be a top-six projected center available to them. Misa, the top center in the draft, followed by Hagens, a 70+ point two-way center, and Frondell, who projects to be a top-line center, should receive significant consideration. After trading Yaroslav Askarov to San Jose, the Preds lack a goalie in their development, and they may take Joshua Ravensbergen or Jack Ivankovic with one of their other four picks in the first two rounds.
New Jersey Devils
2025 Draft Selections: 2nd, 2nd (EDM), 3rd (VGK), 4th, 6th, 6th (SJ)
The Devils have quality first-line centers secured, and Nico Hischier found himself in the conversation for the Selke Trophy this season. However, both he and Jack Hughes are smaller in size and have accumulated a history of injuries. Given their immense talent, the former number one overall picks will lead the Devils for the foreseeable future. The Devils’ management seems to like size, and they would do well to add a big center to the mix. Without a first-round pick, it will cost them to add an impact center, but many six-foot centers have come from the second and third rounds. The Devils are loaded on defense to the point that some of those players can be used as trade chips to acquire pieces that can help the Devils compete. Tyler Brennan and Mikhail Yegorov have NHL potential, and provide options at the goaltending position. Targeting size, regardless of forward position, would not be a surprise, and some players who fit that mold include William Horcoff, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Eddie Genborg, and Vaclav Nestrasil.
New York Islanders
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
The Isles hit the jackpot by winning the draft lottery in the year a defenseman is the consensus number one pick. The need for a number one defenseman is pressing, and Matthew Schaefer is that guy. He should be the first overall pick, and he will help put everyone on the Isles’ blue line in a better place. The Isles have quality forward talent, with Calum Ritchie and Cole Eiserman projected to be top-six forwards, while Danny Nelson and Quinn Finley are projected to become NHL depth players. On defense, it’s much thinner with only Calle Odelius and Jesse Pulkkinen projected to play NHL games. The Isles need to bolster the defensive pipeline, as it is an area of weakness.
New York Rangers
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 2nd, 3rd (SEA), 4th (ANA), 4th (COL), 5th (MIN), 6th, 6th (SEA), 7th
The Rangers are a bit of an enigma in terms of their direction. They have young players and older players; they have a blue line that needs help and everything outside of their goalie Igor Shesterkin seems to be in constant flux. The Rangers should use their first-round pick this year, and hope that next year’s pick, owned by Pittsburgh, is much lower because they’ve made the playoffs. It’s not that the Rangers lack talent, it’s that there’s a worrying pattern of inability to develop that talent to its full potential (Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Vitali Kravtsov, Llias Andersson, Nils Lundkvist, Zac Jones). Gabe Perreault, EJ Emery, and Drew Fortescue are the only players in the system with reliable NHL projections, and none of them play center. The Rangers could use more mobile defensemen and someone like Radim Mrtka or Kashawn Aitcheson fits their recruiting style. If they opt for a center, they would need to hope that one of Jake O’Brien or Caleb Desnoyers falls into their hands at the 12th spot.
Ottawa Senators
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 3rd (FLA), 4th (SJ), 5th, 6th, 7th
The Senators took a big step this season, largely because their top line players were excellent and got decent goaltending. When the Sens have drafted for skill, as with Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson, they have had success. When they have drafted for toughness, they haven’t done so well. The Sens’ prospect pool has a lot of size, a lot of truculence, and seriousness. It lacks high-end talent and players projected to be offensive producers above the 60-point plateau. The Sens have the 21st overall pick in the draft, and they can use it to draft a forward with some offensive creativity. Players who fit the description include Kindel, Potter, Reschny, Cootes and Schmidt, Lakovic and Carbonneau. If they opt for defensemen, Logan Hensler and Cameron Reid would fit well.
Philadelphia Flyers
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 1st (COL), 1st (EDM), 2nd, 2nd (ANA), 2nd (CGY), 2nd (CBJ), 3rd, 5th, 5th (CAR), 6th
The Flyers need high-end talent in all areas of their prospect pool, and three first-round picks allow them to go on the offensive with players. Philadelphia should target players with significant potential, even if they fall into the boom/bust category. There is a need for talent at the center position. Oliver Bonk brings skill on the blue line and should slide into the top four in the coming years. However, the Flyers lack a prospect with high-end point-per-game potential up front, and finding a center for Matvei Michkov should be a priority. There are many players the Flyers can target with their first pick, and Martone, McQueen, Frondell, Eklund, and Desnoyers should receive significant consideration. With their other picks in the 20s, the Flyers can take players who slide, or go after Ryabkin, Potter, Kindel, Cootes, and Nesbitt. There is a significant opportunity to add speed, skill, and elite offensive creativity to their prospect pipeline, and the Flyers need to take advantage of it.
Pittsburgh Penguins
2025 Draft Selections: 1st, 1st (NYR), 2nd (WSH), 3rd, 3rd (MIN), 3rd (OTT), 4th, 5th (CHI), 5th (NYR), 6th, 7th
The Penguins have two first-ballot Hall of Fame centers still playing at a high level in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. However, there is an extreme need for elite talent at the top of the lineup to drive play and produce offense. Tanner Howe and Rutger McGroarty are projected to be middle-six forwards with 60-65 point ceilings. Melvin Fernstrom and Tristan Broz have NHL depth projections. On defense, Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke have top-four projections, and Joel Blomqvist has the potential to be a legitimate NHL starting goaltender. The good news…
