Scout's Analysis: Favourite pick from each round of 2025 NHL Draft

The 2025 NHL Draft is in the books and prospects are now scattering throughout North America preparing for their first experience with the teams that selected them. With development camps set to start, the next phase of a prospect's journey towards someday becoming an NHL player begins. 

This year’s draft class wasn’t as deep as some of the more recent ones, but it didn’t lack for character. This class will add layers of depth to NHL rosters in the future. Some of them won’t move the needle at the top of a lineup, but they will provide the kind of glue that keeps teams together when games get harder in the playoffs. 

Here’s a look at my favourite pick from each round of the 2025 NHL Draft:

ROUND 1

Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders, first overall 

I’ve been scouting hockey for more than 25 years now. I’ve attended thousands of games in my career and had the good fortune of interviewing hundreds of players. I’ve never met a top prospect who has suffered through so much personal tragedy and found a way to persevere the way Matthew Schaefer has. He lost his mom to cancer last year and missed most of this season due to injury, but found a way to remain positive throughout the draft process and was an absolute pleasure to get to know. 

Schaefer plays for the Erie Otters (OHL) and is an elite prospect who projects to be a complete player at the NHL level. Schaefer will be deployed in all situations and log a ton of ice time for the Islanders. He produces offence without sacrificing defence. The Islanders have themselves a future captain in Schaefer and a prospect to build their team around for years to come. 

NHL Projection: Top pairing defenceman. Deployed in all situations

ROUND 2

Alexander Zharovsky, Montreal Canadiens, 34th overall

Zharovsky was a significant riser for me this year and one of the most interesting offensive prospects to track. He’s incredibly skilled and projects to be a top six forward in time. His ability to beat opponents one-on-one in tight quarters and capitalize in high danger areas is very intriguing. In time Zharovsky will add more strength and weight to his frame which will assist him with more open ice power and produce even more opportunity to impact the game with his elite puck touch. Zharovsky has two more seasons left on his contract with UFA Tolpar in Russia. 

NHL Projection: Top-six forward. Playmaker

ROUND 3

Cameron Schmidt, Dallas Stars, 94th overall

Schmidt ended the year ranked in my first round, so I was surprised to see him fall all the way to the third. Teams were obviously shy about drafting a forward of Schmidt’s stature (5-foot-7, 157 pounds) but Dallas Stars Director of Scouting Joe McDonnell stepped in to take advantage of Schmidt still being available at pick 94. 

Schmidt is undersized, but he plays the game quick and explodes through the neutral zone to lead the rush. If he gets the edge on an opponent he will drive to the net but he’s most dangerous snapping pucks on net in motion or when he cycles to the middle of the ice off the half wall. Schmidt leans shooter more than distributor. He contributed 40G-38A in 61 games playing for the Vancouver Giants this past season.

NHL Projection: Middle-six forward. Shooter. Goal scorer

ROUND 4

LJ Mooney, Montreal Canadiens, 113th overall

Mooney, like Schmidt, is undersized (5-foot-7, 157 pounds) but he’s never an easy out for opponents despite his stature. The Habs selected Mooney with the 113^th pick after watching him contribute 10G-41A this year playing for Team USA’s U18 national team. 

Mooney leans distributor more than shooter. He’s very quick in small areas and has the ability to slip off checks. He’s reliable defensively and doesn’t shy away from contact. Mooney’s elite element is his offensive upside, but he’s active in all three zones and has a real chance of becoming an NHL player someday with the way he approaches every shift. 

NHL Projection: Third line centre/winger. Play driver

ROUND 5 

Viktor Klingsell, Winnipeg Jets, 156th overall

Klingsell projects to be a middle of the lineup winger who produces secondary offence at even strength and has the skill to be deployed on the power play. The stocky/strong forward produced 17G-22A playing for Skelleftea’s J20 team in Sweden and added 2G-6A suiting up for Team Sweden at the U18 World Championship. He’s a very competitive player who was consistently noticeable for me when I viewed him this past season. 

NHL Projection: Potential third line winger. Shooter on power play 

ROUND 6

Burke Hood, New York Islanders, 170th overall

The Islanders won the weekend with their three first-round selections and added Hood to the organization with the 170^th pick in the sixth round. 

Hood is an intriguing goalie prospect who's athletic and big in the net. He’s very powerful moving side to side tracking the play and has better than average low net coverage and glove hand. Hood needs time to be “coached up.” Like a lot of athletic goaltenders there are times he gets too aggressive challenging plays and loses his crease in the process. However, I appreciate his compete and believe he has a solid foundation to work with overall. Hood posted a 3.13 GAA and .910 save percentage playing for the Vancouver Giants (WHL) this past season. 

NHL Projection: No. 2B/NHL backup 

ROUND 7

Filip Ekberg, Carolina Hurricanes, 221st overall

I was surprised to see Ekberg fall this far in the draft. He ended up being selected by the Hurricanes with the fourth-last pick overall. 

Ekberg fought some inconsistencies in the regular season but left a strong impression at the U18 worlds at the end of the year. He contributed 16G-29A for the Ottawa 67’s (OHL) before winning the scoring title at the U18s with 10G-8A in only seven games. Ekberg will need to show more growth in his all around game and display a willingness to battle hard in the trenches consistently, but he was definitely worth the risk at this stage of the draft and should have been selected sooner in my opinion. 

NHL Projection: Fourth line. Minor league recall forward