A big part of the pre-draft process every year in every sport is predicting which players will go to which teams. If you don’t already know, said activity is called a mock draft. Building off of our draft rankings posted earlier Thursday, here is Devils Army Network’s 2025 NHL mock draft.

1) New York Islanders – Matthew Schaefer (Defenseman, OHL)

There was some debate of who would go first in this draft pretty much up until May. That all changed on the night of the draft lottery when the New York Islanders made the unlikely jump from No. 10 to No. 1. Since then, everyone has pretty much agreed that Schaefer should be the guy picked first.

The Islanders prospect pool has been pretty barren for some time now, but with the recent additions of Cole Eiserman and Cal Ritchie, picking a defenseman first would make the most sense.

2) San Jose Sharks – Michael Misa (Center, OHL)

While the Sharks are another team that would love to have Schaefer on their team given how poor their blueline was last season, they were still last in the NHL. Any team who finishes last should be happy to take any great prospect and Misa is that. The Oakville, Ontario native partnering Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund for the next decade should scare any opposing team.

3) Chicago Blackhawks – Anton Frondell (Center, Allsvenskan)

Is Anton Frondell the third-best player in this draft? Probably not. Is Anton Frondell the right pick for the Blackhawks? Probably. Looking back to project forward, Chicago already has their next Patrick Kane in Connor Bedard. However, they still need their Jonathan Toews, and Anton Frondell projects to be exactly that.

4) Utah Mammoth – Caleb Desnoyers (Center, QMJHL)

The Utah Mammoth were the other big winners of the draft lottery, moving up from No. 14 to No. 4. While Desnoyers isn’t the best player available, Utah is almost certainly going to be looking for a dependable two-way center and Desnoyers is that.

There are a few different guys who Utah could use this pick on, but the upside Desnoyers showed in the playoffs will most likely propel him above the likes of Jake O’Brien or Brady Martin.

5) Nashville Predators – James Hagens (Center, NCAA)

When the draft order fell the way it did, many assumed Hagens would drop a couple of spots from where he was generally ranked. This definitely helps Nashville though who get, in our eyes, the third-best prospect in this draft. Hagens has the potential to be a superstar in music city.

6) Philadelphia Flyers – Porter Martone (Right Wing, OHL)

The Flyers are yet another team that will most likely benefit from Chicago and Utah’s need for a true center. Martone screams Philadelphia with his intense level of play. He has the potential to be the Flyers’ next captain and face of the franchise.

7) Boston Bruins – Jake O’Brien (Center, OHL)

Jake O’Brien just makes sense in a Bruins sweater. He’s a strong defender and quiet scorer, a description that could be used for many of Boston’s top forwards throughout the 2010s. If the board falls this way, Bruins fans should be thrilled to hopefully have found a future first-line center next to David Pastrnak.

8) Seattle Kraken – Radim Mrtka (Defenseman, WHL)

This is one of the easier picks to mock in the entire draft. Did you know Seattle has never picked a defenseman in the first round? While there are other defenseman in this range who could be very good, Mrtka feels like what Seattle needs in their prospect pool. A dependable guy who you can count on for potentially 25-plus solid minutes each night.

9) Buffalo Sabres – Victor Eklund (Right Wing, Allsvenskan)

The Sabres are a pretty depressing franchise, so let’s try and inject some life into them. Victor Eklund would do exactly that. He’s pretty small, but brings a lot of energy and speed to the ice every time he steps on it. 

10) Anaheim Ducks – Roger McQueen (Center, WHL)

The Ducks already have a ton of young skilled talent on their roster, so if anyone is poised to take a shot at Roger McQueen, it would be them. McQueen could end up being one of the best players in this year’s draft when it’s all said and done. However, after an injury riddled pair of seasons leading up to the 2025 draft, the big center is seen as more of a shot in the dark. Other teams may have more insight on his injury, so we’ll see how well this projection ages.

11) Pittsburgh Penguins – Jackson Smith (Defenseman, WHL)

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a bad team and a bad prospect pool. They need everyone and everything. With that in mind, the best player available seems like the right move for them. At this point in the draft, that guy is Jackson Smith. Smith is a do-it-all defenseman who can move the puck and play physical when needed.

12) Pittsburgh Penguins – Brady Martin (Center, OHL)

Same team, same logic. The Penguins need bodies that will be NHL players and Brady Martin is that. While his ceiling isn’t as high as some of the guys who will go after him, his floor of a solid middle-six center makes him more valuable.

13) Detroit Red Wings – Kashawn Aitcheson (Defenseman, OHL)

The Red Wings have consistently gone with players who have higher floors under general manager Steve Yzerman so let’s give them a little more of a project. Kashawn Aitcheson is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s draft with his mix of grit and skill. He was named best body checker in the OHL Eastern Conference in the coaches poll and put up 59 points in 64 games. That all without a great transition game.

14) Columbus Blue Jackets – Logan Hensler (Defenseman, NCAA)

The Blue Jackets are loaded up front with young talent, so let’s give them one of the safest picks in the draft on defense in Logan Hensler. Hensler isn’t particularly great at anything, but he’s not close to bad in any area either. He projects as an NHL defenseman, but probably not an elite one, which I’m sure Columbus will be acceptable with after the failure of a pick that was David Jiricek in 2022.

15) Vancouver Canucks – Cullen Potter (Center, NCAA)

In 2024, the Vancouver Canucks looked like one of the most potent offensive teams in the NHL. It’s funny how much can change in a year’s time. Cullen Potter’s blistering shot and top-end skating should inject some much needed punch into what’s become a stagnant Canucks offense.

16) Montreal Canadiens – Braeden Cootes (Center, WHL)

The Canadiens have been trying and failing for years now to find a second line center to play behind Nick Suzuki. While there are other guys still available at this point with maybe some more offensive upside than Cootes, he would slot in quite nicely in that aforementioned second line center role for Montreal. His 200-foot game and smarts in all areas of the ice could make him a fan-favorite in the hockey mecha that is Montreal.

The Remainder Of Round 1

17) Montreal Canadiens – Sascha Boumedienne (Defenseman, NCAA)

18) Calgary Flames – Benjamin Kindel (Center, WHL)

19) St. Louis Blues – Blake Fiddler (Defenseman, WHL)

20) Columbus Blue Jackets – Carter Bear (Left Wing, WHL)

21) Ottawa Senators – Lynden Lakovic (Left Wing, WHL)

22) Philadelphia Flyers – Cameron Reid (Defenseman, OHL)

23) Nashville Predators – Malcom Spence (Left Wing, OHL)

24) Los Angeles Kings – Justin Carbonneau (Right Wing, QMJHL)

25) Chicago Blackhawks – Cameron Schmidt (Right Wing, WHL)

26) Nashville Predators – Joshua Ravensbergen (Goaltender, WHL)

27) Washington Capitals – Cole McKinney (Center, NTDP)

28) Winnipeg Jets – Bill Zonnon (Wing/Center, QMJHL)

29) Carolina Hurricanes – Shane Vansaghi (Right Wing, NCAA)

30) San Jose Sharks – Cole Reschny (Center, WHL)

31) Philadelphia Flyers – Eric Nilson (Center, J20 Nationell)

32) Calgary Flames – Jack Nesbitt (Center, OHL)