2025 NHL mock draft: Best fit for Bruins, every team's first-round pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final concluded Tuesday with the Florida Panthers beating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 to secure their second straight championship.
And now the offseason has officially begun.
The most notable event on the calendar is the 2025 NHL Draft, which starts in eight days. This year’s draft class is impressive, especially at the center position. That’s good news for the Boston Bruins, who will pick No. 7 overall after failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Check out our 2025 NHL mock draft below:
32. Calgary Flames (via Panthers): Bill Zonnon, RW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
Zonnon ranked fifth in assists and tied for seventh in points among QMJHL players last season. The Flames scored the fourth-fewest goals of any team in 2024-25 and could use a dynamic offensive player like him in their prospect pool.
31. Philadelphia Flyers (via Oilers): Benjamin Kindel, C, Calgary (WHL)
Kindel doesn’t have a ton of size, but his speed and playmaking ability would be a nice boost for the Flyers, who currently own three first-round picks in this draft.
30. San Jose Sharks (via Stars): Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA)
After taking a couple centers with first-round picks (including the No. 2 pick below), it’s time to add some depth on the wing in San Jose. Spartans forward Shane Vansaghi would be among the best available at the position this late in Round 1.
29. Carolina Hurricanes: Milton Gastrin, C, Modo Jr. (SWE-JR)
Gastrin is a reliable, two-way center who can excel in all situations. He could maybe be a Jordan Staal replacement at some point in Carolina.
28. Winnipeg Jets: Henry Brzustewicz, D, London (OHL)
Brzustewicz is poised with the puck, he has a high hockey IQ and enough offensive skill to generate scoring chances at the NHL level. He played a huge role in the London Knights winning the 2025 Memorial Cup.
27. Washington Capitals: Cullen Potter, C, Arizona State (NCAA)
Potter’s goal-scoring ability and speed make him an exciting prospect. In fact, if he falls all the way to the late first round, he could end up being a huge steal. The only concern is his lack of size at 5-foot-9.
26. Nashville Predators (via Golden Knights): Joshua Ravensbergen, G, Prince George (WHL)
Ravensbergen is considered by many experts to be the top-ranked goalie prospect in the 2025 draft class. With veteran Juuse Saros signed long-term, the Predators could allow Ravensbergen to develop at the right pace and not rush him to the NHL. His size (6-foot-5), athleticism and poise are all impressive.
25. Chicago Blackhawks (via Maple Leafs): Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University (NCAA)
Boumedienne was the youngest player in NCAA hockey last season and showed tremendous improvement throughout the campaign. His hockey IQ is fantastic. After taking Artyom Levshunov at No. 2 overall last year, the addition of Boumedienne would give the Blackhawks really strong depth and high-end talent at defenseman in their prospect pool.
24. Los Angeles Kings: Daniil Prokhorov, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg Jr. (RUS-JR)
Prokhorov is a talented goal scorer with excellent size (6-foot-6 and 220 pounds). His power forward kind of style would be a nice fit on the Kings.
23. Nashville Predators (via Lightning): Malcolm Spence, LW, Erie (OHL)
The Predators were the second-lowest scoring team in the league last season. Spence would be among the best goal scorers available at this stage of the draft, and his top-end speed is a nice bonus.
22. Philadelphia Flyers (via Avalanche): Blake Fiddler, D, Edmonton (WHL)
The Flyers desperately need to find a No. 1 defenseman of the future, and Fiddler would be a nice get for them with the No. 22 pick, even if he’s a few years away from making a real impact at the NHL level. His skating ability for a player listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds is quite impressive.
21. Ottawa Senators: Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (OHL)
The Senators got back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 but lost to the Maple Leafs in the first round. They scored more than two goals in just two of the six games. A well-rounded center with offensive upside in Jack Nesbitt would be a safe choice for the Senators.
20. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Wild): Logan Hensler, D, Wisconsin (NCAA)
Hensler is a good skater and a strong defender who could excel in a shutdown role. His offensive skill set needs to improve if he’s going to maximize his potential, but there’s a lot to like in his game.
19. St. Louis Blues: Braedon Cootes, C, Seattle (WHL)
Cootes led Seattle in scoring with 63 points in 60 games, nearly doubling his offensive output from the previous season. He also has strong leadership skills and captained Canada to a gold medal at the 2025 U-18 World Championship. His play style is actually pretty similar to Blues captain Brayden Schenn.
18. Calgary Flames (via Devils): Cole Reschny, C, Victoria (WHL)
If you look at the top 10 prospects in the Flames’ system, not many of them are centers. Reschny had a strong second half of the season for Victoria and his draft stock has risen as a result. He also showed dramatic improvement offensively with 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) last season — 33 more than he had in the 2023-24 campaign.
17. Montreal Canadiens: Cameron Reid, D, Kitchener (OHL)
The Canadiens exceeded expectations this season by making the playoffs as a wild card team, and they have two first-round picks to add more premium talent to their organization.
Reid’s two-way skill set and high hockey IQ make him a good fit for Montreal in this spot.
16. Montreal Canadiens (via Flames): Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blaineville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
Carbonneau’s 46 goals were tied for the second-most in the QMJHL this past season. And he’s not just a scorer. He plays a hard, heavy game and is relentless on the forecheck. It wouldn’t take long for him to become a fan favorite in Montreal.
15. Vancouver Canucks: Victor Eklund, RW, Djurgarden (SWE-2)
If the Canucks keep this pick, Victor Eklund would be a smart choice here. The Swedish winger would add some much-needed speed, skill and toughness to the Canucks forward group.
14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Carter Bear, LW, Everett (WHL)
Bear’s elite offensive skill and high compete level would help make him a nice fit with what the Blue Jackets are building.
13. Detroit Red Wings: Lynden Lakovic, LW, Moose Jaw (WHL)
You don’t see many 6-foot-4 forwards show the kind of puck-handling and scoring prowess that Lakovic did in the WHL this past season.
12. New York Rangers: Jackson Smith, D, Tri-City (WHL)
A 6-foot-3 defenseman with a polished two-way skill set is exactly what the Rangers need.
11. Pittsburgh Penguins: Kashawn Aitcheson, D, Barrie (OHL)
The Penguins need to find a No. 1 defenseman of the future, and Aitcheson fits the bill. He ranked third among all OHL defensemen with 59 points in 64 games last season.
10. Anaheim Ducks: Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL)
The Ducks are in the top 10 of the first round for the fifth straight year. Three of their previous four picks in this range were forwards, including Beckett Sennecke at No. 3 overall last year. With so many of the top forwards off the board, it would make the most sense for the Ducks to add a blue-chip defenseman prospect in Radim Mrtka. He plays a lot like Lightning star Victor Hedman.
9. Buffalo Sabres: Porter Martone, RW, Brampton (OHL)
The Sabres could opt to take the best center available here, but with so many of them already off the board, a wing with Martone’s offensive and physical traits makes a lot of sense. He would likely be a good fit alongside Tage Thompson at some point.
8. Seattle Kraken: Roger McQueen, C, Brandon (WHL)
The Kraken have drafted a center in the top 10 in two of the last three years, but McQueen is too talented of a prospect to pass on here. And frankly, he might be gone at this point depending on how teams view these centers. McQueen has drawn comparisons to Ducks legend Ryan Getzlaf with his size (6-foot-5) and two-way skill set.
7. Boston Bruins: Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)
It’s no secret the Bruins need a center. They haven’t drafted well at that position for a long time. Luckily for the B’s, they have a top 10 pick (their first since 2011) in a draft that’s loaded with quality centers.
O’Brien is the best center available at this point in Round 1. He has a really strong two-way skill set with the high-end offensive talent to consistently create scoring chances for himself and teammates. He tallied 66 assists in 66 games for Brantford last season.
6. Philadelphia Flyers: James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA)
Hagens didn’t score as much as some expected for Boston College, but he is an elite playmaker and a great skater. He has top-six center potential for a Flyers organization that needs more high-end talent at that position.
5. Nashville Predators: Brady Martin, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Martin’s draft stock has risen quite a bit in recent weeks. He plays a lot like 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett, and general managers love those kinds of players.
4. Utah Mammoth: Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton (QMJHL)
The Mammoth jumped 10 spots in the draft lottery, allowing them to select one of the best center prospects available. Caleb Desnoyers makes the most sense here. His offensive upside is tremendous. He also won the Guy LaFleur Trophy as QMJHL playoff MVP this past season.
3. Chicago Blackhawks: Anton Frondell, C, Djurgarden (SWE-2)
Frondell and Connor Bedard as a 1-2 punch at center long-term is an exciting scenario for Blackhawks fans. Frondell is not only highly skilled, he plays a true power forward style of hockey.
2. San Jose Sharks: Michael Misa, C, Saginaw (OHL)
The Sharks drafted center Macklin Celebrini at No. 1 in 2024 and center Will Smith at No. 4 overall in 2023. But with no defenseman worthy of the No. 2 pick in this class (assuming Schaefer goes No. 1 to the Islanders), taking another forward in Misa should be an easy choice. Misa is the No. 1 ranked forward in this draft. He is the complete package offensively and led the CHL in scoring with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games.
1. New York Islanders: Matthew Schaefer, D, Erie (OHL)
The Islanders got lucky and jumped all the way up from No. 10 to No. 1 in the draft lottery. It might be tempting to take Misa here, but with veteran centers Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal signed long term, it would be hard to fault the Islanders for going with Matthew Schaefer. He could be a top-pairing defenseman for a decade.