Why New Maple Leafs Prospect William Belle Wants To Model His Game Around Capitals' Tom Wilson

William Belle and a few of his new University of Notre Dame teammates were assembling a couch when his phone began to erupt with messages.

Because of the stress that came along with the NHL Draft, the 18-year-old wanted to stay away from the noise and didn't have the TV turned on. When his phone began to buzz, it was only right that he checked what was happening.

His dream was quickly becoming a reality: the towering 6-foot-4 forward was being drafted into the NHL — by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round. "When I heard it was the Maple Leafs, I was pumped," Belle said on a Zoom call on Saturday afternoon.

"You know, it's a great organization, and I can't wait to get started. And I just thanked them for this opportunity."

You could instantly feel the confidence and boldness from the Belle when he flicked on his camera and began speaking during his Zoom media availability. He described himself as a north-south, physical, 200-foot player who's not afraid to get in his opponent's face.

"A player right now that I play a lot like would be Miles Wood, but somebody I think I could turn into," he said, "would be a Tom Wilson type of player."

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If you're a Maple Leafs fan, you'll enjoy hearing that from a prospect's mouth. Anyone would perk up if a prospect reveals that they model their game around one of the league's most merciless players.

But why him specifically?

"Just the power forward hockey that he plays, the simplicity of it and just the physicality and that edge he has to him, the meanness," Belle said. "I feel like I can bring that."

Belle had quite a unique upbringing: his father, Travis, was from the "backcountry of Virginia," where he played college football, while his mother, Maggie, was born in China. Belle's birthplace is Dongguan, China, but in 2015, when he was seven,  his family moved to Boston, Massachusetts.

With the United States' U-18 National Team, Belle scored four goals and 12 assists in 53 games last season.

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"I started skating in figure skates in a public shopping mall, and somehow graduated into hockey skates that were off-brand Bauer. My skate size was my shoe size, and then we eventually figured that out," he smiled.

"And then it turned into taking trains to Hong Kong and flying to Beijing to play hockey. Eventually, we moved to the U. S. and it just kind of kept taking off from there."

To get to where he is now, it's a unique path. "Yeah, this is a curveball story," Belle grinned.

But by Toronto's standards, this is one of the ideal picks. Big, physical, mean; it's everything the Maple Leafs wanted. And when the prospect enters a Zoom call and states he wants to model his game around a player like Wilson, that's an added bonus.

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"He's got a passion for the game," Maple Leafs director of amateur scouting Mark Leach said of Belle. "He knows what he is, and I think he's willing to do what it takes, and he just wants to get at it."

"Yeah, he's an interesting guy to talk to," added Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Leach. "He's got lots of energy, and we like the time we spent with him for sure."

It's going to take time for any prospect to develop, let alone a fifth-round pick. It could take several years. But the fact that Belle understands the type of player he is — and what he believes he can be in the future — isn't just a positive, but also a thing that teams seek in a prospect.

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Combine that with the player's will to win, and you might have found a diamond in the rough.

"I'm here to win and I'm here to help my team. And I don't care who you are," Belle said. "I'm going to be in your face. That's just how I'm wired. That's just how I play."

(Top photo: NHL Network / YouTube)

Flyers Can Thank Cutter Gauthier for New Left Wing Prospect

The Flyers have replaced Cutter Gauthier with a left wing they drafted using the pick they acquired him for in 2024. (Photo: Eric Bolte, Imagn Images)

With the 2025 NHL Draft now in the books, the Cutter Gauthier trade is now complete with the Philadelphia Flyers replacing their former top forward prospect outright.

The Flyers traded Gauthier, 21, to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick back on Jan. 8, 2024. And that second-round pick yielded the Flyers a pretty good player.

With the 40th overall pick in the NHL Draft, the Flyers drafted USNTDP winger Jack Murtagh, effectively replacing the departed Gauthier with a player widely considered to be a first-round talent.

Something to consider: in Gauthier's draft year EliteProspects profile, he was graded a 5/9 skater, a 6.5/9 shooter, a 5.5/9 passer, a 5.5/9 stickhandler, a 6/9 in hockey IQ, and a 6/9 in physicality.

This year, Murtagh was considered a 6/9 skater, a 6.5/9 shooter, a 5.5/9 passer, a 5/9 stickhandler, a 5.5/9 in hockey IQ, and a 6/9 in physicality.

Pretty similar players, no?

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Murtagh is two inches shorter than the 6-foot-3 Gauthier, but he's an aggressive ankle-biter whose shot is his biggest weapon. Neither guy is the type to skill through and around people, and they each have developing playmaking elements to their games.

Now, Gauthier went in the top-5 for a reason - mostly size and perceived positional flexibility - but Murtagh has the potential to be just as good in the right situation.

The new Flyers prospect could find a home in the top-six one day as a support winger and catch-and-shoot option for playmakers like Trevor Zegras and Jett Luchanko.

Oh, and I hear Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone are pretty good passers of the puck, too.

Even though Drysdale was, understandably, the focus of the Gauthier trade, the Flyers have made sure they've found their physical volume shooter with that throw-in draft pick.

What the Flyers turn Drysdale and Murtagh into is ultimately up to them, but they can thank Gauthier for this opportunity.

How Bruins' approach to 2025 NHL Draft could pay huge dividends

How Bruins' approach to 2025 NHL Draft could pay huge dividends originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins have not been afraid to take risks during Don Sweeney’s 10-year career as general manager.

Sweeney has shown little hesitation to make big deals at the trade deadline, often shipping out first- and second-round draft picks for short-term veteran help. He also hasn’t been afraid to spend lots of money in free agency. He dished out large contracts to players such as David Backes, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, among others.

When the Bruins got to the 2025 trade deadline with no hopes of extending their playoff appearance streak, he made the difficult but wise decision to move several longtime Bruins veterans — including captain Brad Marchand — for future assets like draft picks and prospects.

And yet, Sweeney’s willingness to be bold in free agency and the trade market hasn’t always translated into the NHL Draft for much of his time in Boston. The Bruins have too often looked for the safe pick — two-way players with a high hockey IQ. Prospects with a high floor but not the type of ceiling often associated with elite players.

Bruins fans witnessed a change in their team’s approach to the draft over the last two days in Los Angeles. The Bruins entered the 2025 NHL Draft with four picks in the top 70, including the No. 7 overall selection — their highest since 2011.

And instead of going the safe route, the Bruins swung for the fences on players with the potential to be top-tier players.

It’ll take a few years to determine whether the strategy worked, but given the current state of the organization and its severe lack of elite talent, it was a welcome (and needed) shift.

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“I think having more picks, and having some higher picks, allowed us to probably look at some players with a bit more offensive ability and upside that sometimes in the areas where we tended to be picking we didn’t have some of those players available,” Bruins director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau told reporters Saturday.

“Or the players that were — there’s a lot of risk associated sometimes with that player. Whether they’re undersized, or whether they’re physically underdeveloped or whether there’s just a real major lack of detail in their game, where there’s other players sitting there at the same spot where you really appreciate their attention to detail, their heaviness, their hardness.

“We didn’t shy away from some of that, I just think we ended up in a spot this year where we could really take some swings at some sort of higher upside offensive players that maybe in the past we haven’t had as many swings on that style of player.”

If you look at the scouting reports of the seven players the Bruins drafted this weekend, the words “physical,” “defensive-minded,” and “grit” won’t be front and center. That doesn’t mean these players can’t defend or don’t have two-way skill sets. But the reason why these players were coveted was their offensive ability.

Look at Boston’s first-round pick — Boston College center James Hagens. He is an elite playmaker and skater who has the ability to step up in clutch moments. He was a point-per-game player as an 18-year-old first-line center on a national title contender. Hagens has the potential to be a No. 1 center someday. The last Bruins center to tally 100-plus points in a season was Joe Thornton 22 years ago. Hagens could end that drought.

Several of the best centers in the 2025 class were available to the B’s at No. 7. They could have drafted Jake O’Brien. He’s better defensively than Hagens. Roger McQueen was available, too. He’s 6-foot-6 and plays a power forward-type of game. Instead, the Bruins chose the offensive upside of Hagens.

Second-round pick William Moore possesses a lot of offensive skill, too, and he’s versatile enough to play center or wing. Many experts had him rated as a top-35 player in the draft, and the B’s were able to get him at No. 51 overall. Boston’s other second-round pick — Swedish defenseman Liam Pettersson — is a very good puck-mover, his playmaking ability creates scoring chances for teammates, and he’s capable of effortlessly skating his way out of trouble. His defensive game needs a lot of work. But like many of Boston’s picks this weekend, he has high upside offensively.

Third-round pick Cooper Simpson scored 49 goals in 31 games last season — the most of any Minnesota high school player. He was able to carry that success into the USHL against better competition. Simpson turned 18 this past February, so he’s definitely a raw talent, but his ability to score goals is quite impressive. He’ll play at the University of North Dakota this fall.

Even in the later rounds, the Bruins kept drafting players with high ceilings.

The Bruins struggled to score last season. They ranked 21st in goals scored, 29th in power-play percentage, 31st in high-danger chances and 29th in shots on net at even strength. Only two players — David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie — scored more than 17 goals.

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And without any elite forward prospects in the pipeline prior to this weekend, the Bruins had to switch up their draft philosophy.

“We were looking for the highest levels of skill that we could find and the (highest) compete level we could find,” Sweeney told reporters Saturday at a press conference.

The Bruins still have plenty of weaknesses to address over the next week with free agency set to begin Tuesday at noon ET. They desperately need depth on the right side of the blue line. Another top-six forward is required. They only have five forwards under contract right now. A trade or two might be needed to bolster depth at key positions.

“We’ve explored trading in and around the draft and bringing players in,” Sweeney told reporters Saturday. “We had a couple of those things we looked at. Maybe they come to bear over the next day or so as well. And we’ll foray into free agency if we haven’t filled those holes via trade.”

Sweeney did well at the trade deadline. He took smart, calculated risks in the draft. But the job isn’t finished. He still has more hurdles to overcome to get the Bruins back in the mix for the Stanley Cup.

NHL Trade Rumors: Canadiens Interested In Blues Star

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou has been the subject of trade rumors this off-season. The 27-year-old's full no-trade clause kicks in on July 1, so there have been plenty of questions about whether or not the Blues will move him before it starts. 

While there certainly is a chance that the Blues will keep Kyrou in St. Louis, he is generating interest. That includes from an Original Six club. 

During a recent episode of TSN Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Montreal Canadiens are interested in acquiring Kyrou from the Blues. 

"Montreal hopes not to be done," LeBrun said. "They'd like to add to their top six up front. It's been hard to find a No. 2 center, but they're opening that to perhaps a winger. Jordan Kyrou is a player that Montreal is among several teams that have shown interest in him."

 

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Hearing that the Canadiens are interested in Kyrou is understandable. After getting back into the playoffs this spring, they are looking to get better and have proven that by acquiring defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. Adding a star like Kyrou to their top six would only make them better. 

The Blues would need a significant return for them to truly consider moving Kyrou, whether it is to the Canadiens or another club. 

NHL Trade Rumors: Blues Interested In Sabres StarNHL Trade Rumors: Blues Interested In Sabres StarAfter taking a nice step forward this season, the St. Louis Blues should be active this off-season. One area on their roster that could use a boost is their defensive group, and they have been connected to New York Islanders blueliner Noah Dobson because of it.

Photo Credit: © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Ducks Select Nine Players on Day 2 of 2025 NHL Draft

After coming away with Roger McQueen on Day 1 of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Ducks made nine selections on Day 2, adding 10 players in total to their pipeline.

Anaheim used their bevy of picks—which included two in the second, fourth and fifth rounds—to select players that they were “passionate” about, as Ducks assistant general manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden noted in his post-draft media availability.

“You can't be too sticky on shooting side or position,” Madden said. “Yes, we try to balance things out and not make it so one-sided. But, at the end of the day, the odds are already so much against most of these kids. It’s tough to make it to the NHL and you need somebody pushing hard for you, supporting you all throughout the process—the next four or five years. 
And that comes down to the development staff, but it also comes down to the local scout, so that's how it happened.”

Here’s a brief look at each prospect that the Ducks selected on Day 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft:

Eric Nilson - Djurgårdens IF, Forward (selected 45th overall)

Nilson was “their guy,” according to Madden. Attempts to move up from 45th overall were made, with concern that Nilson might not be available when the Ducks were on the clock for their first pick of Day 2. Luck was on their side as Nilson was still available when pick no. 45 came around.

After playing for Djurgårdens’ J20 team this past season, Nilson will be heading stateside to play hockey at Michigan State.

“It’s kind of different, how we play in Sweden from playing (in the U.S.),” Nilsson said. “(Playing at Michigan State will) change that and (help me) come into the American style of play.”

Lasse Boelius - Ässät, Defenseman (selected 60th overall)

Boelius is a puck-moving defenseman from Finland who Madden likened to the profile that they’ve drafted on numerous occasions throughout the past decade. 

He had a strong performance for Finland at the U18 World Juniors and even played several games for Ässät’s first team this past season.

Noah Read - London Knights, Forward (selected 72nd overall)

Read had quite the rookie season in the OHL, playing the role of jack of all trades on a stacked Knights squad. He found himself on nearly every line at least once throughout the season while moonlighting as both a center and a wing. To top it all off, he ended the season as both an OHL champion and a Memorial Cup champion.

He could have the opportunity to seize a bigger role next season with London graduating several of their top forwards.

Drew Schock - U.S. NTDP, Defenseman (selected 101st overall)

A Michigan University commit, Schock continues the archetype of puck-moving defensemen that the Ducks have sought in the draft. He spent the last two seasons with the NTDP and was an alternate captain for Team USA’s U18 World Juniors squad, where he averaged a point per game.

Elijah Neuenschwander - HC Fribourg-Gottéron, Goaltender (selected 104th overall)

Hailing from Biel-Bienne, the city where former Anaheim Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller concluded his professional career, Neuenschwander is a big kid at 6-foot-4.

Like Damian Clara two years ago, albeit in the second round, the Ducks went slightly off the board to select a mammoth goaltender. But, Neuenschwander has performed well at the domestic level and held his own internationally.

Alexis Mathieu - Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Defenseman (selected 136th overall)

Like Neuenschwander, Mathieu also towers over many of his peers at 6-foot-4. He is an aggressive defender who uses his physicality to erase opposing players with ferocity.

Mathieu was also the only Ducks draft pick besides Nilson who attended the draft. Congratulations from his family and friends was coupled with cheers and applause from what remained of the Peacock Theater crowd.

Émile Guité - Chicoutimi Saguenéens, Forward (selected 159th overall)

A teammate of 2024 Ducks draft pick Maxim Massé, Guité was projected to be a top-64 pick in this year’s draft prior to the 2024-25 season. However, inconsistent performances dropped his stock tremendously, causing him to fall to the fifth round.

There is belief though in the Ducks’ organization that Guité can put the pieces together and show why he was once projected to be a high-round draft pick.

Anthony Allain-Samaké - Sioux City Musketeers, Defenseman (selected 168th overall)

One of the youngest players in his draft class, Allain-Samaké will play alongside 2024 Ducks draft pick Alexandre Blais at the University of Connecticut next season.

The early transition to collegiate hockey offers a huge opportunity for Allain-Samaké, with his late birthdate also giving him a long runway for his development.

Brady Turko - Brandon Wheat Kings, Forward (selected 200th overall)

McQueen’s juniors teammate, Turko is younger than Allain-Samaké. While undersized, he has displayed good offensive instincts and could benefit from having a bigger role with Brandon next season.

Featured image caption: Jun 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Eric Nilson fields questions after being selected as the 45th overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks in the second round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Derek Lee-The Hockey News