2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-porter-martone-rw-brampton-steelheads-ohl-detailed-scouting-report-video-grades/

 

unlocked scouting report 

"I don’t believe he will develop into a gritty, physical power forward like Matthew and Brady Tkachuk. While he certainly has the potential to be as skilled as they are, I just don’t see the same relentless pursuit of loose pucks, the eagerness to throw big hits in open ice, or the constant engagement in play."

I want everyone to read this. It's not only me or this person, other scouts say it too. 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, Mr. Allen said:

Does McQueen play up to his 6’5” or is he more like Tage (a gangly wimp). 

I've seen him compared to Byfield a bit. He's physical but not a Tkachuk for sure. @LGR4GM is correct on that.

[shrader]

21 hours ago, Thorner said:

If they passed on Misa in that spot there’d be riots 

Does 3 people on a message board count as a riot? Your masses have no idea who any of these guys are. 

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, shrader said:

Does 3 people on a message board count as a riot? Your masses have no idea who any of these guys are. 

It would be a pretty egregious miss to anyone who follows the draft, from what I hear. Misa seems a special F talent relative to the others. But as for the size of the group that cares, in Buffalo, in might very well be small 

[North Buffalo]

Are there any high goalies worth being considered... current Sabres are underwhelming.

[LGR4GM]

55 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Are there any high goalies worth being considered... current Sabres are underwhelming.

Even if there is, goalie prospects take 4-7 years. 

[shrader]

6 hours ago, Thorner said:

It would be a pretty egregious miss to anyone who follows the draft, from what I hear. Misa seems a special F talent relative to the others. But as for the size of the group that cares, in Buffalo, in might very well be small 

And yet he’s not going first. So there’s a couple egregious misses right there I guess. 

[Thorner]

11 hours ago, shrader said:

And yet he’s not going first. So there’s a couple egregious misses right there I guess. 

He’ll go first if we select there 

[LGR4GM]

 

 

[Mr. Allen]

33 minutes ago, Thorner said:

He’ll go first if we select there 

Would we take a forward over the consensus top pick in Schaefer? 

[LGR4GM]

5 minutes ago, Mr. Allen said:

Would we take a forward over the consensus top pick in Schaefer? 

If we draft 1st overall? Hard to say. Schaefer breaking his clavicle is annoying because we didn't get all those post wjc games to see where he's at. Misa meanwhile was great down the stretch. 

Schaefer won't be 18 until Sept. So there's that too. Idk, I go back and forth.

[Thorner]

24 minutes ago, Mr. Allen said:

Would we take a forward over the consensus top pick in Schaefer? 

I wouldn’t say he’s consensus at all, I think it’s up for debate

but yes the analytical sabres community on X is heavily, heavily favouring Misa so like I said if we somehow got first and passed there’d be some level of a meltdown 

I don’t see Schaefer pumped up as a good option for the sabres specifically very many places but here. Elsewhere seems to attribute relevance to the fact we have no drafted top 10 F besides Quinn and passing on a F there would be sort of ludicrous when we’d have a shot at that top level guy 

and a playmaker to boot 

or they take a left shot D man and shoulder Adams with the responsibility of making a good trade, a hugely important foundational trade, for Power while other teams know he has to make the trade and can hardball him 

That would be the other option and a great situation I’m sure 

Edited Sunday at 12:31 PM by Thorner

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Thorner said:

I wouldn’t say he’s consensus at all, I think it’s up for debate

Owen Power sure was but this board went feral at any other suggestion. 

Edited Sunday at 12:27 PM by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

Schaefer's fun though:

 

[SabreFinn]

Petteri Rimpinen is a goalie that might be drafted early. He is overaged but has had a good season in Liiga and was excellent in WJC.

[Mr. Allen]

The Bleacher Report “expert” just posted his newest big board.  He moved Misa up to 1.  
 

1 - Misa

2 - Schaefer

3 - Hagens

4 - Martone

5 - Jake O’Brien 

[LGR4GM]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Allen said:

The Bleacher Report “expert” just posted his newest big board.  He moved Misa up to 1.  
 

1 - Misa

2 - Schaefer

3 - Hagens

4 - Martone

5 - Jake O’Brien 

That's fine but Jake O'Brien at 5 is a hair questionable. That said, there's gonna be a range of guys from 5-12 that are all in a tier together. 

[Flashsabre]

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2025-nhl-draft-top-32-march-edition-top-20-coming-focus-depth-issue-class/

[LGR4GM]

Food for thought, who's better?

The top 5 forwards in the NHL or the top 1 defender?

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Food for thought, who's better?

The top 5 forwards in the NHL or the top 1 defender?

I would definitely take McDavid, Draisaitl and MacKinnon over Makar, after that it gets harder to do so 

[Flashsabre]

McKeens Hockey: “And Misa #1? Honestly, probably no. We're pretty much sold on Matthew Schaefer as the top talent and I'm not sure I see that changing.”

Bob McKenzie had every scout unanimously vote Schaefer the top pick. 

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

McKeens Hockey: “And Misa #1? Honestly, probably no. We're pretty much sold on Matthew Schaefer as the top talent and I'm not sure I see that changing.”

Bob McKenzie had every scout unanimously vote Schaefer the top pick. 

Schaefers potential is better Dahlin or bigger Makar. He's probably 2yrs away the NHL. 

2 hours ago, Brawndo said:

I would definitely take McDavid, Draisaitl and MacKinnon over Makar, after that it gets harder to do so 

So the question becomes, is Schaefer going to be Makar and is Misa gonna be Mackinnon 

[Archie Lee]

I'm not opposed to trading anyone for the right return.  History shows that top picks don't get traded.  I guess the one factor that could alter the landscape is that the Sabres are an outlier. While it is true that these picks don't get traded, it is also true that there has never been a team that has missed the playoffs 14 years in a row, with a GM headed into his 6th season, who is in the last year of his contract. So, desperation being what it is, perhaps if there is a year where such a pick is traded, this is it.

That said, I think we have lots of pieces to trade other than our 1st rd pick. My preference would be to trade one of Byram or Power and 2-3 of Peterka, Benson, Quinn, Kulich, Rosen, for players who change the culture, experience-level, and physical make-up of the team. That would still leave us with all our picks from this year (including a likely top 5), and Helenius, Östlund, Wahlberg, Ziemer, the Russians, Strbak, Kleber, our goalie prospects. There is no reason such moves would have to mean we are sacrificing the future. 

Of course, I don't want Adams or Ruff involved in any of it.  I love the draft and free agency season and will be tuned in regardless. I have zero faith though, that the current GM/HC combo can steer us out of the mess we are in.

[Crusader1969]

26 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Schaefers potential is better Dahlin or bigger Makar. He's probably 2yrs away the NHL. 

So the question becomes, is Schaefer going to be Makar and is Misa gonna be Mackinnon 

Better Dahlin or Bigger Makar?   That sounds pretty intriguing.

 

[Flashsabre]