2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[LGR4GM]

Let's talk about Matthew Schaefer, it's time. 

Matthew Schaefer is the 6'2", 183lb LHD that is currently the leading 1st overall pick candidate. As jr seasons end, we will get another round of late March or early April rankings and I expect Schaefer to be 1st in most if not all of them. He played only a little at the WJC20 before getting injured (he went into the goal post a little recklessly) but basically was Canada's best player and that includes ppl like Gavin McKenna (2026 draft) and Porter Martone. Michael Misa was not there because team Canada is dumb. Interestingly in Schaefer's 17 OHL games (stupid injury) he was a +21 which would actually lead the entire OHL in +/- per game up to this point. +/- isnt the most stable stat across teams... but Schaefer would also still be 2nd on the Otters in +/-. 

Alright, enough of that. Schaefer is an excellent transporter of the puck. His skating is great, sideways, backways, frontways, he has 4-way mobility and as he gets stronger he is going to get faster. He is already elusive in his rush patterns, you can see it even in highlights where he will flow one way and then attack another way. His skating is quite delightful to watch. Now, his balance needs improvement but that goes back to the strength thing and I think sometimes his stride can break down. Considering his age, I'm not worried. 

Physical game is a big one. Buffalo's problem is 2 things. First, high rev guys with skills. These are guys who are constantly moving feet and checking but they also need the skills to do something with that. The other is willingness to engage physically. Schaefer has both of these. He has a high end motor that needs some refinement as he over-pursues at times (but not that often IMO) and he is physical. He'll box out in front, use lots of stick moves, and lay the body when needed. The important part here is that he has an aggressive mindset. He attacks puck carriers, he attacks when he has the puck, he genuinely wants to create. This is a mindset and less something you can teach. He would change the complexion of the 2nd defensive line in Buffalo because of this. 

He has really good hands that are tied to a good brain. He has the soft skills to execute on his ideas but also he has the brain to play with opposing players. He will cut through hands, get defenders on his back, draw someone else to him, then effortlessly pass to an open player. He knows when to delay passes to lanes will open. He sees the ice fairly well and can anticipate plays. His scanning habits need some work but when he is actively scanning, he rarely ends up on the wrong side of a play and when he does, he often has the skills, motor, and skating to make up for it. His shot is something that needs improvement. He is clever in how he will again, delay to let a lane open and get a puck to the net but I don't think he has something like Dahlin's accuracy and power at this stage. He mainly scores by getting pucks through or by being the one leading an attack. He will be one of the forwards breaking pucks out of your zone, as in he will get the puck and go. 

Is he the best player in this draft? Probably. He won't be 18 until September. His rush game and carry ability is on par with Misa. He's aggressive in both ends and shows all the needed skills to execute on his ideas. His physical game is there and will only continue to ramp up as he adds weight to his 6'2" 183lb frame. I wouldn't be surprised if he is 6'3" 190 at the combine. I hope he gets back for a few games but even if he doesn't, he's put one of the best jr seasons for a defender on tape even if the pts aren't otherwordly. He's a bit of a risk because you only have about 20 games but he is an intriguing one. He's an all around offensive defender who could be bigger Makar stylistically. Truthfully he reminds me of Dahlin more than anyone with that skating and rush techniques. I think he probably goes first overall and if you win the lottery, you may have to wait 1-2 years for his NHL debut. I would certainly send him back to jrs next season so he can get a full year of development. If Buffalo were to take him, I would keep Power another year and try to really make him look good and then next summer consider moving on from Owen. Byram, maybe the same thing. No one wants to hear that, ik, but if I were GM that would be my plan. There's also an outside potential that Schaefer just lights up your camp and makes the team. 

Either way, Schaefer is a fun player with lots of upside. 

 

 

[inkman]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Let's talk about Matthew Schaefer, it's time. 

Matthew Schaefer is the 6'2", 183lb LHD that is currently the leading 1st overall pick candidate. As jr seasons end, we will get another round of late March or early April rankings and I expect Schaefer to be 1st in most if not all of them. He played only a little at the WJC20 before getting injured (he went into the goal post a little recklessly) but basically was Canada's best player and that includes ppl like Gavin McKenna (2026 draft) and Porter Martone. Michael Misa was not there because team Canada is dumb. Interestingly in Schaefer's 17 OHL games (stupid injury) he was a +21 which would actually lead the entire OHL in +/- per game up to this point. +/- isnt the most stable stat across teams... but Schaefer would also still be 2nd on the Otters in +/-. 

Alright, enough of that. Schaefer is an excellent transporter of the puck. His skating is great, sideways, backways, frontways, he has 4-way mobility and as he gets stronger he is going to get faster. He is already elusive in his rush patterns, you can see it even in highlights where he will flow one way and then attack another way. His skating is quite delightful to watch. Now, his balance needs improvement but that goes back to the strength thing and I think sometimes his stride can break down. Considering his age, I'm not worried. 

Physical game is a big one. Buffalo's problem is 2 things. First, high rev guys with skills. These are guys who are constantly moving feet and checking but they also need the skills to do something with that. The other is willingness to engage physically. Schaefer has both of these. He has a high end motor that needs some refinement as he over-pursues at times (but not that often IMO) and he is physical. He'll box out in front, use lots of stick moves, and lay the body when needed. The important part here is that he has an aggressive mindset. He attacks puck carriers, he attacks when he has the puck, he genuinely wants to create. This is a mindset and less something you can teach. He would change the complexion of the 2nd defensive line in Buffalo because of this. 

He has really good hands that are tied to a good brain. He has the soft skills to execute on his ideas but also he has the brain to play with opposing players. He will cut through hands, get defenders on his back, draw someone else to him, then effortlessly pass to an open player. He knows when to delay passes to lanes will open. He sees the ice fairly well and can anticipate plays. His scanning habits need some work but when he is actively scanning, he rarely ends up on the wrong side of a play and when he does, he often has the skills, motor, and skating to make up for it. His shot is something that needs improvement. He is clever in how he will again, delay to let a lane open and get a puck to the net but I don't think he has something like Dahlin's accuracy and power at this stage. He mainly scores by getting pucks through or by being the one leading an attack. He will be one of the forwards breaking pucks out of your zone, as in he will get the puck and go. 

Is he the best player in this draft? Probably. He won't be 18 until September. His rush game and carry ability is on par with Misa. He's aggressive in both ends and shows all the needed skills to execute on his ideas. His physical game is there and will only continue to ramp up as he adds weight to his 6'2" 183lb frame. I wouldn't be surprised if he is 6'3" 190 at the combine. I hope he gets back for a few games but even if he doesn't, he's put one of the best jr seasons for a defender on tape even if the pts aren't otherwordly. He's a bit of a risk because you only have about 20 games but he is an intriguing one. He's an all around offensive defender who could be bigger Makar stylistically. Truthfully he reminds me of Dahlin more than anyone with that skating and rush techniques. I think he probably goes first overall and if you win the lottery, you may have to wait 1-2 years for his NHL debut. I would certainly send him back to jrs next season so he can get a full year of development. If Buffalo were to take him, I would keep Power another year and try to really make him look good and then next summer consider moving on from Owen. Byram, maybe the same thing. No one wants to hear that, ik, but if I were GM that would be my plan. There's also an outside potential that Schaefer just lights up your camp and makes the team. 

Either way, Schaefer is a fun player with lots of upside. 

 

 

I’m sure he’s great. Drafting 3 Dmen first overall in under a decade, is probably not a recipe for success in the NHL.  

[Weave]

2 minutes ago, inkman said:

I’m sure he’s great. Drafting 3 Dmen first overall in under a decade, is probably not a recipe for success in the NHL.  

 Neither was the strategy that led to drafting 1st overall 3 times in under a decade.

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

I’m sure he’s great. Drafting 3 Dmen first overall in under a decade, is probably not a recipe for success in the NHL.  

Rasmus Dahlin is one of the best defenders in the league, and really the only good defender Buffalo has. If you take Schaefer you put a limit on Power staying around. You can always trade Power for a forward you need. Byram can also be traded for a forward you need. We probably won't have a chance at Schaefer, but he's an interesting option. 

[LGR4GM]

Roger McQueen is the real wild card for me if Buffalo drafts at 4th overall. McQueen will get playoff action starting the 28th against Lethbridge. I really hope his team makes at least the 2nd round as I want another 10+ games from McQueen to really get a feel for him. So far since he came back from injury he has: 2g, 7a in the last 9games. Going 9pts in 9games isn't bad at all but it isn't anything amazing. Still, when he gets a pt, his team wins. Really curious to dig into some updated scouting reports and videos on him. 6'5" centers are rarities.

 

[LGR4GM]

16 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

 

I keep watching this replay because it is very fascinating to me. McQueen charges down ice and gets beat cleanly, which puts him behind the play. You can see that really clear in the freeze frame. He's several strides behind but the poke check saves his bacon a bit. The fascinating part to me is the way McQueen weight shifts to cut his forward momentum but uses his feet to walk it back which maintains some of his speed and allows him to take the pass and attack the net. Obviously the hands are pretty good on this kid and the length allows him to shield the puck. 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Rasmus Dahlin is one of the best defenders in the league, and really the only good defender Buffalo has. If you take Schaefer you put a limit on Power staying around. You can always trade Power for a forward you need. Byram can also be traded for a forward you need. We probably won't have a chance at Schaefer, but he's an interesting option. 

In ea sports NHL

This thread is video game-ish central 

Schaefer is going to be better than maybe the most talent D man of all time in Makar, Misa is going to be better than the best player in the nhl, and these are just a couple of the players in the running for this year! I hear next draft is even deeper. Or is that the year after?

Yes, the GM we’ve been absolutely begging to make trades for 5 years is going to swing one, under pressure, for a cornerstone asset in Power and it’s certainly a good idea to saddle him with that responsibility when the entire league knows he has to make the trade 

Edited Monday at 07:37 PM by Thorner

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

 Neither was the strategy that led to drafting 1st overall 3 times in under a decade.

And 2 wrongs don’t make a right.

the strategy that led to our ineptitude was prioritizing the future above the now. The overvaluing of draft picks 

Continually falling for the idea the mystery box is better than a competent approach to team building and development.  

Edited Monday at 07:43 PM by Thorner

[LGR4GM]

10 minutes ago, Thorner said:

In ea sports NHL

This thread is video game-ish central 

Schaefer is going to be better than maybe the most talent D man of all time in Makar, Misa is going to be better than the best player in the nhl, and these are just a couple of the players in the running for this year! I hear next draft is even deeper. Or is that the year after?

Yes, the GM we’ve been absolutely begging to make trades for 5 years is going to swing one, under pressure, for a cornerstone asset in Power and it’s certainly a good idea to saddle him with that responsibility when the entire league knows he has to make the trade 

They could be, idk if they will be. Big difference which you are missing here. Schaefer has Makar's stylistic attacking style with more size, if that translates into a better player remains to be seen. 

I have not seen anyone say Misa will be better than McDavid. I would highly doubt that. 

Just keep in mind, whenever anyone starts talking about a prospect in terms of a real NHL player, it's a stylistic comparison and not a "this guy will be this!" sort of thing. 

If your suggestion here is that Buffalo cannot or should not take Schaefer, it is misplaced. Also, Adams would not have to trade Power, he should if they take Schaefer. He would have all the leverage and lots of offseason time next season to do it. Frankly, your hyperbole is meh. 

[Thorner]

18 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

They could be, idk if they will be. Big difference which you are missing here. Schaefer has Makar's stylistic attacking style with more size, if that translates into a better player remains to be seen. 

I have not seen anyone say Misa will be better than McDavid. I would highly doubt that. 

Just keep in mind, whenever anyone starts talking about a prospect in terms of a real NHL player, it's a stylistic comparison and not a "this guy will be this!" sort of thing. 

If your suggestion here is that Buffalo cannot or should not take Schaefer, it is misplaced. Also, Adams would not have to trade Power, he should if they take Schaefer. He would have all the leverage and lots of offseason time next season to do it. Frankly, your hyperbole is meh. 

Well you said “better Dahlin or bigger makar”

so Dahlin wasn’t stylistic, so sans qualification of talent it sounded like you were saying what separates Makar and Schaefer is merely size 

Considering it was in the very same sentence 

- - - 

And you said, “is Misa going to be MacKinnon.” That’s a stylistic comp?
 

McDavid / MacKinnon semantics aside 

the one conjuring the imo ridiculous comps isn’t the one engaging in the hyperbole fwiw  

- is this thread meant to exist sans content? Like “oh Adams can just make a trade for power” is divorced from reality. Actually asking: are we supposed to respond as if the GM has the leeway of a GM in EA 

Edited Monday at 08:16 PM by Thorner

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, Thorner said:

Well you said “better Dahlin or bigger makar”

so Dahlin wasn’t stylistic, so sans qualification of talent it sounded like you were saying what separates Makar and Schaefer is merely size 

Considering it was in the very same sentence 

- - - 

And you said, “is Misa going to be MacKinnon.” That’s a stylistic comp?
 

McDavid / MacKinnon semantics aside 

Yea. Schaefer could be better Dahlin... which is basically bigger Makar. Misa could be idk about MacKinnon but he has some of the shooting to be like him. Doesn't mean they will, doesn't mean you draft Misa you get MacKinnon or you take Schaefer and you have Makar. Means they look similar to those players if you go back and look at what they did in the their pre-draft year or there about. What separates Schaefer and Makar is the NHL, Makar is the NHL's top defender. 

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Yea. Schaefer could be better Dahlin... which is basically bigger Makar. Misa could be idk about MacKinnon but he has some of the shooting to be like him. Doesn't mean they will, doesn't mean you draft Misa you get MacKinnon or you take Schaefer and you have Makar. Means they look similar to those players if you go back and look at what they did in the their pre-draft year or there about. What separates Schaefer and Makar is the NHL, Makar is the NHL's top defender. 

I guess I’m thrown off by the idea you said they were merely stylistic comps yet also that he had the projection to potentially be outright better. So it’s not just style it’s outright comparison of ability. But with your clarification it sounds like you are using it more in terms of development similarities rather than play style specifically, so if I’m reading that correctly I at least understand your metric even if I’m disagreeing with the ceilings 

[LGR4GM]

 

[LGR4GM]

Wheeler's March Rankings

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6194607/2025/03/25/nhl-draft-prospects-2025-rankings-top-64/

1. Schaefer
2. Misa
3. Hagens
4. Martone
5. Frondell
6. Desnoyers
7. McQueen
8. Mrtka
9. Eklund
10. Carbonneau

[Crusader1969]

On 3/24/2025 at 12:40 PM, inkman said:

I’m sure he’s great. Drafting 3 Dmen first overall in under a decade, is probably not a recipe for success in the NHL.  

Take the BPA and figure it out later.  
ideally, you wouldn't see Shaeffer until the 2027-28 season and he would have just turned 20. 
Maybe they put him in the AHL for 1 season after that ? 

 

[Mr. Allen]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

 

I’m starting to think we miss that top 4. The next tier has some good players, but none like the first group.  Hopefully we make the right pick whoever it is.  

[LGR4GM]

21 minutes ago, Mr. Allen said:

I’m starting to think we miss that top 4. The next tier has some good players, but none like the first group.  Hopefully we make the right pick whoever it is.  

Meh, no one is coming to help next year anyways. If we draft 5th, take McQueen or Desnoyers and hope it works. 

[LGR4GM]

Oh, I should probably clarify. Eklund is good and may be better than his brother. You could also take him but I think Desnoyers and McQueen are in the same tier and offer things Buffalo doesn't currently have. Carter Bear could also be an option if you want to believe in that skills developing with the motor. You could also take Frondell but honestly, Frondell is boring. He's gonna be like a 2c somewhere getting you 25g, 35a and that's just so boring. He's kinda like slightly bigger Helenius although I could be selling him short. With that said... I like the idea of Desnoyers being a really good playmaking center and I think his skating is better than he gets credit for. McQueen just looks the way I want a player to look and I wish he hadn't had the disc issue in his back. Desnoyers gives you more playmaking and probably a safer floor, McQueen has more intrigue but with a higher ceiling. Anyways, I could also be convinced still that maybe one of these players should go at 4. Martone hasn't sold me, I like him but he's never wowed me. 

Edit: McQueen's injury got updated: "(He initially said the injury was a bulging disc but recently said it was actually a pars fracture, or a spondylolysis — a stress fracture of the spine.)" https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6194607/2025/03/25/nhl-draft-prospects-2025-rankings-top-64/

Edited 13 hours ago by LGR4GM

[Flashsabre]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/craig-s-list-michael-misa-climbs-to-no-2-after-exceptional-ohl-season-1.2276438

[Mr. Allen]

If we’re picking this early, I want someone with higher upside.  A potential 1st line forward. 
That’s what intrigues me about McQueen. 

[Thorner]

3 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Take the BPA and figure it out later.  
ideally, you wouldn't see Shaeffer until the 2027-28 season and he would have just turned 20. 
Maybe they put him in the AHL for 1 season after that ? 

 

Everyone’s mileage will vary on this but for the life of me I’ll never be able to understand how things like this can be uttered, and then in a matter of moments you can cross reference it with posts about how “trades are impossible” for Buffalo, and “everyone has a NMC” and “no one wants to come here” and be witness to the struggles we’ve seen with Adams trying to swings deals and then just be like “figure it out later.”

huh? 

BPA is a *guideline*. It’s not an unadjustable, immovable creed. The fact it’s treated as such is such an extreme, outlier opinion. It has a logical end. Let’s say, just hypothetically, we take Schaefer this year. And let’s say, not unreasonably, we finish with a top 5 pick next year, and, also reasonably, “BPA” in that spot is a LHD. You go LHD again?

At a certain point you are willingly watering down the value of your assets by not only contributing to a surplus at the expense of a dearth elsewhere (remember, the goal is *team building*, now, not asset accumulation), there is literally zero guarantee it can be rectified on the trade front. You are *so certain* of the gap when projecting out 18 year olds that systemic need *cant* be a consideration? “Best” *can’t* factor in position played, because you’ve, without a doubt, dialed in on the *objective* future talent gap?

 

nonsense. There are fine arguments for BPA, but “you just always go BPA” isn’t a good one. Tasking a general manager with likely needing to make a trade, or a severely INCREASED liklihood they’ll have to make a trade, needs to be at least a consideration. It can’t just be tossed aside to the tune of “worry about that later”, because BPA is just The Way the Truth and the Life

 

The modus operandi of this franchise is kicking the can down the road. The sooner that ends the sooner we can return to relevance 

Edited 10 hours ago by Thorner

[Mr. Allen]

35 minutes ago, Thorner said:

Everyone’s mileage will vary on this but for the life of me I’ll never be able to understand how things like this can be uttered, and then in a matter of moments you can cross reference it with posts about how “trades are impossible” for Buffalo, and “everyone has a NMC” and “no one wants to come here” and be witness to the struggles we’ve seen with Adams trying to swings deals and then just be like “figure it out later.”

huh? 

BPA is a *guideline*. It’s not an unadjustable, immovable creed. The fact it’s treated as such is such an extreme, outlier opinion. It has a logical end. Let’s say, just hypothetically, we take Schaefer this year. And let’s say, not unreasonably, we finish with a top 5 pick next year, and, also reasonably, “BPA” in that spot is a LHD. You go LHD again?

At a certain point you are willingly watering down the value of your assets by not only contributing to a surplus at the expense of a dearth elsewhere (remember, the goal is *team building*, now, not asset accumulation), there is literally zero guarantee it can be rectified on the trade front. You are *so certain* of the gap when projecting out 18 year olds that systemic need *cant* be a consideration? “Best” *can’t* factor in position played, because you’ve, without a doubt, dialed in on the *objective* future talent gap?

 

nonsense. There are fine arguments for BPA, but “you just always go BPA” isn’t a good one. Tasking a general manager with likely needing to make a trade, or a severely INCREASED liklihood they’ll have to make a trade, needs to be at least a consideration. It can’t just be tossed aside to the tune of “worry about that later”, because BPA is just The Way the Truth and the Life

 

The modus operandi of this franchise is kicking the can down the road. The sooner that ends the sooner we can return to relevance 

The top pick is different.  You take the best player in the entire draft.  Not just what’s available to you at pick 5. 
Can you imagine if in 2018 we had good defenseman but we really needed a center?  Would you have taken Jesperi Kotkaniemi first overall? 

[Thorner]

22 minutes ago, Mr. Allen said:

The top pick is different.  You take the best player in the entire draft.  Not just what’s available to you at pick 5. 
Can you imagine if in 2018 we had good defenseman but we really needed a center?  Would you have taken Jesperi Kotkaniemi first overall? 

Right, your immediate move is of course to pin me on another rigid, black and white stance because those are seemingly the only parameters by which your stance is capable of seeing this: Full-stop declarations based on faux certainty. “You just always go BPA”. Which, logically, implies you always can identify who is “best.” Not just now, but for in the future. As if you can be so sure all other factors can be ignored without question: BPA simply is. No context required.

No, I wouldn’t have drafted Kotkaniemi. Of course I wouldn’t have drafted Kotkaniemi. Because I wouldn’t be clinging to positional need to a rigid failt, refusing to take into account all context. Up to and including the fact the perceptional gap at the time between Dahlin and Kotkaniemi was larger than the Grand Canyon 

Edited 9 hours ago by Thorner