2025 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[LGR4GM]

5 hours ago, Rasmus_ said:

I like Eklund.  What are the RHD options around 9?  And no injury prone fallers please.

Radim Mrtka. 6'6" rhd. He's pretty raw though and needs 3-4yrs.

I'm more inclined to take Blake Fiddler in the 2nd. He's another rhd. Or the more likely 2nd round candidate Henry Brzustewicz, RHD out of London Knights 

2 hours ago, steveoath said:

Carter bear got himself a lacerated Achilles. Not great before the draft. 

Yea he got cut by a skate at the beginning of March

 

Edited Friday at 11:16 AM by LGR4GM

[LGR4GM]

I always try to be open with what I do because I do not believe I have all the answers. One of the most useful tools the last couple of years has been the scouting reports that EP posts for each prospect. Since it is paid for content, I don't like copying much from them as I want this work to continue and I believe in paying for that content. I say all of that because once more ppl hear about 6'6" Radim Mrtka, they might over-estimate what he is and I want to post a scouting report that I think really encapsulates him as a player. 

Quote

By David St-Louis 2025-03-09

Radim Mrtka's tools work for him. He stands in the neutral zone, a wall opponents can't get around. Unsuspecting attackers shift right through his space only to see the puck removed from their stick Mrtka's mile-long stick. He's playing a lot of minutes, but can handle it quite easily as he can be so effective defending in spots and making short, effective passes. He's constantly looking to escape the forecheck and make a clean first pass. That's how he creates the most advantages for his team. That and his pinching. Otherwise, he acts as a facilitator and deterrent. The angling technique looked high-end in this game. Catching up to the rush a couple of times, he skated in an arc, displaying some deep crossovers, slipped between attackers and the puck, and carried it away. Mrtka could be a second-pairing, mostly shutdown defenceman at the NHL level. In this draft, that may have top-15 value.

I have watched a couple of shift by shifts for him and I think this summary is perfect. He's not very creative offensively. His passing is fine but this isn't Dahlin or Power, sending out crisp leading passes. Some of you will love this because you want a shutdown defender, I want to cautious you slightly. This profile is something that I could apply to Adam Kleber or Maxim Strbak. If you are drafting high in the first round, you should look for offense IMPO. You can find guys like Mrtka later in the draft, especially in the late 1st and 2nd. Mrtka has better offense than Kleber or Strbak but it isn't going to be his thing in the NHL. He's probably a 5g, 25a type of guy and frankly, I think you can trade for that, I think you can draft that in the late 1st or the 2nd, so his profile IMPO isn't top 15 even though at his size he will go there. He's very sound defensively, he uses his size well, skating is good, and he's hard to get around. If I were Buffalo, at 8/9, I am looking at Bear, O'Brien, Cootes, Carbonneau, Martin before I want Mrtka. 

[DarthEbriate]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I always try to be open with what I do because I do not believe I have all the answers. One of the most useful tools the last couple of years has been the scouting reports that EP posts for each prospect. Since it is paid for content, I don't like copying much from them as I want this work to continue and I believe in paying for that content. I say all of that because once more ppl hear about 6'6" Radim Mrtka, they might over-estimate what he is and I want to post a scouting report that I think really encapsulates him as a player. 

I have watched a couple of shift by shifts for him and I think this summary is perfect. He's not very creative offensively. His passing is fine but this isn't Dahlin or Power, sending out crisp leading passes. Some of you will love this because you want a shutdown defender, I want to cautious you slightly. This profile is something that I could apply to Adam Kleber or Maxim Strbak. If you are drafting high in the first round, you should look for offense IMPO. You can find guys like Mrtka later in the draft, especially in the late 1st and 2nd. Mrtka has better offense than Kleber or Strbak but it isn't going to be his thing in the NHL. He's probably a 5g, 25a type of guy and frankly, I think you can trade for that, I think you can draft that in the late 1st or the 2nd, so his profile IMPO isn't top 15 even though at his size he will go there. He's very sound defensively, he uses his size well, skating is good, and he's hard to get around. If I were Buffalo, at 8/9, I am looking at Bear, O'Brien, Cootes, Carbonneau, Martin before I want Mrtka. 

I like his name. And it's fine, his game.

I only made it to two T-Birds games this year and I didn't pay much attention to Mrtka except in the McKenna game. Mrtka was fine; moves well for his height (and had one giraffe on skates shift). But he's neither dynamic with the puck nor punishing without it; good stick-checker and great reach thoguh. He'll be a steady sidekick in 5-6 years.

But I concur with @LGR4GM, I want some sort of dynamism in the top 10. Not necessarily a RHD version of pre-injury Samuelsson. For a team picking 12th-24th... now we're talking. Like Montreal (2 picks in the middle of the 1st provided they don't go on a Cup run), Reinbacher and Mrtka on the right side in 5 years would be enticing to go with Lane Hutson.

[LGR4GM]

For Buffalo, I am very much interested in Bear, O'Brien, Carbonneau and Eklund as the guys at 8/9. Those would be my 4 preferences at this stage, lots of fluidity still though. 

[Turbo44]

23 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

For Buffalo, I am very much interested in Bear, O'Brien, Carbonneau and Eklund as the guys at 8/9. Those would be my 4 preferences at this stage, lots of fluidity still though. 

PIT won last night so they move ahead of us in the standings. Currently we’re sitting 7th and will end up anywhere from 6th to 9th

[kas23]

From what I read, I like Bear. The Achilles injury scares me. It may just be knowing what happened to Jack Quinn, but then there’s Erik Karlsson and Pacioretty. Here’s some literature about coming back from a torn Achilles:

 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11607746/

[shrader]

16 minutes ago, kas23 said:

From what I read, I like Bear. The Achilles injury scares me. It may just be knowing what happened to Jack Quinn, but then there’s Erik Karlsson and Pacioretty. Here’s some literature about coming back from a torn Achilles:

 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11607746/

Pacioretty is an odd choice to include. He re-tore the Achilles right away after coming back and has pretty much never done much since. 

[kas23]

4 minutes ago, shrader said:

Pacioretty is an odd choice to include. He re-tore the Achilles right away after coming back and has pretty much never done much since. 

Yeah, probably. I knew he tore it once, didn’t realize he’s been pretty much done since then. There’s Duclair too, which is probably why Florida quickly moved on from him. 

[shrader]

1 hour ago, kas23 said:

Yeah, probably. I knew he tore it once, didn’t realize he’s been pretty much done since then. There’s Duclair too, which is probably why Florida quickly moved on from him. 

89 games over 3 seasons since the first tear, 12-27-29

[LGR4GM]

Idk if it matters but Bear didn't tear his Achilles, it was cut by a skate. 

[Rasmus_]

On 4/11/2025 at 1:48 AM, PerreaultForever said:

Oh no I got that. Not sure who you wanted for Norris from them (Petterson?) but I got the idea. Demko? There's nobody on their D that I'd want. If I'm the Sabres I am however looking at moving Norris to somebody for D and/or goaltending. 

The only difference there with Hughes and Dahlin is I don't think Hughes will sign long term unless he sees progress first. Dahlin had faith we were already moving in the right direction I'd guess. Or maybe signing and then complaining gives him leverage idk. I could see it either way but in any event it's similar. 

No instant RHD help. You will be waiting 3 years before any chance of impact. We need a veteran RHD not a draft prospect. We can add a prospect for later, but it's not going to help now. 

This is true.  Just looking for quality to add to the system.  

[Flashsabre]

I like O’Brien. Highly creative 6’2 RHC who is a tremendous playmaker.

With Leenders as his goalie you know the Sabres have seen him a lot

Edited 2 hours ago by Flashsabre