By Ryan Dixon
BUFFALO – While a defenseman is widely expected to be the first overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the event itself might be defined by teams drafting early with significant needs at the centre position, desperately hoping to find their franchise player.
Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer arrived at the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier this week as the consensus top prospect. While the New York Islanders` ultimate decision with the first pick is naturally uncertain, Schaefer`s confident and friendly personality at the combine certainly bolstered the idea that he could become just the fifth defenseman chosen first overall in the past 20 drafts.
What happens after that?
Defense and centre are considered the premier positions in the NHL. Following Schaefer, it`s quite possible that we won`t see another defenseman chosen within the top 10.
Instead, we might witness a string of teams addressing their urgent need for a center. The consecutive picks held by Nashville (fifth), Philadelphia (sixth), and Boston (seventh) are particularly interesting when you consider that some of these franchises have lacked a true top center for decades.
Let`s look at some of the players who could potentially be available to these clubs, depending on how the early picks play out.
If prospects like Michael Misa and Caleb Desnoyers – who we will discuss further shortly – are already off the board by the fifth pick, then players such as James Hagens and Anton Frondell are likely candidates to be available when the Predators step up to the podium at number five.
Hagens was frequently ranked at the top of mock drafts earlier in the fall and winter but has since seen a slight dip in rankings. Nevertheless, he`s a player often compared to Jack Hughes who, despite being of average size, has consistently played with intensity.
The 18-year-old, who is clearly proud of his New York roots, explained his competitive approach: “I think it’s from growing up on Long Island. It’s kind of blue-collar [on Long Island], nothing has ever been given to me, everything has been earned, so I’m glad I have that trait. You need it to be able to last and survive in the NHL. It’s a good trait to have.”
Then there`s Frondell, who likely benefits from the spotlight currently on Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, aiming for his second consecutive Stanley Cup. Frondell, a six-foot-one, 198-pound Swede, is often compared to and openly models his game after Florida`s captain. This 18-year-old demonstrated his defensive focus when asked what NHL record he would most like to hold at the end of his career, responding, “Is there a record for most killed penalties?”
Viktor Klingsell, who played with Frondell at the U-18 World Championship in May, described his countryman as a complete package.
“He’s an amazing player,” Klingsell said. “He’s for sure got every tool in his game. He’s got the size, he’s got the puck control, he’s got the off-ice skills.”
Klingsell also chuckled recalling Frondell`s habit of juggling floorball balls while walking around hotels they stayed at together. “He’s such a crazy guy,” Klingsell laughed. “He’s for sure going to be a star in the NHL one day.”
When considering what Hagens and Frondell can offer, it`s easy to see them fitting with Nashville and Philadelphia. The Flyers were fortunate to have winger Matvei Michkov fall to them two years ago, but they could significantly use a top centre to kickstart their rebuild. As for the Predators, it feels like that organization has been searching for a true number one center for their entire 25-year history.
And then there are the Bruins, a team in transition, still attempting to fill the massive void left by the retirements of franchise cornerstones Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci two years ago.
Assuming the highest-ranked centers – Desnoyers, Misa, Hagens, and Frondell – are gone by pick No. 7, the rapidly rising Brady Martin is still a strong option. The Soo Greyhound isn`t built like a power forward, but every bit of his six-foot, 178-pound frame is dedicated to competing fiercely.
“What a kid,” said Kris Mallette, who coached Martin at last summer’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup and observed him steadily moving up the lineup. “He just doesn’t stop, his motor doesn’t stop and he does have very good individual skill. I think a lot of people are just starting to see [that], but we saw it firsthand. He had the ability to take a guy one-on-one and dance through him and get an opportunity.”
Of course, what happens in the latter half of the top 10 selections will be determined by how the first three or four picks unfold. Every year, there`s a discussion about where the draft truly becomes unpredictable; that is to say, which is the highest pick where there isn`t a strong consensus about the selection?
This year, that point of uncertainty truly begins with the No. 2 pick, held by the Sharks. While Hagens and, to a lesser extent, Frondell have been projected in that range in mock drafts at various times leading up to the draft, Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala believes there`s a chance both Desnoyers and power winger Porter Martone could be candidates for the top 3. If Desnoyers and Martone are indeed taken second and third, it would push Misa – a centre who scored 62 goals in 65 games with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit this year – down to No. 4, where the Utah Mammoth team would likely be thrilled to potentially have Misa and Logan Cooley centering their lines in the future.
As for Desnoyers, his recent surge up the rankings is due to a 200-foot game that appears increasingly impressive upon closer inspection. Coupled with a reputation as a strong leader, it`s easy to understand why Desnoyers – who recently competed at the Memorial Cup with the Moncton Wildcats and bypassed combine testing due to wrist injuries he played through in the playoffs – could be an ideal fit behind a high-end talent like Macklin Celebrini in San Jose or, alternatively, even alongside Connor Bedard in Chicago.
“Very mature, very dedicated,” Mallette said of Desnoyers, another player he coached at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. “He’s a gamer. He’s a player who might not flash — his point total in the Quebec League was obviously very good — but he’s not an overly flashy player; he’s a player who just does a lot of things very well. His competitiveness, his physicality — his ability to finish is very good — but his leadership qualities are great.”
Even as you look beyond the top 10, it`s worth considering teams finding a long-term solution at centre. The Pittsburgh Penguins – picking 11th – enjoyed remarkable success with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin down the middle for 20 years. But as those players approach the end of their careers, there is a significant need for new talent.
What about a potentially rewarding pick on a large player like Roger McQueen? The Brandon Wheat Kings forward was limited to just 20 games this year due to a back issue and a subsequent muscle strain. However, the six-foot-five, 197-pound centre completed all the physical testing on Saturday in Buffalo and wore a wide grin afterward, expressing relief at being present and telling teams he had been pain-free for approximately six weeks.
He spoke about the relief of having his injury behind him: “Just being able to come here and have that back issue [behind] me now, it’s so nice to have that in my past. Having that in the past and being able to come here and compete with my buddies is awesome.”
If taking a chance on McQueen – a player who tries to emulate fellow big men Tage Thompson and Ryan Getzlaf – isn`t the plan for Pittsburgh, perhaps Jake O’Brien would be a perfect fit. The six-foot-two Brantford Bulldogs centre could realistically be drafted in the top 10, but he grew up a Pittsburgh fan and possesses the offensive skills to potentially lead a new generation of Penguins offense.
Misa, who has competed against O`Brien in the OHL and played with him on spring hockey teams before that, praised his playmaking ability: “Great player. One of the best playmakers in the draft, the way he’s able to find other players. It’s pretty impressive.”
This year, perhaps more than usual, it`s genuinely difficult to predict how the draft will unfold after the first pick. However, when the dust settles in three weeks, several teams in the upper part of the draft order may find themselves with the most optimistic outlook for the centre position they`ve experienced in quite some time.
Making the NCAA Leap
Unsurprisingly, the relatively recent option for major junior players to transition to NCAA hockey was a significant topic of discussion at the combine. For the most part, top prospects like Schaefer, Misa, and Desnoyers were non-committal about their future plans. At this stage, it`s easy and logical to state that the immediate goal is to play in the NHL next year and that their focus isn`t on anything beyond that.
Naturally, some players have already announced their intentions. One such player is now-former Erie Otter Malcolm Spence. The physical winger noted that many of the teams he interviewed with in Buffalo were curious about his decision – made public in mid-May – to join the Michigan Wolverines.
“For sure, they were wondering [what the] decision-making process [was] and why,” he said. “I explained, obviously, a lot has to do with physical attributes. For the NHL, I’m going to have to play at a heavier weight, so for me to go to Michigan [where there is more training time and fewer games], it made more sense.”
Tristan Blackwood