FIVE 2025 Draft Picks make the roster?

 5 2025 Draft picks make the NHL?

Hello everyone and welcome back, I want to start off by apologizing for my lack of posting of the past few month, it has been a busy past few months and I was focused on trying to keep up with my YouTube channel, so I do apologize but with the new season upon us I will be trying to keep up and post a few blog posts a week, probably between 3 and 4 but definitely more consistent then in past months, so I do apologize and today we are going to kick things off by looking at 5 2025 Draft picks which stunningly made the NHL right out of the draft and will start the 25-26 season in the NHL.

Charles LeClaire

1.) M.Schaefer

Last years stats: 7-15-22 in 17GP (OHL) 

1st overall pick in 2025 by the New York Islanders

Quick Analysis: so probably the least surprising of the 5 players we are talking about today who made the NHL lineup is Matthew Schaefer, now heading into the start of last year he was a top 10 projected pick but as the season went on he backend the clear cut #1 overall pick to be taken in last years draft and he was by the Islanders.

Now Schaefer had a pretty good training camp and beat out guys like George and Odelius to make the team which I personally do not find too surprising. Now on top of making the roster Schaefer is also in a fantastic position to start his NHL career because unlike terrible teams who thrust young players into big minutes, the Isles have guys like Pelech, Pulock and Romanov who can take the big minutes and give the easier minutes to Schaefer to start the year until he is more comfortable. Now I think he will start on the 3rd pair most likely with veteran Mayfield and while I could see him get a 9 game trail and be sent to the juniors, I actually think he stands a very good chance to stay with the big club the entire year as I feel he is in a great spot to learn and grow with the islanders.

My prediction: he has 20-30 points and remains with the big club the entire year finishing in a top 4 role.

2.) M.Misa

Last years stats: 62-72-134 in 65GP (OHL) 

2nd overall pick in 2025 by the San Jose Sharks

Quick Analysis: so another player like Schaefer who isn’t too surprising to make the team would be Micheal Misa, now last year we was considered one of the best prospects in this draft and at various points was speculated to be the #1 pick in 2025, but he did get surpassed by Schaefer and fell to San Jose at 2nd overall in the 2025 draft. 

Now Misa had a strong training camp and postseason which led him to beat out guys like Lund, Musty, Grundstrom and Graf amongst others to make the team, which isn’t overly shocking, now I could see Misa start the year in San Jose in a bottom six role on the 3rd or 4th line and slowly ease him into a NHL role, but I would at least personally like to see him start in the top 6 because if he has a top 6 role and plays with guys like Celebrini, Toffoli, Eklund or Smith, I don’t think he will look totally out of place especially after the season he just had in the OHL, it would also give the Sharks one of the most young and talented top 6’s in the entire NHL and if he was to stick and play top 6 minutes I feel he could be a dark horse in the Calder race, now I do think there is a likely possibility with the depth the Sharks have on the forward group that Misa just gets a 9 game trial and is sent to the juniors after, but I think if he starts of well I could easily see him stick at the NHL level as well.

My prediction: he has 30-40 points and stays with the big club, ending the year as a top line player. 

3.) B.Martin

Last years stats: 33-39-72 in 57GP (OHL) 

5th overall pick in 2025 by the Nashville Predators 

Quick Analysis: so now unlike the previous two we talked about, Brady Martin at no point last year was a projected top 3 pick, he was actually projected to go late in the first round at the beginning of last year, but he had some stellar play at the OHL level that turned a lot of people’s heads and boosted his draft stock enough to the point where he would up going 5th to the Nashville Predators in the 2025 Draft.

Now just like the other two he beat out some very interesting competition in training camp such as Schaefer, L’Heureux and Lucchini to make it to the NHL roster and he had a spectacular training camp and especially last few preseason games. Noe here is where Martin’s path is a lot more shocking then Misa or Schaefer, because both of those guys will most likely have lower roles with Schaefer on the 3rd pair and Misa on lines 2 or 3, but recent projections actually have Martin not only being a top 6 forward, but their 1ST LINE CENTER, even though the Preds have decent Centers such as O’Reilly and Stamkos amongst others, it seems like they are thrusting Martin into the deep end right out of the gate, now I am not sure how long that experiment will last for the Predators, and Martin will get some good wingers but that to me is just shocking, now I originally thought he would only get a 9 game trial, but with them looking at him as a top 6 forward I am starting to think he could stick at the NHL level beyond the 9 game trail and play the whole year at the NHl Level.

My predictions: Martin stays on the team as a top 6 Center and has between 30-50 points. 

4.)  B.Kindel

Last years stats: 35-64-99 in 65GP (OHL) 

11th overall pick in 2025 by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Quick Analysis: now in a similar way to Brady Martin, the young Ben Kindel was not a guy projected to be a very high pick, as even getting closer to the draft a lot of people (myself included) thought he would be a late 1RD pick with maybe being a possible mid round pick, but his solid season in juniors with Calgary really did bump his draft stock and then he was shockingly taken on draft night at 11th overall by the Penguins in the 2025 draft.

Now he had to beat out some pretty NHL hardy players and hopefuls such as Heinen, Poulin, Imama and Broz and he did which was pretty impressive but also having Hayes and Rust on IR to start the year also boosted his chances, but his training camp performance was one of the best on the Penguins and he may be the most NHL ready of the 5 prospects we are talking about today, now when it comes to roster placements, I don’t have to speculate because as I am making this video Kindel has already played his first NHL game on opening day for the Penguins, now even though he was listed as a winger at the draft the Penguins put him as their 3C playing with Tomasino and Novak and didn’t look half bad, he didn’t have any points but was good in the faceoff dot and didn’t look completely out of place, now I do believe that of the 5 players we are looking at, Kindel is the most likely to be sent to juinors after nine games, but he definitely had a great showing in his debut and I wouldn’t be overly shocked if he was able to stick in the NHL.

My predictions: gets 9 games and has a few points before he is sent back to juinors and dominates. 

Bob Frid Imagn Images

5.)  B.Cootes

Last years stats: 26-37-63 in 60GP (WHL) 

15th overall pick in 2025 by the Vancouver Canucks 

Quick Analysis: now when it comes to Cootes just like Kindel and Martin he wasn’t projected to be a top end pick in 2025 and I think he went right where a lot of people were expecting him to go, which was in the mid to late 1RD as he definitely bumped up his draft stock with his strong play in the WHL and even I had him going a little bit lower in mock drafts but when he dropped to 15th where the Canucks were picking and Vancouver needed a Center Cootes was definitely the right pick so he went 15th overall in 2025. 

Now he also had to beat out some good young players in Vancouver and some vets such as Aman, Bains, Karlsson and Maceachern amongst others and he had a really solid training camp as he shocked a lot of people who he handled the preseason games and how high his hockey IQ was and how NHL ready he looked and it really forced the Canucks hand to put him on the starting lineup and the Hoglander injury did help him a bit but he definitely earned to be on the Canucks. Now after that strong training camp and making the team it seems like Cootes will start as the 3C for the Canucks on a line with Lekkerimaki who he had great chemistry with in the preseason and I think this is a good place to put Cootes because he can have some good experience at the NHL level without being thrust into a bigger role that he is not ready for and I also think that Cootes has a similar situation in Vancouver that Cole Sillinger did in CBJ a few years ago as he was a mid 1RD pick, who had a stunningly good training camp and was able to make the team and proceeded to play the entire year in the NHL and had a decent season, and I think Cootes could have a similar season as even though I think he could be sent back to junior’s after the 9 game trial I feel he is one of the guys who actually stands a strong chance to play a full year at the NHL level.

My Predictions: plays the entire year at the NHL Level, mostly on the 3rd line Center and had 10-15 goals and close to 30 points.

So that is my breakdown of the 5 2025 1RD picks who made their respective clubs roster’s out of the preseason and I would love to hear what you think, what do you think about these 5 prospects and do you think any one of them will last the 9 game trail or not, I would love to hear your thoughts and once again I do apologize for the lack of posting and I will try and get back to posting on a regular bases, thanks for understanding and I will see you guys in the next blog post.