Photo Credit: NYTimes.com
With Thanksgiving now over and the Christmas season now upon us, I thought it would be nice if I were to provide you with a bit of light reading on this year’s top five forwards that will be available for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. This article is, of course, subjective, being that it’s based on my opinion and will ultimately depend on the needs or wants of whatever struggling teams get awarded the luxury of drafting this early.
So, with us keeping that in mind, here we go.
James Hagens
The consensus number-one pick for some time now has been James Hagens. An 18-year-old American-born center who last year captivated scouts and fans alike when he was able to score an impressive 39 goals and 63 assists for a total of 102 points in only 58 games played for the USA Hockey’s National Development Program. And, if that 1.75 points-per-game average wasn’t impressive enough, you might be surprised to know that when Hagens wasn’t putting the puck in the back of the net, he was busy getting back and playing defense, as well as made evident by his +43 average. Keep in mind that he accomplished all of this in his draft minus one season, mind you.
But, with him not being able to score this season at the same rate he did last year now that he has made the move to the NCAA to play for Boston College, some experts have started to question whether he is still deserving of that elevated pedestal that they previously placed him on.
And, while I get why they might be questioning their prior premonitions given the multitude of talented prospects that will be available this summer. I will say this: while I know that he has only been able to score four goals in 14 games played this year. Let us not forget that he is a true freshman playing on a team that has 12 players who have previously been drafted by an NHL franchise also on their roster. So, let us not glance over the fact that James has been able to compile 14 assists this year. I mean, come on, if you were playing on a team or line with guys like Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, wouldn’t you pass the puck to them?
In my mind, Hagens is still one of the best players to come out of this draft class. Let’s not forget that last season, James broke Nikita Kucherov’s record for total points scored at the World Junior Champions U18 (WJC) Tournament when he totaled an unthinkable 22 points in seven games played! Not to mention the fact that his shot and ability to skate with the puck on his stick without EVER looking down is unmatched.
But still, if I’m being honest, earlier this season, I think James tried to do too much. For example, Hagens tried to skate the puck deep into the offensive zone every time he had it. Now, I’m sorry, James, but I’m pretty sure all of your opponents have received a scouting report on you, and that’s why when Hagens did so early on in the season, James had all five members of the opposition pounce on him when he crossed the blue line. Since then, I think he has come to the realization that he is no longer playing junior hockey and has adjusted accordingly; in saying that, I expect James to have a monster second half of the season, and with that, he will be able to maintain his rightful place in the discussions of players to be taken 1st overall this summer.
Porter Martone
The second prospect that I think we should talk about is an 18-year-old Canadian-born player named Porter Martone. Porter, who currently plays for and is the captain of the Ontario Hockey Leagues (OHL’s) Brampton Steelheads, is a 6’3, 207-pound winger who has been absolutely unstoppable throughout the last two seasons.
To prove that, all you have to do is look at his stats. During his draft minus one season last year, Porter was able to net himself 33 goals and 38 assists for 71 points. He was able to go then and add to his impressive season by totaling 17 points in seven games played at the World Juniors.
But as remarkable as those stats may sound, thanks to him already possessing the kind of size and strength most NHL power forwards can only wish they had, Martone is on pace this season to blow his previous career totals from last year right out of the water. That’s because, through just 24 games played this season, Martone has already managed to gather 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points, which means he is currently projected to amass 56 goals and 84 assists for a total of 140 points this season.
In my mind, this young man is developing into someone who will be the face of one lucky NHL team’s franchise for the next 10-15 years. Yes, he is that good, and I can’t wait to see what he does at the next level because, honestly, he does not have much else to prove at the junior level.
Michael Misa
Now, with what I just said about Martone, you would think that he is Canada’s clear-cut top prospect for this draft, but you would be wrong because there is a 17-year-old who goes by the name Michael Misa, who might be Canada’s 1A prospect. And here’s why. Misa is a 6’1, 185-pound center/wing who plays for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. But what’s interesting about him is that he was just the eighth player in CHL history to be granted exceptional status, which is when the league takes note of a player with extraordinary abilities and allows them to play in the league as a 15-year-old.
And boy, did they ever make the right decision. Because over the past two seasons, Misa was able to collect a combined 51 goals and 80 assists for 131 points; which he is well on his way to either matching or surpassing those totals this season alone! Yes, you read that right. Michael already has 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points this season, and if he keeps playing at this level, he is projected to amass a total of 66 goals and 63 assists for a total of 129 points this year. Folks, in case you’re not aware, those kinds of totals will put him in the same company as a guy named John Tavares, for whom this whole exceptional status rule was enacted.
So, it should go without saying that Misa is an exceptional talent. He is able to put points in bunches and makes it look easy while doing it. He is a player who could come in and provide instant offense at the NHL level and will make whatever team that does draft him competitive for a very long time.
Anton Frondell
For our first European-born player, I would like to introduce you to a kid named Anton Frondell from Sweden. Anton is a 17-year-old two-way center who currently stands in at 6’0 tall and 196 pounds.
As far as his play style goes. Well, as you can imagine, as with any Swedish player that has been drafted as high as this young man is being projected to go, Anton is a dangler, a guy who finds ways through seemingly impossible traps set by his enemies (in this case his opponents) to reach his desired location to release the puck. To go with that, Frondell possesses, you guessed it, the kind of release that makes others around him jealous.
So, with that being said, expect teams like the Ducks, the Redwings, and the Canucks, who love them some Swedes, to come calling for his services.
For my last pick for whom I think should be considered as one of this upcoming summer’s top five forwards, I have to go with a guy who, although he is currently hurt, I believe teams won’t be able to pass him by, and that’s Roger McQueen.
Roger McQueen
That’s because McQueen, who plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, has something that you just can’t teach, and that’s SIZE! Roger is a 6’5, 192-pound center who plays with extreme grit and plenty of heart. And, as you or I would like to be able to do when Roger is lining up in the dot to take a face-off or heading into the boards to try to retrieve a puck in the offensive zone, McQueen takes full advantage of his size, and strength and uses it to take his opponent not only off their feet but entirely out of the play all together.
Now, as I said, he is currently hurt, but before he got injured, Roger was set to challenge Laurie Boschman for his team’s record of the most goals scored by a player in their draft year when he scored eight goals in eight games. (The record was 66 goals)
This comes after a season where McQueen finished with 21 goals and 30 assists for 51 points in 53 games played last year.
And, as we all know, when you have that kind of size and goal-scoring ability, GMs will likely be pushing people out of the way on the draft floor just so that they can reach the podium to call his name.
So, there you have it, my top five forwards that will be available for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. And I assure you that these are but a few players in this loaded draft class that will prove to be capable of being a rebuilding team’s cornerstone piece of the foundation they are trying to lay in their efforts to become competitive once again.
As for the others capable of being this type of player, look for similar articles I will have coming out in the near future on the top five defenders as well as the top five goaltenders of this draft.
