LAS VEGAS — The lack of a Connor Bedard- or Macklin Celebrini-tier prospect in the 2025 NHL Draft has diminished its buzz compared to 2023 and 2024.
The Blackhawks will have another very high pick in June, though, and will get to choose among a group of very good — if not otherworldly — prospects.
The Hawks currently sit 31st in the league with 41 points, ahead of the Sharks (38 points) and behind the Predators (47) and everyone else. If the season ended today, they would be guaranteed a top-four selection with a 13.5% chance of winning the lottery for the No. 1 pick and a 14.1% chance for the No. 2 pick — the exact same situation as last year, when they ended up with No. 2.
They tried to trade this pick to the Blue Jackets last year in a package for the 2024 No. 4 pick. But since that didn’t come to fruition, they’re slated to choose in the top five again — for the last time, they hope, since they intend to begin climbing up the standings next season.
They also own the Maple Leafs’ first-round pick, which will fall in the latter half of the round, and two second-round picks.
Schaefer on top
Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer has emerged as the projected No. 1 prospect, although it’s not as clear-cut as Bedard and Celebrini were.
And that’s in spite of the fact Schaefer, a 17-year-old currently playing for the OHL’s Erie Otters, has been limited to just 17 games this season by mononucleosis and a broken clavicle suffered during the world junior championships.
He’s an elite skater with high work ethic and good size (6-2). Scouts consider him a potential No. 1 defenseman in the NHL who could produce big point totals without sacrificing defensive responsibilities.
If the Hawks receive the No. 1 pick, though, they’ll find themselves in a tricky spot: their top three existing prospects are also defensemen, whereas they have a much greater need for another elite forward prospect. Perhaps they could trade down in the draft, but that almost never happens in the NHL. Or perhaps they could take Schaefer and trade one of their existing prospects.
The Hawks have connections to Schaefer through his agent, Pat Morris, who also represents Nick Foligno and Jason Dickinson, and through Schaefer’s Erie defensive teammate and good friend Ty Henry, their sixth-round selection last year.
Forward options
After Schaefer, it’s possible the next seven picks will all be forwards, and three of those — James Hagens, Michael Misa and Porter Martone — stand out above the rest.
Hagens was the preseason projected No. 1, and his slight fall since then doesn’t reflect any shortcomings in his game. He’s an excellent playmaking center who has averaged more than a point per game as a freshman at Boston College, although he’s a little small at 5-10.
Misa leads the OHL in scoring with a ridiculous 113 points in 54 games, and he trails only Hawks prospect Nick Lardis for the OHL goals lead. Misa combines quickness with creativity in the offensive zone, and he gets into dangerous scoring areas. He’s three inches taller than Hagens, but he’s less certain than Hagens to be a center at the NHL level.
Martone, who will definitely be a winger, is the biggest of the three at 6-3 and 208 pounds. He’s a power forward with high hockey IQ who uses his body to protect the puck and bulldoze toward the net, although his skating and acceleration are weaknesses.
Beyond those three, well-rounded Quebecois center Caleb Desnoyers and skilled Swedish forwards Victor Eklund and Anton Frondell are also top-five possibilities. Towering Canadian center Roger McQueen, who is 6-5, is a wild card. McQueen was once considered a top-five pick, but he has missed almost the entire season with a worrisome back injury.