2025 NHL Draft Concludes With Notable Picks, Team Grades

The 2025 NHL Draft has concluded, prompting evaluations of various teams' draft classes and individual player selections. The Tampa Bay Lightning, despite lacking a first-round pick due to a prior trade, made eight selections including Niagara IceDogs center Ethan Czata, who shows potential as a physical and responsible player with middle-six NHL potential. Similarly, the Minnesota Wild, without a first-round pick after trading it, selected Swedish defenseman Theodor Hallquisth in the second round; he possesses size and puck-moving skills but needs improvement in skating and defense to solidify his NHL prospects. Analysts graded the first-round picks overall, highlighting top prospects such as Matthew Schaefer, praised for his defensive IQ and potential as a Noah Dobson replacement, and Misa, noted for his dominant scoring ability in the OHL. The draft also saw the recognition of players like Frondell, valued for his versatility and goal-scoring ability despite a recent injury. Meanwhile, the Western Hockey League celebrated graduating players like Daniel Hauser of the Calgary Hitmen, who left as the WHL's all-time winningest goaltender with 123 career wins, underscoring the ongoing development pipeline feeding into the NHL.