Welcome to the third installment of my pre-season top 64! The hype for the 2024 NHL Draft was unparalleled when it came to defencemen, and with names like Artyom Levshunov, Sam Dickinson, Zeev Buium, and Zayne Parekh, that comes as no surprise. I do think that this year’s class could be flying under the radar, with six of my next 10 players patrolling the blue line.
The Americans went a few picks without a player being named after James Hagens, but they have a ridiculously deep class this year, with plenty of players coming up in this article and subsequent ones. Finally, a certain electric player from Czechia finds himself in my top 20 as he fights his way up my rankings.
Let’s move on now to the players themselves! Without further ado, I present to you my 11th to 20th-ranked players for the 2025 NHL draft!
#11 – Charlie Trethewey
- RD
- 6’1” – 190 lbs
- USNTDP – USHL
I think a lot of people are expecting a different American blueliner at this spot. Don’t worry, he’ll be coming up in a little bit. For me, Charlie Trethaway is someone who could sneakily end up in the top five of the draft by season’s end. The Boston University commit brings the potential of an effective two-way defenceman; one that can dominate both ends of the ice physically and skill-wise.
The right-handed defensemen led all defenders at the U17 World Hockey Challenge last year with 10 points in seven games and also had 14 points in 33 games in the USHL with the USNTDP. He’s big and strong with an NHL-ready frame, and he pairs that with long, smooth skating strides and edgework to be a great playdriver from the backend. Like Sascha Boumedienne, he lacks refinement and consistency defensively and doesn’t always leverage his size to his advantage, but the vision, raw athleticism, and skill are undeniable.
He reminds me in some ways of Senators draft pick Carter Yakemchuk. Like Yakemchuk, Trethaway is undoubtedly skilled and creative and is more than confident with the puck on his stick with an NHL frame, but to this point, he lacks the physicality you’d be looking for in a defenceman at his size.
#12 – Logan Hensler
- RD
- 6’2” – 196 lbs
- USNTDP – USHL
Logan Hensler feels low here at 12. For a long time, he was considered a top-two defenceman in the draft class and very well still could be. Hensler’s one of the most physically imposing defencemen in the class. He’s 6’2”, 196 pounds, and he plays like it. He doesn’t get moved off the puck easily, and pairing that with great agility and four-way skating, you have the makings of a potentially elite defensive defenceman.
While Hensler has taken steps offensively, Threthewey and Boumedienne feel like they offer more natural ability and instincts than Hensler, who’s still developing confidence in that area of the game. Hensler currently relies on a lot of his natural ability with his skating and size to be a plus-level offensive contributor, but he lacks the vision and foresight to be an effective in-zone offensive player for me.
While the Wisconsin commit is the furthest along in his development defensively, I’m more confident that Trethewey and Boumedienne can grow into their frames and improve defensively than I am that Hensler will be able to become a consistent driver of offense at the next level.
#13 – William Moore
- C
- 6’2” – 161 lbs
- USNTDP – USHL
William Moore is a dual national who jumped from the GTHL to the USDP last season. I think of him as just a tier under Caleb Desnoyers when it comes to playing a power-forward, two-way-style game. Moore is tall and powerful, and he leans into that physical profile, using his size and speed to attack the middle of the ice, opting to go north and south rather than east to west.
His game lacks deception for me offensively, and he doesn’t offer the passing ability and off-the-puck awareness offensively that a Desnoyers brings, but he’s a 200-foot player who plays with pace and was outstanding for the US at the U17 World Hockey Challenge. He possesses one of the higher ceilings in this draft class, but he needs to bring more variety to his game when he isn’t on the puck to move up on my board.
His exclusion from the US U18 WJC team was interesting, and while I don’t think it should impact his draft stock, it’s an interesting tidbit, to say the least. The 6’2” centre from Mississauga is committed to Boston College for the 2026–27 season, which does give me some confidence that he can develop his secondary skillsets under an incredible NCAA program in his D+1.
#14 – Malcolm Spence
- LW
- 6’2” – 192 lbs
- Erie Otters – OHL
Malcolm Spence was really good for Canada at the U18s in a fourth-line role alongside Cole Beaudoin, who was one of Canada’s unsung heroes of the tournament. In a depth role on a loaded Canadian side, Spence really flashed on screen with his speed and physicality. He was consistently one of the first players in on the forecheck, and although he wasn’t particularly dynamic or creative, he was able to generate entries with his size, speed, and puck-protection skills.
Despite a lack of creativity and dynamic ability on the puck, Spence has a hard shot and an undying motor, allowing him to win puck battles. He’s got one of the most complimentary and versatile skill sets in the draft. He’s good enough to play both special teams units and also up and down the lineup. He plays and thinks the game at really high speeds with a ton of nastiness and physicality, which makes for an enticing total package at his size.
There’s a high floor here with Spence. He’s not super puck-dominant but should be a very effective player in all three zones and can play off of his linemates effectively. He should be a really productive player for Erie this season after posting 62 points in 66 games during his rookie OHL season last year.
#15 – Luka Radivojevic
- RD
- 5’10” – 161 lbs
- Örebro HK – SHL
I’m a sucker for European blueliners who can play pro hockey by their D+0. Sometimes, I’m almost overzealous (Veeti Vaisanen was a lottery pick this time last year for me). While it can be common for defencemen to play in Liiga in their D+0 (Mikko Kokkonen), it’s rare to see prospects get playing time in the SHL—especially in their D-1 at 16—as Luka Radivojevic did at the end of last season.
The U18 WJC All-Star was exceptional for Slovakia at the tournament, registering six points in six games. Radivojevic’s size at only 5’10” will hold him back, but he’s an intelligent passer who’s an absolute threat in transition. I love his confidence on the puck and his instincts on breakouts, using his hands and skating to lead rushes or bombing beautiful stretch passes to teammates from blue line to blue line.
The skating isn’t elite by any means—I think he lacks the long speed and quick twitch agility you want, given his size—but he has good edgework and small pops of explosiveness that allow him to drop a shoulder and drive by opponents to attack the net. He reminds me of a mini-Yakemchuk in that respect, a defenceman with a penchant for attacking the net almost like a power forward.
As you’d expect from a player of his size, he’s not very physical defensively, but I like his defensive stick, which is always active and in the right spots to take away passing and shooting lanes. Radivojevic is one of my favourite players in this year’s draft class, and I’ll be rooting for him throughout the year.
#16 – Kashawn Aitcheson
- LD
- 6’1” – 172 lbs
- Barrie Colts – OHL
Kashawn Aitcheson really left an impression on me during the U18s, which has translated months later in these rankings. At 6’1”, he plays nasty and physical and puts in a workman’s shift every time he’s on the ice. He was an absolute minute muncher for Canada at the U18s, logging over 25 minutes a night on a roster with a bunch of draft eligibles.
I don’t foresee there being some untapped potential offensively that he can tap into that will make him a real difference-maker offensively at the next level, but he is just a really hard player to play against. He’ll almost certainly bring penalty kill value at the NHL level, and he skates well and eliminates space, as well as anyone I’ve seen in this draft class. He’s the first truly defensive defenceman in these rankings, and his U18s are carrying a lot of water for him right now.
I expect him to continue to play a very important role for Barrie. However, given the lack of high-end puck skills and offensive upside, he’s a guy I do foresee ending up probably closer to the bottom of the first round as I get more tape in on other players. Ranked #16 is probably the highest you’ll see for Aitcheson, but I really wanted to give him his flowers for his play to this point.
#17 – Cameron Reid
- LD
- 6’0” – 175 lbs
- Kitchener Rangers – OHL
Is this a bit of a homer pick? Yeah, it is. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m a Kitchener Rangers fan through and through. Does anyone have him anywhere near seventeen? Probably not. Then again, I remember sticking my neck out for another Kitchener product in 2023 with Hunter Brzustewicz… that doesn’t look too bad two years later.
Cam Reid doesn’t have the eye-popping D-1 stats you might expect. He had 23 points in 49 games, but I thought he got better and better as the season went on. Reid will likely fall a few spots throughout the year unless he shows some more dynamic traits, but I love how simplistic he kept the game in his rookie year on a Kitchener team that was actively looking to win the OHL championship and Memorial Cup.
He’s always in position defensively, using his skating and active stick to pester and break up plays in his zone. He even played some penalty kill minutes for Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky. I don’t want to call him a mini-Matthew Schaefer because he is nowhere as dynamic, but the calmness and poise he plays with make him a real asset in transition and on breakouts.
Reid was always willing to activate offensively—even last year with Kitchener—but at the Hlinka-Gretzky, I saw a lot more of a willingness to carry the puck in offensively and attack down the boards. He lacks the hands and agility to be super elusive or deceptive with his attacks right now, but I’m expecting him to take that next step offensively with more license from his coach to be creative. I see him playing a huge role on Kitchener this year, who’s losing a ton of talent offensively.
#18 – Justin Carbonneau
- RW
- 6’1” – 190 lbs
- Blainville-Boisbriand Armada – QMJHL
The QMJHL is an offense-heavy league, and Justin Charbonneau is an older prospect with a 2006 birthday. That said, it’s difficult to deny the production he had last year with Blainville-Boisbriand. The 6’1” power forward put up 59 points in 68 games for the Armada and is off to another hot start with five points in two games this season.
He’s a definite threat in transition, where he can use his size and much-improved skating to attack the net. He’s capable of playing the game at high speeds and has great hands to pair with his size. This year’s class has a ton of really talented power forwards, and Carbonneau is one of them. He’s got a good shot that’s a weapon on the power play, and I expect him to be a potential difference-maker in the final third with his forechecking and offensive skillset.
He falls short on the other end of the ice, and I think that will be a determining factor in his final draft projection. I’d like to see a little more consistency and effort on that end of the ice where I feel his size and strength could let him be very effective. As of now, he’s one of the more exciting offensive players in the class with the physical tools to grow defensively.
#19 – Adam Benak
- C
- 5’7” – 157 lbs
- Youngstown Phantoms– USHL
Some people will gasp at this ranking for Benak, but for wildly different reasons. From a skillset perspective, few players in this draft class can challenge him. He’s been insanely productive for Czechia at international tournaments.
I didn’t have the luxury of watching every game at the Hlinka this year, so I didn’t watch Czechia very much (my mistake) and focused more on Canada and Sweden. I did catch the entirety of the Gold Medal Game and some sneak peeks at the other games whenever I had the chance, and Benak was incredible. He’s an extremely elusive skater, using his low center of gravity and edgework to escape tight pressure.
He’s a high-pace player who always keeps his feet moving, making it really hard to cover him on and off the puck. He’s always engaged and active, and he’s got a wicked shot that is an absolute weapon on the power play when he has the time and space to pick his spot. We did see, however, how a talented team like Canada can impact his effectiveness.
Canada was constantly throwing an extra body on Benak—even on the penalty kill—in the Gold Medal Game which forced him outside of the danger areas where he likes to operate and into a perimeter role. It was by far Benak’s worst game of the Hlinka-Gretzky, and it shows he still needs to develop more counterpunches with Youngstown in the USHL to continue to be dangerous against other fast and smart players, given his diminutive stature.
#20 – Jackson Smith
- LD
- 6’3” – 190 lbs
- Tri-City Americans – WHL
Jackson Smith is by far the most polarizing player for me to this point in the process. He’s got great size at 6’3”. He can skate like the wind, handle the puck with confidence, and has a really hard shot. He was the catalyst on the back end on Caleb Desnoyers’ huge goal in the gold medal game, where he shot the puck up ice to get it to Emile Guite, and outside of Matthew Schaefer, showed the most ability to handle the puck in tight spaces and create offensively.
While he wasn’t super physical by nature when I watched him at the Hlinka-Gretzky, you can see his aggression pick up throughout a game as the intensity ramps up. After a few heavy hits by both sides in the gold medal game, you could see Smith was actively finishing every hit and throwing crosschecks. He’s not someone who stands out as a super physical player, but he’s certainly capable of playing it.
Smith played a ton for Canada on his off side and was good, but I really do think the decision-making and overall on-ice awareness need to improve. I didn’t notice this last year with Tri-City, but at the Hlinka-Gretzky, I thought he was guilty of trying to do too much with the puck. Overhandling it offensively when he had teammates with much better attack lanes and getting caught misjudging gaps at times. There was a play against Czechia when Adam Novotny burned Smith to the outside that comes to mind.
There’s a ton to like in Smith’s game, and I think he’s got more offensive upside than most people think, but everything has to tighten up from a details perspective. He’s not getting everything out of his skillset and frame.
Conclusion
There’s a strong cluster of players here with certain themes. We have a ton of defencemen with great two-way potential and NHL size, some high-pace power forwards with tantalizing offensive upside, and two undersized outliers who play an electric game and are quite literally two inches away from being top 10 picks. Keep an eye out for the final 12 players of my top 32 which will be released in the near future!
