Sorry for the long delay between my rankings, everyone; I had a brutal midterm to study for and couldnโt commit to working on these write-ups until after my midterm was done on Thursday! But weโre headed into reading week, so there will be no more excuses!
The seasonโs underway in every league across the world now, and there have been some early season standouts already. Swedenโs captain at the Hlinka-Gretzky made his SHL debut, as well as strong starts for some members of Canadaโs supporting cast from the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.
Without further ado, here are my 21st to 32nd-ranked players in the first edition of my 2025 rankings!
#21 โ Victor Eklund โ LW โ 5โ11โ โ 161 lbs โ Djurgรฅrdens IF โ HockeyAllsvenskan
Victor Eklund is a guy I really liked at the start of the year. He was ranked #22 on my pre-Hlinka rankings, and I thought that was pretty high for him relative to consensus. The younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund had a solid track record of production heading into his D+0.
He made Djurgรฅrdens in his D-1, playing a key role in the playoffs, and had a strong showing for Sweden at the U18s. Heโs a great skater who uses that to throw defenders off with his ability to change speeds while attacking the blue line. In addition to his passing ability and hands, this makes him a real threat in transition.
In hindsight, putting him at #21 may be a bit low and perhaps even below consensus. Quoting my friend David Saad over at Dobber Sports, Eklund may be the best play driver in the draft this season.
#22 โ Radim Mrtka โ RD โ 6โ6โณ โ 198 lbs โ HC Ocelรกลi Tลinecย โ CZE
Mrtka was someone I had pencilled ahead of the Hlinka Gretzky as someone I wanted to get a chance to watch. From a physical profile alone, the HC Ocelรกลi product was super intriguing. I only caught snippets of him at the tournament, focusing instead on Canada and Sweden, but it was just my luck that I got to watch Mrtka at his best in the Gold Medal Game. While Benak generated the most hype, Mrtka was sneakily Czechiaโs best player.
He showed real confidence and rush ability in transition carrying the puck, often generating solo entries for Czechia. He was also a dual threat, closing gaps along the wall and stepping up for big hits. Mrtka logged around 28 minutes in that Gold Medal Game, where he played a huge role 5v5, on the penalty kill, and on the power play.
A plus skater at 6โ6โ with a right-hand shot, puck-moving ability, and value on both special teams, Mrtka is a guy who can shoot up rankings with a strong season in the Czech pro league.
#23 โ Blake Fiddler โ RD โ 6โ4โ โ 207 lbs โ Edmonton Oil Kings โ WHL
Blake Fiddler is someone I also had on my radar ahead of the Hlinka-Gretzky. When it was announced that Toronto Maple Leafsโ prospect Miroslav Holinka would be headed to the Edmonton Oil Kings, the player I was most excited to watch on that team alongside him was Blake Fiddler.
Like Radim Mrtka, Fiddler is big, tall and athletic. He spent most of his D-1 leveraging that athleticism in a defensive-minded role. He put up just 15 points in 63 games inย his rookie year. However, on a US team that really lacked that offensive firepower and creativity up front this year at the Hlinka-Getzky, Fiddler and Carter Murphy were tasked with a lot of the play driving from the back end. Fiddler showcased some nice ability with the puck and on rush opportunities, tallying four points in five games. ย
Thereโs some untapped potential offensively here. With him expected to play a big role on a notโsoโgreat Oil Kings team, donโt be surprised if his point totals jump to that 35 to 45-point range this season.
#24 โ Cole Reschny โ F โ 5โ10โ โ 183 lbs โ Victoria Royals โ WHL
Cole Reschny feels like a player whoโs destined to jump up draft boards with a strong D+0 season. I liked Reschny at the Hlinka-Gretzky this year for Canada. He got moved around a lot throughout the top three lines and always managed to make it work. Heโs got theย hands and speed to go with nice playmaking instincts.
When he was moved down the lineup after Cootesโ return, theย KilfoilโOโBrienโReschny line was the best iteration of Canadaโs third line I saw all tournament. I loved his first two games of the tournament, where he was flying all night. He was incredible all game against Switzerland and Slovakia, showcasing his skill off the rush, using his speed to take on defenders, and engaging physically, too.
I think heโs a super high-motor player who can play with pace and skill. Even with the smaller size, I look at a guy like Jett Luchankoโwho went top 15 last year to the Philadelphia Flyersโand I canโt see why something similar canโt happen for Reschny.
#25 โ Milton Gastrin โ C/LW โ 6โ1โ โ 183 lbs โ MoDo Hockey/MoDo Hockey J20 โ SWE
Gastrin captained Sweden at the Hlinka-Gretzky and was a driving force behind what was ultimately Swedenโs best line at the tournament. Heโs strong and almost has a power forward-esque style of play where heโs unafraid to drive the net to make plays happen.
I didnโt love the skating initially; he looks a bit heavy out there, but itโs good enough that he can keep up with play. What Gastrin does bring to the table is a high motor, great stick lifting, aย willingness to engage and close forwards down on the backcheck, and great board work.
While itโs not a strength, I think he has just enough puck skills to make him a good NHL projection. After a hot start to his J20 Nationell campaign with Modo Hockey J20โ15 points in 13 gamesโit looks like heโll be seeing some more SHL action this year than previously anticipated.
#26 โ Emile Guitรฉ โ LW โ 6โ1โณ โ 174 lbs โ Chicoutimi Saguenรฉens โ QMJHL
Emile Guitรฉ is a finisher. Heโs got different ways to get his shot off, and itโs wicked quick and accurate. Heโs going to be a staple on the half boards on the power play for any team he plays for. Simply put, he can and will put the puck in the back of the net.
At the Hlinka-Gretzky, I saw great work by him on the forecheck, getting in quickly on dump-ins and forcing turnovers. The chemistry between him and Caleb Desnoyers from youth hockey was clear. Despite Canadaโs second line struggling to generate super high-danger opportunities, their ability to work the cycle game was exceptional.
Iโd like to see more of Guitรฉ in the build-up of plays and transition, which is something Iโll keep an eye out for throughout the year. But his shooting and natural scoring ability, coupled with a strong showing on the forecheck at the Hlinka-Gretzky, land him in my top 32.
#27 โ Braeden Cootes โ C โ 6โ0โ โ 183 lbs โ Seattle Thunderbirds โ WHL
Braeden Cootes started the Hlinka-Gretzky as the first-line center alongside Gavin McKenna, and his fit on that line made a ton of sense. Heโs a super strong 200-foot player who makes the right plays, can take defensive zone draws, andโlike Easton Cowan and Matthew Kniesโhas an incessant motor and willingness to fight for the puck.
I donโt think he has the puck skills right now to generate a ton of hype from a play-driving perspective, but he has moments where his speed is a real asset and allows him to gain entries. Heโs off to a hot start with Seattle this year in the WHL, posting a point per game rate through seven games, and I think he is going to be an elite player in a supporting role at the pro level.
He plays the game with an aggressiveness I really like, and heโs got above-average traits in regard to his passing and shooting ability. When you add those traits to a well-rounded game defensively, itโs not a hard pro projection.
#28 โ Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen โ LD โ 6โ0โ โ 181 lbs โ University of Michigan โ NCAA
I havenโt watched a ton of Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, but the Michigan playerโs skating remains a standout for me in the little I have seen. He has incredible acceleration, which allows him to beย a threat in transition. I like his first pass, and heโs got a hard shot that heโs not afraid to use.
Heโs a more raw prospect who has to iron out a lot of the details in his game, but if he can nail down a consistent role with Michigan this year and utilize his skating ability in his D+0 season to maximize the kind of impact he can have on both ends of the ice, heโs someone who can jump up a lot of draft boards.
He could be this yearโs Zeev Buium, another older defensive prospect who wasnโt noticed a whole ton in his D-1 with the USNTDP after being buried in a more depth role, but balled out in the NCAA in his D+0 season. Itโll be much tougher for DRM as Buium had much less stiff competition for ice time at Denver.
#29 โ Viktor Klingsell โ LW โ 5โ10โ โ 183 lbs โ Skellefteรฅ AIK J20 โ J20 Nationell
Klingsell was a member of Swedenโs best line at the Hlinka-Gretzky this year. I saw a ton of him, Gastrin, and Stenberg. While I really liked Gastrinโs work rate and power forward traits, Iโve also always been a sucker for forwards that are intelligent and intentional with their decision on the ice. Klingsell fits that to a tee.
Heโs gotten off to a bit of a slow start this year relative to some other Swedish League players that will be mentioned in my next articleโplayers ranked 33-64โbut Skellefteรฅ J20 is a legitimately terrible team right now with many of their U20 players travelling with the main team to start the season. Playing with a lack of talent doesnโt bode really well with a player like Klingsell, who isnโt a dominant heliocentric playdriver who can make things happen on his own.
He makes great decisions with the puck and has the ability to take it to the middle of the ice. He has some really nice passing in tight spaces, so Iโll be interested to see if the production can pick back up after some of his projected linemates return to the J20 Nationell.
#30 โ Reese Hamilton โ LD โ 6โ0โ โ 172 lbs โ Calgary Hitmen โ WHL
Reese Hamilton is a player I really like, nice mobility and while he doesnโt activate nearly as much as Iโd like, he really has great breakout ability. There were a few times he sent his teammates on breakaways or partial breaks with an absolute bullet stretch pass from his own end.
I liked Hamiltonโs gap control, where his mobility and fluid hips allowed him to close gaps well and defend rushes efficiently. He had a super productive draft year for the Calgary Hitmen, and itโll be interesting if we get to see him with Carter Yakemchuk now that the Ottawa Senators prospect has been returned to the WHL.
Hamiltonโs one of my favourite WHL defencemen from this yearโs class so far, and another really productive offensive seasonโas well as some added muscle and nastiness when it comes to clearing the netโcould bode well for his draft projection.
#31 โ Jake OโBrien โ C โ 6โ0โ โ 168 lbs โ Brantford Bulldogs โ OHL
I donโt want to be too negative about Jake OโBrien, who lit the OHL up last season in his rookie year with 64 points in 61 games and became one of the premier playmaking talents in this draft class.
Unfortunately, my impressions of him at the Hlinka-Gretzky were eerily quiet. To be fair, I missed his best showing against the US because it was in the middle of my final exam. OโBrien never seemed comfortable the entire tournament, outside of a few nice shifts where his line got in on the cycle. It never quite looked like we got the fully unlocked version of the talented playmaker.
Part of it might have been his linemates often being more cerebral, two-way forwards instead of finishers, but OโBrien became guilty of trying to self-generate chances at times with that toe drag that rarely ever worked and gave possession away. Iโm hopeful the high-motor playmaking centre can re-find his groove in the OHL with Brantford.
#32 โ Brady Martin โ C โ 6โ0โ โ 168 lbs โ Soo Greyhounds โ OHL
Brady Martin jumped on the scene for me at the Hlinka-Gretzky. After a rough first game on Canadaโs fourth line, where he got outmuscled on a few of the board battles and Kindel was probably Canadaโs best fourth liner, Martin came back and got better every game of the tournament after.
He showcased a real power forward style of play, engaging physically as the temperature of games against Slovakia and Sweden rose and showcased nice vision to make passes. His strong play against the boards, to go with soft hands, makes him a real contender to jump up my board with a strong OHL season.
Heโs going to feature in a prominent role this year for the Soo Greyhounds, who lost a bunch of their top scorers from last season. Heโs off to a nice start with six points in five games. Keep an eye out for Martin; heโs a guy Iโm really excited for.
Conclusion
Thank you all again for following on! This will be it in terms of long write-ups for the first edition of my prospect rankings, but short snippets for my 33rd to 64th-ranked players will be up sometime in the next week as well, so keep an eye out for that!
