We’re well into the season now and as the standings slowly come into focus in the NHL, it’s as good a time as any to announce the third iteration of my 2025 NHL Draft Rankings. There are going to be some huge movements on my board with some completely new players joining the Top 64 and some preseason favourites falling hard.
My Prospect Impact Cards will debut in today’s article, which I’ve developed over the last few weeks and have started posting sporadically on my Twitter Account (@ryanmascouting). A quick note that the rankings on the Impact Cards are the model’s output, not my personal rankings.
I won’t be putting a card for every prospect that I’ll be covering in the article today, but I’m always open to requests for certain players so do feel free to reply to any of my posts on Twitter!
If you’re interested in seeing my full Top 64 Rankings, feel free to check out my post here:
Ahead of my article tomorrow on @wincolumnCGY with analysis on the biggest risers & fallers on my new rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft, here is my new Top 64!
— Ryan Ma (@RyanMaScouting) January 25, 2025
Again, always open to feedback or comments!
(Also spoiler alert there will be some player cards in the article 👀) pic.twitter.com/hdtvNDbTdO
With that out of the way, let’s go over some players that have caught my eye since the last update, for good and bad.
Big Risers
#10 – Benjamin Kindel – RW – Calgary Hitmen – WHL (#51) +41
Benjamin Kindel is one of the biggest risers in this update. The forward impressed me at the Hlinka-Gretzky in the summer, but his 5’10” frame and playmaking-centric game did put me off to start the year despite his extremely productive D-1.
However, with more opportunities to watch him this year, I think he’s truly one of the most dangerous all-around forwards available in the draft this year.
His shot is severely underrated, he uses his hands in tight to be able to get the puck away at a multitude of angles, which has turned him into a dual threat offensively.
He’s one of the best forwards I’ve seen in transition this year, and he’s a true tactician with the puck. His impact on the Hitmen power play’s been undeniable where his head fakes and playmaking chops are on full display.
I’ve seen questions about his size holding up at the NHL level, but he’s strong on the puck, plays well in all three zones, and has been one of the best generators of offence this season in junior hockey.
#20 – Shane Vansaghi – RW – Michigan State University – NCAA (UNR)
Shane Vansaghi is a player I didn’t know about until relatively recently. His counting stats this year in the NCAA are pretty eye-popping, he’s got 11 points in 22 games, and that’s while only averaging around 10 minutes per game.
He’s not the most dynamic player, but he’s extremely physical on the forecheck (he hits everything that moves), and his skating is explosive in straight lines. He’s also been incredibly effective in his checking line role; his line tends to drive play in the right direction when he’s on the ice.
I’m not confident he will become a true driver of offence at the next level, but at 6’2”, with his speed and physicality, I like his overall NHL projection. I think he’s also a player who can develop his offence with more touches in an increased role.
As of now, I think he’s a high-end bottom-six piece, but I do believe there’s a real opportunity for him to develop into a complementary middle-six option with some improvement to his skating.
#31 – Kurban Limatov – LD – MHK Dynamo Moskva – MHL (UNR)
I think Limatov may be the consensus number-one Russian league product in this year’s draft. Ivan Ryabkin still has an outside shot for that honour, but he hasn’t impressed me this year, even in the USHL.
Limatov’s been a favourite to go around this range since the preseason but I’ve frankly refrained from watching much of the MHL this year (it’s a much weaker class) and so he’s stayed outside of my Top 64 until now.
I think the big thing about Limatov is his physical traits. He’s a hulking 6’4”, and he can MOVE. There are tons of moments where he’ll activate and find his teammates in the slot for dangerous opportunities with his high-end skating.
Those flashes really excite you as a viewer, but his processor still feels like a huge work in progress right now. He also struggles defensively more than you’d hope at his size. He’s not super aggressive at closing gaps, often opting to give the opposing forward time and space to attack him.
I think he’s rightfully so a tier below guys like Simashev and even Silayev who I wasn’t the highest on last year. However, the blend of his size and movement skills makes him a worthwhile project pick for me.
#43 – Ryker Lee – F – Madison Capitols – USHL (UNR)
Ryker Lee is just a super fun player to watch. The skating is definitely a concern at this stage but he’s definitely one of the more naturally gifted playmakers in the draft. He pairs good hands with a willingness to shoot and that makes him a dangerous player, especially on the power play.
My model loves him a ton, but his defensive game is definitely a weakness at this stage of his development. His physicality comes and goes, and he’s prone to missed assignments and late to closeouts.
Regardless, I think that he’s an effective creator offensively; he’s certainly not a passenger on his line. An improved motor and some real focus on his skating will go a long way towards his projectability at the NHL level but I think there’s more than enough here to take a shot on in the second round.
#44 – Tommy Lafrenière – C – Kamloops Blazers – WHL (UNR)
Tommy Lafrenière is a baller. I was contemplating writing about him or my guy Luca Romano (Kitchener Rangers fan here), but I’ve been very impressed with Lafreniere who’s a bit overlooked with the hype Nathan Behm’s received the last few months.
He almost reminds me a little bit of Fraser Minten (another Kamloops alum). Lafrenière’s a very cerebral player, who’s already shown signs of advanced-level defending in a matchup centre role for Kamloops. Like Minten, he’s not all that dynamic, but he’s a very high-motor and smart player.
I think his ceiling is likely not all that high given the limitations of his skill set on the puck, but I’m pretty confident his style of play will have a good chance to translate at the next level. Kamloops has trusted him in a multitude of defensive roles this season and his line almost always drives play in the right direction.
Biggest Fallers
#29 – Radim Mrtka – RD – Seattle Thunderbirds – WHL (#18) -11
I’m still a fan of Radim Mrtka, I just think my stock on him was just a little too high from his gold medal showing for Czechia at the Hlinka-Gretzky.
There’s still a lot to like, he’s uber-physical, and while some of his skating mechanics are still not perfect, he moves well in his big 6’6″ frame. He’s extremely active in transition, often having faith in his skating and puck protection to carry pucks out of the zone and to create entries.
I still find him squirrelly under pressure at times, and I think he can be too “reachy” defensively despite being a strong stick checker. His decision-making on defending rushes has also been hit or miss with me where he has the opposite issue of Limatov; he’s almost too aggressive closing out on opponents.
I think there’s a lot to work with here, but he’s far from a final product. He oozes confidence and has the skating and passing to back that up, but his puck skills and decision-making in his end leave me wanting more.
As of right now, to me, he’s closer to Kurban Limatov than he is to a Kashawn Aitcheson or Blake Fiddler who feel like more complete products.
#77 – William Moore – C – USNTDP – USHL (#16) -61
William Moore has been so disappointing this year. My model currently struggles to see him as an impact at even strength and it’s backed up by the eye test.
Moore’s got potential, he’s got pro size at 6’2” and he’s got enough skill. Those positives in conjunction with his predominantly north-south style of game are part of what made him a potential lottery pick to start the year.
His physicality has been what’s most disappointing for me. His skating was always limited, but Moore has really struggled fighting his way through contact this season. It’s neutered his ability in transition, and any hopes of him emerging as a premier power forward in this draft class disappeared along with it.
His 200-foot game that I lauded in the summer was mistaken or at the very least inconsistent. The flashes are there, but some of the USHL field has passed him by with their consistency. I hope that there’s another gear he can hit, but he very much remains a concept of potential rather than a true product.
#94 – Reese Hamilton – LD – Regina Pats – WHL (#34) -60
Reese Hamilton is another guy who’s struggling to find consistency.
The skating remains a strong plus, and he reminds me a bit of Henry Mews last year, who’s stock dipped in his draft year and is now lighting it up on a better Ottawa 67’s team in his D+1.
The talent is there for Hamilton, who’s got a good shot from the point, and he’s got the ability to make these gorgeous bomb passes from his end to his teammate on the opposing blue line that we saw occasionally at the Hlinka-Gretzky.
I think his confidence this season has taken a hit after a quiet Hlinka-Gretzky fed into a minimal role to start the year on a loaded Calgary backline before getting traded to Regina. He’s really struggled to generate any offence this year, opting to feather in a high shot volume as a way to contribute.
I think his mobility has allowed him to show flashes of good rush defence, he’s had moments where he’s been able to negate rush chances by closing gaps with his skating, and picking good angles.
However, he’s a step slow processing the game right now and he’s still easily pushed around down low in his end. Like Mews, his focus in coverage defensively has been inconsistent this year.
Hamilton is still almost certainly worth a pick, he’s got enough tools and flashes to justify at least a dart throw contrary to the model’s outlook. However, his season so far has been THAT bad. He’ll need a very strong end of the season to recover his draft stock.
Prospect rankings galore
A final quick reminder that my full Top 64 is posted on my Twitter Account @ryanmascouting. I’ll be posting updated versions of my prospect impact cards throughout the year as well so make sure to follow if you want to see any cards before my next article!
While we’re on that topic, I expect my next article to be around the end of February which is when I’ll have the reading week off from University.
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