2025 NHL Draft Top 32 Ranking - December 2024 | Elite Prospects

[@SharksFan1968]

How does Schaefer compare / rank vs. the 2024 Dmen class: Levshunov / Buium / Dickinson / Parekh / Yakemchuk?

[@TheSchwarzengger]

Schaefer is elite compare to those players. We are talking potential #1 defenseman. Think of Drew Doughty, Quinn Hughes, Scott Niedermayer.

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

While we wouldn't compare him to some of the d-men named by TheSchwarzengger, Schaefer has more potential than them. It's a slight edge, at the moment.

[@nottheguy4328]

Buium and Schaefer are probably close? Schaefer's game is stylistically similar to Morrissey but his willingness/ability to find moments to attack is Makar-esque, though he does not have the footwork and skill.

[@maximusrusso8758]

@@nottheguy4328Schaefer looks like a much more explosive skater than Buium, although the iq and playmaking might be in favour of Buium

[@Lebowski55]

@@EliteProspectsHockey Do you know how good Scott Niedermayer was?

[@tristanmcguire4820]

You always have such a fantastic ranking that values potential and skill. I just can't fathom how other scouts aren't high on Misa. You guys are the only ones that have him contesting for first, most top ones have him ranking 3-6 range. After watching all his games this year, I can say that Misa is going to alter the scape of the franchise he goes to. Once agin, great breakdown guys.

[@jfkst1]

Who has Misa outside the top four?

[@tristanmcguire4820]

@ Craig Button, Bob Mackenzie, Daily Faceoff to name a few

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your support as always :)

[@jfkst1]

@@tristanmcguire4820 Those are all preseason rankings lol obviously that's misleading relative to his current season production.

[@Briserlaglace-podcast]

Good job guys, as always! I'd like to hear what you had to say about Bedkowski and Brzustewicz, they've been two of my favorite dmen this season ^^

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

Hello! Thank you. We will discuss them next meeting for sure. Both are in our top-40.

[@TIGERSandBRUINS]

Do you think Will Smith would be ahead of James Hagens if he was in this draft? Hagens is a little faster, but he's also a couple inches shorter which would probably even out his draft stock with Smith.

[@davidst-louis8315]

We are a little lower on Smith. A great prospect, but he wouldn't be in our top five in this class.

[@icepuckvisionary]

Schaefer will go 1st overall. He is 1 of 1

[@marcussilva4011]

It feels like such a missed opportunity to draft Demidov for Chicago where drafting Schaffer at 2 with a better profile and upside than leshuanov while need a winger for bedard

[@TheSchwarzengger]

Good job Lauren. 👍

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

She's the absolute best.

[@meatrider4995]

I think it’s a possibility that Misa goes #1 to Chicago

[@Lebowski55]

Lakovic reminds me of Samuel Honzek in 2023

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

Less physical, but more skilled as a playmaker.

[@icepuckvisionary]

Hagens translates better at winger. High energy smaller forward. Top 6 potential. Not as skilled as Celebrini. Schaefer #1 defenseman. Haven’t seen a d prospect since probably Ekblad/Makar?

[@TylrVncnt]

How does Martone compare to say a Matt Tkachuk, how does he compare to Leonard?

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

He's an even smarter playmaker, but Martone is not aggressive. He's on open-ice, opportunitistic playmaker and scorer. He has to develop his powerforward side.

[@martinkealey03]

How big is the gap from Ravensbergen to Ivankovic, Andreyanov and D'Aigle

[@Jmulk96]

Snuck in D’Aigle, he shouldn’t be drafted at all

[@icepuckvisionary]

ivankovic is a tier above albeit his size

[@Jmulk96]

@@icepuckvisionary he’s about 10 tiers above D’Aigle

[@Nai911]

schmidt is like a mini mcdavid lol

[@icepuckvisionary]

Hagens at 2

[@nolan13075]

Hagens has been really disappointing. Playing with Leonard and Perreault he should be challenging records. Hopefully he can turn it around after the WJC.

[@wieters1275]

This is just box score watching. No one who has actually watched Hagens play would say he has been disappointing. And he is the top point scoring freshman in the NCAA anyway.

[@nolan13075]

@wieters1275 I've watched 13 of his games this year. He has been invisible way too often, especially when he's away from Perreault and Leonard. He's still a great player, but we are talking about the #1 pick here and the only way you wouldn't be disappointed with Hagens, is if you didn't have him #1 coming into the year. Production isn't everything, but when you're with elite teammates, and you're producing like Bordeleau and Snuggerud at the same age, there should be some pause about going #1.

[@wieters1275]

@@nolan13075 I don't really know what people are expecting with Hagens. He is playing with arguably the two best players in the NCAA who are older than him and have been on the same line together for years at this point. Is he supposed to come in and just be a puck hog and start dictating terms to them? When Hagens plays with Teddy Stiga, he becomes the driver and looks much more assertive. I view it as a positive that a future 1C doesn't force things and is able to blend in with whichever linemates you give him.

[@nolan13075]

@@wieters1275 I'm expecting him to dominate the NCAA, as other players his age that got picked this high have. Excusing the fact that he isn't doing that because his teammates are too good seems like a wild justification to take him #1.

[@wieters1275]

@@nolan13075 Hagens came into this season as the clear number one, and he hasn't done anything to disqualify himself from that position. Unlike fans who are reactionary, I don't think NHL front offices are looking for reasons to knock Hagens down from that spot or are demanding some fantastical standard. His upside is very apparent and higher than any of the other forwards in this class. It would be one thing if he had a bad point total, but he is top-10 in the NCAA in points as one of the youngest players at his level.

[@TotallyunbiasedSteelheadfan]

Stop trying to rank McQueen higher than he should rank. McQueen Game by Game DY = G1 = 4-0-4 Points, +3, 6 SOG G2 = 0-2-2 Points, +0, 2 SOG G3 = 1-1-2 Points, +2, 2 SOG G4 = 1-0-1 Point, -1, 6 SOG G5 = 1-0-1 Point, +0, 4 SOG G6 = 1-0-1 Point, +1, 3 SOG G7 = 0-0-0 Points, -3, 4 SOG G8 = 0-0-0 Points, -2, 5 SOG After his 4 Goal Game McQueen = 4-3-7 Points in 7 Games, -3, 26 SOG McQueen is 6’5”, 193 lbs, he should be at least 1.80 P/GP if he is as good as you say he is. McQueen multi-Point games in WHL Career = 21 Games in 118 Career Games For context = Martone Career multi-Point Games = 44 Games in 147 Career Games Misa Career multi-Point Games = 59 Games in 139 Career Games McQueen is a top 10 pick. McQueen is not a 1st overall level player.

[@EliteProspectsHockey]

We're taking this into account, totallyunbiasedsteelheadfan. 😉 With most prospects, what matters is not how they're performing now, but what they could be. That's even more true with a prospect like McQueen.

[@meatrider4995]

I think this guy likes Martone