Blueshirt Banter 2025 NHL Mock Draft: Picks 1-10

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another year of Blueshirt Banter’s official mock draft presented by Chris Feldman and Roberto Solis-Byxbee!

If you weren’t privy to it last year, our mock draft serves two purposes: to talk about what each of these prospects bring to the table ahead of the big day, and to make our best guesses on who ends up where. And, of course, to make mention of who could, and should, be on the radar for the New York Rangers.

Without further ado, let's get right into it with our projected top-ten of this year’s draft class!

1. New York Islanders 

Roberto:  James Hagens - Center, Boston College, NCAA: Everyone and their mother have the Islanders taking Matthew Schaefer and, realistically, that’s what’s going to happen. But I love a universe where James Hagens, the Long Island-native, goes to the Islanders and they miss their shot at a franchise defenseman. 

Chris: Matthew Schaefer - Defenseman, Erie Otters, OHL: I wanted to go with the fun answer like Roberto has, but Matthew Schaefer is the best player in this draft and the Islanders would be silly to pass up on him. Then again, this is the same franchise that once drafted Rick DiPietro first overall, signed him to a fifteen year contract, essentially making him the Bobby Bonilla of hockey. 

Nevertheless, Matthew Schaefer is the type of player you build around when you’re trying to become the next Florida Panthers. His compete level is unlike anyone else in this draft class and has the first-overall skill to back it up. In one of the games I watched him play I believe during the World Juniors, he had lost his stick and a glove while defending and was still giving the play everything he had and then some, defending more effectively than some players do with a stick in their hands. He has decent size, is a great skater, fantastic with the puck, has a high hockey IQ, and has tremendous offensive talent. He is THE guy in this draft class. 

2. San Jose Sharks  

Roberto: Matthew Schaefer - Defenseman, Erie Otters, OHL: If Schaefer doesn’t end up going first, the Sharks will put aside anyone else they had on their radar and take him with their second overall pick. 

Chris: Michael Misa - Center, Saginaw Spirit, OHL: There’s a strong case to be made that Michael Misa is the best center in this year’s draft class. One of the rare circumstances where a prospect was given exceptional status to play in the OHL at 15-years old, Misa became a top OHL player and is coming off a 134 point season in Saginaw. He’s one of the most well-rounded players in this draft. A phenomenal skater, creative player with great vision, he’s strong with and without the puck, he competes hard, and has all the potential in the world to become a number one center in this league. The Florida Panthers are going to be mentioned a lot as they’ve become the benchmark for how teams should look to build their franchise, and Misa could be the type of player that falls into this category. 

3. Chicago Blackhawks  

Roberto: Michael Misa - Center, Saginaw Spirit, OHL: The cascading fun stops here. With Michael Misa now available third overall in our hypothetical universe, the Blackhawks can't help but take him with their pick. Chris said all that needs to be said about Misa: a player who will one day be an NHL star will complement the other elite Sharks prospects that have either just joined the NHL or will be joining soon.

Chris: James Hagens - Center, Boston College, NCAA: Remember when Shane Wright was projected to go first overall and then fell to fourth? James Hagens kind of feels like the opposite where he’s fallen a bit in the projections but is as likely to go first overall as he is to go fifth. Nonetheless, if he’s on the board when Chicago takes to the podium, I say he’s a Blackhawk. Hagens has dynamic skill and is a great skater with a lethal shot. He has the potential to be a top line center, but could pan out to be a great second line center, creating a 1-2 punch of Bedard and Hagens down the middle that would be unreal. 

4. Utah Mammoth 

Roberto:  Anton Frondell - Center/Wing, Djurgårdens IF, Sweden: The international pedigree will be too much for the newly minted Utah Mammoth to ignore. The number one ranked international skater, Frondell overcame a tough start to the year after wading through injuries, but then played a key role in helping Djurgården earn their berth back into Sweden's top league. His two-way play will come in clutch for any team that takes him, and the Mammoth could use that kind of skill.

Chris: Caleb Desnoyers - Center, Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL: He may not be as flashy as Hagens, Misa, or Schaefer, but Caleb Desnoyes could very well be one of the best selections in this draft class. He was the first overall pick in the QMJHL draft, led the Moncton Wildcats to a championship this year, and put up 84 points in 56 games in the regular season. He has size, speed, and plenty of skill, playing the game with a ton of creativity that helps him drive play as much as he can maintain offensive zone pressure. If a team is in the market for a center, or just one of the best players in this draft, Desnoyers will be no consolation prize if Misa and Hagens go before him. 

5. Nashville Predators

Roberto: Caleb Desnoyers - Center, Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL: Desnoyers has everything you could want in a prospect. With all that skill and speed, he helped the Wildcats to a QMJHL championship. Granted, they were a very strong team, but Desnoyers featured as one of their best players. A young player with a winning and team-first attitude would be a tremendous asset to any organization, and I can't foresee Barry Trotz looking past this.

Chris: Anton Frondell - C/Wing, Djurgårdens IF, Sweden: Barry Trotz may not be the best general manager in the league, but boy is he a fun one, at least from the perspective of someone who is not a Nashville Predators fan. Anton Frondell is going to be one of the biggest hit-or-miss players in this draft class. At his best, this is a player that can pan out to be a top six forward that can really play at any forward position. He’s a great playmaker and an even better shooter. There is some inconsistency to his game, but when it’s on, he’s a guy you wouldn’t pass up on at fifth overall. That quote from Barry Trotz saying he wanted his staff to take swings at the draft lives rent free in my head, which is exactly why I have Frondell going to Nashville. If they pass up on him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he drops to the middle of the first round if not later. 

6. Philadelphia Flyers 

Roberto: Jake O’Brien - Center, Brantford Bulldogs, OHL: O'Brien was the OHL Rookie of the Year in his first season with Brantford, and somehow found a way to add on to that success in his sophomore season. Scoring 98 points in 66 games, O'Brien was an offensive menace and continued to find various ways to get his name on the scoresheet by putting his tremendous offensive brain and creativity on display night in and night out. There are other great players still on the board, but I think O'Brien could surprise some folks and go earlier than a lot of people assume.

Chris: Porter Martone - Right Wing, Brampton Steelheads, OHL: One of the more sizable players in this draft, Porter Martone screams Philadelphia Flyer. At 6-3 and 208 pounds, he’s tenacious, always hungry on pucks, tough to defend, and balances skill and physicality the way all 32 general managers want from their players. He has all the makings of a 16-game player, but can also be counted on to be a consistent point producer. He has an outstanding shot and exceptional puck skills, but his skating is certainly an area of improvement for him, so whoever drafts him should make sure they trust their skating coaches. He’s coming off a 98 point season where he was one of the top players in the OHL. Expected to go somewhere in the top five of this draft, as there’s no way he falls out of the top ten. 

7. Boston Bruins

Roberto: Roger McQueen - Center, Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL: McQueen isn't just a good skater for his size, he's objectively a fluid and powerful skater. Combine that with his monstrous frame, and he's a player who will give NHL defenseman a headache immediately. The big issue for McQueen is his injury history. He suffered a back injury and missed most of this past season, and this has affected his draft positioning. Had he put up a full healthy season, we could easily be looking at a player who would go in the top three. Selfishly, I hope he slides, maybe all the way to twelfth overall, if you catch my drift.

Chris: Roger McQueen - Center, Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL: Roger McQueen? More like Roger McDream Draft Selection for so many teams, the Rangers included. This is a player I’d say every team in the league would pick if given the chance. A 6-5, right-handed centerman that plays an all around game and who could pan out to become a team’s number one center—who says no to that? I don’t see a world in which he makes it out of the top ten and the Bruins, as much as it pains me to say, make so much sense for him. 

8. Seattle Kraken 

Roberto: Porter Martone - Right Wing, Brampton Steelheads, OHL: Realistically speaking, Porter Martone won't make it to 8th overall, but the Seattle Kraken would be ecstatic if he did. He has the size, skill, and snarl to become the best winger in any NHL team's top line. Scoring 98 points in only 57 games, Martone is already playing at a higher level than most of his peers, and may have one of the easiest transitions to the professional game.

Chris: Viktor Eklund - RW/LW, Djurgårdens IF, Sweden: This is another player that teams wanting to try and become the next Florida Panthers will want to highlight, circle, and underline. Viktor Eklund is the younger brother of William, who was drafted seventh overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2021. Viktor carries the same skill levels as his brother but possesses a ton of tenacity, playing well above his smaller size. He’s outstanding with the puck, has a great shot, and skates well. It’s worth noting that he’s being labelled as a “smaller-sized player” by lots of people as he’s 5-11. If NHL GM’s pass up on him for that reason they probably shouldn’t be trusted to run NHL franchises. 

9. Buffalo Sabres

Roberto: Radim Mrtka - Defenseman, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL: With some uncertainty surrounding the Sabres defense corps, I think they'll go for their top defenseman on the board. For Buffalo, that's arguably going to be Radim Mrtka. Jackson Smith or Kashawn Aitcheson could end up going here as well, but Mrtka, with his gigantic frame and wingspan, is hard to pass up on. After coming to play for Seattle in the WHL and leaving Czechia behind, Mrtka put up 35 points in 43 games. But, it will be interesting to see how his offensive flair translates in the NHL. Regardless, any team that picks Mrtka will be giddy about adding his name to their roster.

Chris: Kashawn Aitcheson - Defense, Barrie Colts, OHL: People have compared Kashawn Aitcheson to Jacob Trouba, so don’t be surprised if the Rangers manage to trade up to draft him if he’s still on the board in this range. In the spirit of my mock draft, he becomes a Sabre with the potential to become Rasmus Dahlin-lite. A projected top-four defenseman, Aitcheson plays an aggressive game, skates well, and has a hard shot. He’s not expected to become a top pair guy that can run a power play or be counted on as a top contributing point producer, but he can play a ton of minutes, kill penalties, and be a nightmare to play against. It sure sounds like Buffalo trading Bowen Byram is inevitable, so this could be their next in line guy to fill that role. 

10. Anaheim Ducks

Roberto: Kashawn Aitcheson - Defense, Barrie Colts, OHL: I think the Ducks end up taking whoever Buffalo doesn't. Like Chris points out below, once the second defender comes off the board, other teams will be scrambling to pick the next one. Aitcheson received 88 PIM in his 64 games last year but also recorded 59 points. He brings everything you could look for in a defenseman. He's big, mobile, physical, and plays with a nasty edge while consistently activating to join the rush up the ice. Anaheim would get a great piece for the future in Aitcheson.

Chris: Radim Mrtka - Defense, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL: This draft is a bit forward/center heavy, but once the first non-Matthew Schaefer defenseman goes, it’s going to be a chain reaction. If it’s not Aitchenson, Radim Mrtka very well could be the next defenseman drafted. One of, if not the, tallest players in the draft at 6-6, Mrtka came over from Czechia to the WHL in an effort to get more ice time. He’s another player that competes hard and plays a strong two way game. He skates well for his size, can contribute offensively, and defends responsibly. With the right development, he could turn into an absolute menace for the Ducks, and who better to learn from there than Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba?