Sportsnet - BSP’s Top 20 for 2025

[Sportsnet]

1. RD Finn Serikow

Serikow is the clear choice for first overall. Taking charge of an underestimated World team, this German Blitzkrieged his way to a medal game and has given rise to expectations of him being a generational talent, perhaps at the level of John Carlson.


2. LD Josh McGregor

Here we predict a RH OFD and a LH OFD going first and second overall, respectively. Though this draft mostly consists of forwards, several defensemen stand out and McGregor is among them. He first made his mark two tournaments ago, showing a lot of promise and skill as a top scorer for his team when he was just 16 at the time. Though he did not score as much this past time around, he was still excellent with 25 points and a +20. However, he may not be as "good" as other players in the top 5, but his high ceiling and his versatility as a defensively-strong OFD makes his value greater than just his current level.



3. LW Adam Benak


Leading the forwards of this draft class in total points scored in this tournament, Benak's value has rocketed. Playing for a Czech team that mostly disappointed, Benak has sought to prove he has the skill to play at the NHL level regardless of what happened around him, and he succeeded.


4. C LJ Mooney

Mooney absolutely broke out two tournaments ago, leading team NA in scoring. He did not produce nearly at that rate this past tournament, but he still had the second highest amount of points for forwards of this draft class, tied with Bakhtov and Nikitins with 38. Mooney has shown how much better he can be, though, so he likely has a higher ceiling as a center than Bakhtov.



5. C/RW Vladimir Bakhtov


Bakhtov is very similar to Mooney, but his ability to also play right wing could be seen as a bonus to some GMs. He scored 38 points for Russia and was his team's second highest scorer, just like Mooney. He capped a better defensive performance than Mooney, though, so one could argue for Bakhtov going 4th. Since his ceiling seems lower, we have him at 5th.


6. LW Pavels Nikitins


Another player who scored 38 points, Nikitins led his World team in scoring. In contrast to Mooney and Bakhtov, Nikitins plays on the left. He scored more goals than Mooney and Bakhtov (17 vs 15 and 16, respectively) so a team looking for a winger or a more shot-focused sniper would likely pick Nikitins. For these reasons, he could go fourth or fifth, but it's more likely the centers go before him.


7. C/LW Florian Schenk

Schenk shanked his opponents with his unrelenting and aggressive playstyle, but is also very disciplined with only 6 PIMs. Though he did not score as many points as some of the other players being listed after him, he still had 33 points and is a two-way forward who scored 17 goals and kept a 20.2% shooting percentage. This is a two-way forward who could develop into a 30+ goal scorer, so his value is certainly high.




8. C Jordan Gavin


Gavin is a 6'3, 198 pound playmaker center who scored 18 goals, also boasting a 15.1% shooting percent--higher than most players in this draft class. He had 34 points total, meaning he had more goals than assists. For a playmaker, this might be concerning, but considering his size and knack for scoring, he could develop to be a lot like Evgeni Malkin, a playmaker center who is 6'3, 195 pounds. Considering their similarities, GMs who like Malkin's style would highly value Gavin.


9. LW Liam Kilfoil

Kilfoil is a playmaker who does well in his own end. With 24 assists and 33 points, he is a promising true playmaker. In terms of playmaking ability, Benak is likely the only forward in this draft that could be better than Kilfoil, though Kilfoil had 24 assists while Benak had 23. If a team needs a strong pass-first player then Kilfoil could go before Gavin or Schenk.

10. LD Radim Mrtka


Mrtka is easily the best DFD in this draft class and may have one of the highest ceilings of any recent DFDs. If given proper icetime and not relegated to the second pair of a WJC team, he has the potential to be a top-pairing DFD. With 28 points this tournament when on the second pair, not only is Mrtka a 6'4, 225 pound behemoth, he's also very competent in the offensive zone.


11. RD Henry Brzustewicz


Brzustewicz scored 30 points for the draft team, second in defenseman scoring only to Serikow. This is impressive, but can Brzustewicz keep up defensively? Despite having heavy offensive presence, he was defensively weak, unlike McGregor and Mrtka. He has high offensive upside, but he needs to develop more defensively before he is ready for the NHL. Despite this, he is still a very good pickup.

12. LW Adam Hall


Hall is a difficult player to evaluate. He is meant to be a sniper, but he only scored 10 goals. He still produced 33 points, in line with Kilfoil and Schenk, but he was much weaker defensively. His low goal-scoring was not due to lack of opportunity, though, as he only had a 9.2% shooting percentage. Would he be better if coaches played him as a playmaker instead of encouraging him to shoot? Perhaps his team was partly to blame. Maybe he had a rough go around. Regardless, Hall is a risky pick for a team needing a reliable sniper, but he is not a bad pick. If a team can figure out how to utilize him, then he has a lot of potential.



13. C Savin Virk


Virk is a surprisingly good shooter considering his primary role as a 6'3 TWF, much like Schenk. Scoring 10 goals and 23 points with little ice time, Virk capitalized on his chances by having a 19.2% shooting percentage. With more ice time and proper development, Virk could produce at a level similar to Schenk, and may be better defensively, too.


14. LD Roope Uusikartano


Finland continues to produce solid defensemen. While Uusikartano is not on the level of Kiviharju, he still scored 24 points on the second pair. In some ways he actually plays more like a shutdown defenseman, so he does have high upside since he can develop as both an offensive threat and a defensive stalwart.



15. LD Donato Bracco


Bracco did not live up to the expectations for him to be a top 10 pick. He put up 22 points and was solid defensively, so he could still be a top 15 pick depending on how much a team needs a defenseman. He likely has favorable upside given the right pairing.


16. G Nathan Wilson


Wilson is by far the best goalie in this draft class. He started with a 0.918% save percentage and an incredible 2.18 GAA in 14 games before the elimination rounds. Afterwards he went on to win a silver medal with team USA. With one of the best save percentages and GAAs in the tournament, Wilson will be the first goalie picked.



17. C Pilip Kuchynski


Kuchynski is a competent pass-first TWF. Crafting 23 assists, he was tied for second for assists among draft-eligible players. His shooting was not nearly as accurate as his passing, however, as he only scored 6 goals and had only an 8% shooting percentage. He was a hulk defensively, though, so he has a lot of value to a team looking for a pass-first center that can protect his wingers. Kuchynski is an optimal choice to fill this role given his imposing size at 6'4 and 205 pounds. Belarus is cheering for him.


18. LW Victor Eklund


To say Eklund disappointed this past tournament would be an understatement. Projected to go first overall, he only scored 17 points on what was thought to be a strong Swedish team. Was this a fluke? Can Eklund recover and still live up to previous expectations based on his earlier displays of skill? He is likely worth taking as a top 20 pick, but certainly not as a top 10 pick.



19. C Onni Kalto


Kalto is one among many tall centers in this draft. Despite being overshadowed by the likes of players like Schenk and Kuchysnki, he remains a promising center, especially for a team looking for a more gritty, grindy player. Kalto is projected to be the first PWF taken in this draft.

20. LD Linus Boos


While Boos might have looked rather boozy at times on the ice this past tournament given his -20 plus-minus, his actual defensive stats were consistent with other players picked at around 20th overall. Additionally, he is a 6'5, 242 pound bastion who at least has some offensive presence. Considering his size and the amount of OFDs in this draft, Boos could be a great pickup for a team looking to develop a backend monster to support a more mobile defenseman.

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