Sportsnet East - Max Brown's 2025 Top 20

[Sportsnet]

1. RD Finn Serikow - OFD - 5'11 184lbs (R) (GER) - Krefeld Pinguine (DEL) (+2)
Lead all draft eligible players in *all* major offensive statistical categories as a German defenceman.. what more can you say? This is the most exciting prospect we’ve had coming out of the World Juniors in this era. He is far and away the unanimous 1st overall pick in this draft.

NHL Comparable: Cale Makar


2. C LJ Mooney - SNP - 6'2 192lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-)
A safe bet at 2nd overall. Maybe doesn’t have the high end talent as a couple of the picks below him, but projects as a reliable 2nd Line Center at the least. His defence is a potential concern, but has the best all around offensive game from the Center position in this draft class.

NHL Comparable: Matty Beniers


3. C/RW Vladimir Bahktov - SNP - 6'0 194lbs (R) (RUS) - Avangard Omsk (KHL) (+2)
A pure offensive threat from Russia. Put up similar stats to LJ Mooney during the WJC, but he appears to have fed off his line mates a little more than Mooney did. The debate can be had between the two, but Bahktov likely projecting more as a winger at the NHL Level gives Mooney the slight edge.

NHL Comparable: Tomas Hertl


4. LW Adam Benak - PLY - 5'11 172lbs (L) (CZE) - Plzen (Extraliga) (+11)
Rocketing into the Top 5 after a strong showing with the Czech national team, Benak looks like a lethal offensive threat in the wing. For a Playmaker he has great Shot numbers, but his s% is low for an offensively minded winger - which could potentially hinder his goal scoring totals at the NHL Level. Even if you believe his goal scoring ability won’t translate to the NHL, he still had some of the best assist and point totals of draft eligible players. His discipline and defence are the two most glaring issues.

NHL Comparable: William Nylander


5. LW Pavels Nikitins - SNP - 5'9 168lbs (L) (LAT) - SKA Saint Petersburg (KHL) (+8)
Likely the best goal scorer of this draft class. Led his Junior team in scoring as an 18 year old with some of the best shot totals in the entire tournament. His assist totals may give off the impression that he’s more of a playmaking Sniper, but definitely expect him to be a shoot-first player coming out of this draft. His size, or rather the lack of it, and the possibility that his numbers potentially being inflated due to him being the #1 scoring option on his team led Nikitins to have some major boom or bust potential at 5th overall. He could very well end up the most productive forward from this draft class.

NHL Comparable: Cole Caufield


6. C Jordan Gavin - PLY - 6'3 198lbs (L) (CAN) - London Knights (OHL) (-)
Extremely comparable to fellow classman LJ Mooley, but just not *quite* as high of a ceiling. No extremely glaring flaws in his game, but nothing really that jumps out at you. Potentially some above average shooting attributes for a playmaking Center, but that’s about it. Likely a good 2nd line center, or elite 3rd line center on a good team.

NHL Comparable: Gabriel Vilardi


7. RD Henry Brzustewicz - OFD - 6'1 174lbs (R) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (+15)
A player looked over by both the US and North American teams, he ended up playing 3rd pairing on the Prospects team, where he flourished. A big boom or bust pick, it’s possible this WJC was just a flash in the pan for the young defenceman, but we think it’s go big or go home, a safe pick at 7th overall is just so boring.

NHL Comparable: Evan Bouchard


8. LW Liam Kilfoil - PLY - 6'1 174lbs (L) (CAN) - Portland Winterhawks (WHL) (-1)
If you’re looking for a pure complimentary playmaker, Kilfoil is your guy. He racked up assists right up there with the best of the draft eligible players. His shot totals are right in line with an NHL Top 6, but his s% was abysmal - but he’s not getting drafted for his goal scoring ability.

NHL Comparable: Zachary Benson


9. LD Josh McGregor - OFD - 6'1 178lbs (L) (CAN)- Windsor Spitfires (OHL) (-5)
Our first player to show up that has dropped multiple spots from the Pre-WJC CS Rankings, but it’s not necessarily through a lot of fault of his own. McGregor is a strange case that may be potentially hurt by his playertype. Out of all the Offensive Defencemen in the top 15 of this draft, his production is on the lower end of the scale, but looks to project as potentially one of the better ones in his own end. If he was a TWD I think there’d be more reason to be higher on McGregor, but for an OFD his production is a tad low for a Top 10 pick. But if a more well rounded OFD is up the ally of any GMs around this pick you could definitely see him be the 2nd defenceman picked behind Serikow.

NHL Comparable: Ryan Ellis


10. LD Radim Mrtka - DFD - 6'4 225lbs (L) (CZE) - Mountfield HK (Extraliga) (+2)
Not every day do you see a DFD with higher end potential, which is what makes Radim Mrtka such an attractive pick. If he can keep some of that offensive ability he showed

NHL Comparable: Mackenzie Weegar



BEST OF THE REST

11. LW Jack Hall - SNP - 6'4 205lbs (L) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-3)

12.C/LW Florian Schenk - TWF - 6'2 190lbs (L) (SUI) - Orebro HK (SHL) (-3)

13. RD Gavin Granger - OFD - 6’1 194lbs (R) (CAN) - Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL) *19 (+39)

14. LD Donato Bracco - OFD - 6'1 187lbs (L) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-4)

15. LW Victor Eklund - PLY - 5'9 180lbs (R) (SWE) - Frolunda HC (SHL) (-14)

16. RW Cam Squires - SNP - 6’0 163lbs (R) (CAN) (+54) *20

17. G Nathan Wilson - HYB - 6'3 192lbs (L) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (+9)

18. LD Roope Uusikartano - OFD - 6'2 190lbs (L) (FIN) - Tappara (Liiga) (-2)

19. C Savin Virk - TWF - 6'3 197lbs (R) (CAN) - Niagara IceDogs (OHL) (-5)

20. LD Donato Bracco - OFD - 6'1 187lbs (L) (USA) - US-Under-17 (USDP) (-10)