The primary spherical of the 2025 NHL Draft takes place Friday evening on the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and there is not a lot thriller as to whom the New York Islanders will choose with the primary total choice. New York gained the draft lottery final month, incomes the chance to select first for the fifth time in franchise historical past and first because it took John Tavares in 2009.
The Islanders are anticipated to pick out Matthew Schaefer, a 17-year-old defenseman with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League who appeared in solely 17 video games in 2024-25 because of a bout with mononucleosis and a damaged collarbone. Regardless of his restricted taking part in time, Schaefer acquired the Canadian Hockey League Prime Draft Prospect Award and was listed first amongst North American skaters within the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s closing rankings.
Michael Misa, an 18-year-old heart for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, is broadly believed to be taken by the San Jose Sharks with the second total choose. However the order of the subsequent three picks — held respectively by the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Mammoth and Nashville Predators — isn’t fairly as clear.
A lot of gamers have been predicted to spherical out the primary 5 first-round picks, with one even being thought-about to be taken forward of Misa by San Jose with the No. 2 choice. And as with all sports activities draft, there’s at all times the chance {that a} workforce might commerce its choose or shock everybody and go in a totally completely different path than the one anticipated.
These concerned with NHL betting and seeking to wager on the primary spherical of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday can check out promotions from the highest sportsbooks in an effort to safe a suggestion that most accurately fits them for the occasion. This is a have a look at some potential props to lock in for the primary spherical.
Anton Frondell: Third total choose (-160, FanDuel)
Frondell is the top-rated worldwide skater, based on the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. The 18-year-old heart from Sweden was the captain of his nation’s bronze medal-winning workforce within the 2023 World Beneath-17 Hockey Problem and helped the Swedes take silver on the World Junior A Problem a 12 months later. Frondell, who recorded 11 targets and 14 assists in 29 video games with Djurgarden this previous season, possesses measurement at 6-foot-1, 198 kilos, and is taken into account a robust two-way participant. He doubtless is not able to step proper into the NHL, however he could be a pleasant complement for Connor Bedard down the street ought to the Blackhawks choose him.
Caleb Desnoyers: Fourth total choose (-150, DraftKings)
Desnoyers has been slotted as excessive as No. 2 and as little as No. 7 in mock drafts. An 18-year-old heart from the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, he helped information Canada to gold medals on the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Problem, the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Final season, the 6-foot-1, 178-pounder gained the Man Lafleur Trophy because the QMJHL’s playoff MVP after recording 30 factors in 19 video games and serving to his workforce seize the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as league champion. Like Frondell, Desnoyers — who additionally acquired the Mike Bossy Trophy because the QMJHL’s prime draft prospect — is a two-way participant who might grow to be the face of the Mammoth for a few years to return.
Porter Martone: Fifth total choose (+180, Draft Kings)
Mock drafts additionally predict Martone to be taken in several spots, however most of them have him being chosen no decrease than fifth. Nashville doubtless can be hoping the 18-year-old proper wing from the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads continues to be accessible at No. 5, as he has measurement at 6-foot-3 and 208 kilos, scoring capacity and nice hockey sense. Martone racked up 98 factors in 57 video games with Brampton this previous season after serving to Canada to medals on the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (gold) and the IIHF U18 World Championship in each 2023 (bronze) and 2024 (gold).
James Hagens: Prime-five choose (+125, FanDuel)
Hagens is ranked third amongst North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, and I’ve seen him predicted to be drafted second, fourth and sixth in mock drafts. The 18-year-old heart from Boston School recorded the fourth-most factors (37) by a freshman in NCAA Division I historical past this previous season and was a member of the US’ gold medal-winning workforce on the World Junior Championship. In 2024, Hagens was the IIHF U18 World Championship MVP as he set a event file with 22 factors whereas the U.S. took silver, and he additionally helped his nation win gold on the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Problem — setting a file in that competitors with 21 factors — and 2023 U18 World Championship. A speedy, dynamic playmaker, Hagens is an effective guess to be a top-five choice.
Brady Martin: Prime-five choose (+120, FanDuel)
Martin didn’t land within the prime 10 of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s closing rankings of North American skaters, inserting eleventh. That has some pundits predicting he might go as late as fifteenth of their mock drafts. However the 18-year-old heart from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL possesses qualities {that a} workforce with a top-five choose ought to worth. Martin is a gritty competitor who hits onerous and likewise has an excellent quantity of ability, as evidenced by his 33 targets and 72 factors in 57 video games this previous season. The 6-foot, 178-pounder helped Canada to gold medals on the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, scoring twice towards Sweden within the gold-medal sport of the latter event.
