Final 2025 NHL draft rankings, led by Schaefer, Misa, Hagens - ESPN

NHL draft week is officially here, and with that come the final draft rankings.

The top 64 are ranked here, along with details of their game, areas for development, their perception among NHL scouts and an NHL projection. The final set of rankings includes combine scores and a heavier weight of scouting opinions and intel against my projection model. While some players grade at higher or lower value than in previous rankings, their position considers how likely they are to become NHL players based on their developmental needs and perception in the industry.

After Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa, there is almost no consensus in this draft. For example, some teams have players ranked in the 20s that others do not have on their draft list at all. Part of this is related to the fact that teams are valuing different attributes — be it skill, grit, size, playoff performance, etc. — and place higher value on players who fit their organizational mantra. More than in previous years, some players might fall in the draft because another player is higher on a specific team's list. This could lead to teams trading up to grab players they believe have fallen too far to ignore.

The most important thing to remember is that a player's success or failure is not dictated by his draft slot, but who he becomes in the years that follow. It is true that earlier draft picks get many more chances than late ones regardless of talent, but that doesn't mean some gems won't be found later in the draft. In fact, given the desire for size, truculence and hard skill over high-end talent, it is fair to suggest we might see more success from draft selections outside the first round than in previous years.

Here are the top 64 prospects, along with some