By the DraftPro Team
Not very often does a prospect overtake an DY-1 favorite without making much of a case on the ice, but that is exactly what Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Scheafer did this year when he overtook center James Hagens as the favorite to go #1 despite being injured for all but 17 games.
The thing that makes this draft really interesting is that Hagens happens to be the home town boy for the team that won the lottery and the privilege of drafting #1 overall, the New York Islanders.
And those are not the only names that will be debated, likely as as I write this, in a board room by Islanders scouts as well as other NHL team scouting departments just hours before the big event. Other prospects like offensive playmakers, goal-scoring wingers, gritty power forwards, towering defenders, slick puck moving defenders, et all are also up for grabs.
Below are the names ranked in order of how our team of scouts view their NHL potentials panning out.
So, without further ado, here is Draft Prospect Hockey’s Final Top 100 Ranking assessment as compiled by our evaluators for the 2025 season.
For more in-depth information, a final 244 ranking, prospect profiles, and a look at future drafts be sure to pick up your comprehensive DraftPro 2025 NHL Draft Guide.