The world’s best teams to keep an eye on as an NHL draft prospect

The 2024-25 NHL season is only a month old, but some front offices may be more focused on preparing for the future, with Nashville Predators general manager Barry Despite dropping a hint of a “rebuild” on local radio .

In other words, let the clock begin for the 2025 NHL Draft class.

Draft-eligible players exist in leagues around the world. That’s why we’ve created a guide showing which teams or areas you should keep an eye on as the season progresses.

United States National Team Development Program

This was the easiest choice of all. On any given night at NTDP games, you’ll see various NHL GMs, front office staff and more than 20 scouts. It is the most highly concentrated pool of top prospects in the world. The team stays together throughout the season and takes part in international tournaments.

The program has produced quality prospects over the last decade, and this season should be no different.

Of this current group, William Moore, Charlie Trethewey, Jack Murtagh and LJ Mooney are drawing a lot of attention as possible first-round picks.

In addition to the top four, Cole McKinney, Conrad Fondrk and Mason Moe are attracting interest from forwards. Donato Bracco, Asher Barnett, Carter Amico and Drew Shock have drawn a lot of interest from scouts for the defense.

The Boston Schools

Watching Boston schools play against each other is some of the best and most entertaining amateur hockey in the world. Each of the four teams – Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern – is full of NHL prospects selected in recent years.

As for the class of 2025, James Hagens is a breakout prospect at Boston College and is the consensus best candidate. He plays against the best in the NCAA every night and has consistently performed well.

Sascha Boumedienne got off to a good start at BU. The Finnish-born Swedish national has looked solid on the blue line alongside Tom Willander (a Vancouver Canucks draft pick). He will likely play an important role over the next few seasons, a perfect development path for him. Teammate Alexander Zetterberg is drawing a lot of interest as a small, experienced player and should be kept in mind as a mid-round pick.

One of the premier hockey tournaments, the Beanpot also offers scouts a chance to evaluate players’ performance under the bright lights. Expect all eyes to be on Hagens and Boumedienne as the Beanpot approaches.

The best of the Big 10

Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota have produced a ton of NHL talent, and there are several draft-eligible players drawing attention this season.

Wisconsin’s Logan Hensler is expected to be a lottery pick and Michigan’s Dakota Rheaume-Mullen is an early second-round pick. Michigan State’s Shane Vansaghi is drawing interest as a midfielder.

The Big 10 is home to some of the best rivalries in college sports, and that includes hockey. The teams are full of talent, fast-paced offense and skill and the highlights come fast and furious. All three players should play quality protocols and contribute to the entertainment of the conference.

Erie Otters and Brampton Steelheads

Two Ontario Hockey League (OHL) teams will certainly be looking for special hotspots this season.

The Otters are home to Matthew Schaefer and Malcolm Spence, who are contenders for top-10 picks. The last time Erie had two players ranked in the top 10, it was Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome, who finished first and third, respectively. (They turned out to be pretty good.) Spence and Schaefer could be a difference-maker at the NHL level, so expect big fireworks from Erie this season.

Brampton has a few players that have caught the interest of scouts, and that starts with Porter Martone, who has a slim chance of becoming the No. 1 pick ahead of Hagens. Martone leads the OHL in scoring and should have a long shot for Canada’s World Junior team.

After Martone, Lucas Karmiris scores almost a point per game and should be kept in mind as a mid-round pick. The two goalkeepers are more interesting: Jack Ivankovic and Jacob Gibbons. Ivankovic is drawing interest in the first round, which has been a rarity for goalkeepers in recent years. The Steelheads are loaded with talent from top to bottom and will have plenty of entertaining games this season.

Djurgarden, Lulea and Skelleftea

Sweden has become a real development hotbed over the last decade and these three clubs are ones to watch this season. Each club has a few interested parties who are expected to be accepted in the first rounds next June.

Within the Djurgarden organization, two strikers are expected to be included in the top 15. Anton Frondell should be a lottery pick and Victor Eklund could slip into the top 10. Arvid Drott, Eric Nilson and Theo Stockselius are candidates for the middle round and are also attracting interest from forward.

Lulea has three players worth watching. Jakob Ihs Wozniak, a right-handed center, is expected to be a first-round pick and could slide into the top 15. He will likely play a prominent role for Sweden in some international tournaments as a draft-eligible player. Linus Funck and Oliwer Sjöstrom are two defenders who are attracting interest for different reasons. Both are puck-moving, two-way players; Funck is a little more excited because he is right-handed and 1.90 meters tall. Both players are expected to be selected in the third or fourth round.

Skelleftea has four players expected to be drafted in 2025 and two of them are promoted candidates. Love Harenstam, a 1.90 meter tall goalkeeper, has been one of the best in his age group for several seasons. He has the potential to slide into the late first round if he continues to perform well in international tournaments and holds his own in the J20. Viktor Klingsell is a smaller striker who played well against his peers and made a good start to the J20 as a 17-year-old. Viggo Nordlund is another small forward with excellent hands and eye-catching skill. Both players have highlight reel skills and could surprise scouts.

Zeb Lindgren, a left-handed defenseman, could move up the rankings as the season progresses. He plays primarily on the J20 team but also gets glimpses at the SHL level, a rarity for a draft-eligible defenseman. He’s not flashy, but he’s effective, and scouts love that.