Wednesday night’s contest had the makings of another excellent start for Trey Yesavage, but things came off the rails in the third inning for the Toronto Blue Jays’ top pitching prospect.

The 2025 NHL Draft cycle is nearing its conclusion now that the annual combine is in the books. Over the next couple weeks teams will be putting the final bow on their draft lists, as well as strategizing how to position themselves to select the players they believe will move their organization forward. 

The 2025 draft has been described as one that doesn’t possess as much potential “star power” from top to bottom. After meeting with 30 of the top prospects at the combine, I’m confident this group of players will provide significant value throughout the league. Teams are always looking to add to their middle six forwards, second pairing defence and upgrade their goaltending depth. This draft has the potential for teams to take exactly those kinds of players. 

My own personal scouting of this year’s class is now complete so, ahead of the draft in Los Angeles on June 27 and 28, here are my final rankings:

THE TOP 16

In my opinion the draft takes on a different tone after the top six players on my list have been selected. After Matthew Schaefer at No. 1, I’m not sure in what order the next five prospects will be called, but they are at the top of this class. After those names come off the board the draft could be full of surprises and potential trades. 

No. 1: Matthew Schaefer, D, 6-foot-2, 183 pounds, Erie Otters (OHL)

Schaefer’s year was cut short due to illness (mononucleosis to start the season) and injury (broken clavicle at the world juniors) but he remains the top player in the class. He’s a complete player who logged anywhere between 25-32 minutes per game at the OHL level while being deployed in all situations. Schaefer produced 7G-15A in 22 OHL games and was a plus-21. He’s elite in every skill category and has the personality of a future NHL captain. 

NHL Projection: Top pairing defenceman. Deployed in all situations