1. Gavin McKenna

LW, Medicine Hat (WHL)

McKenna absolutely demolished the WHL with his hands and creativity, spawning rumors he’ll head to the NCAA and suit up for Michigan for his NHL draft year.

2. Ryan Roobroeck

LW, Niagara (OHL)

Roobroeck is a big-bodied producer who has grown alongside his team. With the tools at his disposal, he’s poised for big numbers again next season.

3. Keaton Verhoeff

D, Victoria (WHL)

An archetypal NHL-style defenseman, Verhoeff has a blend of size and skating that makes him intriguing. He has the work ethic and two-way potential to make him a stud.

4. Ethan Belchetz

LW, Windsor (OHL)

Belchetz is a monster of a teen at 6-foot-5 and 226 pounds. He can hurt you on the scoreboard, but he’s also not afraid to crush you with a check or a fight.

5. Colin Fitzgerald

C, Peterborough (OHL)

The talented, competitive and complete player did well on a bad Petes team. Fitzgerald is a character kid who also gets top marks in the faceoff circle.

6. Ivar Stenberg

LW, Frolunda Jr. (Swe.)

Stenberg is an excellent skater with great offensive instincts. He made noise for Sweden at the world under-18s and always seems to thrive internationally.

7. Braidy Wassilyn

LW, Niagara (OHL)

Part of Niagara’s great young core, Wassilyn can really shoot the puck and has a knack for finding open spaces to create offense. He also has great playmaking skills.

8. Ryan Lin

D, Vancouver (WHL)

Lin is smooth offensively, as evidenced by his 53 points in 60 games. He’s a new-school D-man who doesn’t have a lot of size but makes up for it with his skating and skill.

9. Xavier Villeneuve

D, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

Villeneuve isn’t big – he’s just 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds at this point – but his hands, elusiveness and skill come from the Lane Hutson school of excellence on the blueline.

10. Viggo Bjorck

C, Djurgarden Jr. (Swe.)

Bjorck is the type of guy who plays bigger than his size. He’s an incredibly smart player who makes others better and puts up numbers (74 points in 42 junior games).

This article appeared in our 2025 Draft Preview issue. Our cover story focuses on the Erie Otters' star defenseman and top draft prospect Matthew Schaefer, who has excelled despite the personal losses of his past. We also include features on other top prospects, including Michael Misa and more. In addition, we give our list of the top-100 prospects heading into the 2025 NHL draft.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.