2025 NHL Draft Notebook: World Juniors Edition
The 2025 World Juniors has come to a close with Team USA turning in a golden performance, so we’re cracking open our notebook to highlight the top 2025 NHL Draft eligibles from the showcase.
Welcome to our NHL Draft Notebook from the World Juniors.
Victor Eklund | LW | Sweden | January 2, 2025
WINTER RANKING: 5
Scouting report by Samuel Tirpak
Victor Eklund is an electric presence every time he steps on the ice. He battles hard, is fast, difficult to contain, and a strong offensive player all around. What stands out about his game is the combination of his compete level and skill—a perfect recipe for a long and successful NHL career. His game is high energy, marked by relentless effort, engaging in every battle, and working hard all game long. In this game, he was fantastic, contributing in every aspect, from battling for possession to playmaking to generating dangerous shots on net. Eklund exudes the competitiveness, bite, and tenacity required to be an impactful NHL player when it matters most. What stood out in this game was how he navigated the physical and defensive style of Latvia’s game. He cleverly used defenders’ aggressive checking to his advantage, drawing one or two players into board battles, which he often won, creating space for his linemates to advance the play. He recorded an assist on the power play, threading a perfect pass from the bumper position. Eklund is a relentless ‘dog on the bone’ type of player, and his speed and skill amplify his effectiveness, as he showcased throughout this tournament and especially in this game. Overall, it was another strong performance. In my opinion, Eklund projects as one of the premier high-energy forwards in the NHL and a long-term asset to any team. He is undoubtedly a top-10 selection in the 2025 draft, with the potential to crack the top five if everything aligns for him.
Porter Martone | RW | Canada | January 2, 2025
PRELIMINARY RANKING: 3
Scouting report by Jacob Roth
Porter Martone is a player with a rare combination of strength and finesse. At 6-foot-3 and just over 200 pounds, he is physically imposing, yet he possesses a soft touch with the puck that is uncommon for a player of his size. He has excellent puckhandling ability and can weave through traffic with ease. Martone sees the ice incredibly well and delivers accurate passes through congestion to find teammates. Despite his high-end puck skills, he can also excel in a checking role. As a younger player on this Canadian team, he was placed in a third-line role, which is not his usual position, but he adapted well by using his size and strength to make an impact rather than relying solely on his skill. He performed effectively as a net-front presence on the power play, even managing to screen 6-foot-6 Michael Hrabel and deflect a Tanner Molendyk shot for a goal. His skating, however, is one area that could see significant improvement. Currently an average skater, adding speed to his game would make him even more dangerous offensively. Defensively, he demonstrates the strength and willingness to win battles for pucks and position, though he doesn’t particularly stand out in this area. Martone has the potential to become a truly special player. His blend of size and skill allows him to impact the game in multiple ways, and with continued development and improved hockey IQ, there’s little doubt he can reach his full potential.
James Hagens | C | Team USA | December 28, 2024
PRELIMINARY RANKING: 2
Scouting report by Joey Fortin Boulay
James Hagens is a fast, electric, and creative playmaker who processes and sees plays develop ahead of his peers. As a draft-eligible player at the World Juniors, he looks like a veteran 19-year-old, as everything in his game seems effortless. As dominant as he is controlling the puck, he’s got an advanced off-the-puck game as well. His eyes are always glued to the puck, and his body is always facing it too, making it easy for him to quickly make a play when the puck gets near him. He sees openings before they reveal themselves and weaves in and out of traffic gracefully, impacting plays at all times. Hagens is a real maestro with the disc, manipulating defenses with his high-end mobility and puckhandling. He’s a cerebral distributor who serves crisp and firm outlets with pinpoint accuracy, routinely finding crafty ways to feed his teammates, whether it’s with between-the-legs passes while facing the boards, tip passes, area passes, etc. He generates and exploits switches and movement so well in the offensive zone, doing so until there’s an opening, on which he instantly creates high-grade chances for his teammates. In the two goals he set up in this viewing, the scorers practically had open nets because he dragged and fooled everyone with his elite vision and deception. He’s such a lethal off-wall option because of the speed and precision at which he finds the open man. Hagens flashes smooth and dazzling hands to maneuver his way through defenders with ease or to put the puck out of opponents’ reach. He’s too agile and shifty to have the puck stripped from him, and he gets out of corners with the puck in true slippery fashion. Hagens also contributes defensively by being a persistent forechecker and leveraging a strong stick in puck battles. Since his positional awareness is excellent, he covers passing lanes very well, ready to intercept pucks and quickly counterattack with terrific speed. He also manages well with physicality, fighting through bodies in battles and occasionally delivering some checks. I think Hagens’ convincing performance in this tournament is certainly helping his case as the projected first overall pick for the 2025 draft. He projects as a first-line, primary offensive creator and, potentially after a few years, an all-star player at the NHL level.
Matthew Schaefer | D | Canada | December 26, 2024
PRELIMINARY RANKING: 1
Scouting report by Kareem Elshafey
Matthew Schaefer continued his fantastic draft year by showcasing his game on both ends of the ice. He’s blessed with elite skating ability that allows him to roam the ice without getting caught behind the play. That was evident both on the rush and in the offensive zone, where he comfortably sneaked down low before seamlessly returning to position. Similarly, his top-notch edge work helps him elude pressure in his own zone and walk the line in the offensive zone with ease. Schaefer’s high level of hockey sense, combined with his playmaking ability, makes him a significant threat even when stationary at the blue line. That part of his game led to the opening goal when he fired a flawless seam pass to Gavin McKenna, who buried Canada’s first goal of the tournament. While Schaefer is a more dangerous playmaker than an outside shooting threat, he isn’t afraid to let a shot go when his skating creates open space closer to the slot. Equally impressive were the less flashy aspects of his game, such as his trustworthiness on the penalty kill. He had an excellent sequence where he blocked a shot, got to the puck, boxed out a Finnish forward, and sent the puck down the ice. His defensive game is highlighted by high-end awareness and an incredibly effective stick that he uses to defend the rush and below the hash marks. When he gains possession, he’s calm under pressure, and his skating, playmaking, and IQ make his breakouts appear effortless. Schaefer isn’t the most consistently physical defender, but he doesn’t shy away from it, and that aspect of his game will naturally develop as he matures. The rare instances where he appears vulnerable are when he gets outmuscled, but that is not a long-term concern. Whether Schaefer will go No. 1 in the 2025 draft is up for debate, but he’s light-years ahead of the next defenseman, and his standout performances at this level only further solidify his status.
Logan Hensler | D | Team USA | December 31, 2024
PRELIMINARY RANKING: 9
Scouting report by David Phillips
Logan Hensler is a stable presence on any blue line. His simple style of play and quick decision-making make him a safe choice to log significant minutes. Hensler is at his best in transition, where he makes quick reads with the puck and zips passes through the middle of the ice with precision and intent. His skating ability allows him to maintain tight gaps and cut off attackers through the neutral zone and along his own blue line. Hensler’s combination of skating, physicality, and passing ability makes him a versatile, do-it-all defenseman. However, I would like to see him activate more in the offensive zone. Often, Hensler stays stagnant at the blue line and is the first to retreat and defend. There were a few instances where he could have pinched to hold the line for his team but chose instead to back out and focus on the defensive side of the puck. Additionally, Hensler could benefit from using his skating more to activate offensively. If he adds transition skating to his passing toolkit, he could become a significant challenge for opposing defenses. Hensler projects as a top-four defenseman who can contribute on the penalty kill, and I would feel comfortable selecting him in the top 20 of the 2025 draft.
Luka Radivojevic | D | Slovakia | December 27, 2024
PRELIMINARY RANKING: 44
Scouting report by Samuel Tirpak
Luka Radivojevic is a small, skilled, puck-moving defender who excels in transition and on the offensive blue line, where he evades pressure effectively. He moves the puck efficiently, with an excellent passing game in the offensive zone. Over the past year, I’ve noticed he has developed a powerful and accurate shot for his size, which is a crucial tool for offensive defensemen aiming to make an impact at the pro level. His offensive instincts are exceptional, as he reads defensive systems well and exploits gaps. However, Radivojevic’s defensive game remains a work in progress. His positioning needs improvement, and his lack of size makes it challenging for him to move opponents out of the net-front area. While he battles hard, it’s an area where growth is needed. On the positive side, his gap control at the defensive blue line is solid, suggesting he has the potential to improve defensively. In this game, Radivojevic thrived when his role shifted to a more offensive one in the second period. He consistently created clean exits, made precise tape-to-tape passes to his forwards, and generated offensive chances from the blue line with both his shot and passing plays. It’s surprising he isn’t the team’s first power-play option, especially after his strong showing in this game. He recorded a primary assist on the opening goal, with his shot from the blue line tipped in front of the Swiss goalie during a 6-on-5 situation, and he had four solid shot attempts in the 20 seconds before the goal. His ability to generate offensive volume is impressive. Overall, it was a strong showcase of his skill set against an evenly matched opponent. While his size and defensive concerns likely keep him out of first-round consideration for the 2025 draft, Radivojevic is a high-end second-round candidate with significant offensive upside.
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