FCHockey releases Spring ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft

Matthew Schaefer holds his designation as the top prospect in FCHockey’s Spring ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft, released Sunday.

Schaefer, who has not played since sustaining a broken clavicle representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, also topped FCHockey’s Winter ranking released in December.

The 17-year-old defenseman, who won’t turn 18 until September, has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games this season with Erie in the Ontario Hockey League.

“Schaefer remains at no. 1 because he possesses all of the elite level tools and attributes any NHL team would want to see in a potential top-pairing defenseman,” FCHockey scout Mike Kennedy said. “His overall package is second to none in this year’s draft class. There is no other defenseman that can provide what he has to offer on a nightly basis.”

James Hagens, who topped FCHockey’s Preliminary ranking in September, remains at second overall.

Hagens, an 18-year-old freshman center with Boston College, has 33 points (nine goals, 24 assists) in 33 games, and had nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven games with Team USA at the World Juniors.

“Hagens raw skill and ability in the neutral zone allows him to drive play for his team,” FCHockey scout Kyle Pereira said. “He is such a positive impact as a puck mover up ice, which allows him to be a focal point of his team’s offense.”

Michael Misa, a center with Saginaw in the OHL, rises to no. 3.

Misa, who moves up one spot from no. 4, has 124 points (58 goals, 66 assists) this season — putting him on pace for an astounding 137 points over a 65-game schedule. It would be the highest total from a draft-eligible player from the OHL since Patrick Kane in 2006-07, and the fourth-highest mark for a player in the Canadian Hockey league in the last 20 years behind Sidney Crosby (168 points; 2004-05), Connor Bedard (143 points; 2022-23), and Kane (145 points; 2006-07).

“Other than his elite offensive skillset, the most impressive element of Misa’s game to me is his game-breaking ability,” Kennedy said. “On any given shift he can crank up the intensity and turn the tides for Saginaw. He has a massive impact in the outcome of games.”

Porter Martone is ranked fourth.

Martone, a right wing with Brampton in the OHL, has 89 points (34 goals, 67 assists) in 58 games — the third-highest point total for a draft-eligible skater in the CHL behind Misa and Ben Kindel of Calgary in the Western Hockey League.

“Martone possesses an increasingly rare skill set, combining great puck skills and vision with the size and strength to finish his hits and play in a multitude of different checking or scoring roles,” FCHockey scout Joseph Aleong said. “He may be behind Misa and Schaefer a bit in the race for first overall, but his scoring pace and physical engagement haven’t fallen off from his early-season form. His ability to create from offensive zone and cycle plays should translate well to the pro ranks and would be a seamless fit on most teams near the top of the draft board thanks to his versatility and physical attributes.”

Caleb Desnoyers of Moncton in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League has jumped to no. 5.

Desnoyers, who helped Canada to gold at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, has 79 points (34 goals, 45 assists) in 53 games. His 1.49 points-per-game clip is the highest amongst draft-eligible skaters in the QMJHL.

“All of his counterparts projected to be at the top of the 2025 draft are remarkable players, yet none is as well-rounded as Desnoyers,” FCHockey scout Joey Fortin Boulay said. “He’s a powerful skater and a skilled player who brings a strong 200-foot game. He’s the type of player who helps you win hockey games and plays a premium position. He projects as a top-line, all-situations center and that’s why he’s a potential top five selection for the draft, in my opinion.”

Joshua Ravensbergen of Prince George in the Western Hockey League is the top-ranked goaltender at no. 32. Ravensbergen, who was 39th in FCHockey’s Winter ranking, is 31-11-4 with a 2.97 goals-against average and .903 save percentage this season.

“Ravensbergen’s upside is the highest in this year’s goalie class,” FCHockey scout David Phillips said. “His 6-foot-5 frame, paired with his ability to move around the crease, makes him not only an easy goalie to project to the NHL, but projectable to be a high-end goalie in the NHL. And, as an add-on, you don’t find many right-hand catching goalies.”

To view FCHockey’s full Spring ranking for the 2025 draft, click HERE.

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