Scout Survey: What to expect out of the 2025 NHL Draft class at the World Juniors
The World Juniors has an interesting wrinkle to it this season, if you’re a fan of the NHL Draft.
In total, 13 skaters slotted inside FCHockey’s Winter ranking for the 2025 draft are set to showcase their skills in the annual holiday classic — including the three top-ranked prospects.
Some will have varying roles. Others will be front and center.
But what can we expect from the 2025 draft class at the World Juniors?
We enlisted the help of X scouts at FCHockey — Donesh Mazloum (West), Samuel Tirpak (Europe), Greysen Goudy (Crossover), Kyle Pereira (United States), Kareem Elshafey (Western Canada), and Jacob Roth (Crossover) — to answer pressing draft questions ahead of the World Juniors:
Which draft eligible can raise his draft stock the most with a strong showing in this World Juniors?
Mazloum: It feels peculiar to say Matthew Schaefer when we already have him ranked first overall, but I think a strong tournament here could cement his status as the consensus frontrunner in this draft. It is rare for Canada to bring an underage defender to this tournament, and if he excels I think his potential as a number one do-it-all minute-munching defenseman will be to enticing to pass up in that top slot.
Tirpak: While the usual answer to this question would most likely be one of the top eligibles in this class who can separate themselves from rest a little, I’m going to say someone a little less known, who has had kind of a bad luck this season. It’s Luka Radivojevic. He slipped in rankings due to the combination of size and not being dominant enough to warrant a first-round designation as a smaller, puck-moving defenseman. He can reverse some of that with strong tournament as Slovakia’s No. 1 offensive defenseman and top power-play quarterback.
Pereira: Radivojevic is my pick for the player with the most on the line when it comes to boosting his stock. He’s an offensive puck mover, but his size and over-aggressive nature is a mix that could cause issues when translating to higher levels. If he can prove he can hang with the best of the best in his age range, he can make a big jump in the standings.
Goudy: In terms of positions climbed, I think someone like Jan Chovan or Tomas Pobezal could take some control for Slovakia and see their stock rise a lot.
Elshafey: It’s hard to raise your draft stock that much when you’re already in the top-five conversation so with that being said, I’ll go with David Lewandowski. He’s newer to the Western Hockey League after joining after the start of the year and has adapted fairly well. If he’s able to show out on a German team that’s going to have some tough games, it should have a large impact on his draft stock. He’s currently No. 84 in our rankings and a good World Juniors performance might get him into the 2nd round conversation.
Roth: Radivojevic is a player who is right on the border of the first and second rounds right now. There are legitimate concerns about his size which hurts his ability to defend but he has a great offensive skill set. He should get to run the top power-play unit for Slovakia and can cement himself as a first-rounder with a strong showing.
Which draft eligible has the most to lose from this World Juniors?
Mazloum: I think that James Hagens is the draft eligible with the most to lose. Momentum is a funny thing, and starting a year as the presumptive No. 1 almost demands more than is fair but if he has a soft tournament, while the Canadian pair of Schaefer and Porter Martone has strong ones I think you could see a bit of a tumble.
Tirpak: Honestly, one of the bigger names. On one hand, they can help their stock with strong tournament. But on the other hand, with competition for first overall being as close and competitive as this year’s is, a really underwhelming tournament from one of the top prospects participating can get them out of that conversation a little bit. Of course, you don’t entirely get out of the conversation due to one potentially underwhelming tournament, however you would be slacking behind other players and that eventually could lead to that.
Pereira: Logan Hensler has a lot to lose in this tournament. He is a talented defender in a class that doesn’t have many. But if he underperforms, there’s a chance he could go from the second-best defender and a top-10 pick to being outside the top-15 and in contention for top-five amongst his position group rather than a lock. With a defense class with just one clear stand out, one bad tournament could drop Hensler — fast.
Goudy: The player with the most to lose could be any of the guys fighting for first overall. Schaefer, Hagens, and Martone need to have a strong World Juniors to keep their name in the mix. This tournament shouldn’t eliminate anyone outright, but it’ll prove important in decision making if it continues to be a tight race.
Elshafey: I think Hensler has the most to lose of the draft eligibles in the tournament. His NCAA season hasn’t blown people away thus far and on an American blue line where, outside of Zeev Buium, there isn’t a lot of star power, Hensler not being able to step up would be a bit disappointing. The opportunity is there for him and as a projected top-15 pick, not grabbing ahold of that chance could have an effect on his draft stock.
Roth: It feels like Martone has started to drift behind Michael Misa, Schaeffer, and Hagens in the race for the No. 1 pick this summer. Martone is not expected to play on the top two lines for Canada and it will be interesting to see if he is able to stand out with more limited minutes. While Martone can’t fall too far down the rankings, a poor tournament could eliminate him from top-three contention.
Which draft eligible, in your mind, is the biggest wild card at the World Juniors?
Mazloum: I’m really curious to see the type of impact Pobezal will have for Slovakia. He has been a bit of a polarizing player when it comes to draft discussions — even within FCHockey — and I think this tournament will be a nice litmus test for how he compares to some of the top draft-eligible players available.
Tirpak: Frankly, Victor Eklund — to the point where he could actually enter a top-five conversation with strong showing at the World Juniors. He is surpassing players in his tier with a strong pro season in Sweden, but if he excels here and is one of the team’s leading offensive creators while showing dominance in other more translatable pro aspects like the compete level and consistency, I think he could get into a higher tier and compete with top dogs.
Pereira: Jack Ivankovic is a wild card for sure for me. Canada has faced a lot of criticism recently for goaltending development. If he can earn a starting role, which is not an easy task but possible, he could really make a statement in this tournament. If he can become the go-to guy and have a big impact, he could surge up the rankings.
Goudy: The biggest wild card might be Martone. Is he an average player for Canada? Or does he take control of games and assert his dominance, turning the 2025 draft into a four horse race for No. 1?
Elshafey: The biggest wildcard for me is Eklund. Last year, the Swedish squad had more offensive punch than they do this year so Eklund could become someone they rely on offensively. If he’s able to do that, Sweden might be able to get over the hump.
Roth: We know Hensler will provide solid depth defensive minutes for Team USA, but will he be able to provide more than that? Hensler has shown the ability to be a No. 1 defenseman but has struggled to play at that level consistently. Buium is the no doubt No. 1 defenseman, but if Hensler can be a 1A or close to that, it would be a massive boost for the Americans.
Which 2025 NHL Draft prospect are you most excited to watch?
Mazloum: I am most excited to watch Eklund with Sweden. His play against men in club hockey has been impressive and I think with a strong tournament the ‘big 4’ that has started to crystallize for the draft around Schaefer, Hagens, Martone, and Misa could turn into a ‘big 5’ with Eklund’s inclusion.
Tirpak: Right answer is all of them, but if I had to pick a name, it would be Pobezal. Seeing him all over the country live has been great and I want to see him compete against this level of competition. I have been banging on the table for this player for a year now. He is such an excellent overall player and hopefully he plays really well as Slovakia’s No. 2 center.
Pereira: Schaefer is must-see TV. There’s a good reason he jumped to the top spot in our Winter rankings. The kid is a show-stopper, a game-breaker. There’s no one I think that’s more exciting to watch than him right now.
Goudy: I think I’m most excited to watch Eklund. I’ve loved him in the Allsvenskan so far this season. He plays an electric style of play and I really hope he can show everyone he’s deserving of a top pick just like his older brother William Eklund.
Elshafey: I’m most excited to watch Hagens. It looks like he’ll be slotted in as the No. 1 center with Ryan Leonard and Jacob Perreault on his wings, taking on the Will Smith role from last year. If the Americans want to repeat, Hagens is gonna have to be incredibly important to produce and I think he can do it. There might not be a more offensively-skilled player in the draft so seeing him on this stage is something I’m looking forward to.
Roth: For me, it’s Schaeffer. I haven’t gotten to watch much of him in the Ontario Hockey League this year, but it’s impossible not to hear the hype surrounding him. I’m excited to watch him for myself and see just how good he is.
Which 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft prospect are you most excited to watch?
Mazloum: Gavin McKenna is an obvious answer to this question, but I get the opportunity to watch him play in the WHL on a regular basis so I will instead choose Czech forward Adam Novotny. He was one of the top players on Czechia’s Hlinka team this summer, playing a projectable and mature, pro-style game that I think will pop on the small ice in Ottawa even against players far older.
Tirpak: Olivers Murnieks. Murnieks is already such a defined, mature player and he is not even in his draft year. I want to see how he competes against the top competition, which he is likely going to face. He could already be one of Latvia’s best players this year and he could make a strong case for a top-10 discussion for 2026 NHL Draft.
Pereira: Jonah Neuenschwander has been getting a ton of recognition recently, and at 15 years old, the 2027 eligible is going to be interesting to see play against the best 18-, 19-, and 20-year old kids. If he performs well, he could instantly become a household name well ahead of his draft year.
Goudy: I’m really excited to watch Novotny. He was really impressive at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue to show he’s a top prospect available for 2026. He will be a key wild card for Czechia doing well at this tournament.
Elshafey: The answer is obvious here, but it has to be McKenna. He’s been great in the pre-tournament games and seeing him face this competition is exciting because the WHL is too easy for him. It’ll also set the stage for next year when he’ll be the go-to guy for Canada.
Roth: McKenna is the easy answer for this one. He is the most skilled player on a stacked Canadian team and will have the chance to dominate just like he did at the U18 Worlds last season. He is the complete package offensively and I can’t wait to see how he does.
Which country will come away with gold?
Mazloum: Canada veered slightly more workmanlike with the roster than I would have preferred given the talent available int his country but I still think their depth will prevail and they are the favourite to win the gold.
Tirpak: Canada, I think. They lost in the quarterfinals last year and I think they will look to prove people they are still the top dogs. It’s going to be tight with the Americans and other top teams, but I think they can absolutely do it with some of the top players in the tournament.
Pereira: It’s tough to say, but I really like the USA squad a lot. They have some excellent defenders, top to bottom, and experienced, excellent goaltending. Their forwards are also some of the best in the whole tournament, with depth to boot. It’ll be hard for me to pick against them.
Goudy: This year I think I’m going with the Americans. Team USA is going to come away with gold.
Elshafey: It’s close between the Team USA and Canada. I like Canada’s depth more but goaltending could be a huge advantage for the Americans. I’ll go Team USA over Canada in the gold-medal game.
Roth: I think the USA will bring home another gold medal this year. While they are missing some big names from last year’s winning team, they bring back a handful of returners. They have the best top forward line in the tournament as well as I think the best goalie in Trey Augustine. I also like some of the depth forwards they brought in, too.