There have been fewer NHL Draft prospects picked out of prep in recent seasons.
In 2023, it was Dexter Southfield defenseman Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) and Taft goalie Rudy Guimond. St. Sebastian's forward Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) was the only one picked last year. All three were sixth-round picks.
This is largely due to NHL Draft-eligible talent foregoing junior and senior seasons in prep for junior hockey. Prep has gotten younger because of that. Last season, Kimball Union senior forward and UNH commit Jack Sadowski totaled 87 points. If that were to happen 10 years ago, he'd likely be at least a mid-round pick. Last June, however, he went undrafted.
That doesn't mean there aren't prospects that NHL teams are watching in prep. There are.
I would label only one of the 10 players in this story as more than likely to be drafted in June. Still, all it takes is one team to like what they see and pull the trigger come June.
Let's dive in to the top prep draft prospects for the 2025 NHL Draft.
1. Everett Baldwin
St. George's, 1/17/2007, D, right shot, 6-0/185
Hometown: East Providence, R.I.
NCAA: ProvidenceÂ
Baldwin's numbers don't jump off the page from his winter at St. George's — 10 goals and 20 points in 22 games isn't anything that's going to make NHL teams raise their eyebrows. What will, however, is his skating. Baldwin's skating is elite and is obvious any time you watch him. That was especially clear when he participated in the All-American Prospects Game in January. The Providence commit darted around the ice with and without the puck. He also played three games with the U.S. National Team Development Program earlier this season.
He falls in the category of "I'm surprised he played his senior year in prep." And while we've seen that hurt some past NHL Draft prospects, his skating is too good for it to hurt him here. I'd expect him off the board in the fourth, fifth or sixth round.
2. Connor Davis
Salisbury, 11/9/2006, F, right shot, 6-1/175
Hometown: Vaudreuil, Quebec
NCAA: NortheasternÂ
While Davis wasn't the top point-getter on his team (that was senior Ryan Hedley), he still produced at a good clip, scoring 21 goals and posting 44 points in 31 games. Davis is a power forward who plays with a high compete and a lot of physicality. He's a right wing and is someone who can play anywhere in a lineup. In pro hockey, I project him as a dependable third- or fourth-liner. What helps him is he's 6-foot-1 and plays fast, which might cause a team to take a flier on him in the sixth or seventh round.
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3. Grayden Robertson-Palmer
Phillips Andover, 8/29/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/190
Hometown: St. Andrews, New Brunswick
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Many would put Robertson-Palmer above Davis on this ranking, and I wouldn't blame them. The Andover senior led his team to a Large School championship and posted 16 goals and a team-high 39 points. He drives play down the middle and finds a way to impact the game on every shift. He's a reliable, intelligent two-way center in every sense of the word and projects as a bottom-six center in professional hockey. Like with Davis, I wouldn't be shocked if a team selected Robertson-Palmer in the final two rounds.
4. CJ Watroba
Kimball Union, 2/2/2007, F, left shot, 6-1/185
Hometown: West Springfield, Mass.
NCAA: MerrimackÂ
Now we get to the players I don't see getting drafted but should still be considered, and were watched by NHL teams this winter. Watroba quietly had a productive year, scoring 24 goals and totaling 47 points in 37 games for Kimball Union, which won the Small School championship. He didn't have the same surrounding cast that 2024 NHL Draft prospect Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) had last season. So it's not a big deal that he didn't crack 80 points. He also has been productive at USA Hockey's Select 15, 16 and 17 Camps the last three summers.
What hurts Watroba is that there isn't one thing in his game that he does exceptionally well. There isn't something that an NHL team can point to and say, "Even though he played in prep, his *insert attribute* should translate anywhere." That's not to say Watroba won't someday be a great pro. It's just that scouts might steer clear for now.
5. Jack Fichthorn
Westminster, 5/10/2007, G, catches left, 6-1/181
Hometown: Darien, Conn.Â
Projecting and drafting goalies is very hard. While Fichthorn was on NHL Central Scouting's Preliminary rankings, he wasn't on the ones released in January. Since then, Ficththorn was one of the best goalies in prep with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage. He was one of the best goalies at Select 17 Camp, a heavily-scouted event, last summer with a 2.00 GAA and a .933 save percentage. He has the size, too. Drafting goalies out of prep, however, is challenging since so much can change once they hit juniors.
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6. Tyler Russo
Cushing, 3/19/2007, D, left shot, 6-1/188
Hometown: Hamilton, Mass.
NCAA: Minnesota StateÂ
The points and offensive abilities aren't there for Russo (one goal and nine points in 31 games). He has good size, but not enough for NHL teams to have to draft him solely because he's big. Still, Russo is a defender in every sense of the word. He's physical and has a terrific stick. He has a high IQ and makes smart decisions in his own zone. He never shies away from blocking shots. He captained Cushing to an Elite 8 title in March. He's probably the most projectable player in this story as a third-pairing, shutdown defender at higher levels. I could absolutely see him having a career in professional hockey, but I think teams would be more willing to sign him out of college when there's more to go off of than they would be to draft him now.
7. Billy MacAusland
Nobles, 8/4/2007, F, left shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.Â
MacAusland wasn't on either NHL Central Scouting's preliminary or midterm rankings. But I did have an NHL scout point him out to me this winter — and rightfully so. MacAusland broke out for 28 goals and 61 points in 27 games as a junior. While he doesn't necessarily have size that jumps off the page, he drives play and has terrific offensive instincts. I say this every time I write about him, but I'm surprised he's not committed yet.
8. Nathan Di Chiara
Kent, 4/12/2007, D, right shot, 6-1/180
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
NCAA: DartmouthÂ
Di Chiara performed well as a senior, scoring four goals and tallying 20 points in 26 games for Kent. He's a solid two-way defenseman who should translate nicely to juniors and college. He was Kent's captain this season and is a proven leader.
9. Viktor Samal
Holderness, 5/5/2007, F, left shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Prague, Czech RepublicÂ
Samal entered this past season with legitimate expectations after playing for Czechia's Hlinka-Gretzky team last summer. He showed well in the fall with the Islanders and was a depth scorer for Holderness with 10 goals and 19 points in 23 games. He's primarily a set-up wing and has great vision. But being less than a point-per-game player in prep is going to be a hard sell to NHL teams.
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10. Dylan Lee-Stack
Brunswick, 4/24/2007, G, catches left, 6-2/175
Hometown: New York, N.Y.Â
Lee-Stack caught fire in the first half of the season, showing well at the Kevin Mutch Tournament and leading Brunswick to be one of the top teams in the region. In NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings, he ranked No. 30 of 32 among North American goalies. He cooled off a bit in the second half, finishing with a 2.66 GAA and a .904 save percentage. He certainly has the size to be considered.
