The 2023 NHL Draft featured two locals chosen inside the top 10. This year, Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) was taken 20th overall by the New York Islanders, the only New Englander in the first round.
So what will the 2025 NHL Draft bring for New Englanders?
Players born between Jan. 1, 2005, and Sept. 15, 2007, will be eligible to be chosen. In this story, we’re looking only at the players in their first year of eligibility.
So far, there don’t seem to be any clear first-round picks. But there’s something else that’s intriguing. This class is full of players with high upside. And, as we saw in 2024, a lot can happen in 12 months. Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.) rocketed up the charts before being chosen by Montreal with pick No. 166. Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) went from being on the bubble to the 55th overall pick by Nashville.
There is a large chance that this list will fluctuate a lot.
Another trend among these prospects is the lack of players who will play prep hockey this upcoming season. Many of them played in prep this past season but will head to either the USHL or BCHL this fall.
Let’s dive into our first rankings of the 2025 class.
