NHL draft Day 2 cheat sheet: Intriguing players, teams to watch
Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney dropped some knowledge earlier this week, informing D.C.-based reporters that, on average, about 52 players from every draft enjoy meaningful NHL careers (minimum 250 games).
The 2025 class "could be a little bit lighter" on NHLers, Mahoney noted. In the next breath, the longtime scout added that sometimes, a class surprises talent evaluators. A stacked group of prospects can look ordinary five years later while a so-called weak one can look extraordinary in due time.
What tends to determine the quality of a draft class' depth? The players chosen in Rounds 2-7.
Below is a cheat sheet for Day 2 of the 2025 draft in Los Angeles, which begins at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be broadcast on NHL Network/ESPN+ in the United States and Sportsnet/Sportsnet One in Canada.
4 intriguing players
Jack Ivankovic: The Mississauga, Ontario, native checks off a lot of boxes for a modern goalie - efficient skater, extremely athletic, highly competitive, nice hands. Each trait was on display in May at the Under-18 worlds, where Ivankovic's tournament-best netminding helped lead Canada to a gold medal.
Ivankovic didn't hear his name called Friday mostly because he's 5-foot-11. That may seem silly, but the Predators' Juuse Saros was the only sub-6-footer among the 103 goalies who dressed in an NHL game last season. Ivankovic told theScore he's well on his way to pass the 6-foot mark: He's grown half an inch since May, he has big feet and hands, and he's got tall-man genes (a 6-foot-5 father).
Ivankovic is headed to the University of Michigan in the fall following two seasons with the OHL's Brampton Steelheads. He's making the jump to face stiffer competition, spend more time in the gym, and learn from goalie coach Kevin Reiter, who's worked with NHLers like Jeremy Swayman and Jake Oettinger. The deal was sealed by a promise of starter's minutes in his freshman year.
"I couldn't turn it down," said Ivankovic, who looks up to 5-foot-11 Saros and 6-foot-1 Rangers star Igor Shesterkin.
"Their skating and hockey IQ are really next level. Those are two things I really look at in my game," he said. "They're playing in the NHL and doing really well and are a similar height, so why can't I do the same one day?"
Simon Wang: There might not be anyone in the 2025 class who fits the description "raw prospect" better than Wang. He's a tremendous skater in general, and that's extra impressive considering he's a gigantic defenseman (6-foot-6 and 220 pounds with the longest wingspan measured at the combine at 82.25 inches). Wang is lauded for his agility and competitive streak. However, his questionable hockey sense throws a wrench into an otherwise lofty projection.
Born in Beijing, Wang started playing hockey at 4 years old. He moved to Toronto at 12 to continue his development and has been on an upward trajectory ever since. He went in the fifth round of the 2023 OHL Draft, split 2024-25 between Jr. A and the OHL, and is off to Boston University in the fall.
It's very possible Wang makes history Saturday. He's expected to pass Kevin He (109th overall to the Jets in 2024) as the highest Chinese-born draft pick.
L.J. Mooney: In a few years, Mooney will either be a feel-good story who's starting to prove his doubters wrong or a forgettable prospect whose flaws have been exposed at the pro level.
Mooney is a diminutive winger out of the U.S. National Team Development Program. He boasts elite skating, standout puck skills, and above-average smarts. There's a fearlessness to his game that reminds scouts of Canucks forward Conor Garland. But there are significant concerns over his build (5-foot-7, 157 pounds), recent injuries relating to that build, and bouts of inconsistency.
In other words, Mooney's a low-floor, high-ceiling player - boom or bust. He's worth a flier in the back half of the draft but he may ultimately go undrafted.
Malcolm Spence: It's easy to envision Spence developing into a middle-six winger for 15 NHL seasons. His attention to detail is excellent, he forechecks and backchecks with a vengeance, and he doesn't hurt for size and strength (6-foot-2, 201 pounds). The knock against him? Limited dynamic skill.
Spence was projected to go in the first round by most pundits, and he'll make some team super happy Saturday. He screams "future Carolina Hurricane," so the easy money's on the Canes selecting him with the second pick of Round 2.
4 teams to watch
Montreal Canadiens: Led by president Jeff Gorton and GM Kent Hughes, the Habs entered Friday with a league-high 12 selections. They packaged their two first-rounders (Nos. 16 and 17) to acquire impact blue-liner Noah Dobson from the Islanders in the afternoon. It was a win-now move worth pulling the trigger on. The Canadiens still own No. 41 for helping Pittsburgh facilitate the 2023 Erik Karlsson trade and also hold a second top-50 pick with their own second-rounder (49). Montreal's prospect pipeline is deep and diverse. Expect the Canadiens to select the best player available with each Day 2 pick.
Pittsburgh Penguins: GM Kyle Dubas has a mediocre record through seven years of drafting in Toronto and Pittsburgh. His work Friday was a mixed bag. Day 2 offers eight picks, including 73rd, 84th, and 85th, to bring the top-100 total to six. As the Pens transition between eras, they have a middling farm system but a whopping 30 selections spread across 2025, 2026, and 2027.
Carolina Hurricanes: The Canes never fall in line. Take last year's draft weekend: They swapped picks three times, flipping a first to Chicago for two seconds, then a second to Columbus for a third and fifth, then a third to Chicago (2024) for another third (2025). Carolina used six of its 10 selections on Russian players despite many teams shying away from Russians due to a lack of live viewings and signability concerns. They also aren't afraid of undersized forwards, with four of their five forward picks listed below 6 feet.
Anaheim Ducks: Ducks assistant GM Martin Madden has led or co-led the club's draft since 2008, and boy, does he have an eye for defensemen. Jake Gardiner, Justin Schultz, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm, Shea Theodore, Marcus Pettersson, Brandon Montour, and Josh Mahura are all Martin-era picks, and they've all played at least 250 NHL games. Jackson LaCombe, Henry Thrun, Jamie Drysdale, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Tristan Luneau, and Stian Solberg are all trending to hit 250 as well. The Ducks have nine Day 2 picks; surely one will become an everyday D-man.
John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).