NHL Draft Grades: Pacific Division

The 2025 NHL Draft is complete, and we're handing out grades to each team for their prospect haul.

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McQueen is the biggest wild card of the draft. You rarely see 6-foot-5 centers who can skate and stickhandle like he can, but his back injury is a concern. The Ducks have the young pieces in place to supplement the risk of this pick given how high the upside is if McQueen stays healthy. Nilson with his two-way ability and Schock with his skating were nice bets on Day 2. Guite was the QMJHL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and had a disappointing follow-up campaign.

The Flames continue to stockpile talent. Reschny had a dominant end to the campaign in the WHL playoffs and Under-18s, and he comes with legit second-line center upside. Potter is the fastest player in the draft, and though he'll likely shift to the wing as a pro, that elite skill is hard to find at the end of the first round.

Stockselius is a big center who scored a lot in the Swedish junior league, and Phillips is one of the biggest players in the draft. Wyttenbach won the Gaudreau Award as the USHL player who best embodies the legacy of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau. This is a well-rounded class.

Lafreniere is a competitor who scored a fair amount with Kamloops, and Lewandowski has some intriguing potential as he fills out his frame. It was great to see Park selected with the penultimate pick after he went to L.A. for the draft. He had a productive year in the USHL. But overall, it's a small draft class with minimal upside.

Brzustewicz is a breakout candidate who will shoulder much more responsibility on the London Knights next season. There's a lot to like with his 6-foot-2 pro frame and two-way effectiveness. Cihar is a sneaky add after playing a full campaign in the Czech pro league and could become a top-nine complementary winger. Epperson is one of the top re-entry players after a huge OHL campaign and is headed to the University of Denver. Rimpinen starred for Finland at the world juniors and is an athletic but undersized netminder.

The Sharks didn't overthink the second overall pick and landed another superb offensive piece who joins Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith as part of the franchise's core. Misa's high-end motor, speed, and obvious offensive talent are incredibly exciting to imagine alongside Celebrini in particular.

Ravensbergen is a fascinating pick considering San Jose acquired top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov last summer. Meanwhile, Wang is one of the best stories in the draft. He was born and raised in China before moving to Canada to pursue his hockey dreams at 12 years old. He's huge at 6-foot-6 and can skate.

The Kraken have yet to draft a defenseman in the first round, five years into the team's existence. O'Brien, a coveted right-handed center, stacks with a young core of forwards that includes top picks Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Berkly Catton. Fiddler is strong value in the second round with his size and defensive makeup, and Reynolds was a big riser over the campaign.

Cootes' leadership is a big draw after he captained both the Seattle Thunderbirds and Canada's Under-18 team. He's a right-handed center who has an impressive motor and scored over a point per game on a weaker Thunderbirds team. He projects as a top-nine center, but it's harder to see him producing the level of offense required to be a legit second-liner.

Ihs-Wozniak had an excellent campaign in the Swedish junior league. He's not small at 6-foot-2, and he's got very intriguing scoring upside as a complementary winger that late in the draft.

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