2025 World Juniors: Top 10 NHL Draft prospects to watch

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

There’s a very good chance that the first prospect taken in the NHL Draft will be the only one in the top five not participating in the 2025 World Juniors.

Michael Misa is leading the Ontario Hockey League with 30 goals and 61 points in 30 games – a full-season pace of 66 goals and 134 points. If that were to happen, it would be one of the most productive draft-eligible seasons by a CHLer in the 21st Century, instantly catapulting him into superstar prospect status.

But Hockey Canada didn’t even invite him to training camp. Maybe they thought they had too many young players, including 2026 draft whiz Gavin McKenna. Maybe they thought there were enough goal-scorers available to them – that’s a good problem to have.

Either way, there’s going to be some notable high-end prospects taking part this year, including three players with a serious chance of going No. 1: Matthew Schaefer, Porter Martone and James Hagens.

Final tournament rosters don’t need to be finalized until later this week, so players could change. But for now, here’s a look at 10 of the top NHL Draft prospects taking part in Ottawa, Ontario over the next two weeks:

Matthew Schaefer, D (Canada)

Don’t be surprised if Schaefer ends up becoming one of Canada’s best players. There isn’t a better, more deceptive skater on the blueline in this draft class, with his mobility being among the best we’ve seen in recent years. Schaefer is as good of a puck distributor as you’ll find, too, and it’s only a matter of time until he pops off in the OHL. That’s partly because he thinks that game is at such an advanced level at his age, often luring opponents in before pulling off a deceptive deke and getting the puck where it needs to be.

Porter Martone, RW (Canada)

Martone might remind you of a young Matthew Tkachuk. The Brampton Steelheads star hits everyone in sight, plays with pure power and is one of the best goal-scorers in the draft class. He’s a perfect fit for a bottom-six role because he makes himself difficult to play against – but he’s fully capable of being a power-play stalwart, too. The thing about Martone is he’s great away from the puck, too, meaning he’s more than capable of playing solid defensive hockey.

James Hagens, C (USA)

Hagens started the year as the favorite to go No. 1 next June. Many scouts have pivoted to the likes of Matthew Schaefer, Porter Martone, or Michael Misa, but Hagens’ real potential can’t be ignored. For starters, he’s playing against older competition in college – and looking great doing it. Next up? A chance to chase gold as USA’s top center at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa. He has big shoes to fill, replacing Will Smith on the dominant line with New York Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault and Washington Capitals pick Ryan Leonard. It’s a natural fit, though. Together, they make up one of the best lines in the NCAA at Boston College. Perreault and Leonard are the ones getting the pucks in the net, while Hagens is the smart, reliable two-way threat.

Logan Hensler, D (USA)

Hensler made noise thanks to a hot start with the USNTDP U-18 team last year but has never really backed it up with his numbers. Now playing with Wisconsin, he still isn’t producing much, but he defends and moves well. And that’s the thing – Hensler is one of the best pure defenders in this draft class. At his best, Hensler is very involved at both ends of the ice, but he needs to move with more urgency to be effective at the next level. Still, I see a raw defender with second-pairing potential. I expect him to be more a depth defender on this team, but his size and defensive awareness will allow him to have a positive impact.

Victor Eklund, LW (Sweden)

Eklund is the lone first-year eligible draft prospect on this Swedish team, and he’s one of the most important. The younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund, Victor is having an excellent season with Djurgardens in the second-tier Swedish league to help put himself in top 10 contention. In fact, there’s a realistic chance he pushes himself into the conversation for the top five sooner rather than later. Eklund has an outstanding shot, plays with a ton of intensity and is always scanning the ice to make a pass when a shot doesn’t make sense. If you wanted to bet on which draft-eligible player will finish the highest in tournament scoring across all teams, Eklund is a great option.

Jan Chovan, C (Slovakia)

Chovan had a fantastic showing at both of the last two Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was a point-per-game center at the Five Nations U-20 tournament a few weeks back. Some scouts think the 6-foot-3 pivot has first-round pedigree – a good showing in Ottawa won’t hurt his case. He’s a detail-oriented player who can win faceoffs and play in all situations. He might be on the younger side, but I can see Chovan being viewed as a leader for this group.

Tomas Pobežal, C (Slovakia)

Pobežal is another Slovak forward with the potential to go in the top 64 – and his results in the top Slovak league have been promising. He was Slovakia’s primary goal-scorer at the U-18s last year, and he’ll play a similar role at the WJC. Pobežal moves well and attacks the puck often, and I expect him to be a force at this tournament for the next few years.

Luka Radivojevic, D (Slovakia)

Radivojevic is one of the big draws this year, thanks to his pure skill and hockey IQ. He has already shown that he can handle playing against older competition in this tournament and will be given every opportunity to play key minutes. Radivojevic is a mobile defenseman who is always looking to make the right play, but he lacks ideal size at 5-foot-10. Still, at a tourney like this, he’ll be fine.

Vojtěch Čihař, LW (Czechia)

After watching Čihař up close at the Hlinka, I’m intrigued. He didn’t produce much, but he’s a smart forward who can play with just about anyone. He’s a strong winger who has put up solid numbers in the top Czech league and looked really good in recent U-20 national team action, too. Čihař might not get much playing time, but he seems like a forward they can throw anywhere in the lineup and get results.

Carlos Handel, D (Germany)

Some scouts think Händel could sneak into the top 100 this year, and I can see it. He’s not flashy, but he’s a fluid skater who likes to carry the puck and can be aggressive with his stick around the net. Händel is always moving and making smart decisions in his own zone, and he has looked strong both physically and mentally this season.

Other notables: David Lewandowski, LW (Germany), Lenny Boos, C (Germany), Bruno Osmanis, RW (Latvia), Sanzhar Ibragim, D (Kazakhstan), Krisjanis Sarts, D (Latvia)