Recapping and Grading the Devils’ 2025 Draft

The Devils’ 2025 draft was a mixed bag of great and not-so-great picks. Let’s talk about it.

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The 2025 NHL Entry Draft happened just two days ago, with the Devils making all seven of their selections on day two. To my and many others’ surprise, no trades were made from New Jersey, holding on to each and every pick they owned or acquired.

With that in mind, I certainly have some thoughts on the players they drafted, and spent the last two days researching and scouting the players I was generally unfamiliar with (Trenten Bennett, I’m looking at you).

I’ll also be grading the picks, based on a few criteria:

1. Player quality — How good the player is in a vacuum. For me, upside > floor.

2. Context of the pick — Who was picked around the same spot; were there better picks to be made?

3. Need — How well the player fits the needs of the organization. I’m a proponent of drafting BPA (best pick available), but positional and stylistic need certainly play a part now that everyone is drafted.

With that in mind, let’s get into it!

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50. Conrad Fondrk (C): B+

I wrote on Fondrk as one of my preferred targets for 50th overall about six weeks ago (you can find that here), so I’ll keep this brief.

via HockeyProspecting

Despite the pedestrian production, Fondrk has some appealing traits within his game: he’s a decently strong skater with a great top speed, has a superb shot that can beat goalies from distance, and is a bit of an underrated facilitator. Fondrk is offensively savvy and possesses a high IQ. The drawback to his game, principally, is his consistency. At times, he can be unengaged, but if he fixes that part of his game, I feel as though he’s going to be a pretty decent middle-six player.

My preferred picks:

1. William Moore (LW/C) — I’m a little surprised Moore wasn’t the pick, considering Tom Fitzgerald’s penchant for physicality, though I suppose he was more inclined to draft the natural center, considering the pipeline’s lack of talent down the middle. Moore is a physical winger (who can and has played center before) with an extremely high IQ. The game slows down to the nth degree for Moore, and he is able to facilitate the play at a high level because of it. His skating and shot are just above average, but his brain and playmaking chops make up for it.

2. Ivan Ryabkin (C) — After lighting up the MHL last season, Ryabkin fell off a bit in 2024-25 before heading to the USHL, where he found his game again. The once highly-touted, 5’11, 210-pound center is a freight train on skates, using physicality to drive the other aspects of his game. In particular, Ryabkin’s dynamism shines through his passing and shooting, both of which are incredibly strong. He was once a consensus top-10 pick for a reason — his tools truly are tantalizing.

63. Ben Kevan (RW): A+

I was ecstatic to hear Kevan’s name called, and firmly thought he was going to go somewhere in the late 30s or 40s. Getting him at this point in the draft was a steal.

via HockeyProspecting

The 6’0, 185-pound winger is one of the fastest players in the entire draft class, with a top-end speed better than most NHLers already. His acceleration is top-notch, too, but he does lack finesse on his edges.

Kevan also possesses solid puck handling ability, which enables him to dance around defenders in transition. Exacerbating this is his skating, making him one of the best rush players in the class and a genuine threat in the neutral zone as well.

I would consider Kevan a dual-threat forward — his shot is great, and his passing is just as strong. He has a deceptive and pinpoint-accurate wrist shot, and his one-timer off the rush is a cannon. From a playmaking standpoint, he has a high IQ, which allows him to make consistently difficult cross-ice plays. Kevan’s vision is excellent.

The main drawback to his game is that he is somewhat one-dimensional. By that, I mean that the vast majority of what makes him offensively dangerous comes off the rush — I don’t think he’s that great in the cycle. When in the cycle, Kevan lacks the drive to cut to the interior of the ice, generally starting on the outside. He is a bit of a pickpocket (as illustrated above), but that’s sort of where his cycle aptitude ends. That will need to change for him to make a big impact in the show, but his rush game is genuinely freakish.

Kevan will be playing at Arizona State University in 2025-26.

At this spot in the draft, there was no better player available, in my opinion. Superb work from the scouting team.

*Video above was clipped by me during the Men’s U18 Worlds.

90. Mason Moe (C): C-

I don’t despise the pick in a vacuum, but given who was available, I was left feeling disappointed. As is, Moe profiles as a defensively sound, detail-oriented fourth-line center down the line.

via HockeyProspecting

Moe has some good attributes, skating-wise, with a decent top speed and above-average explosiveness. His edges are just alright, and he generally needs to improve his motor and stamina to crack an NHL roster, but the framework for being a good skater is there.

I’m not particularly impressed with either Moe’s shot or his passing ability, but there are times when he’ll show a flash of creativity in his game.

It boils down to simplicity and details for Moe. He has a solid understanding of the defensive half of the game already — his positioning barely needs improvement, and he’s generally pretty aggressive in puck pursuit — but he’s going to need to polish out his skating and add a tad bit of oomph to his offensive game.

Not a bad pick, but certainly a safe one.

My preferred pick:

1. Cameron Schmidt (RW) — Words cannot describe both how much I’m a fan of Schmidt’s game and how much I’m unsurprisingly disappointed he was not picked by the Devils’ generally size-oriented draft team. The 5’7ish winger is inarguably the strongest skater in the class from a top speed, acceleration, and agility perspective. I would also argue he has the strongest shot in the draft; at the very worst top three. Even more unsurprisingly, Dallas ended up with the diminutive forward — yet another strong bet on talent over size, much like they did with Logan Stankoven. Ugh.

99. Trenten Bennett (G): D-

I would love to trust Martin Brodeur‘s goalie picks, but this one lost me. Bennett is an overaged goalie who I don’t believe was on many teams’ radars, and was a complete reach at 99.

His size is something you simply can’t teach — he’s 6’8 — but he largely lacks other appealing qualities. Bennett’s lateral movement is limited by virtue of his frame, and while he is a strong-ish goaltender in terms of preventing in-tight chances from entering the back of the net, that aptitude is more a product of his frame than actual mechanics and skill, I think. He panics, and I’m a fan of neither his glove nor his blocker. Bennett’s mobility, agility, and speed are inherently limited by his frame.

With goalies, you obviously never know — I’m positive that Brodeur and company know what to look for much better than I do — but this still feels like a failed selection already. Hopefully, he makes waves at St. Lawrence next season.

My preferred picks:

1. Adam Benák (C) — Another tiny forward, Benák was available and promptly passed on by the Devils. He’s not a particularly strong skater, but boasts some of the highest offensive instincts in the draft class, has legitimate game-breaking playmaking ability, and is one of the biggest dawgs in the draft. Just an incredibly fun player to watch, and has dominated every league and tournament he’s participated in throughout his young career. Minnesota drafted a really, really solid prospect here.

2. Drew Schock (LHD) — I would have been a fan of the Devils opting to pick Schock here, too. The 5’11 defenseman is a smooooooth skater and thrives at puck-moving. He’s savvy both on and off the puck, knowing when to activate along the boards and jump into the flow of play. I wouldn’t be shocked if he turned into a bottom-pairing, two-way, puck-moving lefty in a few years.

114. Gustav Hillström (C): A

The Devils went all-in on center picks this go-around, and for good reason. Hillström was yet another great get by the scouting crew. He’s got good size, at 6’2, 180 pounds, and uses it to his advantage when engaged in puck battles.

via HockeyProspecting

Hillström’s offensive game is a bit limited, to be honest, mostly by proxy of his lack of a standout quality or skill. He is a decently strong skater with an excellent motor, which contributes to why he’s as avid a forechecker as he is. Past that, though, I’m not sure there’s a whole lot to write home about. His shot is what it is — generally unthreatening from a distance. He does possess some decent hand-eye coordination, and I do think his shot from in-tight is pretty good, but that’s about where his scoring touch ends.

From a creativity and playmaking perspective, I’m not a fan at all. Hillström doesn’t have much in the way of puckhandling chops, limiting his in-zone creativity and facilitation abilities. Passing isn’t his strong suit, either, as he can struggle with vision and playmaking while under any sort of pressure. He can show an occasional flash of high-level distribution, but his game mainly revolves around net-crashing and simple passes off the rush.

While he has limited upside from an offensive perspective, Hillström’s two-way game is quite mature. He is generally pretty excellent in terms of his positioning, taking away passing and shooting lanes consistently. He also learned over the course of the 2024-25 season, predominantly in his 18 SHL games, that overaggression isn’t always the way to cover your man effectively, especially when you don’t have the skating aptitude to recover quickly. With a more toned-down approach, he was sturdier, more confident, and was able to generate opportunities the other way at a higher level.

Down the line, Hillström projects as a fourth-line center. He’s strong, physical, and defensively intelligent, but generally lacks offensive juice. Even if he’s just a strong AHLer with call-up upside, there will be a use for him within the organization.

Hillström was the best player picked in this range, in my opinion, even despite the harsh criticism of his offensive game. Another solid play from the Devils’ team, as his floor is pretty high, and he will likely play NHL games.

161. David Rozsíval (LW): B

Rozsíval is similar to Hillström in the sense that they both lack upper-end skill and dynamism but are high-floor prospects who rely on puck protection, forechecking, and two-way play to get the job done.

via HockeyProspecting

Rozsíval is a somewhat strong skater with decent acceleration and underrated agility. He can pivot and weave in transition, though he does prefer someone else to take the lead through the neutral zone. Where his skating shines through is when he is executing a power move anywhere on the ice. This makes him particularly effective at extending cyclical play, where he is known for being a hassle to move off the puck.

Rozsíval’s game does lack a few things from an offensive point of view — 1) he isn’t a strong rush player, nor does he bode well in transition with the puck on his stick; 2) he has a relatively weak shot, making him somewhat unthreatening from anywhere outside of the immediate netfront, and 3) he isn’t a very good playmaker.

Again, like Hillström, Rozsíval possesses a strong two-way motor, which nullifies the concerns about his offensive ceiling. He understands where the opposition is positioned at all times and is an expert at taking away passing lanes in particular. His stick is active and annoying, and though he won’t generate a ton of turnovers, he will support the breakout safely and effectively.

Rozsíval, in my opinion, was a pretty good pick here.

My preferred picks:

1. Aidan Lane (RW) — Lane, picked 176th, has some pretty solid chances of becoming a bottom-six power winger down the line. He’s a slow skater, but makes up for it and more with elite puck protection abilities and a knack for always coming out with the puck in board battles. Rozsíval was a solid pick to be sure, but Lane was my guy here.

2. Bruno Idžan (LW) — Idžan, an overager playing in the USHL this past season, has an already-NHL-level shot. He can rip accurate, blistering wristers from anywhere on the ice, and his one-timer is an absolute howitzer. His skating needs improvement, but between his shot and his penchant for playing physically, he would have been a great get at 161. I had him as a target for 114th overall.

178. Sigge Holmgren (RD): C

I honestly have no clue how to feel about this pick or the player. I’ve tried researching and finding games that he has participated in to scout him myself, but I’ve come across exactly nothing. He didn’t play a game in 2024-25 because he was injured, but notably, he led all 2025 draft-eligible defensemen in points in the J18 Nationell in 2023-24, with 16 (six goals, 10 assists) in 18 games. Perhaps there’s something there, so I’m giving the pick a C grade simply because we don’t really know anything about the guy.

His name is phenomenal, though — he just sounds like a hockey player.

My preferred picks:

1. Viggo Nordlund (LW) — Nordlund is one of the truer boom-or-bust prospects in the entire draft, and this was the spot to take him in. He (of course) went to the Carolina Hurricanes just a couple of picks later, but has game-breaking talent through his skating, hockey sense, and passing ability. When he’s on, he’s outright one of the most dominant players in the draft. He does struggle, of course, with consistency, but he ironed out the mentality that he needed to do it all himself over the course of the 2024-25 season. I’m a believer, but he’s either going to turn into a nothingburger prospect or a top-six, point-per-game player in the NHL. There’s no in between.

2. Filip Ekberg (RW) — One of the more interesting stories of the 2025 NHL Draft was the fall of talented winger Ekberg. I had him as a target for my #63 pick, and genuinely see middle-six talent here. He (of course) also fell to the Carolina Hurricanes and is an exciting facilitator. Strong legs, deceptive playmaking and playdriving, and a penchant for getting the puck to the interior of the ice are the names of his game. Potential to be the steal of the draft — unless Nordlund hits.

Undrafted Players I Still (Really) Want

Here are three players I was itching for on draft day and who are still available (kind of) post-draft.

1. Tomáš Pobežal (C) — I was shocked to see Pobežal go undrafted, as most public models had him relatively highly rated. The small-ish (5’10) center has two-way skill and is a pest to play against. One of the hardest workers in the draft class, I’d argue, and has decent skill to go along with it. His production has always been strong as well.

2. Philippe Veilleux (LW) — Another diminutive forward with immense skill levels fell out of favor on draft day. Veilleux really made himself into a dual-threat winger in the QMJHL this season, logging 40 goals and 87 total points in 64 games there. He is just an okay skater, but his offensive hockey sense, playmaking chops, shot, and creativity are all strong for this class. I would hypothesize that there is a middle-six winger for the taking here, and I fully want in on it. As an aside, it was shocking to see someone with such stellar production go undrafted, even if he is small (5’9, 165).

3. Maddox Labre (LHD) — Unfortunate news broke out late last night that Labre will be attending development camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning. I’m a gigantic fan of his and think he’s going to be a third-pair, no-nonsense, effective two-way defenseman who can move the puck at an underrated clip. Great skater, confident in transition, and strong defensively. Shame he’s going to try out in Tampa.

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I do wish the Devils traded off a few of their picks for NHL help now — they are currently within their Cup contention window (even if it doesn’t feel like it), and should be going all-in for playoff success with the core they have. Still, the picks they made were overwhelmingly pretty good with an outlier or two.

Overall, I’ll give the Devils a B for this draft.