Yeah, the Tampa Bay Lightning don’t have a dog in this hunt, but that’s not going to stop us from posting about the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft. So, stick around as we update this post after every pick. Who knows, maybe there will be some exciting trade action, and the Lightning find their way into the first round. Stanger things have happened!
Pre-draft Update – Hello folks! It’s 7:00 PM and we are on the couch here in the Raw Charge Savannah headquarters with a beer (Creature Comforts Tropicalia IPA) and some snacks ready to watch other teams select their future stars.
Where are we at before the first pick? Well, supposedly, Montreal traded picks 16 and 17 to the Islanders as part of a deal for Noah Dobson. The Islanders are going to include those in a package to move up to the number four spot to draft James Hagens. Neither deal is official just yet.
One more commercial break to go!
Pick #1 – New York Islanders – Matthew Schaefer – Defenseman – Erie Otters
What a great time to have to reboot our internet! Well, Mathieu Darche doesn’t overthink it, he takes the big, mobile defenseman that should anchor their blueline for the next decade.
Pick #2 – San Jose Sharks – Michael Misa – Forward – Saginaw Spirit
Bayley! The Sharks bring out the WWE superstar to make the pick. So far the first two picks are going according to Hoyle. There was some speculations that the Sharks may go with Anton Frondell, but they go with the best playmaker in the draft. The Sharks are going to be a blast to watch in a year or two.
Pick #3 -Chicago Blackhawks – Anton Frondell, Forward, Djurgardens
Jeremy Roenick comes out to make the pick for the Blackhawks. It’s the first European off of the board. Frondell is one of the players that shot up the draft boards over the season. The big question will be if he makes the move over to North America this year, or if they let him cook in Europe for another season.
Things will get a little murky from here in regards to who goes next. The assumption is that the Islanders have moved up to take James Hagens. We’ll see if that’s the case.
Pick #4 – Utah Mammoth – Caleb Desnoyers – Forward – Moncton Wildcats
Tony Finau from the West Valley making the pick for Utah. Love that guy. It’s a bit of a surprise that the trade didn’t go through AND Utah goes with Desnoyers. Perhaps Nashville is the team that makes the deal with New York. Desnoyers put up 84 points in 56 games in the QMJHL last season. Utah adds another talented forward.
Pick #5 – Nashville Predators – Brady Martin – Forward – Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Shea Weber remotes in from what appears to be a park to make the draft pick for Nashville. Martin leapfrogs James Hagens and Porter Martone. Martin is back on the farm helping out his family. That should fit in nicely with the Nashville faithful.
Pick #6 – Philadelphia Flyers – Porter Martone – Forward – Brampton Steelheads
“Gary, that introduction was turrrrabbblee.” It’s the Round Mound of Rebound, Jon Cooper’s buddy, Charles Barkley making the selection. We really like the Martone pick. He’s a big guy with some skating issues, but has a nice blend of playmaking skills with a little power forward in him. Corey Perry and Mikko Rantanen aren’t bad comparisons.
Pick #7 – Boston Bruins – James Hagens – Forward – Boston College
At one point, Hagens was thought to be the first overall pick for this draft. He falls to Boston where fans should be pretty familiar with him since he played at Boston College last season. He’ll probably go back for another year before moving down the street. Nice that Adam Sandler made the announcement, considering Happy Gilmore is apparently his favorite movie.
Boston’s video feed is frozen. Nice job guys.
Pick #8 – Seattle Kraken – Jake O’Brien – Forward – Brantford Bulldogs
Another center is off of the board. Jerry Bruckheimer is the celebrity that makes the announcement, which is weird, but okay. Things are pretty much going chalk at this point.
Pick #9 – Buffalo Sabres – Radim Mrtka – Defenseman – Seattle Thunderbirds
Gary Bettman saying “Goo Goo Dolls” is our favorite moment of the draft so far. The Buffalo-based band announce the big (6’6″) defenseman as the pick. The ESPN panel is less-than-whelmed with the selection considering the defenseman already on the roster. Seems like a pick they could have had if they traded down.
Pick #10 – Anaheim Ducks Roger McQueen – Forward – Brandon Wheatkings
Leo Carlsson and Roger McQueen down the middle of the ice should be solid for Anaheim as they try and climb up the Western Conference ranks. A 6’5″ center with skill and and solid defensive instincts should be a great add for them. Yes, it’s really been 33 years since the Mighty Ducks movie came out as Joshua Jackson and Margurite Moreau let us know before announcing the pick.
Pick #11 – Pittsburgh Penguins – Benjamin Kindel – Forward – Calgary Hitmen
The run on centers continues as the Penguins reach a bit with their first of two picks in a row. Kindel was projected as a late first-round pick.
Maybe they won’t pick twice in a row. Sounds like a trade might be in the works.
TRADE ALERT!!!
Penguins trade the 12th pick for the 22nd and 31st pick in this draft.
Pick #12 – Philadelphia Flyers (originally New York Rangers) – Jack Nesbitt – Forward – Windsor Spitfires
“A talented grinder” is how ESPN describes the 6’5″ center. This guy is going to be a Bolt by 2031. Flyers are having a pretty good draft so far. They are adding some real size and rugged players in the first round.
Pick #13 – Detroit Red Wings – Carter Bear – Forward – Everett Silvertips
Make your “Cut it out” jokes as Dave Coulier announces the pick. It’s the 40-goal scorer Carter Bear that hears his name called. It’s a nice pick for the Red Wings as they add another talented forward. If the Bolts had their draft pick, this is the guy we would have wanted them to go after.
Pick #14 – Columbus Blue Jackets – Jackson Smith – Defenseman – Tri-City Americans
An absolutely heart-warming moment as Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of Johnny Gaudreau, comes out to announce the pick. Huge ovation from the crowd in the Peacock Theater. Smith is likely to head to Penn State next season after putting up 54 points from the blueline for the Americans. A mobile defenseman that will likely quarterback a power play at some point is a solid pick-up for the middle of the first round.
Pick #15 – Vancouver Canucks – Braeden Cootes – Forward – Seattle Thunderbirds
This pick had been offered to Minnesota for Marco Rossi, but the Wild turned it down earlier in the off-season. Cootes is a solid face-off guy that has a strong all-around game. A tough forechecker that has a strong all-around game, Cootes will be a strong middle-six forward when he makes it to the NHL.
Pick #16 – New York Islanders (originally Calgary Flames) – Victor Eklund – Forward – Djurgarden
The Swedish forward, and brother of San Jose’s William, fell a little bit in this draft as some mocks had him going in the top 10. At 5’11”, 169 lbs. he is one of the smaller players selected tonight, but he has a lot of skill. He also plays with a lot of pace, and could be the steal of the first round if his skills translate to the NHL.
Pick #17 – New York Islanders (originally Montreal Canadiens) – Kashawn Aitcheson – Defenseman – Barrie Colts
A physical defenseman who can also score? No wonder the Islanders traded Noah Dobson as they added a couple of blue-chip defenders in Aitcheson and Schaefer. Based on the descriptions by the puck pundits, he seems to have future captain written all over him.
Pick #18 – Calgary Flames (originally New Jersey Devils) – Cole Reschny – Forward – Victoria Royals
Another WHL player that is opting to head to college next season, Reschny is committed to the University of North Dakota. He’s a solid set-up man who differs to his teammates. He can link passes together to create opportunities, keeping opponents on their toes as they try and figure out where the puck is going to go.
Pick #19 – St. Louis Blues – Justin Carbonneau – Forward – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
After Nikki Glaser made a “Brett Hull likes to drink” joke, she announced Carbonneau’s name as their nearest player. Another 40-goal scorer, the right-wing has yet to announce if he’s staying in the QMJHL or heading to the NCAA where he might join Boston College.
The league takes a break from drafting teenagers to announce that Dallas’ Jim Nill wins the GM of the Year award. It’s a nice little presentation video as they surprise him at Eddie V’s with the trophy.
Pick #20 – Columbus Blue Jackets (originally Minnesota Wild) – Pyotr Andreyanov – Goaltender – CSKA
The first goaltender is off of the board! With their second pick of the first round, the Blue Jackets pick up the 18-year-old netminder who posted a 1.75 GAA with Krasnaya Armiya Moskva of the MHL. After trading Daniil Tarasov to the Panthers earlier in the week, Columbus needed to reload their prospect pool in that position.
Pick #21 – Nashville Predators (originally Ottawa Senators) – Cameron Reid – Defenseman – Kitchener Rangers
The Predators moved up to select a mobile defenseman from Kitchener. He’s a good skater that can be physical. He has a good acceleration which helps transition the puck from defense to offense.
Pick #22 – Pittsburgh Penguins (originally Colorado Avalanche) – Bill Zonnon – Forward – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
A good supportive player that forechecks hard, Zonnon needs to work on his skating a little. He is a solid player along the boards and can create turnovers in the defensive and offensive zones.
Pick #23 – Ottawa Senators (originally Tampa Bay Lightning) – Logan Hensler – Defenseman -Wisconsin Badgers
The Senators use the Lightning’s pick to draft a defenseman. Hensler, a native Minnesotan, was one of the youngest players in the NCAA last season, but held his own in a big program at Wisconsin. He had 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 32 games as a freshman. He was also part of Team USA at the Under-20 Men’s World Junior Championships. Another mobile defenseman (that seems to be a theme tonight) he isn’t going to be a big scorer, but should be a solid defenders who uses his angels really well.
TRAAAAADDDDEE – Kings trade 24th pick to Pittsburgh for the 31st and 59th picks
Pick #24 – Pittsburgh Penguins (originally Los Angeles Kings) – William Horcoff – Forward – University of Michigan
A “combine freak” is how the ESPN crew described him. Another college kid, Horcoff is the son of former NHL forward Shawn Horcoff, and is another large individual at 6’5″, 203 lbs. He’ll spend a few more years in college before turning pro. He’s a smart player that uses his size really well defensively.
Pick #25 – Chicago Blackhawks (originally Toronto Maple Leafs) – Vaclav Nestrasil – Forward – Muskegon
A jack-of-all-trades player, Nestrasil is the first player selected out of the USHL. He’s committed to UMass next season and should be there for a couple of years. Another large individual (6’6″) he plays with a lot of energy and has a lot of puck skill for a big man.
Pick #26 – Nashville Predators (originally Vegas Golden Knights) – Ryker Lee – Forward – Masison
A thirty-goal scorer in the USHL, Lee is heading to Michigan State next year. He’s not the fastest skater in the draft, but he is extremely skilled with the puck. A deceptively heavy wrist shot should play well at the college and pro levels.
Pick #27 – Washington Capitals – Lynden Lakovic – Forward – Moose Jaw Warriors
Is this a hockey draft or a volleyball draft? Another 6’4″ forward gets selected. A playmaker who can shoot, Lakovic is an intriguing add to the Capitals stockpile of prospects. He had 27 goals in 47 games for Moose Jaw last season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him crack 35+ next season.
Pick #28 – Winnipeg Jets – Sascha Boumedienne – Defenseman – Boston University
Does that name sound familiar? If it does, you spent way too much time watching Lightning hockey during the bad times. His father Josef Boumedienne played three games for Tampa Bay in the 2001-02 season. His son is a solid-skating defenseman with a bit of an edge that will be playing with Lightning prospect Jack Harvey at BU next season.
Deciding to do this while also having to wake up at 6:00 AM tomorrow morning is starting to feel like a bad idea. Let’s fire through these last four picks, NHL.
Dumb thing we found funny. Back on 11/09/01, the Lightning traded Andrei Zyuzin to the New Jersey Devils for three players. Two of those players – Anton But and Josef Boumedienne have now seen their sons drafted in the first round Daniil But – 12th pick in 2023 Sasha Boumedienne – 28th pick in 2025
— Raw Charge (@rawcharge.com) June 27, 2025 at 11:06 PM
TRAAAAAAADEEEE – Carolina drops out of the first round as they trade the 29th pick to Chicago for the 34th and 62nd pick this year, and a fifth-round pick in 2027
Pick #29 – Chicago Blackhawks (Originally Carolina Hurricanes) – Mason West – Center – Edina High School
The big center trend continues as the Blackhawks trade up to select Mason West (who is also his school’s starting quarterback), a 6’6″ lanky dude from Edina. He’ll play with the Fargo Force next season and is committed to Michigan State for 2026-27.
Pick #30 – San Jose Sharks (originally Dallas Stars) – Joshua Ravensbergen – Goaltender – Prince George Cougers
The second goalie off of the board, Ravensbergen is a big goalie that moves well. Solid positioning should transition well as he progresses.
Pick #31 – Los Angeles Kings (originally Edmonton Oilers) – Henry Brzustewicz – London Knights
Excellent positional defenseman who has seen a lot of success in London so far in his career. Two Memorial Cup Finals with one championship, he put up 42 points in 67 games.
Pick #32 – Calgary Flames (originally Florida Panthers) – Cullen Potter – Forward – Arizona State University
Born in Wisconsin, played in Dallas as a teenager, and going to Arizona State University, this kid is the American Hockey Dream. He has speed to burn, and the ability to change direction quickly. His mom, Jenny, is a highly decorated (four world championship gold medals and an Olympic gold)center for Team USA.
That wraps up the first round. No blockbuster trades or unexpected selections at the top of the draft. If you hung around for this entire thing, thank you. We could barely make it to the end. The good news is that the Tampa Bay Lightning will actually make some picks tomorrow!
