All eyes are on the 2025 NHL Draft! With the offseason officially in full motion, the hockey community is anxiously waiting to see how their favorite teams get the ball to start rolling for the 2025-26 season. A long list of scintillating stars, including Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, and James Hagens, will undoubtedly have the spotlight shining on them as they await their fate. But some stars who are still under the radar could also make ripples.

This year, the NHL Draft will follow a decentralized format, the first time since the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this format, the teams and their respective staff will make the pick virtually. While this decision by the NHL has many fans and hockey experts skeptical about its viability and success, the Draft will nonetheless be an exciting affair. And Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala think overlooking some promising stars could prove to be costly for the teams who are looking to rebuild their rosters.

In a recent article by Sportsnet, the two hockey experts talked about which stars have the potential to be “wild cards” in this year’s NHL Draft. On the topic of prospects who aren’t getting enough attention at the 2025 Draft, Bukala mentioned Owen Griffin. “Griffin is only 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, but he isn’t an easy out in traffic,” said Jason, highlighting how the Oshawa Generals forward has had an incredible second half of the regular season, followed by an even more impressive postseason.

“He battles to extend plays in the middle of the ice around the opponent’s net and cycles off the half-wall making plays. He’s a former first-round OHL pick by the Generals who has significant offensive upside that he is just starting to tap into,” Bukala said, “Griffin produced 16G-13A in 21 playoff games for Oshawa this spring and was a plus-7. I see him landing somewhere in the second-round.” Griffin posted 12 points in 6 postseason games, leading the Oshawa roster in scoring in the playoffs.

His colleague, Cosentino, on the other hand, mentioned Will Horcoff. Son of the former Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks star Shawn Horcoff, Will is justifiably a star who could tap into his hockey lineage. Cosentino said of the star who has created quite a ripple within the hockey universe as an NCAA athlete for Michigan, “He’s 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and enters the conversation as early as the middle of Round 1.”

“He went from being a ‘B’ rated prospect in NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings to the 28th-ranked North American skater in the midterms, to the 24th-ranked player in the final rankings,” said the NHL pundit further, highlighting how Horcoff has shown his eagerness for growth already. A member of the US national U-18 team, Horcoff bagged 10 points in 18 NCAA regular-season games.

However, while these two are turning heads in their own right, some of their peers are hogging most of the spotlight.

The 2025 NHL Draft offers a lot to the suitors

Easily, the name that’s on everybody’s mouth ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft is that of Matthew Schaefer. Despite playing very few games in the 2024-25 season due to recurring injuries (17 regular-season games for the OHL’s Erie Otters, 2 in the inaugural CHL-U.S. NTDP Prospects Challenge, and 2 with Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship), Schaefer’s incredible talent is undeniable, which justifiably puts him on the top of the 2025 NHL prospect list.

What’s even more impressive is that the 17-year-old has managed to impress the scouts despite battling personal trauma since February last year. 3rd pick James Hagens of Boston College is also another name that will have many NHL teams jumping on the bids to rope him into their rosters. Hagens finished the regular season with 37 points in 37 games and is feeling pretty confident that he will land himself a good contract.

“I’m looking forward to finding out what team I’m going to … it’s obviously something that you have no idea until they call your name. That’s definitely the most exciting thing right now,” the NCAA star said about what he’s hoping for from the 2025 NHL Draft. So, which team do you think will strike the best deal and be the most prepared for the next NHL season? Telk us below!