2025 NHL Draft: Top 10 prospects to watch at the Under-18 World Championship

Apr 24, 2024, 10:52 EDT

2025 NHL Draft: Top 10 prospects to watch at the Under-18 World Championship

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

The U-18 World Championship gets underway on Thursday, with most scouts keeping close eyes on the draft-eligible talents.

But, sometimes, it’s the younger guys that end up standing out more. Macklin Celebrini was Canada’s best player last year, leading Canada to a bronze despite dealing with a shoulder injury. In 2021, Connor Bedard was one of the biggest names on the block despite not being drafted for another two years.

We already looked at the top 2024 names to watch for the 10-team, two-week affair in Finland from April 25 – May 5. Today, we’re looking at a few of the names for the 2025 draft that you need to keep an eye on, including a few players who are projected to go quite early:

James Hagens, C (USA)

Hagens is the cream of the crop right now – the carrot everyone’s chasing for 2025. The Boston College commit enters the tournament with a team-leading 50 assists and 80 points in 51 games while centering USA’s top line all year long. There’s a very good chance he could find himself in the top 10 in single-season USA Hockey National Team Development Program scoring by the end of the tournament, joining the likes of Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Clayton Keller, Matthew Tkachuk, Cole Caufield and recent alum Gabe Perreault, Will Smith and Ryan Leonard. That’s big company to be involved in, but the way Hagens dominates the two-way game with speed and skill makes him so intriguing.

Logan Hensler, RHD (USA)

One of the top defensive prospects already for 2025, it’s hard to miss the slick-skating, 6-foot-2, 194-pound defender. He moves so well, takes away space and is a competent puck-mover, even if the numbers seem a bit lackluster. The University of Wisconsin commit uses his agile footwork to take away space, and if he gets beaten, he has the stick work to retrieve the puck. Hensler has also taken positive steps forward with his creativity, allowing him to make more advanced plays under pressure. I see top-four potential in him, but like Zeev Buium before him, I feel like he can advance that with a great run in college because the raw skillset is there.

LJ Mooney, RW (USA)

One of the callups from the U-17 team, Mooney is one of the top 2007-born prospects in the game today. At 5-foot-7, he lacks the overall frame you’d hope to see from someone with his skill level, but he kept getting better as the U-17 season wore on and has hummed around at nearly a point-per-game with the U-18 team. Committed to the University of Minnesota, Mooney had a four-point night against Sweden during Saturday’s exhibition game – marking one of the best performances of his season. Mooney is quick, skilled and isn’t afraid to get physical despite his smaller frame.

Porter Martone, RW (Canada)

Martone was part of Canada’s team that won bronze at this event last year, so despite being one of the youngest players on this team, he’s actually one of the more experienced players. The 6-foot-3 winger was coming off an impressive 33-goal, 71-point season with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads and was one of the team’s better producers during the playoffs, too. He seems to rise to the occasion any time he’s called upon internationally, putting up a point-per-game at the Hlinka Gretzky last August and leading all Canadians with 12 points at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge in 2022.

Malcolm Spence, LW (Canada)

Canada’s hero at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, Spence might be a bit underrated heading into the draft. The Erie Otters took him second overall in 2022 after he helped the Mississauga Senators win the OHL Cup. As a rookie, he immediately made an impact with 42 points. He followed that up with a 62-point sophomore campaign this season while donning an “A” with Erie. Spence is an excellent skater with smooth, natural strides and he thinks and acts quickly on the rush to make a play.

Roger McQueen, C (Canada)

McQueen made significant noise at the Hlinka, scoring four goals and seven points in five games. He followed it up with a big year with the Brandon Wheat Kings, scoring 21 goals and 51 points in 53 regular season games before scoring four goals in five postseason outings. After a quiet rookie season last year, McQueen took on extra responsibility head-on and didn’t disappoint. Look for him to have a similar job with Canada, a group he seems to consistently thrive with.

Matthew Schaefer, D (Canada)

Drafted first overall by the Erie Otters last spring, the 6-foot-1 defender is an incredible skater and is always actively engaged at both ends of the ice. Offensively, Schaefer has real potential, but he’s also positionally sound and aggressive in his own zone. He had a decent first year with Erie, registering 17 points, but there was still a lot of feeling out to be done. The raw talent is there for Schaefer to become a legitimate top-pairing defenseman in the NHL, and this tournament could help him prove why.

Caleb Desnoyers, C (Canada)

Could Desnoyers sneak into the top 10 next year? Very possible. The No. 1 pick in 2023 averaged around 20 minutes a night as a rookie, showing speed, skill, and two-way acumen. He’s not someone who’ll get caught slacking off and just floating around – he’s fully committed to getting the puck every time he can. At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he put on some serious muscle since his QMJHL Draft year. It’ll be interesting to see how the Canadians deploy him because he has a ton of potential, but but he’s still quite young as a 2007-born forward.

Luka Radivojevič, D (Slovakia)

Radivojevič didn’t partake in Slovakia’s pre-tourney action but was listed on the team’s initial roster. He’s a big part of this group, likely holding down the fort on the team’s top pairing while running the power play. The 17-year-old son of former NHLer Branko, Radivojevič had a good showing at the World Juniors at just 16 years old this season. He’s a bit undersized, but he’s skilled, quick and thinks the game at a high level. He was fourth in Swedish U-20 league scoring by defenders, losing out to a trio of top 2024 NHL Draft prospects instead. He also has experience with Orebro’s men’s team, too. Slovak fans are excited about his potential internationally, and he looks destined to go in the first round next year.

Jakob Ihs Wozniak, LW (Sweden)

I really like what I’ve seen from the Woz this season. Whether it be the U-17 World Challenge or the U-18 Five Nations a few months back, Ihs Wozniak has been fantastic. At 6-foot-3, he has a good frame, and he’s not afraid to use it. A strong playmaker, he had 50 points in 36 games with Lulea’s U-20 team and even skated in two SHL games, as well. He was a standout at the U-17s in November, but I’d argue he’s been more effective at all strength with Sweden’s U-18 team instead. Magic seems to happen when he gets the puck on his stick.

Other notables: Viggo Nordlund, LW (Sweden), Victor Eklund, RW (Sweden), Jack Ivankovic, G (Canada), Kashawn Aitcheson, LHD (Canada), Karl Annborn, RHD (Sweden) Tomas Pobezal, C (Slovakia), Jan Chovan, C (Slovakia), Michal Svrcek, C (Slovakia), Mikkel Eriksen, C (Norway)

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