Upside's 2025 NHL Draft Musings

Upside Hockey’s prolific prospect profiler Trevor Curtis thoughts and observations early in the hockey season.

Stats as of November 3, 2024

• After another 3-point gam, C Carter Bear has to be ascending the draft charts. He is now 2nd in WHL scoring, 2nd in goals, and 5th in plus/minus with 16gp/14g/13a/27pts,+16, 14 PIM. Bear is a six-footer who needs work on his boots, but he's ultra-skilled and smart, plays hard-nosed and gritty in the tough areas, owns an NHL shot, and pays attention to his defensive responsibilities.
  

• Rough and tumble Kashawn Aitcheson, a 6'1", 198lb LHD (and a favorite of mine), has only 8 points in 12 games (22 PIM) for Barrie of the OHL. He's the Tasmanian Devil on ice, hitting everything that moves.
  

• Diminutive sparkplug, RW Cameron Schmidt, who measures 5'7"and 157lbs, is tied for 3rd in WHL scoring (first in goals) with 15gp/17g/9a/26pts,+8, 10 PIM. He is fun to watch as he might just be the fastest player in the draft, and can dirty dangle through defenders, making them look silly. Despite his size, he's a feisty player, and doesn't stay on the perimeter at all.
  

• LW Nathan Behm has only 1 point in his last 2 games, after posting 10 in his previous 2, and as a result, he has slipped to 11th in WHL scoring with 14gp/12g/11a/23pts,+7, 10 PIM. Still nothing to sniff at for a first-time draft-eligible, and he's 6th in goal-scoring.
  

• After 5 points in his last 4 games, 6'3", 190lb LHD Jackson Smith has sneakily crept into 10th in scoring by defense in the WHL, with 14gp/1g/13a/14pts,+9, 18 PIM. He is one of my favorite D for this draft, and has already shown the ability to play the role of a shutdown D with his superb skating, sneaky skill, and physicality. If he can keep putting up offense, he may go top-10. This kid is a beaut.
  

• In second place for first-time draft-eligible D in the WHL is lefty Will Sharpe, whom Lethbridge drafted 11th-overall in 2022. He is tied for 15th in D scoring, with 13gp/2g/10a/12pts,+4, 10 PIM, and has grown in the last year- going from 5'11", to 6'1" and 195lbs. He plays a sound two-way game, and does everything well, albeit perhaps not at an elite level.
  

• RW Porter Martone still sits atop the OHL scoring race, and second in goals, with 14gp/16g/16a/32pts,+10, 21 PIM.
  

• C/LW Michael Misa is third in OHL scoring, and first in goals with 15gp/18g/10a/28pts,+10, 6 PIM. Prior to this year, he was known primarily as a playmaker, but I guess he decided he would be a goal-scorer this year.
  

• LHD Cameron Reid is doing fairly well in filling in for Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Brzustewicz in Kitchener, putting up 16gp/4g/15a/19pts,+6, 14 PIM, on pace for 81 points in 68 games. Though he's only a six-footer, he makes an impact in all 3 zones, and has great 4-way mobility. Reid was drafted 10th-overall by Kitchener in 2023.
  

• Speaking of Hunter Brzustewicz, his bigger little brother Henry Brzustewicz (6'2",190lbs) sits tied for 15th in D scoring for the OHL, with 13gp/0g/10a/10pts,+3, 12 PIM for the London Knights.
  

• After amassing 12 points in his last 5 games, LHC Caleb Desnoyers has stormed into 11th place in QMJHL scoring (7th in ppg with 1.69), with 13gp/11g/11a/22pts,+18, 4 PIM. He is second in plus/minus in the Q, a testament to his sterling two-way play. Desnoyers is sure to be a riser, as he is everything one would want in a center- size, skating, skill, and details-oriented defensive commitment that reminds me somewhat of Patrice Bergeron.
  

• RW Justin Carbonneau (6'2",190lbs) is 7th in Q scoring, with 16gp/8g/16a/24pts,+2, 16 PIM. Carbs is a skilled offensive player with speed and exceptional vision, but he needs better defensive play and could stand to use his body more consistently- though he can throw some huge hits. Also working against him is his Nov. 25th, 2006 birthday.
  

• LW Bill Zonnon, a 6'2" power-forward with skill and all-around smarts, is tied for 11th in scoring with 17gp/7g/15a/22pts,+10, 8 PIM. He exhibits an enormous work-rate, and a robust physical game, but needs some refinement on his skating.
  

• After 4 disappointing games in the USHL, LW Zachary Morin is back in the Q, putting up 11gp/3g/9a/12pts,+5, 0 PIM. This 6'1",190 lb winger is a nightmare on the forecheck, works and skates incredibly hard, and has sneaky playmaking abilities.

• C Nathan Quinn (5'11",161 lbs) might not make it into the first round of the draft, but I would bet he's chosen before the third round starts. He's not really exceptional in any way, but is already known as a reliable defensive presence with smarts, faceoff acumen, and excellent playmaking ability, and is 18th in Q scoring, with 18gp/6g/14a/20pts,even, 4 PIM, on a rather poor Quebec Remparts squad. He's quite young, with an August. 29th birthday.

• Not sure what's going on with LW Emile Guite, with only 8 points in 16 games for Chicoutimi. Perhaps he's buried somewhat on a pretty talent-laden squad? Shooting is his main forte', but he's no slouch in the playmaking department, and is blessed with size (6'1"), skating, and skill. Some say he's still doing all the right things, playing well in both ends of the ice, throwing his body around, and working hard- it's just a matter of time.

• Guite's teammate, RHD Alex Huang, is also struggling offensively, with only 8 points in 17 games. Many had him ranked in the second round at the beginning of the season, with the potential of moving into the first. After 36 points in 61 games last season, I would expect him to be hovering around a ppg. Huang is only 6'0", 170lbs, but skates like a fart in a windstorm, has a bomb from the point, and exhibits high IQ when he's on.

Check out our extensive 2025 NHL Draft Rankings November Edition. We’ve ranked the Top 96 with nearly 350 prospects included.