After a respite of about two months, the debacle of recent weeks has turned the gaze of supporters back to the draft where the CH currently has two picks in the top 20.
That’s good for the rebuild.
Today we present the first part of our top 20, featuring several players who could make the executives of the Flanelle salivate.
1. Matthew Schaefer
Schaefer quickly became the favorite of all observers after his return from mononucleosis last fall. At 17, the most dominant player on the Canadian junior team, Schaefer does not go unnoticed on the ice. Canada has never recovered from the collarbone injury he suffered when he crashed into the post at high speed. If there’s one thing, Schaefer will have to learn to better assess his (blazing) speed in relation to his positioning in space…
Otherwise, everything has already been said about him. A complete defender with considerable offensive potential. Think of a mix of Heiskanen, Makar, and Niedermeyer. So that’s it…
2. Michael Misa
I don’t think there’s a better scoring touch than Misa’s in this draft. The author of 40 goals and 88 points in 44 games is dominating the competition this season, his 3e in the OHL. Having received exceptional player status at 15, Misa, 6’1, 185 lbs, literally has EVERYTHING you could look for in an offensive center, while being defensively responsible. Name an offensive quality, he has it.
Some see him having more success on the wing in the NHL, but I admit I don’t quite understand why. My only concern with Misa would be this: is he good under pressure? His performances and statistics aren’t that great under the brightest lights, especially in playoffs and at the Memorial Cup. We’ll see this year if he does better. In any case, for now, Misa seems to stand out at 2nd place, but that can still change.
3. Anton Frondell
We hesitate a bit between Frondell, Desnoyers, and Hagens for the third spot – a battle to the finish – but we feel clubs will be very attracted to Frondell’s ceiling as a complete center. In addition to a sharp sense of play all over the ice, Frondell already possesses impressive physical maturity, as well as powerful skating and shooting. He’s somewhat the more defensive version of Misa, with perhaps a slightly lower chance of becoming a top-line player and a big point producer. Nevertheless, he is the kind of pivot who will play heavy minutes late in the season and in playoffs…
4. Caleb Desnoyers
A true 1B center or a perfect 2e center in any organization, the Québécois would form, among other things, a very interesting one-two punch in Montreal with Nick Suzuki. Desnoyers, 6’2, 173 lbs, stands out for his superior intelligence and positioning on the ice without being a strictly cerebral player. He is also a hardworking and nearly perfect technical skater (he could gain in explosiveness), capable of beautiful directional changes. Without being very flashy on a regular basis, Desnoyers is skilled in puck protection, strong along the boards, and proves to be a passer well above average.
He greatly resembles Jonathan Toews, but is a bit less dynamic. We know the Canadiens already like him, but if Desnoyers, who progressed through the season, doesn’t make it to them, would Hughes and Gorton like him enough to make an irresistible offer to the team preparing to draft him? They will have some cartridges to spend and food for thought for some GMs… But it’s probably a bit early for that kind of consideration. We’ll revisit after the lottery…
5. James Hagens
Maybe Hagens is the second most “beautiful talent” in the draft, but it can’t be said that he has ignited minds this season at Boston College even though he plays center for Ryan Leonard (8th, 2023) and Gabriel Perreault (23rd, 2023). The American had a good junior world championship playing alongside the two same players, but did he dominate the competition? Perhaps we simply had too many expectations of him after his absolutely phenomenal U18 last spring, after which everyone – myself included – saw him going first overall in 2025… It is now no longer excluded that he could drop out of the top 5 in June. Perhaps he is struggling with the pressure of his draft year? Was the jump to the NCAA harder than anticipated for him? Who knows…
Hagens remains quite fast, but given his unadvantageous physique, it will be difficult for him to become a dominant first center in the NHL. A move to the wing is therefore far from impossible in his case. But he could also simply become a good second center. For the rest, his mold is quite known: a small, creative, and dynamic American forward similar to Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley.
6. Porter Martone
Both Grant MacCagg and Simon “Snake” Boisvert fear that Martone – who is still often found in the top 3 – may not become the big star power forward that many see in him. Average skater, sometimes less interested in defense, Martone stands out mainly around the opposing net where his size and quick hands allow him to cause havoc. Corey Perry and Mark Stone come to mind when we observe him in the offensive zone.
Personally, I found him good, engaged, smart, and gamer every time I saw him, and I wouldn’t dare place him lower at the moment. But one can indeed wonder if he’s dominating a bit too much at the junior level due to his advantageous physique. That said, I believe it is important not to underestimate his intelligence and sense of timing. I believe he should have played more with Team Canada junior during the Holidays and I still see in him a future top-6 winger in the NHL and a playoff player.
7. Carter Bear
Intensity, liveliness, dynamism, responsibility, effectiveness. The sixth scorer and second top goal scorer in the WHL, Bear, 6’0, more often than not the F1 in forechecking, is a constant “dual threat” in offensive territory. His overall profile somewhat resembles Tij Iginla, whom I liked last year. A skater with an unorthodox style (too bent forward), Bear still makes it from point A to point B at full throttle. But he also thinks the game at a high speed and regularly wins his battles for the puck with a “dog on a bone” approach. He scores many of his goals in the crease, with quick and precise shots or deflections, qualities that translate very well to the NHL.
He also finds ways to excel while shorthanded, where he is often seen very aggressive on the puck carrier. Experiencing a meteoric rise over the last three seasons, Bear – the “favorite” prospect of Simon Boisvert in 2025 and teammate of the super prospect of 2027, Landon Dupont – appears to us as a future sure bet in any NHL top-6. A “spark plug” that wouldn’t hurt a club like the Canadiens…
8. Radim Mrtka
It would be surprising if there weren’t at least two defenders in the top 10 and Mrtka is clearly the second-best defender in the draft according to my observations and those of more and more people. Mrtka, my personal “favorite” in 2025 (after Brandseeg-Nygard last year!), made a seamless transition to Seattle (WHL) from the best professional league in his native Czech Republic. Nearly a point per game in Canadian junior, the 6’6 giant moves with a grace reminiscent of Tylers Myers and Vladimir Malakhov and shoots and distributes the puck cleanly, dryly, and effortlessly, like the latter.
A complete defender with an extraordinary physique, he would be a great option for the CH on the right side of the defense. There’s still deliberation on whether he could eventually be better than a David Reinbacher… From here, it’s close between the two… Even if he presents himself a bit as a “project” because of his size and adaptation to the North American style, Mrtka is still not that far from the NHL. He just needs to become a bit stronger and be a bit meaner in front of his net.
9. Jake O’Brien
Right-handed center, 6’2, 11e in OHL scoring at 17, intelligent in both directions on the ice, superb passer, great creativity, good work ethic, good shot, production well above a point per game (68 in 49): O’Brien should also make his way into the top 10 next June. However, he will need to improve his stride mechanics (average skater for now), his faceoffs, and his physical strength (175 lbs…).
High ceiling (top-6 center), but some years of development will be needed… Very pleasant to watch play. Lots of talent. Enough to become a “riser” like Sennecke heading into the next draft? He may be lacking a bit in skating and strength…
10. Victor Eklund
Eklund, a right-shooting winger, is somewhat the Swedish version of Carter Bear in this draft class, in the sense that he also presents himself as a spark plug every night, every shift. Besides that, William’s brother also proves to be creative, fast, skilled, and dynamic in a small format. Even if he enjoys buzzing around the opposing net, his size may push him back a bit in June, but he will be a nice pick for the team that chooses him. A safe bet, but perhaps not a top-line winger in a good team.
Conclusion
I don’t know about you, but there’s hardly a player in there that I wouldn’t take in Montreal. Whether considering talent or need, they all have at least a little something that I really like…
As every year, between ranks 6 and 10, there will likely still be a gem we could say deserves to be in the top 5 in a few years.
If that’s indeed where they’ll be speaking for the first time – they are currently tied with Utah for “10th place” – it’s up to Bobrov, Lapointe, Hughes, and Gorton to identify it.
And let’s not forget they have what it takes to move up a bit, even if such an exercise is very rare in the top 10…
We’ll reconnect next week with the conclusion of the top 20. There will still be quite a few good players left, but there won’t really be as many “sure bets”…
(@cjzero) 
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