Here is my third segment of the 2025 NHL Mock Draft. (Click here if you missed Part 1 or Part 2). We start with the Pittsburgh Penguins at #11.
11-Pittsburgh Penguins – The Penguins are looking for either a good two-way center or to add some youth to their blueline. They luck out as a player who we think is going to drop in 6’5 center Roger McQueen of Brandon (WHL) is exactly what they were looking for.
McQueen falls here because he missed most of his draft season recovering from a back injury. But had he remained healthy there is no question that he would have been taken a lot sooner than here. The Pens are going to love having his size, but also his ability to get pucks on the net or set up in the slot, deflecting pucks in. This is the guy who will come out of the corners with the puck on his stick and, for a 6’5 player, can skate better than the average big player.
He is still growing as it is and when he fills out his body just might be the strongest player strength-wise to come out of this draft.
12-New York Rangers – The Rangers have until June 25th to inform Pittsburgh whether they will keep this pick and give them their 2026 first-round pick or give the Pens this pick. No way can the Rangers give up this pick, as it sends the message that they expect to be worse next season.
But the problem the Rangers face is that they need a good two-way defenseman, and the best ones are all gone by now, and any that they would take would be a reach. The best move the Rangers could make here is to trade down, pick up a couple of extra picks (they need a 2026 second-round pick), and then take a defenseman.
If not, then the best available player for the Rangers is 6’4 center Jack Nesbit of Windsor (OHL). Nesbit fits in with the tall timbers the Rangers have been collecting the last few years; only Nesbit would be the most talented. He is still growing into his body and is already impossible to move around the net.
Park him in the slot on the power play, and he will remind people of the way Adam Graves used to collect rebounds and score. Has really good eye/hand coordination, strong skating, and great ice vision. This might be the ideal player to pair with Gabe Perreault down the line.
13-Detroit Red Wings – Detroit might be tempted to trade up, but if they do not, then they will be incredibly happy to add C/RW Brady Martin of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL). Martin is not as big as the other centers taken, but he plays bigger than his size.
What he lacks in high-end talent, Martin more than makes up for in overall three-zone play. This is someone the Red Wings could play with one of their higher-end talents, as he is someone willing to go into the corners, fight the puck battles, and stand up for his teammates. Do not skate with your head down when Martin is on the ice, as he will make the other team pay. This is also the guy you want on the ice when you are on the penalty kill because few will work harder.
Detroit fans will love everything about the way Martin plays.
14- Columbus Blue Jackets – The Blue Jackets played above what anyone expected of them after the loss of Johnny Gaudreau, but while they cannot replace Gaudreau here, they can address their needs. The Jackets need defense as they potentially are losing two of their better defensemen to free agency (Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro).
The pickings here on defense are slim, as they can wait until they come back with the 20th pick to grab a defenseman, so they use this pick on C/LW Carter Bear of Everett (WHL). This is a great goal scorer for the Bluejackets as he has nice soft hands with excellent eye/hand coordination, solid skater, drives the opposition nuts with his forechecking pressure, and is a smart playmaker too.
Bear is a great fit on both the power play and penalty kill, and he thrived in the Everett defensive scheme, which will be a bonus for the Blue Jackets.
15-Vancouver Canucks – they are looking for a right-handed defenseman and they will find him in Logan Hensler of Wisconsin (NCAA). Hensler is more known for his defensive skills, but he has shown that his offensive game is starting to catch up to his defensive side.
This is a minutes-eating defenseman who takes away the middle of the ice from the other team. Had a good showing as a member of Team USA at the World Under-20 gold medal-winning team.
He is always the defenseman that Wisconsin tries to match up against the other team’s best forwards. Sees the ice well and he can spring his forwards on the attack with a great first pass out of the defensive zone. You won’t catch him out of position, and on the rare times when he is, Henseler has the skating skills to make up for it in a hurry.
16+17- Montreal Canadiens – The Habs have back-to-back picks here with 16 from the Flames and their own at 17. Montreal has done an excellent job of stockpiling young talent so they can add to it.
First, they take center Milton Gastrin of Modo (Sweden), who will make an exceptionally good playmaking center as Gastrin has an extremely high hockey IQ that will help create opportunities for his teammates. He is a very high-energy player who lifts his teammates with that energy.
At 17, defenseman Cameron Reid of Kitchener (OHL) is their pick. Reid is a good puck-moving defenseman who plays bigger than his size (6’ 195). He rarely makes the wrong decision on offense, especially when he pinches in to keep plays alive in the offensive zone.
Reid is so good at getting the attack started, whether it is the first pass out or leading the rush himself. Does a particularly excellent job reading plays in the defensive zone and always seems to find a way to get his team out of trouble in the defensive zone.
Good job.