

The first round of the 2025 NHL Draft takes place Friday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and there’s not much mystery as to whom the New York Islanders will select with the first overall selection. New York won the draft lottery last month, earning the opportunity to pick first for the fifth time in franchise history and first since it took John Tavares in 2009.
The Islanders are expected to select Matthew Schaefer, a 17-year-old defenseman with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League who appeared in only 17 games in 2024-25 due to a bout with mononucleosis and a broken collarbone. Despite his limited playing time, Schaefer received the Canadian Hockey League Top Draft Prospect Award and was listed first among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s final rankings.
Michael Misa, an 18-year-old center for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, is widely believed to be taken by the San Jose Sharks with the second overall pick. But the order of the next three selections — held respectively by the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Mammoth and Nashville Predators — is not quite as clear.
A number of players have been predicted to round out the first five first-round picks, with one even being considered to be taken ahead of Misa by San Jose with the No. 2 selection. And as with any sports draft, there’s always the possibility that a team could trade its pick or shock everyone and go in a completely different direction than the one expected.
Those interested in NHL betting and looking to wager on the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday can take a look at promotions from the top sportsbooks in order to secure an offer that best suits them for the event. Here’s a look at some potential props to lock in for the first round.
Anton Frondell: Third overall pick (-160, FanDuel)
Frondell is the top-rated international skater, according to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. The 18-year-old center from Sweden was the captain of his nation’s bronze medal-winning team in the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and helped the Swedes take silver at the World Junior A Challenge a year later. Frondell, who recorded 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 games with Djurgarden this past season, possesses size at 6-foot-1, 198 pounds, and is considered a strong two-way player. He likely isn’t ready to step right into the NHL, but he would be a nice complement for Connor Bedard down the road should the Blackhawks select him.
Caleb Desnoyers: Fourth overall pick (-150, DraftKings)
Desnoyers has been slotted as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 7 in mock drafts. An 18-year-old center from the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, he helped guide Canada to gold medals at the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 178-pounder won the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the QMJHL’s playoff MVP after recording 30 points in 19 games and helping his team capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as league champion. Like Frondell, Desnoyers — who also received the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s top draft prospect — is a two-way player who could become the face of the Mammoth for many years to come.
Porter Martone: Fifth overall pick (+180, Draft Kings)
Mock drafts also predict Martone to be taken in different spots, but most of them have him being selected no lower than fifth. Nashville likely will be hoping the 18-year-old right wing from the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads is still available at No. 5, as he has size at 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, scoring ability and great hockey sense. Martone racked up 98 points in 57 games with Brampton this past season after helping Canada to medals at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (gold) and the IIHF U18 World Championship in both 2023 (bronze) and 2024 (gold).
James Hagens: Top-five pick (+125, FanDuel)
Hagens is ranked third among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, and I’ve seen him predicted to be drafted second, fourth and sixth in mock drafts. The 18-year-old center from Boston College recorded the fourth-most points (37) by a freshman in NCAA Division I history this past season and was a member of the United States’ gold medal-winning team at the World Junior Championship. In 2024, Hagens was the IIHF U18 World Championship MVP as he set a tournament record with 22 points while the U.S. took silver, and he also helped his country win gold at the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge — setting a record in that competition with 21 points — and 2023 U18 World Championship. A speedy, dynamic playmaker, Hagens is a good bet to be a top-five selection.
Brady Martin: Top-five pick (+120, FanDuel)
Martin did not land in the top 10 of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s final rankings of North American skaters, placing 11th. That has some pundits predicting he may go as late as 15th in their mock drafts. But the 18-year-old center from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL possesses qualities that a team with a top-five pick should value. Martin is a gritty competitor who hits hard and also has a good amount of skill, as evidenced by his 33 goals and 72 points in 57 games this past season. The 6-foot, 178-pounder helped Canada to gold medals at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, scoring twice against Sweden in the gold-medal game of the latter tournament.
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