Best undrafted players at the 2025 NHL Draft: Owen Conrad, Tomas Pobezal and more

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To wrap up my 2025 NHL Draft coverage, here’s a ranking of the top 12 prospects who passed through this year’s draft.

These are players I’d either consider for development camp invites or keep at least an eye on moving forward. The first five were in my top 100.

1. Owen Conrad, LHD, Charlottetown Islanders

Conrad is a big, strong, heavy two-way defenseman who impressed folks around the QMJHL with the immediate impact he had in Charlottetown as a rookie last season. This year, he remained a solid player without taking major steps in his development. He looks and plays like a much older defenseman, and had a stretch of play in January and February where he really made an impact and dominated some games, producing more offensively and leading a mediocre and low-scoring Islanders team on a bit of a winning streak. He also played 22-23 minutes per game and contributed on both the power play and penalty kill. I’ve seen him really command shifts in some viewings, especially defensively at times.

Conrad’s got a hard shot with some real defensive upside and he tends to play a decisive, what-you-see-is-what-you-get game on and off the puck. There can be a presence about his game. His skating can kick out and occasionally look a little clunky, and scouts want to see him make more plays with the puck beyond the simple ones he executes (which, again, he did more of late), but he actually has some real power and gets around the ice well enough for his size in my view. There’s a lot to like/work with, even if he’s not perfect. I could see him take a step next season similar to the one that Utah prospect Tomas Lavoie (a QMJHL No. 1 pick who played a mature game but took his steps post-draft more than pre-draft) did in the Q this year to become one of the league’s top players and someday potentially a solid third-pairing NHL D.

2. Tomas Pobezal, C, HK Nitra

One of the top Slovak players in the ’06/’07 age groups, Pobezal played in the Hlinka two and three summers ago, scoring a lacrosse goal and looking like a standout in the summer 2023 tournament as a 2025 draft-eligible (albeit one of the oldest as a late September 2006). He then played in his second U18 worlds last spring, captaining Slovakia and leading the team in goals with four in seven games. This season, as the next in a line of top young Slovak players to play for Nitra’s pro team in their draft year, Pobezal played to very respectable results at both ends of the rink, scoring double-digit goals and contributing on both special teams at the men’s level as an 18-year-old on a team that went to Game 7 of the championship in Slovakia’s top flight. In his first World Juniors, I did think he struggled to create looks for himself (which has been a strength oddly enough with pros) despite playing 17 minutes per game, showing his age a little there for the first time in a couple of years watching him — and I wonder if that will linger with scouts.

He’s a little undersized and he’s not a burner/high-pace player, which does create some questions about his NHL upside even if he has already shown some pro upside, but he’s got good poise/game sense, good hands and touch and he’s willing to go to the net, drive pucks and compete and battle for his space/possession on the ice. He’s going to have a long career and feels like the kind of player teams should target as a development camp invitee. His good skill, smarts and willingness to play a team game could carry him, and I would think he should become a solid AHLer and call-up option at minimum.

3. Bruno Osmanis, RW, IF Björklöven

Osmanis caught my eye at U18 worlds in Finland last spring for Latvia. Then, after splitting time between the J20 level and the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden in the first half, he really sold me with an excellent start to the World Juniors before he took a high stick to his left eye in the third period of his third game (he already had four points by then and was playing well on Latvia’s first line with Capitals prospect Eriks Mateiko) that took him out of the tournament. Thankfully, after being seen around the rink with an eye patch, his eye is OK and he returned to action and continued to play well down the stretch both with pros and against his peers at the J20 level (where he had 20 points in his last 11 games of the year from February onward).

Osmanis has some natural offensive skill and quick strike ability as a playmaker. He’s got good hands and a good one-touch shot and release (I’m surprised he hasn’t scored more this season). He plays with a noticeable feel for the game, sees the ice well and gets pucks to his linemates in good spots. He’s got good edges and plays with speed, catching defenders flat-footed off the rush pretty regularly. He’s got quick hands one-on-one with goalies. He has made some pretty plays this year. I don’t know what his NHL projection is; he might top out as a AAAA guy, but he’s going to be a talented second-liner in the AHL and SHL at minimum. I’d give him a development camp invite.

4. Reese Hamilton, LHD, Regina Pats

Hamilton, viewed by some as a first-round candidate last year, had an impressive rookie season in the WHL at 16, registering 31 points in 42 games (high-end totals for a 16-year-old D) and earning an invite to U18 worlds with Canada, where he was a reserve as an underager. Given his track record coming in, his draft year was an odd one, though. He played a depth role for Canada at Hlinka and didn’t produce like expected offensively for either of the Calgary Hitmen or the Regina Pats following a trade despite featuring on both of their power plays (including with top offensive D Carter Yakemchuk with Calgary) and playing 20 minutes per game (though the Pats really struggled to score as a team).

Hamilton is a smooth-skating, heads-up defenseman whose impressive mobility allows him to transport pucks, walk the line, gap and re-gap and get back to pucks. He’s a zone-exit machine and should have room to really develop a free-roaming game inside the offensive zone as he gets older in the WHL. There are times when his game could use a little more fight/physicality defensively, but he plays tight gaps, he’s competitive enough, he reads the play well, he has smart offensive instincts and there’s more skill and offense to his game than the numbers indicate. His skating is the real premium, though. It’s effortlessly smooth and should allow him to develop into an entry/exit/escapable/rush defense/tight gap D. There’s another level in there, even if he hasn’t found it or figured it out yet. I just want to see him own it and really lean in on both sides of the puck a little more.

Luka Radivojevic is a very good player within his age group, but what his next level is remains unclear. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)

5. Luka Radivojevic, RHD, Muskegon Lumberjacks

Radivojevic is a Slovak defenseman who spent the last three seasons in Sweden and started this one there before making the jump to the USHL with Muskegon and committing to Boston College. Initially, he quickly progressed up levels despite his sub-6-foot size to play at the J20 level two years ago, the SHL level on multiple separate recalls last year and as the youngest player at last year’s World Juniors (where I thought he was fine-to-good for his age). He also played to a point per game as the top defenseman on Slovakia’s U18 team at worlds last spring in Finland and this spring in Texas (often looking like he was the only Slovak defenseman who looked comfortable breaking pucks out and handling pressure), at the Hlinka two summers ago and at a second World Juniors this year (where he played mostly well but also got burned a couple of times).

Radivojevic is a tricky one because for a smaller defenseman, he doesn’t actually have the explosive/natural forward or backward skating you’d hope for (not unlike top Finn Aron Kiviharju, who ended up as a fourth-rounder last year). He does have excellent edges and adjustability, though, which helps him handle and hold onto pucks long enough so that he can use his game smarts to execute and make plays. He absorbs pressure well and with plenty of poise and calm. He runs the umbrella well. He goes from his heels to his toes well to set his gaps and then adjust them. But he’ll occasionally get burned by real speed. He’s a flat, hard outlet passer who puts pucks tape to tape to advance play. He walks the line really well and his head is always up. He defended and produced well at the junior level, playing more than 22 minutes per game for a strong Orebro team last season and 19-20 minutes per game after his jump to the USHL this year. He manages plays well and everything seems to happen in front of him, so that he’s not chasing it. There are lots of recent examples of players in his mold who’ve had a harder time relative to their pre-pro pedigree making the jump to the NHL, though, and there are times when I want to see him take charge and attack more to prove that he can be an offensive type up levels instead of always sitting back on his edges for a smart little play I know he can make. He’s a very good player within his age group, but I don’t know what his next level is.

6. Phillippe Veilleux, LW, Val d’Or Foreuers

Players who rack up 43 goals and 93 points in 69 combined regular season and playoff games in the CHL don’t usually pass through, but when you’re a 5-9 winger, that can happen. Veilleux finished third in the QMJHL in scoring this season, averaged more than 20 minutes per game as a forward, and made some pretty, pretty plays with the puck along the way. But he’s also small; this was a weaker relative year for the Q, and he doesn’t have penalty killing value and won’t have defensive value up levels, so his only way into the league is likely as a top-nine playmaker who slots on one of your power plays.

Veilleux can play quickly and put pucks into space for his teammates and play in and out of give-and-go sequences, but he can also slow the game down and pick you apart with his skill, smarts and cerebral playmaking. He’s a shifty, slick on-puck winger who can make plays in traffic and open ice and also has quick strike ability off of the puck as a talented shooter with a quick release. His skating stride can look a little unconventional as he likes to open up and go heel-to-heel a lot, but he’s also got quick feet and can build speed through his crossovers. I’d like to see him win more battles off the puck, but he’s going to have to rely on his smarts and play with the right type of linemates to have success up levels. I would have taken a late-round fliers.

7. Lev Katzin, C, Guelph Storm

Katzin was a star in the GTHL coming up and has been a very good junior player in Guelph in the OHL, in Green Bay in the USHL before that, and most recently with Canada at U18 worlds, where he was both very productive and very effective. Whenever I’ve watched him play over the last couple of years, he has played well and made an impact on games. He has skill, plays a likable style, works and has proven he can play both center and the wing against his peers and still play the same consistent shift-to-shift game. He’s strong for his size, too. But even though I like him, and even though coaches and scouts also respect his game, it’s hard to climb up levels at his size unless you put up huge numbers or have a defining skill/trait. He’s got good hands and first touch. He sees it well. He’s got a quick shot. He’s a good skater. He’ll win inside body positioning. He stays around it and plays between the dots. He’s a tough 5-8 and a good player. I think he’ll be a good college player at Penn State, too. He’s someone you follow in college.

8. Liam Kilfoil, C, Halifax Mooseheads

Kilfoil is a smart, committed three-zone forward who had 24 goals and 51 points in 73 combined regular-season and playoff games with the Mooseheads this season, both of which led the team in scoring, believe it or not. He also wore a letter for them and was a bottom-sixer and penalty killer for Hockey Canada at U18 worlds and the Hlinka. He’s a decent skater, he makes quick decisions and plays a heady game. He’s not a particularly physical player, but he works to get pucks back. He sees the ice well and can anticipate play offensively and defensively. He’ll hustle and win races and inside body positioning. He consistently finds his teammates through traffic and on the back side of coverage, and also goes there for them. I think he has more offense than his numbers indicate. I thought he’d be a late-round pick even though I didn’t rank him in my top 100.

9. Lucas Karmiris, C, Brampton Steelheads

Karmiris didn’t produce enough as one of the older first-year eligibles in the draft to make his way onto my list but I’ve liked watching him and I think he and Jacob Kvasnicka, who was the last player ranked on my board and is almost a year younger, have some similarities as competitive 5-11 forwards who work hard, play with pace and involve themselves in the action at the junior level without having a dynamic trait. Karmiris is a good junior player who can touch a lot of what happens in a game. He was a driver for the Steelheads on his lines at five-on-five when healthy this season (the injury bug hit him a couple of times, including an injury to his face in the fall), penalty killed for them and contributed on their second power play. He can skate pucks through neutral ice, track and forecheck inside the offensive zone and work to get pucks. He’s got decent skill and keeps his feet moving. He might just be what he is, but I like him as a player and have enjoyed watching him.

10. Caden Taylor, LW, Peterborough Petes

The Petes were one of the toughest teams to watch in major junior hockey for much of this year, and that made evaluating their prospects its own challenge as well. Their leading scorer finished the year with 37 points. Taylor was their second-leading goal scorer with 15 and finished third on the team in points with 31 in 68 games. I’ve listed him here because he’s got a legitimate NHL-level shot/release and sometimes having that one tool, when you’ve also got a pro frame to build upon, is enough to make you worthwhile as a late-round pick in my opinion. He was a big-time scorer in minor hockey, a ninth-overall pick into the O, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he scores 30-40 goals as a north-south shooter next year. He’ll work and finish his checks and seems capable of playing the style a team would want him to play as well. His game’s still unrefined in some ways, but late in the draft, sometimes you’re just looking for a prospect you can mold and work with.

11. Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen, LHD, University of Michigan

The son of legendary goaltender Manon Rheaume, Rheaume-Mullen is a late-2006 who, after two years at the NTDP, played college hockey with the Wolverines in his draft year. He played third-pairing minutes at Michigan but played his role effectively — if a little lackluster at times. He’s a good skater with projectable four-way mobility. He handles pressure well. His head and eyes stay up and his reads seem to be in a good place. But whenever I’ve watched him over the last three seasons, I’ve felt he had more smarts and offense and that just hasn’t come due to both roles at the NTDP and Michigan, but also his play. He played behind Cole Hutson and Logan Hensler for offensive opportunities at the program and behind EJ Emery and Will Skahan in terms of his role defensively, and that carried over into Michigan, where his role and game feel like it’s caught up in no man’s land a little. I could see him take a step at a program like Michigan as a junior or senior and become an involved, puck-possession two-way D. But he looks more like he’s on a path to becoming more of an AHLer/ECHLer after that at the moment.

12. Zachary Morin, LW, 6-foot-1 (Saint John Sea Dogs)

Morin is a Boston University commit who was a minor hockey star in Quebec and Michigan but really had a tough time with discipline and consistency in the USHL with Youngstown, resulting in a move to the Sea Dogs in the Q (where he made some progress but still showed some selfish tendencies). There’s a camp of people who don’t think he plays winning hockey or has the mental makeup to become an NHLer, and find he plays hero hockey too much. He is a 6-foot-1/2 forward with some legit tools, though, and that keeps him relevant. I wonder about his hockey IQ and have often thought he has a bit of an identity crisis (does he think he’s a skilled player, or a pest, just always frustrated and forcing both?) and immaturity to his game, though. He made some really nice skill plays beating or shaking defenders one-on-one inside the offensive zone after the move to the Sea Dogs this year, and he shows you those flashes at his size and it piques your interest. When he’s feeling himself and confident, he’s dangerous. I’ve seen him drive down ice and push his way to the net, and make skill plays in bunches. He’s a good athlete. But there are also games of his that I watched and found his play selection frustrating, felt he was forcing it, and he rendered himself quite ineffective (all common criticisms). I could see him pop next year and put it all together without the pressure of the draft, but there’s also risk he remains a mercurial, what-could-have-been prospect who doesn’t have the interest or willingness to change his style of play.

(Top photo of Reese Hamilton: Dennis Pajot / Getty Images)

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