Schaefer (6-foot-2, 183 pounds) is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting Central's final ranking of North American skaters. He did not play again after having surgery Dec. 30 because of a broken clavicle sustained three days earlier while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.
He also missed the opening nine games of the season because of mononucleosis. When Schaefer was able to play, he had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating in 17 games. Schaefer could become the first player from Erie to go No.
1 in the NHL draft since Connor McDavid to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015. The teams that don't get the first pick still will have plenty of talent to choose from, including Michael Misa of Saginaw (OHL). The left-shot center is No.
2 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. Misa (6-1, 184) is the first player in Saginaw history to win the Eddie Powers Trophy as the top scorer in the OHL, finishing the regular season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists). He had a point in 60 of 65 regular-season games and tied John Tavares (2006-07) for the most points by an OHL player under 18 since 2000 (Misa turned 18 on Feb. 16).
He also was named the 26th captain in Saginaw history Jan. 8. "Every time I saw Misa, I was very impressed with that complete game," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "I was so impressed with how responsible a center he was on his side of the red line."
Boston College center James Hagens (5-11, 177) is No. 3 on Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters. He finished third on BC with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as a freshman.
"I'm a little curious to see the results of the NHL Draft Lottery," Hagens said. "I know that you don't choose where you go so you just have to be grateful that you're in a position to get drafted, so I'm excited. But we'll see.
I think the draft lottery is a cool way for the fans to kind of get pumped up for the draft, so it'll be fun." Center Jake O'Brien (6-2, 172) of Brantford (OHL) is No. 4 on Central Scouting's list.
He's been trending positively all season, as has Czechia-born defenseman Radim Mrtka (6-6, 207) of Seattle in the Western Hockey League, who is No. 5. Porter Martone (6-3, 208) remains one of the top players for this year's draft, particularly for a team in search of a power forward.
The Brampton captain, No. 6 in the final rankings, finished seventh in the OHL with 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 regular-season games, and had nine points (four goals, five assists) in six OHL playoff games. "I think it'll be cool to see the results of the NHL Draft Lottery," Martone said.
"It's kind of this first step in the draft, so it's good for the teams, too, since they kind of get to see where they're going to be picking." Martone was the only 2025 NHL Draft prospect among the seven players invited to join Canada’s national team for its pre-tournament camp in Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary, from May 4-6 in preparation for the 2025 IIHF World Championship. The two top players on Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters also could be chosen among the top eight selections: center Anton Frondell and right wing Victor Eklund, each of Djurgarden in Sweden's second division.
Frondell is No. 1, and Eklund is No. 2 on Central Scouting's list of International skaters.
