If Utah HC ends up with a high pick, who could it take?

It’s still far too early to tell where the Utah Hockey Club will end up in the standings, but if the season were to end today it would have the eighth-best odds at the first-overall pick. This is not to say it won’t turn things around, but it should definitely make sure the scouting staff is getting plenty of looks at the top prospects.
Last year, the team drafted Tij Iginla sixth overall. He became an instant celebrity in Utah and was, for a moment, the face of the franchise. Their first pick this year probably won’t get nearly that much hype, but he will be just as important to the future of the franchise.
On that note, let’s take a look at the top prospects eligible for the 2025 NHL draft.
The unofficial consensus for this year’s first-overall pick is Boston College center James Hagens.
He scored 102 points in 58 games with the United States National Team Development Program last year. That ties him with a guy named Patrick Kane (ever heard of him?) as the eighth-highest single-season points total in the history of the program.
This season has been a bit slower for Hagens. He “only” has a goal and 13 points in 10 NCAA games. It’s nowhere near 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini’s production, but it’s still tops among freshmen league-wide.
Hagens’ shot is elite and his playmaking is out of this world. A clip of him went viral a few weeks ago, showing how little he looks at the puck. That allows him to see his passing options better and to avoid contact from opponents.
Barring any extremes, Matthew Schaefer will be the first defenseman drafted this year. He has four goals and 16 points in 12 OHL games this year — and he’s a 17-year-old defenseman.
He almost plays like a fourth forward because he’s always involved in the rush. But no matter how deep he gets into the offensive zone, he always makes it a priority to get back to his defensive post before the puck comes back up ice.
Schaefer has all the hard skills of an elite new-age hockey player: His skating is top-tier, which allows him to get to open ice. His playmaking is nothing short of remarkable and his shot could be accurately described as a bullet.
If you would have taken a poll in 2022 asking who the 2025 first-overall pick would be, the answer would have been clear: Michael Misa. As the draft approaches, he’s still considered a top prospect but he isn’t necessarily on the same level as most of the other players granted “exceptional player status” as 15-year-olds.
For those who aren’t familiar, exceptional player status grants a player the ability to join the CHL at age 15, rather than 16. Only nine players have been granted that honor. Of the seven that have already been drafted in the NHL, four went first overall: Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard, John Tavares and Aaron Ekblad.
Don’t get it twisted — Misa is still a very good hockey player and he will be among the first players drafted this year. He leads the OHL in scoring with 42 points in 21 games and he’s second in CHL points. He also won the Memorial Cup last year with the Saginaw Spirit.
Misa is the complete package. He can skate, he can shoot, he can make plays and he can defend. He’s not McDavid, but he will likely become a first-line center in the NHL.
A 6-foot-5, 192-pound center is always hard to pass up in the draft, especially when he scores more than a point per game in his draft year. That’s why there won’t be many players selected before Roger McQueen this year.
McQueen is everything you think of when you hear the phrase “power forward.” He carries the puck to the slot unopposed every time because nobody can stop him. His puck protection is some of the best in hockey and he’s as strong as anyone.
McQueen has been out with an upper-body injury since Oct. 11.
It’s not often that a draft-eligible player is the captain of a CHL team, but Porter Martone is. Leadership isn’t his only strong suit — He’s currently second in OHL scoring.
Martone is creative. He uses his skating and stickhandling in ways that create space, and then he exploits that space, often ending plays with the puck in the back of the opponent’s net.
In addition to his skill, Martone has the size that NHL general managers look for. He’s 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, and you can see it in the way he plays. It’s also worth mentioning that he’s as good defensively as he is offensively.
Martone is so good, in fact, that some people think he even has a shot at the first-overall spot. It’s probably too early to really tell exactly where he’ll go, but he will definitely be a high pick who helps an NHL team a few years down the road.
For the first time ever, the top prospects in the CHL will face off against the U.S. National Team Development Program in a two-game series. The CHL projects that half of the players drafted in the first round this year will play in the series.
Aside from Hagens, who does not play in the CHL or on the U.S. national team, and McQueen, who is injured, everyone on this list will be there.
The games are on Nov. 26 and 27 in Ontario, Canada, but they will be streamed online for those interested in watching.