MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- If the first set of Central Scouting rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft are any indication, there will be all sorts of players with Saskatchewan ties hearing their names called this summer.
A total of 15 players from Western Hockey League teams in Saskatchewan and seven who hail from the province were among 55 players from the league listed in NHL Central Scouting’s Preliminary Players to Watch List for the Draft this June.
Two players from the province were named ‘A’ rated prospects, indicating they’ll likely be selected in the first round.
Saskatoon’s Roger McQueen, who led the league in scoring with the Brandon Wheat Kings before going down with an upper-body injury, joined Macklin’s Cole Reschny of the Victoria Royals in earning the top rank.
McQueen had eight goals and 11 points in eight games before his injury and is a consensus top-10 pick in the early stages of the season.
Reschny, who is ranked anywhere from 13th to 27th among the various league onlookers, has three goals and 15 points in 10 games to sit tied for ninth in league scoring.
Joining the duo as ‘A’ rated prospects is Lynden Lakovic of the Moose Jaw Warriors. The West Kelowna, B.C. product is off to a great start with six goals and 16 points in 12 games to sit tied for sixth in WHL scoring. He’s projected to go anywhere from ninth to 39th overall.
Lakovic and Reschny will both be in action during the CHL USA Prospects Challenge series, which will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL faceoff against USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 Team. McQueen was also selected to play in the game but will miss due to his long-term injury.
Two defencemen with Sask ties received ‘B’ ratings, which means a second or third round selection.
Whitewood’s Reese Hamilton of the Calgary Hitmen and Swift Current Broncos rearguard Peyton Kettles from Winnipeg both received the second-highest rank.
Regina Pats defenceman Kolten Bridgman, who also hails from Regina, joins Victoria Royals goaltender and Prince Albert product goaltender Jayden Kraus as ‘C’ rated prospects, meaning a fourth or fifth-round selection.
Two players from the province received W ratings, with Saskatoon forward Kash Andreson (Lethbridge Hurricanes) and Wilcox right winger Joby Baumuller (Brandon Wheat Kings) expected to go in the sixth or seventh round.
Six players from Saskatchewan teams were rated W, including Winnipeg’s Ethan Bibeau (Prince Albert Radiers), North Vancouver’s Ty Coupland (Swift Current), Calgary’s William James (Saskatoon Blades), Dusseldorf, Ger.’s David Lewandowski (Saskatoon), Sturgeon County, Alta.’s Connor Schmidt (Moose Jaw) and Brandon’s Cole Temple (Regina) all projected as late-round picks.
You can check out the full Prelminary Players to Watch List by .
