Welcome to the first article and ranking for the 2025 WHL Draft. If you are newly subscribed, this will be my fifth WHL Draft that I will be covering and submitting a 110+ player ranking for eventually; an ever expanding exercise as the year rolls along. The 2021 WHL Draft has seen young men already drafted into the NHL and players both flourish and adapt as the landscape of junior hockey and NCAA dreams change so quickly. Building a team for WHL purposes doesn’t look like it did a few years ago but ranking these players continues to be the first and most important challenge.
Our primary goal at Puck Preps from a vision perspective focuses on our rankings being a projected assessment towards NCAA recruitment which means targeting how good players might be when they are 18-20 years old and older. It means our goal is to push through the stat lines of today and try to find a projected value of a player down the line. It is nice to see players come into the WHL at 16 years old and have strong rookie seasons but we know that the development curve for players is vastly different. I could speak about these dynamics way more individually but that should be a solid baseline for beginning to discuss the 2010-born players and the upcoming 2025 WHL Draft. So as I love to say… We have to begin somewhere, so let’s begin.
As always, rankings can be a hot button topic as can be seen in the public NHL sphere. Anyone who has ever put out a ranking has always been immediately criticized, pulled apart, and often we focus on the one or two names we disagree on to really thwart the process. I do it, and I imagine you’ll do it in some form to these rankings too. That’s ok. The first ranking is always a bit of a mishmash anyways so I like to characterize it almost as “Hey, here are 20 players that I’ve found that I very much like.” Regardless of how you or I would mix them up, they are all currently exceeding in their craft at this level and should have a strong future as they move up levels. I like to think of the rankings as a blurry picture. Slowly, the image will get more in focus and take shape.
The Top-2
I think anyone who follows this age group closely knows that it has been a debate between the top-2 for a while now. Our current number one ranked Maddox Schultz has 42 points in 22 games to lead the SMAAAHL in points. He’s been a dominant two-way force for the Regina Pat Canadians U18 team and has really impressed me this season; already exceeding my expectations coming in. He is a dual threat playmaker and scorer, does not back down in physical battles along the boards, and his habits are already so well formed in such a mature effectiveness.
For the Langley Hockey Academy U18 program, Liam Pue has 19 goals and 9 assists in 17 games currently, which leads the league in goals and sits him 2nd in PPG. Liam is incredibly dangerous off the rush and driving down towards the goal. He’s got a terrific shot release and the length of reach to drag laterally and deke goaltenders as well. I’ve already had folks in my inbox making their case for both of them and even stamping their seal of approval on who they think they would take 1st overall. Either way, the conversation of this draft certainly begins with those two.
The Next Forwards
It began at the CCM 68 event where Louis Oscar Holowaychuk established himself with his consistency. There were others at the event who were bigger, stronger, or faster than him in smaller pockets, but he is so smart and aggressive in the various ways he attacks the net. I’ve seen him borderline embarrass some backcheckers and defensemen who have allowed him to get into the high slot and shoot with the accuracy that he can. He’s smart, adaptable, and dynamic. He’s currently 2nd in PPG in the CSSHL with 23 goals and 16 assists in 17 outings for St George’s School U15 Prep.
We bounce over to the Brandon Wheat Kings U18 team where the mature Reid Nicol has performed very well this season as he’s a PPG with equal goals and assists in 24 outings. Reid plays such a strong compliment style of game, often choosing routes and positioning to support linemates and control possession rather than playing hero hockey and taking higher end risks. At 6’1 and 175 lbs, you can already project his skating stride and physicality to be adaptable to the WHL.
The rest of the ranking includes players like Kain Martinuik who drifted down south to Shattuck St Mary’s 14U but had a strong showing last season in the CSSHL U15 Prep division as a rookie. Other players in that mix are Ben Oliverio who also played CSSHL before heading to the AEHL this season, and others across the CSSHL including Teagen Bouchard for NAX U15 Prep, Athens Shingoose for Rink Winnipeg, and the pair of forwards from BWC in Cohen Baker and Logan Henry.
The Evolving Defensemen
While there are a smattering of defenders who are at different stages of their development, I think it is going to be a solid year for this 2010-born group. Cruz Jim is an electric skater on his edges and can certainly close gaps, open shooting lanes, and adapt to play in the blink of an eye. He’s led the charge for the strong NAX team this season and comes in at number 5 on the list. I think there are elements of his game which remind me of someone like Tanner Molendyk.
Right after him is another smaller defensemen who continues to impress in Ryker Doka. He moved to the Delta program this season and has been an offensive dynamo; controlling possession and slashing into the zone seemingly at will with smarts and great vision. His style of play is certainly comparable to Calder Hamilton who was taken in the 6th spot last season by the Calgary Hitmen.
The next grouping of defenders can be described with power, two-way defensive play, and real quality puck control to simply keep pucks in deeper and get heavy shots through on net. Charlie Leonard has these high-end flashes in both ends of the ice and is learning to find a balance with effectiveness and simplicity while Nolan Wolitski brings size, motor, powerful skating stride, and is tough to play against in seemingly all situations. Denys Lupandin has looked excellent at both the U15 and U18 levels in my views this season, showing why his decision making in motion makes him so effective.
Thor Liffiton is a 6’1 extremely mobile defender who is a December born. I think he might be someone to watch closer as his upside is still being tapped into since his skating stride is such an advantageous part of his game. Roan Greschuk is certainly an effective favorite of mine from his two-way decision making as well. The smaller, offensive defender in Mateo Ferreira has lit up Manitoba’s point totals and his vision is excellent. Closing off the top-20 list are Holden Wouters who has been an outstanding two-way presence for St George’s and the towering Christopher Kokkoris from Yale. Two of the last three seasons, there have been physical giant defenders being taken in the top-10 which includes Owen Hayden to Kelowna at 9th Overall in the 2024 WHL Draft and the still growing Peyton Kettles landing in Swift Current in the 2022 WHL Draft. A defender like Kokkoris might be certainly higher on lists for their size and growth capabilities.
This class of players is growing on me, especially in the 1st round. I also think there were about another five players who I considered sneaking at the tail end of the list in consideration. I’m sure the first few “I can’t believe you didn’t have _______” will include those five players. It is close, for sure. Once the next grouping of names starts though, it opens up pretty wide.
Once you get past the top-2 in this draft, I think it is pretty comparable to the 2009-born group and the 2007-born group. I imagine the next ranking will start to tap into some of the very strong two-way players still on NAX’s program, some of the top scorers in the AEHL, and a smattering of players across Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Check out the full top-20 2025 WHL Draft ranking.