2025 NHL Draft Live Grades and Analysis for Every 1st-Round Pick
Hannah Stuart
Jun 27, 2025
The first major business of the 2025 NHL offseason takes place Friday night as the 2025 NHL draft commences in Los Angeles.
Despite long odds, the New York Islanders won the draft lottery and will be picking first. Will they select defenseman Matthew Schaefer or opt for the upside in Michael Misa?
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19. St. Louis Blues: Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Strengths: Playmaking, vision, precise shot
Weaknesses: Does too much sometimes
B/R Rank: 12
Pick Grade: A
Analysis: The St. Louis Blues snagging Justin Carbonneau at 19th is a solid get. All aspects of his offense are valuable—his shot is great, his instincts and vision are high-end, and he can use that vision to set up teammates. The way he approaches the game will make him a great addition to the Blues' prospect pool.
There are a lot of players in this year's first round who have high potential when it comes to creative playmaking and dynamic offense, and the No. 1 thing we want to see from them moving forward is maturity concerning decision-making.
Carbonneau is one of those players. He's a threat in every area of the ice, with the puck and without it. His combination of vision and playmaking abilities, alongside his quick release, makes him dangerous offensively. His skating speed and the way he uses it to chase loose pucks or burn opponents make him dangerous defensively.
The problem—again, a common one—is that he can try to do it all himself. And this is so often where mistakes happen. When you're only relying on yourself, you miss opportunities. You turn the puck over. You get intercepted by an opponent who may not have been an issue if you'd made a pass moments before.
If Carbonneau can rein in his desire to do it by himself and utilize his playmaking abilities and vision more to find teammates and set them up, he'll have no trouble in the NHL.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/252 ... round-pick
NHL 1st Round Draft Grades Round-Up
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Re: NHL 1st Round Draft Grades Round-Up
2025 NHL Draft live tracker: Grading every pick in the first round
Mary Clarke
USA Today
Despite a near five-hour run time, the first 32 picks of the 2025 NHL Draft are in the books.
Friday night's first round was pretty tame considering there were quite a few rumors suggesting that teams were looking to jump into the top-10. While we got a handful of trades on the evening, all of them were for draft positioning and featured no real buzz overall.
Still, the New York Islanders held the No. 1 overall pick coming into the night and selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer out of the OHL to kick the night off. From there, the draft proceeded slowly but methodically as many of the top prospects were taken off the board as the night progressed. The NHL draft resumes on Saturday afternoon with rounds two through seven to finish off the weekend of picks.
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19. St. Louis Blues: F Justin Carbonneau, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Carbonneau has quite the offensive touch and bills as a power forward at the NHL game. NHL scouts like Carbonneau's offensive skills a lot, which makes this a nice value pick for the Blues, as he has the tools to grade out as a really solid and creative offensive play driver.
Grade: B+
https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 336225007/
Mary Clarke
USA Today
Despite a near five-hour run time, the first 32 picks of the 2025 NHL Draft are in the books.
Friday night's first round was pretty tame considering there were quite a few rumors suggesting that teams were looking to jump into the top-10. While we got a handful of trades on the evening, all of them were for draft positioning and featured no real buzz overall.
Still, the New York Islanders held the No. 1 overall pick coming into the night and selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer out of the OHL to kick the night off. From there, the draft proceeded slowly but methodically as many of the top prospects were taken off the board as the night progressed. The NHL draft resumes on Saturday afternoon with rounds two through seven to finish off the weekend of picks.
- clip -
19. St. Louis Blues: F Justin Carbonneau, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Carbonneau has quite the offensive touch and bills as a power forward at the NHL game. NHL scouts like Carbonneau's offensive skills a lot, which makes this a nice value pick for the Blues, as he has the tools to grade out as a really solid and creative offensive play driver.
Grade: B+
https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 336225007/
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Re: NHL 1st Round Draft Grades Round-Up
Thanks for taking the time to post these.
Re: NHL 1st Round Draft Grades Round-Up
2025 NHL Draft grades for every pick, trade
By Tristin McKinstry
ClutchPoints
Jun 27, 2025
Follow along with the 2025 NHL Draft as ClutchPoints tracks and grades every selection and trade in the first round.
It's time to put down the NHL Mock Drafts and prepare for the real thing. The 2025 NHL Draft is underway from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. Draft day has already seen a ton of movement, with the New York Islanders trading Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens dominating the headlines.
Trade rumors are always in high gear this time of year. Oftentimes, the buzz never truly lives up to the hype. In fact, we're only two years removed from an NHL Draft that featured no first-round trades. However, this year could be different, as nearly every team in the league is trying to make something happen. The decentralized nature of this year's event could also play a role in any movement.
There's no more time left to waste. The 2025 NHL Draft is officially underway. Stick with ClutchPoints as we track all the activity and instantly grade the picks and trades as they come down the pike. The entire first round order will be displayed below. Please refresh your browser to ensure you get the latest information.
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19. St. Louis Blues – Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
There are a lot of people who believe Justin Carbonneau could become one of the best players to come out of this class. There is a lot of work that needs to happen before he reaches those sorts of heights. However, St. Louis is getting one of the best pure goal scorers in this class. He can work as a power-play specialist in the top-six. If the Blues can cut out his turnover issues, there may be a more complete player here.
Grade: B+
https://clutchpoints.com/nhl/nhl-storie ... ades-trade
By Tristin McKinstry
ClutchPoints
Jun 27, 2025
Follow along with the 2025 NHL Draft as ClutchPoints tracks and grades every selection and trade in the first round.
It's time to put down the NHL Mock Drafts and prepare for the real thing. The 2025 NHL Draft is underway from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. Draft day has already seen a ton of movement, with the New York Islanders trading Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens dominating the headlines.
Trade rumors are always in high gear this time of year. Oftentimes, the buzz never truly lives up to the hype. In fact, we're only two years removed from an NHL Draft that featured no first-round trades. However, this year could be different, as nearly every team in the league is trying to make something happen. The decentralized nature of this year's event could also play a role in any movement.
There's no more time left to waste. The 2025 NHL Draft is officially underway. Stick with ClutchPoints as we track all the activity and instantly grade the picks and trades as they come down the pike. The entire first round order will be displayed below. Please refresh your browser to ensure you get the latest information.
- clip -
19. St. Louis Blues – Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
There are a lot of people who believe Justin Carbonneau could become one of the best players to come out of this class. There is a lot of work that needs to happen before he reaches those sorts of heights. However, St. Louis is getting one of the best pure goal scorers in this class. He can work as a power-play specialist in the top-six. If the Blues can cut out his turnover issues, there may be a more complete player here.
Grade: B+
https://clutchpoints.com/nhl/nhl-storie ... ades-trade
Re: NHL 1st Round Draft Grades Round-Up
I'm sure this has been posted elsewhere, but Corey Pronman's analysis of the pick...
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19. Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
November 25, 2006 | 6' 1" | 192 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Player comparable: Dylan Holloway
Analysis: Carbonneau has been a top player in the QMJHL. He’s a very strong skater and puck handler who can beat defenders one-on-one at full flight. He’s a physically developed winger who plays hard and can win puck battles fairly often. His style of play is highly translatable to the NHL game with the pace and effort in his shifts. He has a great shot and is often a threat to score from the faceoff dots with his one-timer. The one issue with Carbonneau is his decision-making at times is questionable, and I wouldn’t call him a natural playmaker. He projects as a top-six winger.
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19. Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
November 25, 2006 | 6' 1" | 192 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Shot: High-end
Player comparable: Dylan Holloway
Analysis: Carbonneau has been a top player in the QMJHL. He’s a very strong skater and puck handler who can beat defenders one-on-one at full flight. He’s a physically developed winger who plays hard and can win puck battles fairly often. His style of play is highly translatable to the NHL game with the pace and effort in his shifts. He has a great shot and is often a threat to score from the faceoff dots with his one-timer. The one issue with Carbonneau is his decision-making at times is questionable, and I wouldn’t call him a natural playmaker. He projects as a top-six winger.