10 players on radar for 2025 NHL Draft passed over last year

The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 27-28 at L.A. Live's Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first round will be held June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 on June 28 (Noon ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at players passed over in the 2024 NHL Draft who could be selected this year. Full draft coverage can be found here.

First-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects aren't the only players hoping to hear their names called at some point during the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

There are several notable players passed over in the 2024 NHL Draft hoping for another shot.

"They're a more-known commodity," NHL Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "If the draft was 19-year-olds, we'd all be better scouts because you hear us talk at our meetings and say all the time, 'Has he matured?' It's experience.

"It's tough to build a winner and if you're drafting guys you know more about, you'll see more teams take that known commodity. Someone you know will be a better fit."

Kristian Epperson (5-foot-11, 180 pounds), a left wing with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League, might be at the top of the list of players expected to be chosen this year after not hearing his name a year ago.

"He just plays a really solid game in all zones with an excellent compete level," Gregory said. "Obviously, to play with No. 1 center Michael Misa all year long, and stay on that line and be a contributor, showed all aspects of his game."

Epperson had a nine-game point streak (17 points; six goals, 11 assists) bridging September and October, had 11 games with three or more points, and never was held off the score sheet for more than two consecutive games.

The 19-year-old was fourth on Saginaw with 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists), fifth with six power-play goals and second with three short-handed goals in 58 regular-season games. He had 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 42 games with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team in 2023-24.

Epperson is No. 47 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, a projected second- or third-round selection. He was No. 201 in the final ranking last season. He will continue his career at the University of Denver in 2025-26.

“There was a game I attended, probably around January, and the general manager told me that Kristian might not play since he had been sick for weeks and lost a lot of weight,” Central Scouting’s Nick Smith said. “Well, he ended up playing and was the best player on the ice. He does a lot of nasty little things that need to be done out there. He's a puck hound, a good penalty killer, finishes hits, and he takes pucks to the net.”

Here are nine other players passed over in 2024 who could be drafted in 2025 (listed alphabetically):

Linards Feldbergs, G, Sherbrooke (QMJHL): Few will forget the effort by Feldbergs (6-1, 194) to lead Latvia to a stunning 3-2 shootout win against Canada in the preliminary round of the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. The 19-year-old made 55 saves, plus eight in the shootout. No. 13 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies, he went 20-15-2 with a 2.66 goals-against average, . 903 save percentage and three shutouts in 41 games with Sherbrooke of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Feldbergs also was 4-5 with a 2.79 GAA and .918 save percentage in nine QMJHL playoff games.

"This kid could already play in the American Hockey League. He's that skilled," said Al Jensen of Central Scouting. "He's got the strength, the quickness and the athleticism. You look at him in there and you could tell he's got NHL written all over him. He could get drafted from the middle rounds to the late rounds, depending on if a team wants a goalie or if they like him enough."

Dawson Gerwing, LW, Kelowna (WHL): Gerwing (6-3, 225) wasn't ranked on Central Scouting's final list of North American skaters in 2023-24 but is No. 99 on the final ranking this season after he had 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) in 58 games with Swift Current and Kelowna in the Western Hockey League. He's also a physical force willing to defend a teammate (98 penalty minutes).

"He made a big improvement," Central Scouting's Tim Campbell said. "He went from fourth line to first line, earned power-play and penalty-killing time."

Wilhelm Hallquisth, D, HV71 (SWE): The 20-year-old right-handed shot (5-11, 181) is No. 49 in Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters. Hallquisth had nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 37 games in the Swedish Hockey League, Sweden's top professional men's league. Wilhelm's brother, 18-year-old defenseman Theodor Hallquisth, plays for Orebro's team in Sweden's junior league and is No. 10 in Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters.

"Wilhelm is a mobile, skilled offensive defenseman who consistently shows confidence and composure with the puck, especially in high-pressure situations," NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "His smooth skating, puck control and vision allow him to create dangerous chances from the blue line and act as an effective power-play quarterback."

Sam Laurila, D, Fargo (USHL): Laurila (6-1, 191) is No. 65 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters; he was No. 148 in Central's final ranking in 2024. Regarded as a stay-at-home defenseman, he led Fargo with 33 assists and tied for the team lead with 41 points in 57 games. The 18-year-old is committed to play at the University of North Dakota next season.

"He plays an excellent puck-retrieval game and is excellent on breakouts, whether he has to carry the puck or can find an open man on the move," Gregory said. "It's a skill that's really sought after at the next level, so I think the fact you're seeing that from him and his ability to create chances on the attack make him a very intriguing option in this draft."

Luke Mistelbacher, RW, Swift Current (WHL): Mistelbacher (6-0, 196) is No. 93 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters; he was No. 119 in 2023-24. The 19-year-old led Swift Current with 42 goals, 93 points and 13 power-play goals in 67 games this season.

"He's a player who should have been drafted last year," Campbell said. "Since Christmas of last season, he was one of the Western Hockey League's top scorers, and he's finished top 10 this year (eighth). Luke is a highly skilled, good skater, and he already possesses an NHL-caliber shot."

Niklas Nykyri, D, HIFK (FIN): Nykyri (6-2, 190), a left-shot defenseman, had eight points (one goal, seven assists) and a plus-4 rating while averaging 9:32 of ice time in 31 games with HIFK in Liiga, Finland's top professional men's league. The 19-year-old is No. 40 in Central Scouting's ranking of International skaters.

"Niklas has shown steady growth throughout the season, transitioning well to the Liiga level after recovering from a lengthy injury," Vuorinen said. "While not a flashy player, he's a mobile, smart and reliable two-way defenseman with solid puck-moving skills and good vision. Physically, he holds his own but still needs to improve his first-step quickness, defensive battle strength and overall aggression."

Bryce Pickford, D, Medicine Hat (WHL): The 19-year-old right-handed shot (6-0, 183) is No. 100 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters this season after he was No. 202 last season. He finished fifth among WHL defensemen with 20 goals and had 47 points in 48 games. He also had 20 power-play points (eight goals, 12 assists).

"He got a little bigger, got a little stronger this season," Campbell said. "His growth spurt might have been a little bit later but now he's won the top offensive defenseman in the WHL and he's super tough ... two pretty good things to have."

Benjamin Rautiainen, C, Tappara (FIN): Rautiainen (6-0, 174), No. 36 in Central Scouting's final ranking of International skaters, had 33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) and averaged 14:16 of ice time in 50 games as a rookie in Liiga. He stood out for Finland at the 2025 World Juniors, finishing with four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games and averaging 17:00 of ice time in a top-six role.

"Benjamin had a strong rookie season, showing steady development and offensive impact across multiple games," Vuorinen said of the 20-year-old. "Despite needing physical development, he's demonstrated high compete level, strong 1-on-1 skills and solid vision. His performance at both [the] Liiga level and World Juniors has highlighted his late-bloomer status and pro potential."

Andrei Trofimov, G, Magnitogorsk Jr. (RUS-JR): The 18-year-old was 13-7-2 with a 2.10 GAA, .929 save percentage and three shutouts in 26 games in Russia's junior league. Trofimov (6-2, 187) is No. 7 in Central Scouting's final ranking of International goaltenders.

"He's a tall, athletic goaltender, showing strong development and consistency throughout the season," Vuorinen said. "He plays with balance and calmness, moving efficiently in the crease with smart positioning and aggressive reads. His wide stance and excellent game tracking allow him to make difficult saves look routine without over-committing. Andrei is an A-level goalie prospect with pro upside, trending toward a solid pro potential."