Boumedienne has 'got a really big upside' entering 2025 NHL Draft

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 defenseman Sascha Boumedienne of Boston University in Hockey East. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Sascha Boumedienne recalls being "star-struck" during the 2018 NHL Draft after a chance encounter with No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Josef Boumedienne, Sascha's father, was director of European Scouting for the Columbus Blue Jackets at the time, and his son was helping as a "runner" on the draft floor. Josef, a fourth-round pick (No. 91) by the New Jersey Devils at the 1996 NHL Draft, played 47 games for the Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Washington Capitals from 2001-04.

"It was a real fun experience just being on the floor, running around helping the Jackets," Sascha said. "A lot of people don't get to do something like that, and just seeing all the players and kind of having that dream that maybe one day I could be stepping on that stage too."

Dahlin, who is from Sweden like Boumedienne, was chosen No. 1 by the Buffalo Sabres.

"I got to chat with him a little bit, and he signed my jersey," Boumedienne said. "I was pretty star-struck, but I talked to him. I was fortunate it was the draft that he went first overall."

Seven years later, it's Boumedienne's turn to shine.

The Boston University defenseman won't go No. 1 to the New York Islanders, but there's a good chance he could be selected in the first round. The 18-year-old (6-foot-2, 184 pounds) is No. 18 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

"I'm at my best when I'm moving my feet and skating, making it hard on the other team," Boumedienne said. "Getting up the ice and making plays with our forward lines, getting in on that second wave and kind of creating offense from there."

Boumedienne had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists), 24 blocked shots and was plus-8 in 40 games for Boston University in Hockey East as the youngest defenseman in NCAA Division I hockey this season.

"His skating really stood out when our staff was recruiting him," Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo said. "He was already at that age to be a good two-way player, had some offense in his game, but also was good defensively because he could really close. He had a good stick, took good angles, so those were some of the things that really stood out."

Boumedienne improved over the course of the season and received plenty of help when he was paired with countryman Tom Willander (Vancouver Canucks).

"Me and Tom became best friends ... it wasn't often you'd see me without him or him without me," Boumedienne said. "I learned a lot from him; he's a stud of a hockey player and he's going to have a real long career. It was great learning from him."

Pandolfo said Willander did a lot for Boumedienne's confidence.

"It's hard for a defenseman to enter college hockey, never mind he's 17, because even guys who are 19, 20 years old don't have it easy at the college level," Pandolfo said. "Sascha and Tom developed a really good relationship. Sascha could bounce a lot of things off Tom, and they spent a lot of time together off the ice."

Boumedienne enhanced his draft status with an eye-opening performance at the 2025 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, setting the tournament record in assists (13) and points (14) by a defenseman. He averaged 24:29 of ice time in seven games for Sweden, which took home the silver medal. Boumedienne was named the tournament's top defenseman.

He had interviews with 28 teams during the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.

"Based on how he developed over the course of the season for us, playing in the national championship final of the NCAA Frozen Four tournament, I would certainly think he should be a first-round pick," Pandolfo said. "He averaged 23-25 minutes a night, which is pretty impressive for an 18-year-old, and he's still got a lot of room to grow as a player too. I know there are a lot of teams really high on him, so I'd be surprised if he gets out of the first round, that's for sure."

Prior to joining BU, Boumedienne had 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 49 games with Youngstown of the United States Hockey League in 2023-24 and was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team.

"Boumedienne came on our radar screens last year as a first-year player with Youngstown of the United States Hockey League," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "That's a tough league to step in and produce the way he did.

"He has that European pro style about him, where he just goes about his business and gets the job done. His ice time continued to grow at BU, and he was playing all situations ... even in the last minute of periods. Our NHL comparable players to him were Cam Fowler and Jonas Brodin.

"This is a prospect we think is going to have a very productive NHL career, and he's got a really big upside."