2025 NHL Draft: Top 10 left wings

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 June 27 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and Rounds 2-7 are 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 the top eligible left wings. Full draft coverage can be found here.

Carter Bear feels lucky that he'll be healthy when next season starts.

The Everett forward sustained a partially torn right Achilles tendon during a game March 9, but has made significant progress in his rehabilitation.

"It's going really well so far," Bear said during the NHL Scouting Combine. "My physio tells me I'm a month ahead of schedule. I'm already on my fifth skate, and last week I started doing weight-bearing [exercises] on it, so that's slowly picking up, start putting weight on it and getting that strength back. ... I'm day to day right now, just going off how I feel, and right now I feel amazing.

"[Doctors] said I'll be ready for [training] camp, and I'll be 100 percent for the season."

Bear (6-foot, 179 pounds), No. 10 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, tied for seventh in the Western Hockey League with 40 goals in 56 games with Everett.

Here are NHL.com's top 10 left wings available for the 2025 draft:

1. Carter Bear, Everett (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 10 (North American skaters)

Bear led Everett with 82 points and 14 power-play goals, and his nine game-winning goals were tied for second in the WHL.

The 18-year-old is well-regarded for his skill and work ethic, but also for his maturity. He spent his age-16 season in 2022-23 playing bantam hockey rather than the WHL like other top prospects. Rather than complain, he used it as motivation.

"He comes to the rink every day just wanting to be a player and wanting to learn and wanting to know what it takes to be a pro," Everett general manager Mike Fraser said. "You have a lot of time for players like that, that enjoy the game as much as they do but also have that business-like approach, to know when they've got to turn the light on and get to work. You never have to worry about that with him. I always describe him as a low-maintenance player."

2. Lynden Lakovic, Moose Jaw (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 14 (North American skaters)

Lakovic (6-4, 200) opened eyes at the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November with his skating and playmaking ability. The 18-year-old led Moose Jaw with 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 47 games.

"He's a big man and he skates very well," Central Scouting senior Western scout John Williams said. "He's got the speed to separate himself from defenders when he's attacking the offensive zone, and then he also has the skill level. He's a very good playmaker. He's really quite good at pulling up and hitting the late guy, pulling guys toward him and finding somebody off the far post. Great shot. He's a hard guy to handle at that size. He's a very interesting player for a lot of teams."

3. Malcolm Spence, Erie (OHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 17 (North American skaters)

Spence (6-1, 190) had 73 points (32 goals, 41 assists) in 65 regular-season games and nine points (four goals, five assists) in nine OHL playoff games.

The 18-year-old will play at the University of Michigan next season.

"I know what my game needs to succeed at the next level and because of that, I think Michigan was the direction I needed to take," Spence said. "Michigan has a really good development plan for me and just the day to day is something I really find attractive. If you want to be the best you have to train with the best, and because of that I was obviously really excited to be able to be part of that."

4. Jack Murtagh, USA U-18 (NTDP-USHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 30 (North American skaters)

Murtagh (6-foot, 198) tied for third with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team with 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) in 56 games, and led them with 165 shots on goal and seven power-play goals.

The 17-year-old, who is committed to play at Boston University in the fall, finished the season with six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games for the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

"He's a real complete player," Central Scouting associate director David Gregory said. "Can play 200 feet, manages the puck really well. He can get pressured and not give it away without thinking, he keeps his head up and makes a play. Love his hockey sense, and he's a real good competitor too."

5. David Lewandowski, Saskatoon (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 51 (North American skaters)

Lewandowski (6-1, 177) began the season with Dusseldorf in the top professional league in his native Germany, playing seven games without a point. But the 18-year-old found a better level of play when he joined Saskatoon in October, and had 39 points (15 goals, 24 assists) in 52 regular-season games. He also scored two goals in five games for Germany at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"At the [Hlinka Gretzky Cup] he looked like a player with pretty good hands and a good awareness in all zones, but his skating was not where it needed to be," Williams said. "As the season went on in Saskatoon, the hands, smarts and skill were still there, and the skating improved. He looked stronger and more fluid in his stride. His development will be interesting to watch. I think he has a pretty high ceiling."

6. Philippe Veilleux, Val-d'Or (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 91 (North American skaters)

Veilleux (5-9, 168) was third in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League with 87 points (40 goals, 47 assists) in 64 games, including 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in his final 26 games, while displaying a smart, mature game with good vision in the offensive zone. The 18-year-old also had six points (three goals, three assists) in five QMJHL playoff games.

"Veilleux is a smart, undersized offensive player," Central Scouting senior Eastern scout J-F Damphousse said. "Very crafty with the puck, excellent puck skill, vision and feel for the game. Creates offense with his IQ. Can slow the game down to his pace. Does a ton of damage on the power play, where he'll find seam passes but can also be a finisher."

7. Vojtech Cihar, Karlovy Vary (CZECHIA)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 4 (International skaters)

Cihar (6-foot, 180) had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 43 games in the top men's professional league in his native Czechia. The 18-year-old also had three points (one goal, two assists) in five games for Czechia at the World Under-18s, and two points (one goal, one assist) in seven games at the World Juniors.

"He is strong over the puck and can protect it in tight," Central Scouting director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He effectively utilizes his physical attributes and has excellent offensive smarts and tools. He's a dangerous player with the puck on his stick and can produce. He is an excellent puck handler, is deceptive with the puck, and has outstanding vision and playmaking ability. He also owns a great shot with power and accuracy."

8. Emile Guite, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 79 (North American skaters)

Guite (6-1, 176) started the season with seven points (three goals, four assists) in five games for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but the 18-year-old never found his stride in the QMJHL with 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists) in 59 games.

"Guite is a player with soft hands and an excellent shot release," Damphousse said. "He's a natural goal-scorer that probably squeezed the stick in his draft year. ... He improved his defensive play, but goal-scoring would be his calling card. Looking forward to see if he'll have a bounce-back season in 2025-26."

9. Kristian Epperson, Saginaw (OHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 47 (North American skaters)

Epperson (5-11, 180) was passed over in the 2024 NHL Draft but won't be overlooked again. The 19-year-old had 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games in his first OHL season after playing for the U.S. NTDP U-18 team in 2023-24. He spent most of this season playing on the same line with OHL leading scorer and projected top-five pick Michael Misa.

He's committed to play at the University of Denver in the fall.

"I love his compete level, love his hockey sense," Gregory said. "His play without the puck was really good. ... He had a different role with the [NTDP] the year before, didn't get picked, but now got put in a role to show what all of his skills are."

10. Lukas Sawchyn, Edmonton (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 69 (North American skaters)

Sawchyn (5-10, 168) was fourth among WHL rookies with 55 points (15 goals, 40 assists) in 66 games.

The 18-year-old is the younger brother of Florida Panthers forward prospect and Edmonton teammate Gracyn Sawchyn.

"Sawchyn is another player that got better as the season went on," Williams said. "Early on, he didn’t really have an identity on Edmonton. I felt that he over-deferred to his brother when they were on the ice together. There was a stretch when his older brother missed some time, and Lucas started to play a more determined and defined type of game. He wanted the puck, he wanted to make plays and score, he showed confidence in his abilities and showed he could be a difference maker. He’s a very good skater with speed, agility and quickness, so he can put defenders on their heels. He’s a bit undersized but he is willing to go to the hard areas."