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, we examine draft needs for teams in the Pacific Division. Full draft coverage can be found here.
The 2025 NHL Draft provides an opportunity for teams to shore up positions of need with an injection of young talent.
Here are what Pacific Division teams could be looking to do at the draft (teams listed in alphabetical order):
Anaheim Ducks
Top Priority: Young wings
First pick: No. 10
The situation: One of the Ducks' biggest strengths is their emerging talent at center, led by Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson. But the best way to make those centers even better is to give them high-skill wings. Cutter Gauthier scored 20 goals in 82 games as a 21-year-old rookie and 19-year-old Beckett Sennecke, the No. 3 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, is projected to be a top-six forward. But they need to add more like them, and they should have the opportunity to do that with 10 picks, including six in the first four rounds.
Possible fits: Victor Eklund, RW, Djurgarden (SWE-2); Porter Martone, RW, Brampton (OHL); Roger McQueen, C, Brandon (WHL)
Calgary Flames
Top Priority: Center
First-round picks: No. 18, No. 32
The situation: The Flames' top two centers this season were Nazem Kadri, who is 34, and Mikael Backlund, who is 36 and unsigned past the 2025-26 season, so finding some help through the middle is an imperative. Calgary has selected three centers in the draft the past two years, but none earlier than the fourth round, and none of them project to be full-time top-six players. They'll have a chance to replenish their prospect pipeline with seven selections this year, including the No. 32 pick in the first round, which they acquired from the Florida Panthers as part of the trade of forward Matthew Tkachuk in 2022.
Possible fits: Braeden Cootes, C, Seattle (WHL); Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (WHL); Cole Reschny, C, Victoria (WHL)
Edmonton Oilers
Top Priority: Prospect depth
First pick: No. 83
The situation: The Oilers' first selection will come in the third round after they traded their first-round pick (No. 31) to the Philadelphia Flyers for the chance to select forward Sam O'Reilly in the first round (No. 32) in the 2024 NHL Draft, and sent their second-round pick to the Utah Mammoth. Edmonton has made just 14 selections the last three years at the draft and has only three picks this year, with one selection each in the third, sixth (No. 191) and seventh rounds (No. 223), so maximizing their opportunities will be key. Finding the best player available will be the focus, regardless of position.
Possible fits: Kristian Epperson, LW, Saginaw (OHL); Max Psenicka, D, Plzen (CZECHIA); Louis-Antoine Denault, G, Quebec (QMJHL)
Los Angeles Kings
Top Priority: Forward depth
First pick: No. 24
The situation: Center Anze Kopitar will be 38 when next season starts and center Phillip Danault will be 32, so looking for some youth through the middle will be important for the Kings. Prospect depth in general will be key for Los Angeles, which has selected 10 players at the draft the past two years. Forward Liam Greentree, the No. 26 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft and their first first-round selection in three years, took a big step forward after finishing third in the Ontario Hockey League with 119 points (49 goals, 70 assists) in 64 games for Windsor and projects to be a top-six forward. Now they need to find a player who has the potential for a similar impact with at least one of their seven selections.
Possible fits: Milton Gastrin, C, MoDo Jr. (SWE-JR); Benjamin Kindel, C, Calgary (WHL); Jack Nesbitt, C, Windsor (OHL)
San Jose Sharks
Top Priority: Forward depth
First-round picks: No. 2, No. 30
The situation: With Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith having standout rookie seasons, it appears the Sharks have begun to establish a successful foundation. Having the No. 2 pick should allow them to add another top-end piece, and the focus could be on one of the top centers available to provide depth behind Celebrini. They also have the No. 30 selection, acquired from the Dallas Stars as part of the return from the trade of forward Mikael Granlund and defenseman Cody Ceci on Feb. 1. The Sharks also have two picks in the second round (No. 33, No. 53) and nine selections total.
Possible fits: Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton (QMJHL); Anton Frondell, C, Djurgarden (SWE-2); Michael Misa, C, Saginaw (OHL)
Seattle Kraken
Top Priority: Defensemen
First pick: No. 8
The situation: The Kraken have drafted a few defensemen who look like they'll have a chance to grow into contributing NHL players, including Tyson Jugnauth (2022, No. 100), who was named the top defenseman in the Western Hockey League this season, as well as Lukas Dragicevic (2023, No. 57) and Ty Nelson (2022, No. 68). But after taking forwards with their first pick the past four years in the NHL draft, including center Berkly Catton at No. 8 at the 2024 NHL Draft, they now have an opportunity to add a defenseman who projects to be a top-pair player.
Possible fits: Kashawn Aitcheson, D, Barrie (OHL); Radim Mrtka, D, Seattle (WHL); Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)
Vancouver Canucks
Top Priority: Defensemen
First pick: No. 15
The situation: Quinn Hughes is one of the elite defensemen in the NHL, a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the League's best at the position this season after winning it in 2023-24. He could be joined next season by 20-year-old Tom Willander, the No. 11 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft who signed his entry-level contract in May after two strong seasons at Boston University. With Willander's graduation to pro hockey, the Canucks lack a dynamic defenseman prospect who can bring further youth and skill to their pipeline. Vancouver also could look to add a center with the first of its seven selections.
Possible fits: Kashawn Aitcheson, D, Barrie (OHL); Cole Reschny, C, Victoria (WHL); Jackson Smith, D, Tri-City (WHL)
Vegas Golden Knights
Top Priority: Prospect depth
First pick: No. 58
The situation: The Golden Knights have selected eight players at the draft the past two years; one of them, forward David Edstrom, their first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (No. 32) was traded to the Sharks as part of the package for forward Tomas Hertl. That trade also included their first-round pick this year (No. 26). Vegas' first of six selections comes late in the second round, and at that spot it could look to find a goalie to develop after selecting just two in the past four years. Looking to get younger at defenseman also could be an option.
Possible fits: Semyon Frolov, G, Spartak Jr. (RUS-JR); Aleksei Medvedev, G, London (OHL); Maceo Phillips, D, USA U-18 (NTDP-USHL)
