It is almost Christmas morning for rabid NHL fans, as their favorite teams will participate in the 1st round of the 2025 NHL draft on Friday June 27th. That means teams adding pieces to their rosters who could have significant impact and shape their future. Teams like the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins will be selecting within the top 10 for the first time in years. While others like the New York Islanders and Utah Mammoth won their lotteries to move up into the top 5.
Today we will look at three NHL best bets I love for the 2025 NHL Draft. We will be looking to squeeze out some value and I will highlight some line movement I have noticed over the past month of following the lines. Most sportsbooks will allow you to pick prospects at certain draft spots (4th overall pick) or round sections (player to be drafted in the top 10). Other common draft bets will be to bet on a player going over or under a certain draft position. For instance, if the bet is “Caleb Desnoyers to be drafted at 5.5” the over would indicate they are drafted at the 6th overall pick or further down in the draft, while the under would mean Desnoyers would be drafted in the top 5.
1. Cullen Potter Draft Position Under 28.5 -120 on BetOnline:
Cullen Poter oozes with skill and could be the best skater of the draft
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2. James Hagens Draft Position Under 6.5 +100 on BetOnline:
James Hagens is part of a deep top ten which includes many centers for the NHL draft
Going into the hockey season many considered James Hagens a top three prospect. The silky center would be entering a stacked Boston College team many thought he would turned heads as a 17 year old rookie to the NCAA. However, he did not put up the production that many forecasted him to produce. While Hagens ranked 3rd in team scoring (37 pts in 37 games), earned Hockey East All‑Rookie honors, and held his own among older NCAA competition, he didn’t have the same success as other recent 17 year old’s in the NCAA like Adam Fantilli.
It’s difficult to say his season was a disappointment, but many would say it also wasn’t one of a top 3 pick. However, he plays a valuable position (center) that all teams covet. Unfortunately, he also is not the prototypical large center many teams look for. So while Hagens’ production wasn’t eye popping, and he doesn’t have the size of typical number one centers, all the tools are there. Hagens sports slick hands, elite skating, cerebral vision, along with solid two‑way play. Even if he doesn’t translate to center in the NHL he has all the qualities of an elite winger.
After the Utah Mammoth at number 4 there are two teams who could pull the trigger on James Hagens. Both the Nashville Predators and the Philadelphia Flyers could use all the skill they can find. Nashville is coming off a terribly disappointing season, and may see Hagens as a steal at the number 5 pick. Meanwhile the Flyers may look at Hagens as the center to their potential star winger Matvei Michkov.
While those two teams have reasons to make Hagens u7.5 draft position an NHL best bet, there is also the Long Island factor. Hagens comes from Long Island and the Islanders look to be sparking a rebuild. While they have the 1st overall pick of the draft, they are rumored to be looking to get back into draft range to grab the native islander. Utah is rumored to be shopping their pick, and the Islanders are dangling names like Noah Dobson, a defenseman either the Flyers or Predators could covet for their pick. With three potential teams being a great hit for Hagens, it’s no wonder why the plus money at this position is an NHL best bet.
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3. Kashawn Aitcheson Draft Position Over 11.5 -130 on BetOnline:
Kashawn Aitchenson is an absolute bully and brings many traits that make him stand out in the 2025 NHL Draft
Yesterday we discussed that the sheer amount of centers in this draft’s top 10 make it a unique one. And luckily almost every team in the top ten could use a center. It is not until the Seattle Kraken who hold the 8th overall pick do we find a team who may take the 2nd defenseman off the board (Schaefer is wildly considered the best prospect in the draft and is locked to go 1st overall). It gets murky to select the 2nd best defenseman of this class, but there are three that could all go one after the other.
The next group of defensemen consist of Radim Mrtka, Jackson Smith and Kashawn Aitchenson. They are often ranked in that order and usually are usually ranked as the 11th – 13th best prospects of the draft. While Aitchenson brings a very unique draft profile, it may not be enough to have him selected in the top 12. At 6’1″, 196 lb, Kashawn brings real NHL-ready physicality—hitting, board play, defensive instincts—even drawing praise for his presence in slot zones. He is a bully and violent on the ice. He also has offensive upside to his game scoring 26 goals in 59 games this season.
However, if Seattle takes a defenseman at 8, many believe that will be Mrtka. Mrtka not only plays right defense (a more coveted position than left defense as they are more rare to find) he also played for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, meaning the Kraken may love to keep the hometown player in Seattle, and mean they have viewed him many times this year. The Buffalo Sabres are stacked at left defense with two elite LD’s on their roster, so Aitchenson doesn’t make the most sense for them at pick 9. The Ducks hold the 10th pick and are also stacked at LD. Which means realistically Pittsburgh at 11 would be the first team to take the swing on Aitchenson.
Provided nobody trades up to select him this feels like an NHL best bet. Many have Aitchenson as the perfect fit for the Rangers at pick 12, just where we want him to go to cash out.
Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick