AnalysisMatthew Schaefer was selected with the No. 1 pick by the Islanders in the 2025 NHL Draft. Bruce Bennett / Getty ImagesAug. 24, 2026 6:00 am EDT Updated To kick off a week-long look back at recent NHL Drafts, we start with the 2025 draft class. Only one year removed, there isn’t a ton of major movement among the top names, with a lot of the high picks still being mostly represented at the very top of this list.The most notable movement probably comes from Flyers winger Porter Martone, who had a marvelous season between Michigan State and in the NHL, although I may be slightly biased as I had him rated this high a year ago. The other big mover is Montreal second-round pick Alexander Zharovsky, who skyrockets into the top 15 in this class after a great KHL campaign. Another notable name who rose up was a re-entry prospect in Tampa Bay’s Benjamin Rautianen, who led Liiga in scoring last season.Aug 24, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms