Matthew Schaefer to Islanders, Michael Misa to Sharks in ESPN's 2025 NHL Mock Draft

The day is finally here.

The first round of the NHL Draft is set to begin Friday as the top prospects eagerly await to hear their names called. The New York Islanders hold the top pick and have the honor of determining who crosses the stage first.

ESPN's Rachel Doerrie released her final mock draft ahead of the first round and predicted where the Islanders, San Jose Sharks and several other teams could land with their top picks.

Doerrie predicted that the Islanders would use the No. 1 pick on Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer. The 17-year-old was limited to just 17 games in the 2024-25 season after he suffered a broken collarbone while playing for Canada at the 2025 World Juniors. In those 17 games, he scored five goals and had 22 points.

Schaefer is rated as the No. 1 prospect by NHL Central Scouting and clocks in at 6'2'' and 196 pounds. He projects as a two-way defenseman that could make the Islanders feel more comfortable moving on from players like Noah Dobson or Alexander Romanov.

The Islanders could potentially be intrigued to select Boston College center James Hagens, a Long Island native, with the pick. However, Doerrie has them selecting the best player available and solidifying the defensive core for years to come.

Doerrie has the San Jose Sharks selecting forward Michael Misa with the second pick in the draft. The Saginaw Spirit star has spent time at both center and wing in his junior career and could fill either role for the Sharks. He is rated as the No. 2 player by NHL Central Scouting and has a 6-foot-1, 182-pound frame.

Misa scored 62 goals and had 134 points in 67 games for Saginaw in 2024-25. He captained the squad and has tallied over a point a game in all three seasons of his junior career.

The 18-year-old could join a Sharks core that has young stars in Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith and William Eklund. He could make the team out of camp, return to juniors or potentially go the NCAA route next season.

Doerrie had the Chicago Blackhawks taking forward Anton Frondell third, the Utah Mammoth taking forward Brady Martin fourth, the Nashville Predators taking forward Porter Martone fifth, Hagens going sixth to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins taking forward Caleb Desnoyers seventh.

If the Islanders select Schaefer No. 1, they could be a team to monitor to trade back in to the top five or 10 to select Hagens.

The 2025 NHL Draft is set to start at 7 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.