Welcome to the Sound Of Hockey NHL Draft Live Blog! The Seattle Kraken enter Day 2 of the NHL Draft with four picks—barring any trades, that’s the fewest selections they’ve had in any draft in their five-year history.

We’ll be updating this post throughout the day as the Kraken make their picks. The most recent updates will appear at the top, so scroll down if you want to catch up on earlier news.

If you missed Seattle’s first-round selection of Jake O’Brien on Friday, you can check out our profile on him here.

2:06 PM: Round 7 is complete and the draft is done

1:59 PM: The Seattle Kraken draft Loke Krantz

With their final pick in the NHL Draft, the Seattle Kraken selected another Swede, this time, it was Loke Krantz from the Linköping HC junior team. He tallied 12 goals and 5 assists in 44 games with the J20 squad.

1:36 PM: The Seattle Kraken draft Karl Annborn

With their first newly acquired draft pick, the Kraken selected defenseman Karl Annborn from the HV71 junior team. Annborn is considered a balanced defenseman with a broad set of skills. He recorded 3 goals and 21 assists last season while playing for the HV71 J20 team.

1:25 PM: Seattle Kraken trade their 7th round pick

The Kraken traded the 198th overall pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for the 205th and 218th picks, both seventh-rounders in this year’s draft.

1:18 PM: Round 6 is complete

Draft is flying right now. Here are the picks from Round 6.

12:48 PM: Round 5 is complete

12:18 PM The Seattle Kraken draft Russian defender Maxim Agafonov

For only the second time in franchise history, the Seattle Kraken selected a Russian player, taking Maxim Agafonov with the 134th overall pick (goalie Semyon Vyazovoy was the other one in 2021). He’s currently playing for Ufa’s junior team in the Russian junior league, where he posted 14 points in 35 games this past season.

12:22 AM: Round 4 is complete

11:22 AM: Round 3 is complete

The Spokane Chiefs made their first pick of the 2025 Draft when Owen Martin was selected 92nd overall by Winnipeg. Here is the rest of Round 4.

11:02 AM: Kraken second-round selection Blake Fiddler speaks to the media

Blake Fiddler spoke to the Seattle media via Zoom after being selected 36th overall. Here are a few quotes from his media availability.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling, such a great organization. I couldn’t be happier to go to a team that seems like they wanted me, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

“A little bit emotional the past couple days, but it’s awesome to finally be picked.”

“I’m a rangy, two-way D-man that skates really well, especially for my size. I think that I use my legs all over the ice, I defend, good gaps, I can play heavy minutes, shut down top teams, and I have skills, so I’m able to use it offensively.”

10:31 AM: The Kraken select Will Reynolds

Will Reynolds is one of the younger players in this draft class, with an August birthday. He’s considered a shutdown defenseman with plenty of upside. He currently plays for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the QMJHL, though the team is relocating to Newfoundland next season. He had 4 goals and 14 assists last season.

With the 68th pick overall in the 2025 @NHL Draft the #SeaKraken select Will Reynolds.

Get to know Will: pic.twitter.com/b4f4GO6jlA

— Seattle Kraken PR (@SeattleKrakenPR) June 28, 2025

10:15 AM: Round 2 in the books….on to round 3

Here are the results of round 3.

9:56 AM: The draft is flying by, especially compared to Friday night

Kraken will not pick until early in the third but here are some bits and pieces of the action since the Kraken selected Fiddler.

• Two goalies have been selected in the second round. That’s four total in the draft so far.
• The Portland Winterhawks had their first player selected in Max Psenicka.

Round pick heading to Utah!

With the 46th overall pick in the 2025 @NHL Draft, we’ve selected Max Pšenička. pic.twitter.com/zdVGv7RnmR

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) June 28, 2025

9:28 AM: Seattle Kraken draft defenseman Blake Fiddler

Fiddler is a big defenseman for the Edmonton Oil Kings. He is the son of former NHLer Vernon Fiddler. Most analysts had Fiddler ranked late in the first round.

9:26 AM: We have a Seattle Kraken trade!!!

The Seattle Kraken traded the 36th and the 68th overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 36th and 38th pick. All picks are part of this draft.

#SeaKraken make a trade with the Flyers

Seattle receives picks 36 and 68 for picks 38 and 57

— Alison (@AlisonL) June 28, 2025

9:16 AM: The draft has officially started

As of now, the Kraken have four picks to start the day. Here is how they are distributed.

8:50 AM: T-minus 10 minutes until the start of Day 2

We’re back for Rounds 2 through 7 of the 2025 NHL Draft! If you missed last night’s four-hour-plus production, here are a few quick tidbits to get you up to speed.

• The Seattle Kraken selected Jake O’Brien, marking the fourth time they’ve drafted a center in the first round in their five-year history. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one scouring the internet for highlight reels of O’Brien—here’s one of my favorites:

• The Seattle Thunderbirds had a big night with two players taken in the first round: Radim Mrtka (9th overall) and Braeden Cootes (15th). The last time Seattle had two first-rounders was back in 2022, when Kevin Korchinski (7) and Reid Schaefer (32) were picked.
• The CHL led the way with 21 players selected in the first round, the league’s strongest showing since 2013.
• Canada was well represented too, with 20 Canadian-born players drafted in the opening round, the most in a first round since all the way back in 1987.
• As for surprises? There weren’t many. Most players went right around where public rankings had them pegged.
• Not draft related, but another piece of big news was that Philipp Grubauer will not be bought out.

Jason Botterill just confirmed that Philipp Grubauer will be back next season. #SeaKraken

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) June 28, 2025

Here’s a look back at all the Round 1 results:

Bruins

“You just got to go out there next year and prove everyone that passed on you wrong.”

By Conor Ryan

June 28, 2025 | 8:50 AM

5 minutes to read

COMMENTARY

Don Sweeney had heard all of the noise at this point when it came to James Hagens and his slipping draft stock. 

Anointed as the crown jewel of the 2025 NHL Draft class in the fall, the skilled Boston College forward opened his tenure at Chestnut Hill as a projected franchise center. 

Nine months later, the talk of Hagens’ game has shifted — with the narrative centered more around his shortcomings than the damage that he’s routinely doled out against opposing defenses over the last few years.

But with the ceiling of Boston’s next contention window stunted for however long the Bruins trudge forward without a proven talent down the middle, Sweeney wasn’t going to overthink things at pick No. 7. 

Hagens may not present the same imposing profile as 6-foot-5 Roger McQueen, nor is he as pugnacious as Brady Martin. 

There’s no guarantee that Hagens’s triple-digit scoring totals with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) will lead to him being a point-per-game regular at hockey’s highest level. 

But for all of the discourse regarding Hagens and his potential at the NHL level, Sweeney pushed back against talk of Hagens’s slide down to No. 7 on Friday. 

For Boston, Hagens represents more than just high value at where he was on the 2025 draft order. 

On a Bruins team in desperate need of talent, the Long Island native offers hope that reinforcements are on the way — and sooner rather than later. 

“He’s been that way his whole life — in terms of what he’s done,” Sweeney said of Hagens’ track record. “So we just hope the natural progression is you’ll be able to do at the NHL level.

“Again, it’s a tough league. You find that out when you get in. You realize that you’re in a much deeper pool of players and he’ll have his own challenges. But I think he’s driven to be that top player and wants to be a difference maker.” 

Despite his smaller frame at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, it doesn’t take very long to notice Hagens out on the ice. 

Be it his time with the USNTDP or at Boston College, Hagens uses his high-end speed and slick hands to gain clean entries and put opposing defenses on their heels.

A poised playmaker who likes to have the puck on his stick, Hagens can do damage from the perimeter by orchestrating Grade-A looks — or can cut toward inside ice and capitalize on the chaos that spills out in and around the crease. 

Hagens’ point production as an 18-year-old player at Boston College (11 goals, 37 points in 37 games) may not leap off the page — especially when compared to other freshman phenoms in Hockey East like like Jack Eichel (71 points in 40 games) and Macklin Celebrini (64 points in 38 games).

But Sweeney acknowledged that Hagens’ body of work against Hockey East competition didn’t stand as an outlier from his previous production with the USNTDP. 

“I think that’s a little unfair in terms of players going in as a freshman,” Sweeney said of Hagens’ first year at BC and whether it hurt his draft stock. “You look back at James’ track record, he’s been a prolific point producer. If you’d seen him in the World Juniors — again, against his peer group, he was on the upper echelon on the production side of things. 

“There’s been a few players, you’re right, that have gone into college hockey at that age and done better overall. But there’s no shade in the type of year he had — playing on the top line, one of the top teams in the country. So there’s no concern on our part in terms of thinking he took a step back from a production standpoint. 

“He’ll be perfectly fine moving forward. And that’s why we drafted him. We feel he’s a guy that can help generate offensively and continue to round out his 200-foot game, but wants to play it at every single situation and has produced at every level that he’s been at.”

Hagens shared a similar sentiment about his performance in Hockey East — especially when measured against the higher scoring totals that he would have inevitably racked up had he dominated against fellow teenagers in the Canadian junior leagues. 

“I think next year you’ll be able to hopefully see,” Hagens said of proving doubters wrong after his first year of college hockey. “I thought this year was really good. You just got to go out there next year and prove everyone that passed on you wrong. 

“But hey — I’m in a spot where I want to be. I wanted to be, I want to be a Boston Bruno. I’m really excited to get things going.”

Despite Hagens’s hope of making the jump to the pro game right away, Sweeney stressed that Boston won’t “fast-track” its new top prospect if he’s not ready in 2025-26. 

As the top returning talent at BC, Hagens could build off his promising freshman year on an Eagles team that will feature four other Bruins draft picks (Oskar Jellvik, Dean Letourneau, Andre Gasseau, and Kristian Kostadinski). 

And if Hagens takes another step forward with the Eagles, there’s a tangible scenario where Boston’s blue-chip prospect is ready to make the jump to the NHL ranks by late March 2026 — following the same path as his former BC teammate, Ryan Leonard. 

Hagens is not the perfect prospect, nor is it a guarantee that the former No. 1 prospect in his draft year will be the next Jack Hughes — or even a tier below, like the 5-10 Logan Cooley. 

But some things are indisputable with a player like James Hagens. 

The playmaking center racked up 102 points in 58 games with the U.S. U18 national team  —  outscoring the likes of Leonard (94), Phil Kessel (98 points), and Matthew Tkachuk (95 points) during their respective U18 campaigns.  Only Patrick Kane, Cole Eiserman, Clayton Keller, Jack Hughes, Auston Matthews, Will Smith, and Gabe Perreault matched or equaled those scoring totals with the NTDP.

His 22-point showing (nine goals, 13 assists) across seven games during the 2024 World U18 Championships set a new tournament record — surpassing the previous mark set by Nikita Kucherov. 

And now, that playmaking talent will be donning a spoked-B in the coming years — potentially feeding David Pastrnak one-timers as soon as next spring. 

For Bruins fans, that should stand as a breath of fresh air for a team awaiting for another franchise talent to step on the ice at TD Garden. 

“I wanted to be at a spot that wanted me the most,” Hagens said. “I’m so lucky that I ended up being a Boston Bruin. It’s the best spot in the world. It’s a dream come true for me and for my whole entire family.

“So I’m just so excited right now. I’m really excited to be able to say that I’m a Boston Bruin, and I take a lot of pride in that.” 

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

LOS ANGELES – Five future skaters for the University of Minnesota men’s hockey team were selected Saturday during day two of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Entry Draft from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. After adding the five picks in 2025, the Golden Gophers increased their all-time number of draft picks to 248, the most of any college hockey team.

Jacob Rombach was the first Gopher off the board, going No. 35 overall to the Nashville Predators in the second round. One round later, two more Gophers heard their names called – Mace’o Phillips at No. 80 overall to the Calgary Flames and Mason Moe at No. 90 overall to the New Jersey Devils. LJ Mooney followed in the fourth round at No. 113 to the Montreal Canadiens. Jacob Kvasnicka was the final Maroon and Gold selection at No. 202 overall in the seventh round to the New York Islanders.

Rombach played two full seasons with the Lincoln Stars in the USHL from 2023-25, appearing in 116 games. He posted 18 points during the 2024-25 campaign and finished third on the team with a plus-29 rating, while notching a pair of four-game point streaks. Rombach also competed in the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game and previously tallied nine points in 59 games during his rookie USHL season. The Blaine, Minn., native helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 World Junior A Challenge, recording a goal and an assist, and added two points at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He previously played high school hockey for Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids, where he recorded 19 points in 26 games as a sophomore. 

Phillips played with the USNTDP for two years between 2023-25, suiting up for 60 games with the U18s in 2024–25 and recorded six points from the blue line. Known for his physical style of play, the Wayzata, Minn., native led the team in penalty minutes both seasons, including 103 in his second year. He also competed in the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game and netted goals against the Fargo Force and Muskegon Lumberjacks during his U18 campaign. On the international stage, Phillips helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship and earned gold at the 2024 U17 Five Nations Tournament. Prior to joining the NTDP, he played prep hockey at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, where he posted 21 points in 27 games as a sophomore, including a hat trick and four-point performance at Champlin Park.

Moe played parts of two seasons with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL, totaling 63 games and finishing fifth in team scoring with 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) during the 2024-25 campaign. He recorded 12 power-play points, highlighting his offensive impact from the forward position. The native of Eden Prairie, Minn., also skated in six games with the U.S. National Team Development Program U18s, scoring three goals, and participated in the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game. Moe helped Team USA capture gold at the 2024 World Junior A Challenge and tallied four points at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Before joining the USHL, Moe starred at Eden Prairie High School, leading the team in scoring as a sophomore with 40 points in 27 games. 

Mooney spent two years (2023-25) with the USNTDP, appearing in 112 games and showcasing his offensive prowess with 51 points in 51 games for the U18 team in 2024-25. A product of West Mifflin, Pa., he ranked fifth in scoring and recorded 14 multi-point performances, including five games with three points. Internationally, Mooney helped Team USA earn a bronze medal at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, where he tallied 11 points in seven games and was named Player of the Game in the opener against Czechia. He also won gold at the 2024 U17 Five Nations Tournament and silver at the 2024 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. Before joining the NTDP, Mooney developed through the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite AAA program from 2020 to 2023.

Kvasnicka spent two seasons with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program from 2023-25,posting 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 66 games with the U18s during his second campaign. He ranked sixth on the team in scoring and tallied eight multi-point performances, including a five-point outing against Czechia. The Wayzata, Minn., product represented Team USA at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship, contributing five points in seven games, and earlier earned Player of the Game honors with a hat trick during a five-point performance at the 2023 World U17 Hockey Challenge. Prior to his NTDP tenure, he led Wayzata High School in scoring as a freshman with 45 points in 28 games, helping the Trojans reach the Section 6AA title game.

The Gophers begin the 2025-26 campaign on home ice at 3M Arena at Mariucci when they welcome former WCHA foe Michigan Tech for a series Oct. 3-4. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.

Minnesota Draft Notes

*At least one Gopher has been drafted in 51 of the last 52 NHL Entry Drafts dating back to 1974 with 2001 being the only exception. Minnesota’s 27-consecutive drafts with a selection between 1974-2000 are an NCAA record, while it is currently on a 24-year streak.

*After seeing five players selected, Minnesota now has three or more draft picks in 11 of the last 12 drafts. 

*Moe is the 12th all-time Gopher selected by the Devils and first since 2009 when New Jersey picked Seth Helgeson (114th overall) in the fourth round. The 12 draftees are sixth-most of any NHL organization.

*Rombach is the 33rd Gopher to be selected in the second round and first since Ryan Chesley in 2022 (37th overall; Washington Capitals)

*Phillips is the first Gopher selected by the Calgary Flames since Kris Chucko was selected 24th overall in 2004.

*Erik Johnson remains the highest draft pick in Minnesota history, going No. 1 overall in 2006, as one of 26 all-time first-round selections.

Click here for more information about Minnesota’s eligible prospects: 2025 Gopher Hockey NHL Entry Draft Guide