The forward class in the 2025 NHL draft is deep, and we're moving on to another excellent hockey name today as we talk about Moose Jaw Warriors forward Lynden Lakovic. While his name reads like that of many Eastern European players, this is a strong Kelowna, British Columbia native and a great talent in the upcoming draft. He is versatile, strong, great offensively, and he looks like everything the New York Rangers want when they turn up to a draft.
At 6'4, he's already got the size to be in and around the NHL. He's a touch underweight for this frame, at 190 lbs, but this isn't a stick figure. He needs to continue to grow his muscles. That'll come with time, and his team in the Western Hockey League will help him establish his physical presence the longer he spends with them. When he turns professional, he'll also get help.
With the Moose Jaw Warriors this season, Lakovic has scored 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 47 games. That's a strong production line. Something that will concern teams is that he was a -25 on the year, which either points to defensive issues, most of his production came on the powerplay, or both. That will be something that needs fixing, but there is talent in a player like this, which is why he's an expected first-rounder.
Lakovic is expected to go in the 10-15 range in the draft, so he'd be right around the area the Rangers will pick if they retain their pick from the Vancouver Canucks, since that trade allowed the Blueshirts to maintain it if it was in the top 10. However, that isn't a certainty, and the Blueshirts may be forced to watch another team swoop in and pick up a talent like this.