2025 NHL Draft Hypelist: Forwards the Dallas Stars could or should target

They don't have a lot to choose from but that doesn't mean there isn't any to be found.

At last, my favorite time of the year. The NHL Draft.

And no, I don’t care that Dallas doesn’t even start drafting until the third round. With six total picks in this draft (two in the fourth, and one in every round beyond the first two), it’ll be slim pickings. To recap, the Stars don’t have their first two picks due to two rentals: Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci this year, and Max Domi from 2023. They got back the fourth round pick they originally lost in the Nils Lundkvist trade with the deal to send Mason Marchment to Seattle.

It’s been awhile since Dallas got any value out of their picks beyond Round 1. In fact, Jason Robertson and Logan Stankoven is the only one that comes to mind in terms of recent picks and that was eight years ago. I’m a big believer in Tristan Bertucci and Aram Minnetian as legit longshots. With all their draft capital spent on Mikko Rantanen, Dallas is gonna need to hit big on these, because the entry-level reinforcements aren’t coming unless they go Columbo on this class.

Can they? I believe so. I always find talk of a “weak” draft to be counterproductive. The point in any draft is to find value. You either find it or you don’t. The players either develop into what you’ve researched they can expect to become, or they don’t. I’m not saying this draft is Strong, Actually. Nor am I confident Dallas will find anyone of value based on what is likely to be available. But this is about potential, and potential’s always there. Instead of focusing at the best players available, I’ll be focusing on the players Dallas is most likely to be looking at (with one exception) based on their prospect pool’s needs. Below are eight names you should be absolutely delighted to hear on draft day if Dallas calls them.

You’ll see a lot of cribbing from Mitch Brown and Lassi Alanen’s tracking project, as well as Will from Scouching for more data and film analysis. An assist from Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler at The Athletic obviously. And of course — EPRinkside’s 2025 Draft Guide. It’s not quite Proust, but it’s just as massive.

Ivan Ryabkin

• Position: C/LW

• Profile: 5’11, 201lbs

• League: USHL

• Player Class: Specialist

• Player Type: Scoring Threat, PP Specialist

I don’t want to plagiarize myself, so check my other place for my top 32 that comes out on Thursday where I explain Player Class and Player Type if you want to know what those are¹.

Let’s be clear. Ryabkin probably won’t be available at 94th overall. The only reason I’m discussing him here is because there is, at least, a non-zero chance that he is. Based on discussions from scouts…well let’s just read some of the choice quotes from Wheeler’s series of interviews:

• “Not on our list.”

• “Third round at the earliest.”

• “Major red flag.”

• “Fifth round.”

• “Round 4 earliest.”

• “Haven’t seen him.”²

Ryabkin was supposed to the next in line of recent and great young Russian players, like Matvei Michkov and Ivan Demidov going into his draft year. He even broke Michkov’s U17 scoring record in the MHL. The hype was real and then…disaster.

Ryabkin is an odd duck. In terms of skills with the puck, he’s got high level tools to execute chances for himself, and especially for his teammates. He’s a classic dual threat…when he’s on. Problem is he’s not on often, and even then, it’s hard to really tell what his ceiling is, or even what his profile is given how generic he often looks — even as an athlete (in fairness, Michkov isn’t a premiere athlete, but boy does he have one of the best CPU’s in the game). Still, if he drops to 94, I’m bringing in the cavalry: conditioning coaches, a sports psychologist, the works. This is a player who was a consensus top five pick ahead of his draft year. He’ll be the most talented player available if he falls here.

Philippe Veilleux

• Position: LW

• Profile: 5’9, 165lbs

• League: QMJHL

• Player Class: Specialist

• Player Type: Scoring Threat, Elusive Carrier

Why would a 40-goal scorer fall to the third round? Easy: check his height. Obviously, there’s more to it than that. Small players inspire confidence when they can jailbreak pressure with their speed. When they don’t, Veilleux is what you end up with. What I like about Veilleux is that he’s good in the areas that tend to translate: the neutral zone is harder to crack at the pro level, and Veilleux has the inherent ability to do exactly that. Both a playmaker and a shooter, with strong vision and a sharp linkset for his teammates, there’s a lot to like about what he can do if he develops more pace and strength. Especially for a Stars team bereft of left wings in their system.

Gustav Hillström

• Position: C

• Profile: 6’1, 174lbs

• League: J20 Nationell

• Player Class: Generalist

• Player Type: Gritty Grinder, Pillar of Support

You’re not gonna find many players in this range that achieved pro experience like Hillström did in the Swedish Hockey League, but here he is. There’s not a lot to his game. He’s tall, moves well, shoots okay, but most critically — plays strong in the neutral zone. The Stars don’t need help down the middle, but a meat and potato bottom six center (his ceiling) in time for when Matt Duchene’s contract ends seems like a decent gamble. Especially if he develops a bit more muscle and mass.

Jimmy Lombardi

• Position: C

• Profile: 6’0, 175lbs

• League: OHL

• Player Class: Generalist

• Player Type: Elusive Carrier, Puzzle Piece

I know that Dallas needs left wingers, but centers can more easily transition to wing, and Lombardi is a left shot. Like most players that tend to fall in these later rounds, he doesn’t have the physical tools: neither fast nor big, he was a classic support player on the Flint Firebirds squad, managing 45 points in 63 games. Given that Dallas seems to catch a lot of Firebirds games (having drafted two players within the first two rounds from there: Ty Dellandrea and Tristan Bertucci), don’t be surprised if they have an eye for a quality bottom six space creator.

Filip Ekberg

• Position: LW

• Profile: 5’9, 166lbs

• League: OHL

• Player Class: Generalist

• Player Type: Efficient Attacker, Scoring Threat

I don’t expect to Ekberg to fall to 94 at all. Not only was his season defined by a strong second half, but he scored four goals at the U18’s for Team Sweden. Although small, he’s probably THE most confident forward at this point in the draft. He executes plays off the puck with precision, vision, and pace. Despite not being a plus athlete for his size, his routes are clean, making him more agile and able to find quiet ice quicker than you’d think. It helps that his puck control is exquisite for a third rounder. If the Stars nab him at 94th overall, it would be a massive steal IMO.

Absurd fancy stats don’t hurt, even if they don’t tell the whole story. After all, you don’t have to watch the spreadsheets. You can watch the games!

Shamar Moses

• Position: RW

• Profile: 6’1, 200lbs

• League: OHL

• Player Class: Generalist

• Player Type: Pillar of Support, Puzzle Piece

Don’t be surprised if Dallas looks Moses’ way on Saturday. For better or worse, teams are starved for size and toughness. Perhaps thinking the only way to win is to be Florida (nevermind that Marchand is 5’9 or that neither Barkov nor Reinhart are rat bastards), teams won’t pass on a player that fits the “playoff model” of effectiveness. Enter Moses. While he’s not quite the typical power forward, he’s not that dissimilar either. His puck skills flash a bit of silk, but his physicality is used well too. He’s not a mindless crasher. Though lacking in speed, he is not lacking in skill, which is pretty good for a selection this far down in the draft.

Matouš Kucharčík

• Position: C

• Profile: 6’3, 164lbs

• League: Czechia U20

• Player Class: Generalist

• Player Type: Pillar of Support, Elusive Carrier

Czech pivot Kucharčík’s counting stats won’t jump out at you, but man is there a lot to love here. Kucharčík is one of the more realistic picks at this range, which is great news for Stars fans in the universe where they take him. Again, Dallas doesn’t need more centers, but Kucharčík might be the rare BPA in the third and fourth rounds. What I love about Kucharčík is that he’s a legit athlete; so much so it’s hard to figure out why he didn’t produce more. Not only is he a tall, rangy center that leverages stickwork in all three zones on both sides of the puck, but he displays excellent instincts in his transition movement, and even offensively — there is occasional deception here, which is one of the most translatable skills moving into the pro level. Deception and neutral zone acument? Give this kid a victory green sweater.

Mads Kongsbak Klyvø

• Position: LW/RW

• Profile: 6’2, 194lbs

• League: J20 (Frolunda)

• Player Class: Generalist

• Player Type: Elusive Carrier, Pillar of Support

I take it back. Give this kid a victory green sweater! (Ideally both)

I really hate to do this. I hate comps, and I hate clickbait-ey language. But Klyvø — in addition to having the best name in this draft just above Mans Goos — really does scream Offbrand Roope Hintz. He’s not merely quick for a player his size; he has a powerful stride that leverages his frame through the neutral zone with the kind of north-south speed that translates well at the pro level. It helps that he has legit separation speed to boot. Even the criticisms of his game sound like Hintz his draft year — “limited offensive upside, not creative enough, lacks puck control, etc.” Even though he only ended the year with 29 points in 42 games, he exploded in his last 12 games at would would have been a 59-point pace through a full season. It’s cherrypicking obviously, but just saying: Klyvø has the most projectable profile of anyone in this group. If you hear his name called on draft day, get hyped.

Honorable mentions

• Tomáš Poletín, LW (U20 SM)

• Bruno Idžan, LW (USHL)

• Mateo Nobert, C (QMJHL)

• Noah Reed, LW (OHL)

Tomorrow we talk defenseman!³

1. I’ve actually talked about generalist vs. specialist here. The player types are lifted directly from Louis Boulet’s chemistry badges.

2. Good thing these are anonymous. Seems like something your GM probably doesn’t want to hear.

3. Paid. Sorry.