Blackhawks 2025 NHL Draft Wrap Up: Size Does Matter

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft has concluded, and now that the smoke has cleared, the Chicago Blackhawks have eight new prospects added to an already talented pool. There was definitely a theme to this year’s draft class: size and toughness. According to Blackhawks director of scouting Mike Doneghey, the Blackhawks felt they needed to get “a little bit harder, tougher, to protect some of our skilled guys.”

On Friday night, general manager Kyle Davidson made three first-round selections, giving him a total of 11 in his first four drafts. He had two picks heading into the opening round but traded a pair of second-round picks with the Carolina Hurricanes to make a third pick for the second year in a row. We recapped those three selections last night:

• No. 3, Anton Frondell – C,  Djurgårdens IF, SHL (6-foot-1, 205 pounds)
• No. 25, Václav Nestrašil – RW, Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL (6-foot-6, 185 pounds)
• No. 29, Mason West – C/W, Fargo Force, USHL (6-foot-6, 218 pounds.

Rd. 3, No. 66, Nathan Behm – LW/RW, Kamloops Blazers, WHL (6-foot-2, 203 pounds)

Nathan Behm was projected to be a late second-round pick by some, so getting him in the third round felt like a bonus.  He scored 31 goals and 66 points in 59 games for the Blazers this season. Scouts touted him for his stick-handling skills and his ability to weave in and out of traffic. He has a quick and accurate shot that he can fire off from anywhere with multiple release angles. He possesses the size and skill to become an NHL player one day, but he needs to improve his consistency from game to game.

Rd. 4, No. 98, Julius Sumpf – C, Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL (6-foot-2, 190 pounds)

Julius Sumpf, born in Munich, Germany, has spent the last two seasons playing in Quebec. He scored 26 goals and 65 points in his 58 games during his draft season. His 10 goals and 16 postseason points helped Moncton win the QMJHL championship. He also captained the German U20 team at the World Junior Championship. Sumpf is a smooth skater who does a good job of using space on the ice. He’s a candidate to start the season in the AHL.

Rd. 4, No. 107, Parker Holmes – LW, Brantford Bulldogs, OHL (6-foot-4, 223 pounds)

Blackhawks scouts had the opportunity to see a lot of Parker Holmes this past season, as he was a teammate of Nick Lardis and Marek Vanacker in Brantford. If they blinked, they missed his offensive output as he scored only one goal in 21 games. He’s a big-bodied player who plays with a lot of energy and will return to the Bulldogs to try to find more offensive touch.

Rd. 6, No. 162, Ashton Cumby – D, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL (6-foot-5, 216 pounds)

The lone defenseman of the 2025 draft class, Ashton Cumby, is a big, punishing blueliner. He had an offensive uptick last season with two goals and 13 points in 68 games, while racking up 102 penalty minutes. He’s another one of “harder, tougher” players Doneghey talked about, but his two-way game is improving.

Rd. 7, No. 194, Ilya Kanarsky – G, AKM Tula, MHL (6-foot-3, 192 pounds)

I’m a firm believer in drafting a goaltender every year, and the seventh round is the perfect time to do so. Ilya Kanarsky put up a 22-8-1 record, a .938 save percentage, a 2.24 goals-against average, and four shutouts in 34 regular-season games with AKM Tula last season. The 20-year-old netminder is a long-term project, but the Blackhawks’ goaltender pipeline is looking solid these days.

This was, by far, the least flashy of Davidson’s draft class since becoming general manager in 2022. The Blackhawks needed to add more size and grit to the prospect pool, and this was a good draft to accomplish that. It will ultimately be a top-heavy class, with West being a wild card of sorts. Behm could be a diamond in the rough if he develops correctly. If you’re one of those who have been screaming in my mentions that the Blackhawks need to get bigger and meaner, then this draft class should appease you.