With Gavin McKenna committing to Penn State for the upcoming season, the focus is now on other top NHL prospects and their collegiate intentions.
McKenna, a projected first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is transitioning from the CHL to the NCAA. This raises questions for top 2025 prospects who face similar decisions regarding their immediate future in the coming weeks.
Several prospects have already finalized their plans. Players who signed entry-level contracts, like eighth-overall pick Jake O`Brien (Seattle Kraken), eleventh pick Ben Kindel (Pittsburgh Penguins), and twenty-seventh pick Lynden Lakovic (Washington Capitals), will return to their respective CHL teams (OHL/WHL) if they don`t immediately make their NHL rosters, as signing a pro contract prevents NCAA play.
Conversely, some draftees are heading to college hockey. Fourteenth-overall selection Jackson Smith (Washington Capitals) is committed to Penn State, and eighteenth-overall pick Cole Reschny will play for North Dakota.
This situation creates a dilemma for NCAA programs trying to determine whether to reserve roster spots for these potentially high-impact players. The lack of historical examples in this specific scenario makes it unprecedented.
Below is a look at some of the other notable players from the 2025 draft whose next steps are still undecided.
First-overall pick Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders, OHL Erie Otters)
Transitioning directly to the NHL is often considered more challenging for defencemen than forwards. Owen Power, the last defenceman drafted first overall before Schaefer, returned to the University of Michigan for another season after being selected by the Buffalo Sabres in 2021.
Despite being limited to just 17 games last season due to injury, the exceptionally talented Schaefer still aims to make the immediate jump to the NHL.
