2025 NHL Entry Draft: Golden Knights trade up twice, draft forwards Ihs-Wozniak and Nobert

The Vegas Golden Knights did not have a selection in the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft but made two trades early on day two to move up in the second and third rounds. With those picks, Vegas drafted forwards Jakob Ihs-Wozniak at No. 55 overall and Mateo Nobert at No. 85.

Vegas moved picks No. 58 and No. 122 to Nashville to move up three spots and draft the Australian-born Ihs-Wozniak 55th overall. Ihs-Wozniak is the highest Australian-born player taken in NHL history.

The Golden Knights then traded picks No. 91 and No. 154 to Pittsburgh for No. 85, which they used to take Nobert.

No. 55: Jakob Ihs-Wozniak (F) — Luleå HF (SHL)

Ihs-Wozniak was originally born in Adelaide, Australia but was raised in Sweden. He scored 23 goals and 57 points in 40 games for Sweden’s Luleå HF’s J20 team this past season. It was somewhat of a disappointing year considering he put up 50 points in 36 games the year before, but despite the production plateau, Ihs-Wozniak is a talented player who could have been a late first-round or early second-round pick. He scored one goal and added one assist in 13 games at the senior level.

Ihs-Wozniak was ranked eighth overall by NHL Central Scouting among international skaters. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound winger has a powerful stride, strong playmaking ability, solid vision and a great shot, which is considered his best asset.

Ihs-Wozniak has a wide arsenal of different shots he can execute with precision and power, including catch-and-release wristers, in-stride releases, and one-timers. To complement the pure shooting prowess, he’s also one of the very best at finding scoring opportunities away from the puck, timing his movements to the slot and for rebounds and having a knack for playing off stronger playmakers.

—Elite Prospects

 

Scouts cite inconsistency as the main slight on his game, opening question marks and likely leading to him slipping in the draft. There have been some concerns among scouts about his play away from the puck, and his transition game and defensive play have been hit-or-miss. Ihs-Wozniak needs to be more physical and ramp up his urgency.

The offensive production from last year is pretty much the same this season, but he has some consistency issues, and there are still questions about his off-puck engagement from shift to shift. However, the flashes of his playmaking and goalscoring ability are high-end, especially his one-timer.

—McKeen’s Hockey

No. 85: Mateo Nobert (F) — Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

Nobert scored 28 goals and 67 points in 62 games for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL last season, a significant jump from his 26-point campaign in 62 games in 2023-24.

Mateo Nobert is an intelligent, playmaking forward. There’s not much missing in his passing arsenal. Aware and precise, he knows the routes of teammates and hits them just as they get open and can shift the defence with planned movement to open up space for others. The more space he has, the more deceptive and clever he becomes. His feel for position only amplifies his play-driving abilities, as he can link multiple plays in a sequence, and also prevent the opposition from doing the same.

—Elite Prospects

An excellent passer, Nobert was ranked 56th by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters. The 6-foot, 183-pound center is a fantastic playmaker with great hands and high-end vision.

Nobert’s offensive skillset alone is impressive as he can hurt you in multiple ways. He has the ability to be a constant play driver and catalyst every time he’s on the ice, showing great confidence and compete level. He shows great anticipation to be in the right spot to intercept plays and quickly go into attack mode when he does, always forcing defenders to make a mistake. He has a good shot as he had 28 goals, but always has the awareness to crash the net for second chance opportunities. 

Nobert shows great energy and pace and when he’s free and in control with the puck, he’s constantly finding those open lanes and the high danger areas. He has great creativity and puck skills to manipulate plays and open things up well as it always works to his advantage. His speed and agility helps tremendously to win those 50-50 battles and regain possession. He’s quick, agile and has the edgework to pivot quickly and get around defenders easily. He’s always creating opportunities for himself and for his teammates, always being a threat when leading through the neutral zone and cycling in the offensive zone.

—The Hockey Writers

The 17-year-old native of Beaconsfield, Quebec was one of the youngest players in the draft. The main knock on his game is his size, as he lacks the strength to compete in the dirty areas.

Nobert is still extremely light, and it shows up consistently on the ice and in data. He wins just 47% of his puck battles and is knocked off pucks frequently. He gives only 0.4 hits/game and receives 0.63, often ending up on the wrong side of contact and trapped along the wall. Until he builds more lower-body strength and core stability, his high-end puck skill will be neutralized at the next level.

—NeutralZone