In 2023, teams that picked later were able to secure great forward talent and then in 2024 there were plenty of great defensemen with No. 1 potential.

That is not the case in the 2025 draft on Friday night.

During a year in which the presumptive top pick has fallen drastically due to upside concern and his size, an elite defenseman has emerged with a couple of top forwards filling out the top 10.

Despite Long Island native James Hagens dying to be selected by New York at No. 1, the Islanders will go with the super fast left-handed defenseman from the Erie Otters, Matthew Schaefer. Then, even at No. 2, the draft could open up with the Sharks having the ability to go in many directions, but for the next several picks each team will almost have to go with a forward or move back to maximize value.

AP File Photo Boston College forward James Hagens (10) reacts after scoring a goal during the third period of an NCAA regional against Bentley in Manchester, N.H.

With how the draft should shake out, center prospects Michael Misa and Anton Frondell are safe to go in the top 5. From there, teams in the back of the top 10 and even just outside might get a player they value that high.

Picking right in that range awaiting a falling player are the Buffalo Sabres at No. 9 and then the Penguins have consecutive picks at Nos. 11 and 12.

For Sabres fans there should be little concern over what occurs at the draft, the top priority will be positioning the roster when free agency opens on July 1. However, there will be an opportunity to add a significant piece to the prospect pool in the top 10.

The Sabres have done a poor job of providing a competent defense partner for both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, whether it has been through the draft, trades or free agency. At No. 9, Buffalo should be right at the end of the run on centers going to San Jose, Chicago, Utah, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston and Seattle.

One of those teams might select winger Porter Martone or a defender, but otherwise Buffalo will have its pick. If a team is going to go the defensive route it will likely be for 6-foot-6 right-handed defenseman Radim Mrtka of the Czech Republic.

That is who I believe the Sabres would like to target at their pick, but if he is gone it will be a blessing in disguise. While Mrtka is going to be a valuable defender in the NHL someday, his skating brings some concern and ability with the puck is not on the same level as either Logan Hensler of the University of Wisconsin or Jackson Smith of the Tri-City Americans.

While Mrtka physically is ready for the NHL he is quite a ways away when it comes to his decision making and the pace at which he plays.

If Buffalo goes the defense route, it should target Hensler who very possibly could be transitioning to the professional ranks as early as next season. Hensler is following in the same path as Zeev Buium, who was taken by the Minnesota Wild last year just outside the top 10 and is already on their roster after securing a second NCAA title and World Junior championship with USA.

Hensler comes in at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds, playing the right side and already competing at the collegiate level on top of being a winner with Team USA at the World Juniors as a draft-eligible player.

Hensler is a great skater and makes good decisions with the puck, and also could be the perfect complement to the game of Dahlin or Power.

If Buffalo doesn’t want either of those defenders, there is the possibility a high-end forward falls to No. 9 or they go with one projected near that range.

It is seeming more and more likely that James Hagens is going to fall out of the top 5 as teams covet size trying to replicate what the Panthers have. Then, shifting positions, jumbo winger Porter Martone could fall out of the top 5 even though his talent has him right there in this class and not being a center might have him slide toward the Sabres.

In recent years, Buffalo has scooped up Konsta Helenius and Zach Benson way later than they should have been drafted and this year the Sabres could do the same with Hagens or Martone.

Watching that slide other teams might attempt to jump up and grab one of those top talents.

The Penguins who will be making two selections right behind Buffalo at 11 and 12 have the ammo to package those picks to go even higher into the top 10.

While Buffalo is dying to get into the playoffs and its selection this year won’t matter too much, Pittsburgh appears to be heading toward a rebuild.

If the Penguins are absolutely in love with a player falling just outside the top 5 they could move in to take them, but that should only be done for Misa, Hagens or Martone.

Instead, Pittsburgh should just stay put outside the top 10 and grab a defenseman and a forward.

Already possessing several prospects on the right side of their defense, Pittsburgh is a perfect option for the top lefty choices in the class Jackson Smith, Kashawn Aitcheson or Cameron Reid.

Smith has all of the physical tools at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds and the elite skating to be a No. 1 defenseman, but his decision making is lacking which impacts his future offensive production. Kashawn Aitcheson is slightly shorter than Smith, but he plays with a lot of bite and could turn into a bruising old-school defender. Cameron Reid is another great skating lefty with a bit more puck skills and IQ than Smith Aitcheson, but he will never be as physical.

With the other pick, Pittsburgh could take one of the risky forwards coming off injuries like Roger McQueen or Carter Bear.

If it were not for a back injury, McQueen would have been a top-5 pick and maybe even contested for No. 1. However, the 6-foot-5 playmaking center who has shades of Ryan Getzlaf instead finds himself as a faller in this class. Bear is coming off an Achilles injury that ended his dominant season that saw him score 42 goals and 40 assists in 56 games in the WHL.

Until Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are out of the picture, Pittsburgh will be on the fringe of selecting in the lottery and in this situation they could scoop either lottery talent.

Staying safe the Penguins could go with goal-scoring winger Justin Carbonneau or speedy centers Cullen Potter or Braeden Cootes.

Beyond the first round of the draft the prospects become a wild card with a very low chance of turning into anything special, but there will still be some talents that can eventually make a positive impact in the NHL.

A couple of players that will wait until Saturday who could have big upside are centers LJ Mooney and Ivan Ryabkin, wingers Ryker Lee and Ben Kevan, and defensemen Carter Amico and possibly Kurban Limatov.

For fans of other teams some players to be excited if your team selects them in the first round are Swedish winger Victor Eklund, Erie Otters winger Malcolm Spence, Moose Jaw winger Lynden Lakovic, American forward Jack Murtagh and Victoria Royals center Cole Reschny.

Then teams should stay away from selecting top 10, Sam Bennett-wannabe Brady Martin, center Caleb Desnoyers and center Jake O’Brien. That trio still should go on the first round, but the upside offensively is not near Martone, Hagens or Misa.

Then players to avoid in the first round are centers Jack Nesbitt and Milton Gastrin and goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen. Both Nesbitt and Gastrin have their positives, but it is unlikely they will ever pay off offensively to be worth a first round selection and teams should avoid goalies this early as they take the longest to develop and more often fail when going that high.

Even with adding NHL-ready assets being the top priority for the Sabres, Buffalo needs to continue hitting on its draft picks to make itself more prepared for disgruntled players like JJ Peterka or damaged goods like Jack Quinn.

Pittsburgh needs to begin hitting on high picks and hope some late swings work out as Crosby and Malkin enter the ends of their careers.

While nobody knows what the careers of all these draftees will entail, it is for certain that with the diverse rankings of players it will be an interesting draft on Friday night.