The Dobber Prospect scouting team has been hard at work this season viewing and ranking the NHL prospects available in the 2025 NHL Draft. Below are some over-agers who are available in 2025 that would be worth it for NHL teams to take a chance on.

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Topias Hynninen, C/W

Hynninen is a left-handed forward currently playing his third Liiga season (although his first consisted of only 15 games) with Mikkelin Jukurit. The name of his game is versatility. He can slot in as a winger or center and play up and down in the lineup. The foundation of his game is built on a strong work ethic, quick passing plays and feet that won’t stop moving. At 5-10, he is slightly undersized but compensates for it with his willingness to battle and play hard. 

One of the primary reasons Hynninen went undrafted last year was likely the combination of his smaller frame and lack of production. Playing mostly in Jukurit’s bottom-six, he finished the season with just nine points in 43 games. While he occasionally flashed his excellent playmaking abilities, his limited minutes and linemates — who profiled more as grinders than finishers — reduced his ability to produce offensively.

During this 2024-25 campaign, Hynninen has found the scoresheet consistently and been one of the few bright spots in Jukurit’s otherwise miserable season, that currently has the team sitting in last place. After a slower start, he’s been deployed regularly in Jukurit’s top line and he has rewarded the coaching staff’s trust by becoming the team’s most productive points per game player since November. Hynninen’s bread and butter in the offensive zone is his playmaking. His excellent vision allows him to find teammates with clever passes, and his high hockey IQ helps him to anticipate plays and position well. 

I would be surprised if Hynninen goes undrafted again this year, especially if he continues producing at a similar pace. He currently has 25 points in 36 games, which is impressive for a player of his age. While he didn’t showcase his best form at the World Junior Championship, missing the first game due to injury or illness may have affected his performance, and there is a chance he wasn’t playing at full health. Hynninen projects as a line-connecting playmaker capable of elevating his linemates’ performance. His strong B-game as a hardworking forechecking forward rounds out his profile in an intriguing way. I would rank him right now in the late second to early third round range, and I believe there’s a realistic chance he’ll get drafted somewhere between the third and fourth round.

By: Anni Karvinen, @ScoutWithAnni

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Jamiro Reber, C

Reber is an undersized 5-10 centerman currently suiting up for HV71 in the SHL. His game is built around his electrifying north-south speed and overall dynamism with the puck on his stick. Reber’s raw blend of speed, agility, and an explosive first step makes him nearly impossible to stop once in motion. Combined with a steadily improving puckhandling skillset, he is becoming more mobile laterally and increasingly capable of carving through defenders with ease.

Last season, Reber’s game was defined by his “glass cannon” profile: unbelievable speed and shot potential but highly one-dimensional and easy to predict. He lacked any meaningful men’s league experience, which raised doubts about his ability to handle higher levels of competition. As a late September birthday, mere days from being eligible for the 2025 draft, Reber was also one of the youngest players in his class and much smaller at the time. A mediocre performance on the international stage only added to the uncertainty, leaving scouts hesitant to take a chance on him.

This season his overall game has developed immensely. Competing against men in the SHL, he has addressed nearly every concern scouts had about his game. Reber’s physical prowess along the walls has taken a noticeable step forward, and his offensive toolkit has diversified, making him far less predictable. For a late September birthday, his level of play relative to his age is highly impressive, and he’s making it impossible to ignore just how versatile and effective he has become.

As a center, Reber covers a ton of ground with remarkable efficiency and effectiveness, showcasing his ability to contribute in all three zones. While slightly less impactful as a winger, his speed remains a game-breaking asset, allowing him to stretch defenses and create opportunities in transition.

With his exceptional growth over the past year, it is hard to imagine a world where Reber does not hear his name called on draft day. Despite standing at just 5-10, his ability to take over a shift and play a mature 200-foot game is eye-catching. It speaks volumes about his versatility, maturity, and how far his game has come in just one season.

By: Whittaker Heart @whittakerheart

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Sam Laurila, D

Laurila, a defenceman for the Fargo Force in the USHL, is a very intriguing re-entry candidate for the 2025 NHL draft. The 6-1, 187-pound left-handed defenceman hails from Moorhead, Minnesota, and spent the previous two seasons with the National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan. He was drafted in the 2nd round by Sioux City prior to being swapped to his hometown Force. 

Last year, Laurila’s offensive game drew concerns from NHL scouting departments and ultimately was passed up in the 2024 draft. Most of the concerns were warranted and derived from his lack of puck skills and offensive ability. Laurila only produced 11 points in 61 games with the USA’s NTDP and had a very underwhelming world U18’s. He struggled with pressure, had questionable decision making, and hardly created any offence. 

This year has been a different story for Laurila. He has moved back home to the Fargo-Moorhead region and took off with the USHL’s Force this winter. Laurila is the team’s leading point-getter and has shown strides of improvement offensively. Additionally, his defensive skills have gotten even better. He is a great rush defender that uses stick detail and a sturdy frame to eliminate quicker, more skilled attackers. Laurila’s game has been a bit of a revelation for myself this season. His defensive details have shown great improvement and he’s starting to produce at a very respectable clip. Also, he is a early September birthday, meaning he just missed the cutoff for the 2025 draft last year.

 With his growth and age both being considered, I would select Laurila in the 3rd-5th round and see what he becomes in the NCAA. He is headed to North Dakota in the NCHC, a program notable for churning NHL talent with every development resource imaginable, so there is a lot to like in his trajectory.

By: Seth Ditchfield @Seth_Scouting

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Kristian Epperson, LW

Epperson has been a revelation for the Saginaw Spirit and for good reason. He’s always been the player that we are seeing now: fast, intense, and strong with the puck. These have always been mainstays in Epperson’s game and a large part of why he has seen so much success with the NTDP and Shattuck St. Mary’s.

However, a main weakness present in Epperson’s game was his lack of coordination. One of the more recurring notes I had on Epperson when watching him last season was a difficulty in pulling out those high-end skills of his simultaneously. He struggled to flash his hands at his high speed or assess his options while in motion. This led to a lot of sequences where Epperson would get tunnel vision and take risks challenging players who could read his intentions and adapt, something that got more and more common as he ascended to games against some of the best youth his age group has to offer. This culminated in Epperson getting sent down to the U17 squad for the majority of the year and off the NHL draft radar.

It does not seem like that was anything to lose sleep over, as the Saginaw Spirit wasted no time getting him on board. It seems to be a perfect fit; the Spirit system rewards the high-risk, high-speed game that Epperson is naturally wired for. He has found the perfect GPS in Michael Misa, one of, if not the smartest, players the OHL has to offer, who utilizes Epperson’s ability to create space and blitz through defensive lines. When at his best, Epperson feels intangible and can flatly dominate defenses that cannot keep up with his speed. Not something you want to leave unchecked, as Epperson can easily punish teams with his snappy release or play keep away until his team can establish possession. And you do not want to be hemmed in the defensive zone against a team that rosters Misa and Zayne Parekh.

The improvement has definitely landed Epperson back into NHL draft conversation, and he may even be selected in the early rounds. However, question marks around his game still exist. To say that Epperson’s coordination flaw has been totally expunged wouldn’t be true. There is still the odd blooper of simple plays just collapsing at Epperson’s feet. Furthermore, the question of how well Epperson can work outside the Saginaw Spirit system is a valid one to consider. A by-product of the high event game Saginaw plays is that a lot of mistakes occur, and less room for that will be allotted at the pro level. One of the most recurring mistakes out of the Saginaw forward is a lack of discipline with his stick. As a result, the Saginaw forward is one of the most penalized forwards in the OHL, racking up 30 penalties in 40 games.

NHL teams have a lot to unpack with Epperson, but it is still no challenge to project him to a bottom-six energy role even if the scoring leaves him. He is as good a bet as you can make outside the top 64.

By: David Saad @SaadScouting

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