By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
In most draft cycles, there is a player or players who are taken much earlier than the consensus expectation. For example, last year, Beckett Sennecke was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks, leading to an all-time draft reaction by Sennecke himself. Most people thought Sennecke might go in the top ten, but to see him go third was a shock. While he might not be selected quite as high as Sennecke, center Brady Martin has made a late push to be a top ten pick in the 2025 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
A native of Elmira, Ontario, Martin put up 72 points in 57 games for the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League this past season. He also had 11 points in seven games at the Under-18 World Championship in Texas, helping to lead Team Canada to a Gold Medal. Martin’s strong performances as an assistant captain for Canada has contributed to his status as a potential late-riser.
At 6’0″, 174 lbs, Martin is renowned for his physical play. He is an excellent forechecker, and he has an almost comical highlight reel of him pasting opposing defensemen and forwards to the glass. He can throw devastating reverse hits when dumping the puck in on the forecheck, and finishes hits all over the ice.
“The hallmark of his game is his skating and determination are excellent.“, said Craig Button of TSN on Martin. “His willingness to use those two things to impact the game significantly is tremendous and in so many different areas. I see somebody from a scoring offensive point of view, from a physical catalyst, to penalty killing, he’s got a significant presence in the game.“. Martin also boasts a tremendous shot, scoring 33 goals this season with the Greyhounds, second on the team. His shot is powerful, often beating Goaltenders clean both high glove and high blocker side. Martin’s offensive ceiling at the NHL level is most likely somewhere between 20 to 30 goals a year.
Martin was viewed by most as someone belonging in the 11 to 19 range of the first round for the majority of the season. However, after a dominant U18 performance and a strong second half of the year in the OHL, Martin has begun to appear in the top ten of some rankings. Button has him as the sixth-best player in the class, while Bob McKenzie of TSN has him at 12. Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet ranked him seventh. Finally, NHL Central Scouting ranks Martin 11th among North American skaters.
All things considered, I think Martin would be a good fit for the Bruins. He checks a lot of boxes that the Bruins seem to value. He fits a clear area of need for them at center, brings a physical game that they seem to crave, and can score. He might end up being a wing at the NHL level, but the Bruins could use some of those, too. While he isn’t as good a playmaker as Jake O’Brien, his passing is good enough that he should be a top-six forward in the pros. He should be viewed as a legit candidate for the seventh overall selection if he’s still available.
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