With their first pick of the 2025 NHL Draft, which came late in the second round, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Ethan Czata from the Niagra IceDogs. The 18-year-old forward put up 21 goals and 34 assists in 68 games during the OHL regular season. He chipped in another 2 assists in 5 games in the playoffs.
He’s not a huge player, but does have a physical edge to his game. Let’s go to the Elite Prospects draft profile:
“While defence was the constant in Czata’s game this season, it’s his playmaking and off-puck offensive skills that had us come back to his tape.