Biggest winners & losers from Day 2 of 2025 NHL draft ft. Vegas Golden Knights

Day 2 of the 2025 NHL draft is in the books. Rounds 2-7 went without a hitch, leaving some memorable moments along the way.

But amid the buzz and excitement surrounding the 224 picks, three winners and losers emerge as those who will take away some crucial lessons from the 2025 NHL draft.

So, let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the 2025 NHL draft.

Biggest winners and losers from 2025 NHL draft

Winners

#3 Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins spent the entire time at the draft wheeling and dealing. In total, the Penguins came away with three first-round picks in Day 1.

But on Day 2, the Penguins came away with 10 picks, including three in the third round. The club also acquired defenseman Connor Clifton from the Buffalo Sabres in a relatively minor trade.

The Penguins have gone a long way toward restocking their prospect cupboard while giving fans plenty to cheer about.

#2 Haoxi Wang

The 33rd pick of the 2025 NHL draft was used on Haoxi Wang. He became the first Chinese-born player to be selected in the NHL draft.

The Beijing native was selected by the San Jose Sharks. Wang is a 17-year-old defenseman and looks like a stud at 6-foot-6 and 209 pounds.

#1 Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings stole the show on Day 2 of the 2025 NHL draft by pulling off a massive trade to acquire John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Petr Mrazek and two mid-round draft picks.

The Red Wings also added seven more picks on Day 2 in addition to picking Carter Bear on Day 1 with the 13th pick. The Wings walked away from this weekend as one of the clear winners.

Losers

#3 Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche had just three picks on Day 2 of the 2025 NHL draft. They had one third-rounder, a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder. The Avalanche did a good job of finding solid players with their picks, but they don't seem likely to have much of an impact at the NHL level.

#2 Edmonton Oilers

Like the Avalanche, the Oilers had a low number of picks in this year’s draft. The Oilers picked from the third round on, taking interesting if unspectacular players.

The Oilers got Tommy Lafreniere with the 83rd pick. The 18-year-old looks promising, but has a long way to go in the NHL.

Beyond that, the Oilers’ following picks are wishful thinking, at best.

#1 Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights had just four picks in the entire draft. The Knights had one second-round pick. They used it on Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, a promising right-shot forward.

From there, the Golden Knights didn’t manage much in terms of high-end talent. The Golden Knights did little to replenish their prospect pipeline. But as long as they remain competitive, fans won’t mind very much.