Fondrk was a bit of an anomaly in the 2025 draft, in that he was not a player over 6-2 as GM’s really wanted to focus on getting big players, even if they had a lower ceiling and chance to make the NHL than a smaller skilled forward. Fondrk’s initial draft stock was between rounds 2-4 but sunk as he struggled to start the season, but then after injury his play and stock improved. He has quite a bit of skill, which did not show up much in the stat sheet, drive and two-way ability. The feeling is that he can develop in a number of ways: a top six forward, a middle-six grinding forward who can ship in scoring, a bottom six shutdown centre, or the all-too-common depth forward.

Selected at fiftieth overall, Conrad Fondrk is now a member of the New Jersey Devils.

Final Ranking – Handling skill and playmaking vision, Fondrk needs to develop his consistency as well as his interior and off-puck games to elevate his skillset.—

June 2025The Boston University commit Conrad Fondrk might just be the best pick for you if you’re looking for the biggest upside swing in the middle rounds of the draft. While his stat line doesn’t really reflect that of a skill player—playing on a weaker NTDP team hasn’t done him any favors in this department—he has flashed some higher-end skill. To develop into a serviceable NHLer, Fondrk needs to improve his skating and physicality, but the overall foundation of his shooting, handling, and passing skills make him an intriguing player to use a draft pick on. Anni Karvinen