date: 2025-08-15 10:00:00,
Introduction
The Montreal Canadiens are no strangers to finding hidden gems by being the ones to take a chance on smaller players in the draft. Clocking in at #21 in the ranking is the 5’7” L.J. Mooney, the 113th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. His size does not define him however, as Mooney plays like a player a foot taller, and is aiming to be the next undersized steal in Montreal.
He comes out of the USNTDP, which has continued to produce top prospects, even if not to the same degree as in the time of Cole Caufield’s tenure. Mooney stood out as a strong performer for the U.S. teams this year, registering a point per game in each league or tournament he took part in. Coming into Canadiens prospect camp this summer, he immediately showcased why he should be seen as a legit prospect in one of the NHL’s deepest pools.
He will be heading off to the University of Minnesota this season, a team that witnessed several of its top players depart for the pros, so he will have ample opportunity to prove his worth. With a strong showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase, there is every chance that Habs fans could see Mooney become one of the leading names for the United States U20 teams this year and next.
Voting
Voting ranged from the mid-teens down to 29th. The majority however placed Mooney just inside the Top 25 cutoff point, With a freshman NCAA season ahead of him we could see these numbers shift considerably in next year’s vote.
The community was in a similar spot voting wise, with much more extreme outliers, with some votes placing him inside the top ten and others as low as 50th.
History of #21
| Year | #21 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | L.J. Mooney |
| 2024 | Bogdan Konyushkov |
| 2023 | Emil Heineman |
| 2022 | Arber Xhekaj |
| 2021 | Gianni Fairbrother |
| 2020 | Sean Farrell |
| 2019 | Joni Ikonen / Jayden Struble |
| 2018 | Jacob Olofsson |
| 2017 | Martin Réway |
| 2016 | Simon Bourque |
| 2015 | Lukas Road Demo |
| 2014 | Michael McCarron |
| 2013 | Greg Pateryn |
| 2012 | Darren Dietz |
| 2011 | Gabriel Dumont |
| 2010 | Mac Bennett |
Strengths
Mooney is another player who reminds me so much of Brendan Gallagher. Despite being of smaller stature, they never stop relentlessly attacking opposing teams from the moment the puck drops. That is Mooney’s game to the letter. He attacks at high speed, combining some very good skating with a fearless attitude to create a power forward’s game in a smaller frame.
While he has the pace to often beat players to pucks by going around them or utilizing his skills to hide his intentions with the puck, he has no problem lowering his shoulder to go through them instead. He can quickly cut to change lanes, and if defenders are sticking with him he’ll just drop his shoulder and barge through whoever is trying to slow him down.
As he backs off opposing defences or starts a counter-attack quickly, He is constantly looking for a passing lane to his teammates. His head will be up, scanning the zone to see if he has a seam across the slot, or to the net before sending the puck over to his teammates. His ability to not only win pucks in the defensive zone , but to then turn it into immediate offence is something many prospects struggle with.
Everything he does is in service of getting the puck back for his team and creating offence out of it. He makes defensive plays, enters and exits the zones with control, and puts pucks into the right areas for his linemates.
Just watching his tenacity in Canadiens prospect camp after the draft, battling against players nearly a foot taller than him, he was making life miserable for his opponents even in more friendly competition. His energy is infectious, and that is something that is hard to teach a player at any level.
Weaknesses
Mooney is not a big player, and he will likely never grow into being a big player. He stands two inches shorter than Caufield and weighs in charitably at 162 pounds. While his size has never been a thing to hold him back at any level he’s played, at some point he won’t be able to just speed by players and will find himself in more physical spots. He isn’t going to just give up pucks, but his size puts him at a distinct disadvantage when he goes into a corner or a board battle, especially as the skill of defenders ratchets up at each progressive level.
While being an adept playmaker already, Mooney is going to need to add more refinement to that level of his game as he advances in the NCAA and the professional ranks. He can pull off some incredible, high-risk plays with regularity, but relying on it isn’t a long-term plan for success. Scouts have noted that adding some deception to his game will continue to help him open lanes and refine his passing game even further.
In many games during last season Mooney found himself rocketing down the ice, without a real end goal in mind. That resulted in a lot of wasted passes to no one, defusing high-pressure situations before they could begin to cook. If he can begin to see the game at the same speed his skates move, he should see that production continue to tick upward in the NCAA.
Projection
He has a few years in the NCAA ahead of him with a game that should make him a coach’s favourite. He has heart and hustle that cannot be taught, invaluable traits that will open doors for him if he can continue to improve his offensive skills.
There is no rush for him to dominate and make the jump to the professional ranks. In fact, there is plenty of time for him to continue rounding out his skills as he suits up for the Golden Gophers. That works out in his favour as well with right-wing being loaded with talent in Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and Zack Bolduc right now. It is currently unlikely that Mooney would supplant any of them, but with his skill set he could easily be an NHL player within a few years.
The biggest thing is going to be taking the next step and proving he can execute his gameplan at the next level of competition. If he can prove that he’s the real deal at the NCAA level he should continue rising up the rankings, but any struggles given the depth in the Habs organization might see him remain stagnant.
We’ve seen smaller players do well soon after being drafted and then fall off a bit, like Xavier Simoneau, and others thrive like Lane Hutson. Time will tell what his next level looks like, but it is hard to ignore the drive and talents he possesses.
Click the play button below to listen to our latest podcast episode, where Linc Zdancewicz from McKeen’s joins us to discuss L.J. Mooney.
