Shane Vansaghi Prospect Profile | 2025 NHL Draft
Throughout the 2024-2025 season, TSLH Prospects will be sharing scouting reports, rankings, and profiles of prospects eligible to the 2025 NHL Draft. Continuing our work of the past five years, our analysts will provide insights on numerous young guns to give you a comprehensive overview of the draft class and their progress. Today, the spotlight is on Shane Vansaghi.
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Prospect Profile: Shane Vansaghi – 2025 NHL Draft
Shane Vansaghi is a 6’2”, 216-pound right winger currently playing in the NCAA for Michigan State. The prospect developed within the USNTDP over the past two seasons, but due to his age, he was unable to stay with the program. Instead of transferring to another USHL team, he opted to make the jump to the American collegiate system. At the time of writing, he has recorded 12 points in 27 games since the start of the season.
Vansaghi averages 12 minutes per game on the third and fourth lines while also seeing time on the second unit of both special teams. He isn’t necessarily a prospect used to score key goals or defend a lead, but his coaches trust him to bring physicality and energy to their lineup.
Shane Vansaghi: Mobility and Physicality
One of the things I respect most about Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson is his ability to adapt. Since day one of the 2024-2025 season, the power forward has become a valuable asset to the team by focusing on his defensive play while bringing a physical presence on both ends of the ice. His veteran salary remains high, but criticism is almost nonexistent because the right winger works tirelessly in every situation, utilizing his speed and size.
That’s exactly how I envision Shane Vansaghi’s future. He is a big, strong, and fast forward who excels along the boards in the forecheck and near the net. While he isn’t the most explosive skater, he is an unstoppable force once he gains momentum. He can overpower more experienced and mature opponents thanks to his athletic tools. In the NHL, even though his ceiling isn’t much higher than his floor, if a team can confidently project his role and impact, selecting him becomes an easy decision to justify.
You shouldn’t expect a player who will carry the puck end to end, dangle defenders, and cut to the net with finesse. Vansaghi thrives in a dump-and-chase system. It’s an exhausting style of play for both him and his opponents, but he fully embraces his role. He plays for a high-caliber program aiming for championships, which is why he isn’t used in a top-six role. However, little by little, he is being given more responsibilities in key defensive moments and more freedom to maximize his strengths.
Shane Vansaghi: Offensive Potential
As mentioned above, Vansaghi doesn’t possess exceptional puck-handling skills. He is more of a player who rarely has the puck but knows how to put it in safe areas or retrieve it to pressure opposing defensemen. His shot isn’t particularly powerful, and his creativity hasn’t stood out yet, but that’s to be expected—it simply isn’t his role. He is tasked with causing havoc in front of the net and recovering pucks deep in the offensive zone, which doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet.
There are occasional flashes of solid puck protection, using subtle moves to keep opponents at bay. However, these plays aren’t consistent enough to be confidently projected to the NHL. You never know how a prospect will develop, but I don’t see Vansaghi becoming a finesse player. He will always lean towards simple, high-effort plays with a higher success rate.
Shane Vansaghi: Defensive Skills
Since the start of the season, Vansaghi hasn’t had a primary role for Michigan State. However, he is earning more trust on the penalty kill. He brings the same level of effort every game, every period, and every shift, regardless of his opponents. He simply does what is asked of him, which is invaluable for a coach—especially considering his age relative to NCAA competition.
As he gains more experience in defensive coverage and positioning, his role should expand next season. I wouldn’t be surprised if his offensive numbers start to rise as teams struggle to contain him. This type of player is extremely valuable to skilled forwards because he takes care of the dirty work that they often avoid.
Shane Vansaghi: 2025 NHL Draft Projection
I expect Vansaghi to be selected in the third or fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. His offensive ceiling is uncertain, and some teams may prefer to target skill over depth players. In my opinion, being picked in that range would be a success for him, as it would allow him to develop without pressure and take the necessary time to transition to professional hockey in three or four years.
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