Draft Preview: Anaheim Ducks
Leading up to the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on June 26th, Tyler Brenton of Frozen Futures will be evaluating the teams in the NHL’s Western Conference.
The draft is quickly approaching, as there are only four sleeps remaining until Connor McDavid’s name is called by the Edmonton Oilers. For the rest of the teams, Buffalo omitted, there will be a couple surprises. Will a team reach for a player such as Timo Meier or Evgeny Svechnikov inside the top 10? How high will Lawson Crouse go? Will my team take one of those guys? Well, if you’re a fan of a team in the Western Conference, you’ve come to the right spot.
The Anaheim Ducks have been a steady contender over the past decade. This past season they were the only team from California to make the playoffs, but were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks.
Anaheim Ducks
2015 Draft Picks
Round 1 – Pick 27
Round 3 – Pick 80
Round 3 – Pick 84
Round 5 – Pick 148
Round 6 – Pick 178
Anaheim is looking to be continue to be a Western Conference powerhouse for the immediate future. At first glance, their roster features a strong balance of veteran leadership and youth.
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Prospects in the System
The Ducks have Nick Ritchie and Shea Theodore in they system along with goaltender prospect John Gibson. There appears to be a glaring hole at center and I really expect them to draft a high upside center with their first rounder.
Forwards
At 30 years old, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf haven’t begun to show their age yet. They’re signed with the club until 2021. Their #2 center, Ryan Kesler, will become an unrestricted free agent after next season. They also have Rickard Rakell down the middle who had an impressive rookie campaign.
On the wing, the Ducks have a slew of youth. Kyle Palmieri, Jiri Sekac, Emerson Etem and Jakob Silfverberg are skilled guys with a lot of promise. To compliment the youth, the speedy Andrew Cogliano is signed until 2018 and so is Patrick Maroon.
Defense
The Ducks have not been afraid to lean on the youthfulness of Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm. That trio, plus the addition of Simon Despres at the trade deadline, will only continue to grow as a contingent. I am certain other teams around the NHL are jealous of core group of defensemen.
Goaltending
Frederik Andersen and John Gibson continue to develop and gain experience on a strong Anaheim team. These two guys are both young and appealing options. Also, they both become restricted free agents at the end of next season. It’s an interesting scenario as the Ducks could potentially roll with a 1A/1B situation, or allow one goalie to grab the starters role.
What will they look for at the draft?
I believe the Anaheim Ducks will use their first round draft pick to select a prospect that projects to be in the NHL within the next three seasons. If I’m the Ducks, I take a hard look at Jeremy Bracco with the 27th overall pick in the draft. Bracco is a small center who may be one of the most skilled guys in the draft.
Looking beyond the center position, the Ducks will likely be drafting the best prospect available, with a potential bias for a right winger. However as of right now, they have a log jam of youth at RW in the NHL with Silfverberg, Palmieri and Etem all slotting behind Perry.
Also, even though Andersen and Gibson are both promising goalies, I don’t think the Ducks would go wrong selecting another goalie. It’s an incredibly tough position to develop, but Anaheim tends to get it right.
2015 Potential Draft Picks
Round 1 – Pick 27 – Jeremy Bracco
Round 3 – Pick 80 – Pavel Karnaukhov
Round 3 – Pick 84 – Robin Kovacs
Round 5 – Pick 148 – Gustav Bouramman
Round 6 – Pick 178 – Felix Sandstrom