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Corey Pronman details what to expect from the Anaheim Ducks’ new prospects and how they fit into the farm system. This page will be updated throughout the 2024 NHL Draft.
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2024 Draft Grade: A-
Much will be made about Anaheim’s pick of Beckett Sennecke at No. 3. His late growth spurt and trajectory remind me of Ryan Johansen’s rise to No. 5. I like the player a lot and see some star upside even if he carries some risk in his projection. After Sennecke and Solberg, I thought they got some potential bottom-six forwards in Lucas Pettersson, Maxim Massé and Ethan Procyszyn. I could see one NHL regular come from their Day 2 group to go with the two first-rounders I like a lot. This was a productive weekend for the Ducks as they continue a promising rebuild.
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Draft Class
3. Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
January 28, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 181 pounds
Tier: Bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: High-end
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Player comparable: Kyle Connor
Analysis: Sennecke’s pure point totals on the season don’t jump out at you, but he was very good in the second half and was a top player in the OHL playoffs. He’s 6-foot-2, skates quite well for his size and has game-breaking skill. He’s one of the more creative puckhandlers in the draft, and that he can make those difficult plays at full speed makes him highly intriguing for the NHL level. He sees the ice well and is creative as a passer, although not to the level of his 1v1 abilities. There have been times when I’ve questioned his compete and consistency, but he answered those questions as the season continued. His stock is sharply trending up, and he looks like a player who can be a difference-maker at the next level.
Pick grade: B-
Thoughts on the pick: Sennecke is a dynamic winger who on his best games is one of the most impactful players in the class. Based on how he looked in the closing months of the season, I absolutely get this pick. He has the potential top be a top line wing with star upside if he really hits. I do wonder about the fit on Anaheim, given how many great young forwards they have, although I presume Trevor Zegras is on his way out. There were some great defense prospects on the board they passed up as well. We’ll see how Anaheim makes all the pieces fit, and if they felt too uncomfortable with the Russian variable in Anton Silayev I do understand this move.
23. Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway)
December 29, 2005 | 6′ 2″ | 205 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
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Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Shot: Above NHL average
Player comparable: Kaiden Guhle
Analysis: Solberg played all-situations minutes for his pro team in Norway this season and was an important part of Norway’s U20 and senior team, ending his year with a great World Championship where he was one of Norway’s best players. He’s a very good defender due to his combination of size, mobility and compete. He is a hyper-physical defenseman who plays with an edge and wins a lot of pucks. He closes on gaps well and breaks up a good number of plays. Offensively he can skate pucks up ice and has decent hands as well. I don’t see top-end puck play, but over the course of the season, I came around on that aspect of his game. He can make a first pass and shows enough touch to go with tremendous defensive work, projecting as a legit top-four NHL defender.
Pick grade: A-
Thoughts on the pick: Solberg understandably slid a bit, as NHL teams were concerned about drafting a player who was in the Norway pro league all season with a major pick. I’m a big believer in the player though, especially based on what he showed in the men’s worlds. He’s super physical, skates well, has size and is good enough with the puck. He projects as a top-four defenseman and it’s hard to ask for more at No. 23. He complements the defensemen in their organization very well, too.
35. Lucas Pettersson, C, MoDo Hockey J20 (J20 Nationell)
April 17, 2006 | 5′ 11″ | 172 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end
Analysis: Pettersson was a productive player at the junior level in Sweden and a leader for their U18 team. Pettersson is a skilled forward with good speed who can make a lot of difficult plays. Pettersson’s motor is excellent, too. He wins a lot of battles, and despite his size, he excels in the tough areas of the offensive zone. He’s not the most dynamic player you’ll ever see, but the sum of the parts looks like a potential bottom-six forward or fourth-line center in the NHL.
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66. Maxim Massé, RW, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
April 7, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 190 pounds
Tier: Projected to play NHL games
Skating: Poor
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: Below NHL average
Shot: High-end
Analysis: Masse is a tough evaluation. He had a great underage season in the QMJHL and was the top rookie in the CHL. He had a good draft season but didn’t put up the huge numbers some expected. He has a ton of offensive skill, IQ and good size. Masse is also a dangerous goal scorer who can wire bullets from the faceoff dot with his one-timer. There’s no doubt about what he can do with the puck inside the offensive zone, but getting the puck into the zone will be a major challenge for him in the NHL due to his skating. He’s a technically flawed skater and that will be his major challenge in carving out an NHL career, as will his inconsistent efforts without the puck. His offensive gifts and size should get him games but he will need to prove to NHL coaches he can be trusted for a regular shift.
68. Ethan Procyszyn, C, North Bay Battalion (OHL)
July 11, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 190 pounds
Tier: Has a chance to play games
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Above NHL average
Analysis: Procyszyn didn’t post huge numbers this season in the OHL, but he played on a good and deep North Bay team. The toolkit he has, though, looks like a potential NHL forward. He’s nearly 6-foot-3 and skates well for a guy his size. He has good puck skills and can beat defensemen on the move with his skill. Procyszyn plays hard as well. He can PK effectively. He is very physical and attacks the net to create offense. His pure hockey sense and playmaking underwhelm and I don’t see a true natural scorer at the next level. I do see room for him to grow — he’s a young 2006 birth date — and the traits to become a bottom-six wing in the NHL if he develops well.
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79. Tarin Smith, LHD, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
March 24, 2006 | 6′ 1″ | 187 pounds
Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Smith is a defenseman with a very high natural skill level. He is highly creative, sees the ice well and makes a lot of plays. He has concerns without the puck, though. Smith has an iffy skating stride and can be pressured often in his defensive zone due to his lack of mobility. The skill gives him a chance to make it but I have notable questions on whether his game translates despite being a good junior player.
100. Alexandre Blais, LW, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
November 14, 2005 | 5′ 10″ | 154 pounds
Skating: Above NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Analysis: Alexandre Blais has been quite a productive player in the Q over the last two seasons. His skating is a clear NHL trait that gives him a chance to play games. He has NHL footspeed and edge work. He is quite elusive in open ice due to his feet and a strong skill level. He can finish plays, but Blais is more of a distributor. He has good patience and vision and makes a fair number of plays. He isn’t that big or physical and with his play style, he’s going to need to score a ton as a pro to make it.
182. Austin Burnevik, LW, Madison Capitols (USHL)
January 3, 2005 | 6′ 4″ | 201 pounds
Analysis: Burnevik, a former U.S. NTDP player, was a top forward in the USHL this season. He is a big winger with very good puck skills and a great shot. He scored a lot of goals from the dots this season. He was undrafted a year ago because his skating is quite rough and his effort is inconsistent, so how his game will fare against better players is questionable.
214. Darels Uljanskis, LHD, AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)
August 25, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 192 pounds
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Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: Below NHL average
Compete: Below NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average
Analysis: Uljanskis scored at a good clip in the Sweden J20 league and took a regular shift on Latvia’s U20 team as a young 17-year-old. Uljanskis certainly has some NHL tools. He’s a 6-foot-2 defenseman who skates well and has some offensive skill. When he’s activating off the point or leading a rush, Uljankis can look like a legit NHL prospect. He creates with his skill and has a strong point shot. I don’t see him making a ton of plays, though, and am unsure exactly how much offense he will have versus men. He is big and mobile, but isn’t a great defender and will need to develop that part of his game. He’s a work in progress without a clear path to the NHL as of now.
Beat writer’s analysis
Beckett Sennecke was a reach at No. 3, but the Ducks will look smart with their gamble if his dominating play in the second half of his OHL season and the playoffs becomes a regular pattern that translates to higher levels. In terms of pure talent among forwards in this draft, there is Macklin Celebrini and possibly Ivan Demidov. Sennecke might be right there with Demidov. And he’s got size to go with his skill.
But their best pick at the slot they selected him could be Stian Solberg. Solberg’s stock shot up after his impressive performance in the world championships as a tough, physical defender for Norway. Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek cracked a wry smile when talking about the blueliner’s “throwback” nature as a hard hitter who doesn’t hesitate to engage. Solberg was thought to go in the mid-teens, so for Anaheim to trade up from No. 31 and get him with the No. 23 pick is impressive.
Day 2 saw the Ducks make seven selections and while there were no goalies taken, they added three centers — they tend to prioritize the middle in their drafts — and grabbed two defensemen and two wingers. Size was emphasized once again as it has been in the Verbeek era. Second-round pick Lucas Pettersson and fourth-rounder Alexandre Blais are on the smaller side, but the rest of their picks are 6-foot-2 or taller.
This draft will be defined by what Sennecke turns into, as a potent scorer and point producer on right wing, and Solberg becoming an everyday part of the Ducks’ defense. “We can envision a role for them, and they are elite in that role,” Ducks assistant GM Martin Madden said Saturday. Madden also said of the confident Solberg, whom he believes has offense in his game to go with shutdown ability: “He’s going to be a leader on our team. There’s no doubt about that.” — Eric Stephens
(Photo of Beckett Sennecke with the Ducks organization: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)