NHL Entry Draft 2020: Recap

The NHL Entry Draft Covid Edition came and went with what I can only describe as more pleasant surprises than disappointments. Expectations were low heading in to the draft due to rumors that the Ducks were willing to trade down or even move the sixth overall pick and given various trusted pundits had the Ducks selecting a defender with that first selection in what was widely regarded as a top-heavy forward draft.

Understandably – the Ducks do need defensive help but they also need scoring help of the pure goal scoring variety, logically it would make sense to get the scoring in this draft where it is available in abundance and get the defensive aid in the following draft given it is likely they will have another lottery selection. But GM Bob Murray and newly minted Assistant GM Martin Madden had other ideas..

Before I start, lets look back at the article I wrote at the abrupt conclusion to this most recent ruined season. Here are my brief conclusions for what I felt about each position after evaluating the Ducks depth and corresponding update on how they did at that position with their selections this week.

Center:

From my article in April: Overall – despite the the depth pool looking a little thin near the bottom; Zegras alone is keeping it afloat with Lundestrom and Groulx providing respectable cover such that Murray does not need to desperately target the position with any kind of over-zealous crack-fiend-like desperation or look to select another high-floor / low-ceiling safe-bet type pick. He can afford to take a flyer on a kid that might have had an injury shortened season or a smaller overlooked goal scorer.

It seems Ducks management felt the same way that I did, using their sixth and (last minute acquired from Columbus) seventh round selections to take Albin Sundsvik and Ethan Bowen.

Sundsvik (6’2″, 186 lbs, Shoots Left) was ranked 122 among European skaters by NHL Central Scouting and has seen time in the SHL over the last two seasons including 12 games as a 17 year-old. This most recent season he had 4 points in 38 games playing against men and 22 points in 19 games in the Junior tier. It should be noted that 13 of those 22 points were goals. His shot appears to be the most dangerous part of his game and has been described as having a “good, swift release” that gives “goaltenders problems”. He is also regraded as having a good two-way game and loves to “jump on the forecheck”. His face-off abilities and defensive reliability led to a bump in ice time for the latter half of last season in the SHL and he already has 1 point in 4 games so far this season. Basically everything I read about him reminds me of Samuel Pahlsson – who was a seventh round selection himself in 1996.

Ethan Bowen (6’2″, 170lbs, Shoots Left) was ranked 119 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. He has spent the last two and half seasons with his hometown Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL, finishing the shortened 2019-2020 season with 31 points in 41 games. Kris Drapers son Kienan also plays on the squad and was taken with the first pick of the seventh round but these were the only two picks to be taken from the BCHL of the entire draft. Bowen is a University of North Dakota commit so although it’s hard to read his potential from his Junior numbers, it will be good to keep an eye on his long term development once the world eventually returns to normal and the NCAA programs can get back under way. He describes himself as a “200-foot player that can put the puck in the net. I like to think of myself as a power forward that can score”. Steven Ellis of The Hockey News noted that he started the 2018-2019 season strong with seven points in his first eight games but consistency issues cropped up as the season wore on. Sees him as a “nice project guy”.

Overall: The Ducks didnt need to go aggressive at Center and they didnt. I thought they might try take a flyer on a player with an injury-shortened season or a smaller overlooked forward. According to Ducks Prospects, Bowen did suffer a wrist injury that prematurely ended his season and I did not think of secret option C; The over-age European with upside. Sundsvik is the one to watch here and could be one of those late round steals that Madden is so good at finding.

Left Wing:

From my article in April: Overall – the acquisition of Milano and steady development of Max Comtois sees the Ducks in OK shape on the left side. They are young enough that they need not worry too much about long term replacements right away. With a core of Rakell (26), Milano (23), Jones (22), Comtois (21) and the eventual Tracey (18), Anaheim won’t need to focus too hard on the left side. It would be nice of course – to have another bluechip prospect to complement the playmaking skill of Zegras down the middle and it just so happens that the undisputed number one pick for the upcoming draft is a Left Winger. But let’s not get our hopes up too much…

Well… they didnt exactly get the undisputed next Sidney Crosby. But they did do the next best thing… maybe… sort of…? They FINALLY broke their over ten year drought of not drafting a Russian born player.

Artyom Galimov (5’11”, 176lbs, Shoots Left) was taken in the fifth round after going un-selected in the last three drafts. The 21 year old won KHL Rookie of the Year honors last season with 23 points in 55 games for AK Bars Kazan and already has 7 points in 12 games thus far this season. His rookie year haul equates to 28 points over a full NHL season according to NHLe so realistically – Galimov could make the jump to North America whenever he feels ready. There is a small issue of a two year contract extension with AK Bars but given the Ducks elected to select him, a Russian, playing in the KHL, they must be very serious about wanting him in their plans moving forward. He is described as a smart player with good hockey sense that can predict seams but is also committed defensively, used both on the Power Play and the Penalty Kill. Seemingly humble – which is a great sign given what has potentially turned the Ducks off drafting Russians in the past and possessing a great shot, Galiamov automatically slots in to second or third on the Ducks depth chart for the left side. With Brayden Tracey set to make his pro-debut in 2021, the young Russian could possibly join him on the Gulls in the same season.

Right Wing:

From my article in April: Overall the Right Side is clearly the Ducks most critical point of need. You might think the blueline isn’t looking in that great of shape either, but the most recent trade deadline actually threw some duct tape on what was starting to be a gaping hole. Now the right side has sprung a leak and the Anaheim brass absolutely must be using that as their focus at the upcoming 2020 Draft. Like Murray said, they want goal scorers and power play specialists – they need that in the form of a few of guys that can play the right side.

This is what I was most concerned about heading into the draft and there were plenty of options available by the time it came to the Ducks first selection – the loudest of which was Alexander Holtz. But the Ducks elected to fulfill their other glaring need on Defense with this pick and instead opted to address the right side with the selection they acquired in the Ondrej Kase trade.

Jacob Perreault (5’11”, 198lbs, Shoots Right) is quoted by The Athletics’ Corey Pronman as one of the five best shooters in the draft. He too lamented that the Ducks did not pick up Holtz to complement Zegras but quickly noted that Perreault is the next best option. Ranked 17th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and tipped to go anywhere from the middle first to the early second round, the Montreal native had a monster 70 points in 57 games last season for the Sarnia Sting in the OHL. That total translates to 33 points over a full NHL season so the potential is definitely there. Perreault ticks all the boxes for the Ducks needs; he shoots right and he is a pure sniper with a shot that is “accurate, hard and can score from anywhere”. Knocks on his game include consistency issues and attention to detail away from the puck but Anaheim will just be happy to have a pure goal scorer back in the fold. Long term he would be a great fit on a line with Zegras – accompanied by a defensively responsible left-winger; the Ducks don’t have any pure wingers that fit that description but potentially BO Groulx could be placed there.

Sam Colangelo (6’2″, 207lbs, Shoots Right) was the Ducks next selection with their second round pick. I had thought they could potentially snag Swedish right-shooting defender Helge Grans with this pick but the F#$%n Kings got him just one pick before. Colangelo makes up for the Kings misdeed by providing another scoring option on the right side. The Massachusetts native grew up in the Bruins system, playing for their bantam teams before joining the highly touted Chicago Steel program in the USHL. He finished a close third in the scoring race last year with 58 points in 44 games (the leading scorer had 60) and is a Northeastern University commit when NCAA eventually goes back. He also already has connections with Zegras (“.. one of my good friends..”) and Henry Thrun (“..I skated with Henry Thrun all summer..”) and is viewed as an all-rounder power forward that needs to work on his skating. Colangelo slips right into third on the Ducks depth chart for the right side; behind Kindopp and Perreault.

Defense:

From my article in April: Overall the Ducks blue-line is plenty stocked thanks to the moves made at the deadline and the most recent draft but – other than perhaps Thrun and potentially Lacombe if he pans out – is still missing that “believe the hype” special player on the horizon. Murray has been rumored to be heavily scouting Europe again and the name Helge Grans has come up as a potential draft target – but more on that as I go through my draft profiles in upcoming articles. I would suspect the Ducks take a Power Play specialist defenceman as a priority at the upcoming draft but only if one falls at one of their late first round and early second round selections.

So I was partially right. They definitely went for that “believe the hype” special player and Power Play specialist by taking the number one ranked defender Jamie Drysdale with their sixth overall selection but they were kind of lucky that Ottawa did not take him with their pick just prior. The Senators were the first team to reach by taking Jake Sanderson – a player whose stock had risen considerably in the months prior to the draft but one many pundits thought was being ranked far too high.

Jamie Drysdale (5’11”, 170lbs, Shoots Right) on the other hand – well I wrote about him here. He is everything the Ducks need to restart their Blueline pipeline. He can make passes through layers of traffic with ease, start the breakout on his own, relieve pressure in the defensive zone, make up for team-mates mistakes with his skating – the list goes on. My only concern was the way he skated backwards to make passes in the offensive zone – potentially leading to a blindside hit. Ranked third among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and the only defender in the 2020 draft with clear number one defenceman upside – the Ducks found their next franchise blueline chip when they selected him. Eric Stephens had called his selection in all of the mock-drafts I saw leading up to the draft and I was skeptical at first but eventually came around to his way of thinking. First pairing defenders are becoming harder and harder to find in today’s NHL and to have one available, a right-shooting one at that, was too tempting to pass up. Drysdale finished last season with 47 points in 49 games for the Errie Otters of the OHL, he looks to head back there this season when it eventually starts back up. Next season will be his final Junior year so he could join the Gulls come 2022.

Ian Moore (6’3″, 165lbs, Shoots Right). Further padding out the right-shooting defensive pool the Ducks went with future Chicago Steel defender Ian Moore. The Concord, Massachusetts native tore up the High School league (USHS-Prep) with 46 points in 28 games for St Mark’s School. Henry Thrun also went to that school as did former Duck Scott Young. Moore is described as a “gifted skater” for his size and a “confident puck carrier” with an impressive ability to create speed through the neutral zone and has a “hard, accurate slap shot”. A Harvard University commit, he saw one game with the US NDTP as an injury replacement. He is also viewed as the perfect project to groom as a Power Play quarterback – his only knocks appear to be a penchant to pinch at the wrong times and too often. I like that he sounds very similar to Jackson Lacombe – and that this indicates the Ducks scouts have a clear directive in their quest to fill out the defensive pool.

Thimo Nickl (6’2″, 176lbs, Shoots Right). The Ducks went defense again with their fourth round selection acquired from Philadelphia in the Derek Grant deadline deal. Nickl is the first Austrian to have his name called by the Ducks on draft day and was ranked 74th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting – he played for Drummondville in the Q last season. It took some time for him to adjust to the North American game but he closed out his first season in Quebec with confidence, finishing with 39 points in 58 games. Nickl also follows the trend of the Ducks making at least one selection from the Q while also adding to the quickly growing replenishment of right-shooting defenders. Touted as one of last years top CHL import players; Nickl is described as a two-way defender with a heavy shot that can quarterback a power play, 25 of his 39 points were scored with the man-advantage. He plays a simple game – preferring to stop to relieve pressure rather than shift direction and is noted as more of a distributor than a puck-carrier. Knocks on his game center around issues with coverage, potentially due to his skating – which could be improved. Descriptions I read on him remind me of Simon Benoit but with a slightly different tool-set. He will turn 19 in December so this upcoming season in the Q (if and when it happens) will be his last – he could join the Gulls in 2021.

In Goal:

From my article in April: Overall – The Ducks look to have their heir apparent to John Gibson in Lukas Dostal and although they are not in desperate need to find more talent to add to their depth I can see them making at least one goaltender selection at the upcoming draft given they skipped over the position in the last draft. The organizational hierarchy is at a crossroads with the likely retirement of Miller and promotion of Stolarz. I for one would love to see Kevin Boyle brought back on at least a one year deal to mentor Dostal in San Diego whilst Eriksson Ek has more time to develop his game – hopefully in a starting role on an ECHL squad.

Whiffed on this one. The Ducks once again did not make a selection between the pipes for the second year in a row after taking two in the 2018 draft. I am no expert but it did not feel like this year was a particularly deep draft for goalies – with Askarov the only clear future number one that I could see. Jan Bednar could have been interesting and might have provided more hope than Roman Durny has thus far; but with Dostal as the clear eventual Gibson replacement and Eriksson Ek still showing potential the Ducks are still set for another year.

In Conclusion:

This is the first draft in a long while that I have absolutely no problem with. The Ducks addressed all of their needs and selected some intriguing players that could turn out to be later round gems in the process. It’s early days but this collection of players gives me 2011 vibes – they could all turn out to be something special in varying degrees. The Kings getting Helge Grans does hurt somewhat but Colangelo makes up for that – though Khusnutidinov going next to the Wild might also be one of those “yeesh” what-could-have-beens that you look back on further down the line but time will tell. The Ducks at least took a Russian. Baby steps.