2024 NHL Entry Draft
Las Vegas, Nevada. The much anticipated Anaheim Ducks NHL Entry Draft 2024 has completed and third year Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek has rounded out what is hopefully the last time the Ducks find themselves at the lottery end of selection for a while. With the now long-enough list of talented prospects already making their way through their very healthy pipeline he was able to give his scouts a long leash to reach for upside as well as selecting players with defining attributes that fit perfectly within the tapestry of a future contender.
With two selections in the first round the Ducks could afford to not only draft for need but also take a “swing” with their later round pick – acquired from Edmonton in the deal that sent Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to the North Pole.
#3 Overall – Beckett Sennecke – RW, 6’3″ 181lbs
With their own selection – at third overall – the Ducks “went off the board” by selecting the fast riser Beckett Sennecke out of the OHL. The 6’3″ right shot winger whose highlight reel goals made me instantly think of a taller Cole Caulfield but whom most have compared to Corey Perry slots right into the mix as one of the best up and coming options for their right side. He was projected to go anywhere from tenth to the 16-17th overall with a lot of teams wary of his sudden growth spurt (5’10” to 6’3″) over the last two years affecting his usually tenacious forecheck and puck battling ability. Anaheim was clearly not worried, seeing a lot of potential in his combination of size, hands and skating ability. Sennecke loves to take on opposing defenders, using fakes, edges and soft hands to slip between layers of traffic. A dual threat he was a 20+ goal scorer for Oshawa his first two years but is better known for his play-making ability, compiling 41 assists this season. His numbers did not scream top five selection but his post-season production got a lot of attention, putting up 22 points in 16 games to help the Generals surprise some higher ranked squads.
Knocks on his game largely linger on an overconfidence that can manifest in the form of tunnel vision and a tendency to “do too much” or be a puck-hog. Like most highly talented play driving forwards he also needs to work on his defensive game but that is something Anaheim has shown they are not shy about coaching into young forwards.
Sennecke will take time to fill into his frame and re-establish the puck-hound stand-out qualities he was known for but with such a young core and their contenting window likely a few years away the Ducks have time to let him develop. He likely arrives in San Diego in 2026-2027.
#23 Overall – Stian Solberg – LD, 6’2″ 188lbs
But wait? Didn’t Anaheim have the 31st overall pick given the Oilers lost to Florida in the Stanley Cup Final? Yeah – seeing a pure Pat Verbeek wet-dream defender falling but concerned that another team might grab him before they could at 31st the Ducks opted to trade up. Dealing their 31st pick (Edmonton’s) and one of their two second round selections (Boston’s acquired in the Hampus Lindholm deal) to Toronto for their 23rd overall selection.
Making Solberg the second Norwegian player to be selected in the first round in NHL history (his country-man Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was selected by Detroit eight picks earlier) the Ducks grabbed a player described as the “most violent player in the draft”. The 6’2″ left shot defender is a blend of old school and new school, the kid loves to hit and punish opposing forwards with open ice hits or bone-jarring seal-offs along the boards. With shades of Scott Stevens in the way he seemingly appears from no-where to level an unsuspecting target at the blue-line he also has a little finesse to his game, using his frame and edges to beat fore-checking forwards in his own end to open up lanes for the break-out. Compared to Jacob Trouba albeit cleaner with his hits, he joins the trend of hard-nosed difficult-to-play-against prospects Verbeek has tasked his scouts from focusing on since his tenure began.
As more of a defensive defenseman it is understandable that his offensive game needs work but he can surprise with a no-look pass or blast a shot from the point to create a rebound. Another closer comparison is Radko Gudas – the most obvious tactic here would be developing his eventual replacement from within. Given Solberg was drafted out of Europe he can make the jump to the AHL right away but is set to play in the SHL next year alongside fellow Ducks prospect Damian Clara at Färjestad BK. Allowing him time to develop his game playing against men in the top Swedish league should see him arrive in San Diego likely in 2026-2027 or the year after.
#35th Overall – Lucas Pettersson – C, 5’11” 174lbs
With two selections reduced down to one owing to their trade-up in the first round, the Ducks wasted no time in reeling in their token Swedish catch of the day by selecting the 5’11” 174lbs Center Lucas Pettersson.
The ever-so-slightly (by Verbeek standards) undersized Center is an all-rounder, more of a goal scorer than a set-up man his two way game is solid. In comparison to their potential project high-ceiling selections in the first round the Ducks went the safe route with this selection. Slated to go in the late first round, grabbing him early in the second round was a boon. He does not particularly excel at any one thing but he also has no weaknesses other than potentially a lack of consistency and interest at points this season which is likely due to being too good for the U20 league. His offensive potential seems somewhat limited based on what has been so far in his development – using speed and smarts to push play and get around defenders but how well that works against men at the advanced level could require an upgrade in his abilities.
Self described as modelling his game after William Karlsson – the Ducks agree.
We think he’s very, very similar to William Karlsson at the same age
Assistant GM Martin Madden
Anaheim likely also see a lot in his leadership abilities, the young center served as Assistant Captain on his squad this season and speaks of himself as “being one of the leaders”.
If William Karlsson is the height of his ceiling that sounds good to me because he sounds a lot like Samuel Pahlsson to me, the former shutdown center was originally touted as having offensive ability before settling into the match-up center role. Either way – he joins the ranks of Nathan Gaucher and Carey Terrance in the pipeline of defensively minded centers with good but not great offensive ability.
Pettersson is under contract with Modo that does not expire until the end of the 2026-2027 season so we likely do not see him in San Diego until the 2027-2028 season.
#66th Overall – Maxim Massé – RW, 6’3″ 190lbs
With three selections in the third round the Ducks kicked off things by making the first pick of the round using the Sharks pick that was acquired in the Henry Thrun deal last year and used it to select the QMJHL rookie of the year in 2022-2023.
Massé is a crease-crashing goal scorer that uses his big frame to wreak havoc in front of the net, he also excels in shifting unmarked into soft areas to get open for a pass. He has some underrated play-making ability, feeding passes in front or using his shot to generate rebounds.
The only knock on his game is his skating which lacks NHL ready explosiveness (sound familiar?) but the Ducks have shown that when it comes to goal-scorers they feel that skating improvement is something they can coach.
Massé was ranked around the the first to late second round so getting him in the third maybe illustrated just how much his skating scared off other teams despite his goal scoring ability. He projects as a middle six winger that leans more to the power-forward side of things. Some have noted him as having some Brock Boeser and Tyler Toffoli in his game but he reminds me a lot of vintage Dustin Penner – a big body that loves to score goals.
He adds to the suddenly much-improved right-side forward core and as an April birthday he joins most of the other selections in this draft as likely arriving in San Diego for the 2026-2027 season.
#68th Overall – Ethan Procyszyn – C, 6’2″ 190lbs
Procyszyn was possibly the biggest reach of the draft by the Ducks – he was projected to go somewhere in the late fourth to fifth round and was ranked quite low by a lot of pundits largely due to his skating stride and mid-to-long-range shot. Martin Madden defended the selection stating he is going to be a “penalty kill guy” and “he’s going to be hard on the forecheck. He’s going to make players accountable for sure”.
I don’t know about taking a bottom six forward with a high third round pick but if Procyszyn can improve his skating and drastically improve his long range shooting ability he could surprise many as the tools are there to become a strong power forward. He uses his frame to not only shield the puck on offense but also his long reach to cause turnovers and his high hockey IQ factors into a lot of his offensive game. His size and strength is perfectly attributed to providing screens in front, something the Ducks do not currently have in the system. Defensively he is regarded as one of the most feared open ice hitters in the OHL and he is relentless in puck battles. One comparable I have seen is Nick Paul but the net front ability and long reach reminds me of Wayne Simmonds.
As one of the younger players in the draft he turns 18 in July but will still be eligible with the rest of his Ducks draft class to make the jump to the AHL for the 2026-2027 season.
#79th Overall – Tarin Smith – LD, 6’1″ 187lbs
After taking forwards with their first five selections the Ducks finally looked to the back-end with their last pick in the third round. Taking the quick developing two-way defender Tarin Smith of the Everett Silvertips. The 6’1″ 187lbs Saskatchewan native was ranked and expected to fall to somewhere in the second round so getting him near the end of the third was a steal. There are concerns surrounding the offensive side of his game and that is the most likely why a lot of teams passed on him but he showed definite improvement this season – putting up 44 points in 67 games and another 5 points in 8 post season matches. He also lead all WHL rookie defenders in assists (36) and points (44) this season.
The Ducks dedicated this draft to the late Glen Cochrane – the longtime Ducks scout that passed away earlier this year and Tarin Smith was the player he was most excited about. Madden said that Cochrane compared him to Josh Mahura in his toolset – Mahura was more developed physically at his draft age but Madden agrees that they are similar in the way they see the ice and make the game easier for their forwards. I also see a lot of Olen Zellweger in his game – not just because they were former team-mates in Everett; but just the way he is aggressive in the offensive zone but also walks the point to create chances with shots through traffic.
There are more positives than negatives surrounding Smith, he is a great skater with and without the puck, defensively strong in transition and on the rush, supposedly* not great but getting better on offense with so much potential to grow in that area of his game and defensively sound with some room for improvement.
This could be one of my favourite picks of the draft for Anaheim.
Again he would not be eligible to join the Gulls until the 2026-2027 season.
*I mean look at these highlights below, what is wrong with any of that?
#100th Overall – Alexandre Blais – LW, 5’10” 154lbs
With their token “small forward” pick the Ducks went back to the Q and selected the play-making forward Alexandre Blais.
Blais exploded for 84 points in 68 games this season in the always high scoring QMJHL, doubling his output of 42 points in 64 games the year before. He was also a high performer in the playoffs – totaling 6 points in 5 games. His calling card is his vision – he uses his speed and hands to draw attackers in before finding an open man.
His skating and tremendous edge-work keeps defenders constantly guessing while his passing ability makes him a threat not only on the rush but quarterbacking a power play as well.
Knocks on his game center around his size – where he will need to add some bulk and muscle to prevent being pushed around as well as his shot – which needs to be more consistent. He was projected to go anywhere from the second to the third round so grabbing him in the fourth round has been noted by some prospect experts as a steal.
He projects as a middle to bottom six forward and although I cannot find much in the way of a comparable he reminds me of Brayden Point with less defensive tenacity and somewhat ironically Johnny Gaudreau who was selected at 104th – also in the fourth round, by Calgary in 2011.
With a late birthday Blais is eligible to join the Gulls next season in 2025-2026 which I am very very excited about, keep an eye on him – I think he will surprise a lot of people in his post-draft season.
Anaheim did not have a selection in the fifth round due to dealing it to Colorado for Ben Meyers at the Trade Deadline last season.
Once again having an early round selection the Ducks opted to deal this to the Kings in exchange for their later sixth round pick as well as the Kings seventh round selection.
#182nd Overall – Austin Burnevik – RW, 6’4″ 201lbs
Using the Los Angeles selection later in the round the Ducks took their first American and overager, the towering right shooting Austin Burnevik out of the USHL.
Burnevik went undrafted last year after spending two years with the USNTDP but exploded for 40 goals this season with Madison in the USHL, leading his team in both goals and points. He is another “needs to improve his skating” project but again the Ducks are proving that this is not an issue for them with selections in recent drafts as well as it being a very common theme in this one.
Overall he finished the season second in goals (40) and seventh in points (71) scoring overall for the USHL.
He reads to me like a cross between Judd Caulfield and Arthur Kaliyev. He doesn’t have Caulfields speed, skating or defensive ability but he has the same goal scoring attributes as Kaliyev and the concerns over his skating. Essentially he is a big, goal scoring potential power forward and one of his best attributes is his shot – specifically his backhand (which you will see utilized several times in the highlight reel below).
He is committed to St Cloud State next season so likely spends at least two years there if not three so I have him slated joining San Diego in the 2026-2027 season at the earliest depending on how he develops at College.
The Ducks own seventh round selection went to Edmonton as part of the Henrique and Carrick deal but with the selection they obtained from Los Angeles earlier in the day Anaheim selected Latvian left shooting defender Darels Uljanskis.
#214th Overall – Darels Uljanskis – LD, 6’2″ 194lbs
Uljanskis has spent the last few seasons playing in the Junior leagues in Sweden putting up moderate to slightly impressive numbers for a defender. His strengths lie in his ability to get a shot through traffic or to spot team-mates sticks for tips but he is billed as more of a two-way defender.
Once again – his skating needs some work, especially his “pivots” to close the gap on speedy forwards as noted by Martin Madden in his post draft assessment. He also needs to improve on decision making under pressure but that is teachable and comes with a maturing game.
He had 29 points in 45 games this season in the AIK J20 and a further 3 points in 2 games in the playoffs. He failed to impress at the World Juniors where he saw his ice-time diminish game by game, eventually finishing the tournament with just the one assist through five games of action.
Uljanskis is a project but the blue print is there for a bottom pairing defender with an underrated ability to step in on the Power Play.
He likely stays in Sweden for a few more years so I wouldn’t pencil him coming over until at the least the 2027-2028 season – about the same time Lucas Pettersson’s contract in Sweden expires.
As I said at the top of this article this felt like the first draft where the Ducks scouts were given a long leash to shoot for the stars. The Ducks pipeline is now healthy enough that they can afford to take chances so sure there may be a few misses but overall all of their selections here seem like a sure bet on potential and upside. The only real “high floor, safe pick” seemed to be Pettersson. Personally my favorites are Sennecke, Smith and Blais and I am excited to see how their post draft seasons progress.
Here is how I would describe the needs met by this draft:
The common theme was definitely a lack of care for any concerns surrounding skating with a couple of other players also having concerns over shooting ability so again there could be some misses if these wrinkles cannot be ironed out but overall these were all high reward selections that have me feeling much better about this draft than last years.
Overall I give this draft a grade of “A”.
I have already updated the Prospect Timeline Page so make sure to keep that bookmarked to see how far away these players are from joining the Gulls.
San Diego, California. Coming home for a Saturday night match with their northern rivals from…
San Jose, California. After escaping the desert with a split the San Diego Gulls headed…
Tucson, Arizona. After yet another disappointing last few minute loss the San Diego Gulls hoped…
Tucson, Arizona. Riding high off of their five goal comeback win over Abbotsford the San…
San Diego, California. Struggling to find a consistent rhythm the San Diego Gulls once again…
San Diego, California. Despite coming close to beating the division leading Wranglers on their first…