The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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Make sure to check out the Anaheim Ducks team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/anaheim-ducks/ 

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Welcome back. Quite a lot has happened since last off-season. Nobody has missed the biggest Ducks news lately, Leo Carlsson and his $18 million a year. I’ll talk more about it later in the appropriate section, but I do think people have gotten a rather poor reading of the situation and its future effect.

On the much more fun side, the Ducks have broken their playoff drought after seven seasons and gotten the wider NHL to take notice. Dispatching the recently two-time Cup finalist Oilers (albeit injured) and giving Vegas a better fight than the Avalanche, you can’t discount these Ducks anymore.

Quenneville’s change in tactical philosophy has unlocked the youth and changed the team from their past low-event hockey to one of the highest-event hockey teams. Great for any fantasy manager because more events mean more goals. So while us fans sometimes have to ride a roller coaster with the team, the production will always be there. Coach Q was clear in interviews that this year was a learning one, so he gave the kids a much longer leash, letting them try all kinds of crazy stuff, especially Sennecke. This coming year, more discipline will be enforced on defense and in transition, which could temper production a little bit, so do keep that in mind.

The roster turnover continues, with previous “core” youth being traded out and new faces coming in to fill holes.

Dostal had a poor season by his standards, but count all the hockey he played over the year and he ranked at or near the top in total minutes. It is clear Dostal isn’t ready to take on a workhorse load of almost 70 games over a full season and playoffs yet. Husso needs to be a stable backup. If not, I would be cautious of Dostal once again because his workload could simply be too much.

The power-play remains a work in progress. The 18.6% is a big step up from the putrid 9-12% they had before, but with the talent they can ice across two special teams units, if they can’t get above the league average of around 22%, it will be a disappointment.

My personal opinion is to expect the Ducks to finish in a similar position this year. It comes down to how much Trouba’s loss on defense hurts and what steps the kids take this season.

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NHL draft Recap

Round 1, 15 overall: Nikita Klepov, LW

The prospect the whole McTavish trade hinged on. Klepov had the Ducks’ scouting staff charmed. It’s not hard to see why, he is good in every area of hockey. He’s fast and a model of hard work on the ice, always moving his feet and competing. Leading the OHL in scoring is good enough evidence on its own that Klepov knows his way around the offensive zone.

The Ducks’ rebuild has lacked a clear candidate to fill the second empty left-wing spot in the top six, and Klepov is the current favourite to grab it. Exactly how the Ducks will line up in the future is hard to say, but a combination of Sennecke, McQueen, Terry or Carlsson would give him some amazing teammates for point production.

Round 1, 28 overall: Marcus Nordmark, LW/RW

Every draft, there is someone with top-10 skill who falls due to personal reasons. This time it’s Nordmark. By skill alone, he can be argued to be the best prospect in the Ducks’ whole system. He brings a constant threat on the counterattack (to the detriment of his defense), along with the hands and ability to score in most situations. He’s a dangerous playmaker too, slipping passes through and finding lanes reserved for blue-chip prospects. Concerns about his drive and maturity is why Nordmark fell.

The Ducks themselves have stated they view his potential as a first-liner. This is a bet on changing Nordmark’s mentality. High risk, high reward. Definitely worth grabbing Nordmark if he starts falling a bit in your drafts.

Round 2, 45 overall: Jayden Kurtz, RHD

A Minnesota high school defenseman with a lot of the necessary tools, played forward in his youth and needs to work on the mental aspect of the game? It’s not déjà vu, it’s Jackson LaCombe’s profile from his draft year, and the Ducks are once again betting on a similar prospect.

A long-term project, Kurtz’s timeline looks like the Ducks are aligning him to be NHL-ready in the heart of their Cup window, where he can be relied upon while on a cost-controlled entry-level deal. He’ll take the long NCAA route to the NHL, so expect Kurtz in closer to four to five years.

Round 2, 50 overall: Mathis Preston, LW/RW

I think this is the single best pick of the draft. Preston could have gone at Nordmark’s spot at 28 and it would have been a good pick. At 50, that’s crazy. He doesn’t profile as a typical Ducks selection, but this draft the focus has been upside, and Preston has shown flashes of some of the highest upside in the whole draft.

Arguably the best all-around skater in the class, he combines that with one of the best shots to become a speed demon who can release shots in motion, surprising goalies and defenses alike. Though not profiled as one, he is borderline a volume passer, with a per/60 rate of slot passes reserved for the elite. The consistency with which those passes find a teammate is not elite, but if Preston can tone down the volume for a higher success rate, he’ll be lethal. Currently, his style of play is quite “junior-esque”, a style that leverages his superior skating, something that won’t work consistently against NHL defensemen. Preston will need to add more delay, east-west movement and manipulation to his game that can better incorporate his teammates and open space. He was one of the better transition players in junior, so the confidence to move pucks is present. It’s now about transforming that confidence into habits that will give him success even in the pros.

At pick 50, Preston will fall off people’s radars, but he is a lot more valuable than his draft position indicates. I highly recommend treating Preston as a boom-or-bust forward taken in the late 20s instead of 50.

Round 3, 82 overall: Rian Chudzinski, LW/RW

Back to the classic Ducks pick. Chudzinski has speed and a thirst for violence. Darting around on the forecheck, making his presence felt while passing and shooting opportunistically.

The future identity is already rather set. It’s the support game without the puck, playmaking and passing decisions that need work so Chudzinski can become a viable threat with the puck. Not much scoring upside here.

Round 5, 146 overall: Eric Frossard, LW

A big, fast-skating left-handed defenseman. More of a classical shutdown defenseman in junior, but his confidence with the puck and momentary flashes of puck skill are enough to be hopeful. Taking the NCAA route, Frossard will be with Notre Dame for a few years. Check back in a year or two to see if there has been any growth in his stock. 

Round 6, 178 overall: Gleb Peshkov, G

A hyper-athletic goalie who needs significant refinement. Every draft has a few of this archetype, and while by far most never get anywhere, the few who do break into the NHL tend to become very good goalies. The Ducks’ goalie factory has its next product, and we’ll see in a few years if they are able to mold Peshkov into a serviceable starter. 

Round 6, 192 overall: Noah Kosick, LW/C

Kosick has been on the radar for many years, as he managed to put up impressive seasons as an underager. At 5-11 and 160 lbs, Kosicki is on the smaller end and tends to shy away from contact. His skill as a playmaker is undeniable, but he needs to add more elements to his game as it is currently way too one-dimensional. It’s a long-shot pick, but the Ducks are betting on it.  

Round 7, 210 overall: Jimmy Rieber, RHD

Solid skating base, good defensive instincts and a willingness to be physical. Rieber needs some serious refinement in his puck skills to become relevant, but he will have time to work on them with another USHL season before heading to the NCAA. Another long-term project. Check back in a few years and we’ll see how Rieber is doing. 

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Off-season moves

Incoming (Remaining years, AAV)

A.J Greer – 4 years, $4.250 Million
Nick Jensen – 2 years, $2.250 Million
Jeff Malott – 3 years, $ 1.850 Million
Laurent Brossoit – 1 year, $1.100 Million
Roger McQueen – 3 years, $1.075 Million (ELC)
Ethan Procyznyn – 3 years, $1.050 Million (ELC)
Herman Träff – 3 years, 990K (ELC)
Anton Whalberg – 2 years, 893K ( ELC)

Outgoing

Mason McTavish
Olen Zellweger
Jacob Trouba
Radko Gudas
Ross Johnston
Jansen Harkins
Petr Mrazek
Jan Mysak

Re-Signed

Leo Carlsson – 5 years, $18 Million
Pavel Mintyukov – 5 years, $7.200 Million
Ryan Poehling, 4 years, $3.750 Million
Ian Moore – 2 years, $1.150 Million
Tyson Hinds – 2 years, $900K
Judd Caulfield – 2 years, $850K
Cutter Gauthier – ???, ??? (Not signed yet)

Comments

The elephant in the room is Leo’s $18 million. It’s big, it’s an over-payment, but it’s not too crazy. The market rate looks to be around $15 million, so it’s a $3 million overpay, which will hurt cap flexibility, but it won’t ruin it to the extent I keep seeing people claim it will. There is a good reason why several teams came out of the woodwork to offer sheet Leo, including the Flyers, who were reportedly willing to give up an $18 million AAV and four first-round picks to acquire him. His seasonal numbers are a bit misleading, as he played with a Morel-Lavallée lesion for a chunk of games (10-15-ish, we are not sure exactly when it started) before getting surgery. Leo’s pre-lesion rate and post-surgery rate were well above a point per game. We should expect at least a 100-point pace from Leo this season.

Mintyukov has gotten what seems to be around the market rate for young defensemen, looking at AAV and term compared to guys like Nemec and Drysdale. He hasn’t played at the salary he’s getting, so the Ducks are betting a lot on Mintyukov, even sending out his main competition in Zellweger. If he can’t hold down PP2, it could get ugly, and now a new competitor in Luneau is gunning for that spot.

With only Jensen coming in to support the defense, Verbeek and Quenneville are placing a lot of trust in the youth. The left side looks rather set with LaCombe, Mintyukov and Hinds, but how the right side looks is a hard guess. Luneau has to start with the NHL team now, Moore is a proven NHL player, and Jensen will play. Helleson and Luneau will probably rotate as the seventh defenseman, but this is just my guess.

Malott and Greer come in to add better bottom-six options than what the Ducks let walk.

Brossoit will play in the AHL, but if someone gets hurt, he’ll be the goalie call-up.

Cutter remains unsigned, but is expected to come in around the $12-17 million range within five to eight years. A large range as it has been reported at $12-$15 and $15-$17. My bet is $14 million for five years.

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In the system

Risers

Lucas Pettersson

The Ducks organization had enough of whatever plan MoDo had for Pettersson and signed him to his ELC, giving them control over where he plays. He was promptly loaned to Brynäs in the SHL, where he played a bottom-six role on a veteran team.

Twenty-four points in 46 SHL games while playing just around 12 minutes is quite a good mark, ranking among the top five U20 seasons in the SHL. To add to the excitement, Pettersson is still remarkably defensively aware for such a young player, using his speed to close gaps and backcheck while also launching quick counterattacks.

Pettersson will get a year with the Gulls in the AHL, and that will tell us whether he can leapfrog even higher in the depth chart or if he needs more seasons in the minors before he is ready. A sniper’s release, fast and two-way oriented, there should be PP2 and some PK opportunities if Pettersson can keep going at this pace.

Austin Burnevik

The yearly long shot worth your time, meet Burnevik. A great freshman year set some expectations, and Burnevik did not disappoint, putting up 38 points in 36 games for St. Cloud. There haven’t been many who question his puck skills or ability to create, it’s the same pest that causes so many talented prospects to never make it, skating.

The good news is that his skating is better than when I saw it two years ago, but I don’t think it was possible not to improve from that state. Heading to the University of Minnesota for his third collegiate season, skating is everything for Burnevik.

There is an NHL player, skill-wise, in him, but that player needs mobility. If he does what few manage and improves his skating enough, he will be a likely NHL option in two years.

Maxim Massé

It has been a busy season for Massé, over 100 points, leading Chicoutimi to the QMJHL title, a scoring title, the Michel Brière Trophy (QMJHL MVP) and, to round it off, the David Branch Award (CHL MVP). Heading to the University of Massachusetts for 2026-27, Massé’s performance will be telling just how far he has come and what kind of upside we are looking at.

A good skater with speed, 6-3, some puck skills and a drive to get to the dirty areas, he’s looking like an NHLer. Whether he is a bottom-six support player or can grow into a middle-six role while bringing his offensive abilities is the question now.

I think you should pay close attention to how he looks in the NCAA. A hot start could boost his value quite a lot.

Roger McQueen

There are always higher expectations for top-10 picks, and for someone who missed as much hockey as McQueen, just how far along he has come and what upside is there were hard to guess before this season. Stapled to the top-line center from opening night for Providence, the IQ and skating that had scouts falling over themselves before his injury are still very much present.

With McTavish and Zegras both sent out, the organization is placing large expectations on McQueen to fill the need at second-line center. Playing for the Gulls this season, McQueen should be expected in the NHL for 2027-28, but this AHL season can reveal his offensive abilities in a more known environment.

I would keep an eye out, as 2C on the Ducks means you’re still playing with some proven scorers, with more prospects on the way.

Fallers

Yegor Sidorov

Not much to really think deeply about with Sidorov, he has got an amazing shot and flair. But transforming his game from a style that worked great in junior to something that works well against pros has proven to be a steep hurdle. Rumours of a loan to Minsk have surfaced, I’m not sure if there is any validity to them, but with a huge influx of talented wingers from the 2026 draft, Sidorov needs to take bigger strides now to keep himself ahead in the ladder for call-ups. 

All the goalies in the minors

Yeah, not one of them, all of them! Clang, Suchánek and Buteyets. Clang is heading to Sweden as he just cannot find the consistency needed in the AHL. He was tendered a qualifying offer and remains with the Ducks organization for now.

Suchánek’s game has taken a massive hit from his ACL tear. A goalie relying on speed, athleticism and aggression could not ask for a much worse injury, and it shows. Buteyets has been horrible in his few AHL starts, but at least good in the ECHL. There needs to be rapid improvement now or he’s falling straight to the bottom of the goalie depth chart.

You want to keep an eye out for the future Ducks backup. Clara is the best bet at the moment, but who knows.

Noah Read

I do not like to be mean or negative in these but for Read the fact is rather simple he is not even a good OHL player at the moment. Not sure what the Ducks saw in him but he better start showing that because 25 points in 65 OHL games as a smaller D+1 forward is abhorrent.

Konnor Smith

Smith has two problems, one, the depth chart on the left is ridiculously stacked, and he is never climbing into an NHL role with the Ducks organization. Two, he isn’t very good at playing defense. By far the worst defenseman on the Gulls, his game needs some serious refinement because currently it isn’t even serviceable in the ECHL. 

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Expected to start in the NHL

Beckett Sennecke
Ian Moore
Tim Washe
Tyson Hinds
Tristan Luneau
Drew Helleson

Likely to see NHL action in order of likelihood

Anton Whalberg
Sam Colangelo
Nikita Nesterenko
Nathan Gaucher
Sasha Pastujov
Herman Träff
Noah Warren
Stian Solberg

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Top 20 Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Anaheim Ducks’ prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

Beckett Sennecke

Roger McQueen

Nikita Klepov

Tristan Luneau

Anton Whalberg

Stian Solberg

Tarin Smith

Marcus Nordmark

Mathis Preston

Maxim Massé

Lucas Pettersson

Tim Washe

Eric Nilson

Herman Träff

Ian Moore

Sam Colangelo

Sasha Pastujov

Damian Clara

Jayden Kurtz

Emile Guite

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Final thoughts

The Ducks rebuild has finally ended, and what should be many productive years are just starting. Any of the Ducks’ top-six players are fantasy relevant, and there are still some noteworthy prospects coming. The top spot on the right side of the defense remains a mystery, but unless a trade is made, it looks like the long-term solution will be either Ian Moore or Tristan Luneau.

If you are looking for gems, Nordmark and Preston would be my bets from this class. If you want a long-term late-round bet, Jayden Kurtz will likely not be on most people’s radars, and he profiles exactly as the type of defenseman the Ducks have drafted and developed successfully for nearly two decades now. Newly acquired Anton Wahlberg will get his shot to make the NHL roster, comments from Pat Verbeek indicate the team views him as an imminent future middle-six player.

Keep an eye out for the Ducks prospect page here on DobberProspects around the halfway mark of the season, I’ll be updating all the prospects and how their campaigns have been going so far.

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Make sure to check out the Anaheim Ducks team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/anaheim-ducks/ 

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Thanks for reading and shout-out to Landro for the help with late round picks!

Markus R