{"id":164989,"date":"2026-02-05T10:15:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/164989\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T10:15:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:15:24","slug":"beckett-sennecke-has-a-chance-to-be-off-the-charts-the-ducks-already-like-what-they-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/164989\/","title":{"rendered":"Beckett Sennecke has \u2018a chance to be off the charts.\u2019 The Ducks already like what they see"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anyone who followed Beckett Sennecke and his exploits before his draft night already knew what he was about, but his first imprint on the NHL world came with his unforgettable, shocked reaction<\/a> to the Anaheim Ducks calling out his name with the No. 3 pick in Las Vegas in 2024.<\/p>\n

There was zero suspense when Macklin Celebrini went No. 1 to the San Jose Sharks. And there was more talk about the Chicago Blackhawks possibly taking Ivan Demidov at No. 2 instead of their eventual pick,\u00a0Artyom Levshunov.<\/p>\n

A common thought was that the Ducks would snap up the prospect Chicago didn\u2019t choose. Sennecke?\u00a0Sure, the Toronto-native winger had a breakout Ontario Hockey League playoffs for the Oshawa Generals, but he didn\u2019t obliterate the OHL. He didn\u2019t have a lengthy international junior profile with Hockey Canada. He was a fast riser with increasing momentum that draft year, enough to propel him into the top 10. But the third pick?<\/p>\n

Sennecke is now making it clear that he wasn\u2019t a reach for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. The rookie, who turned 20 last week, is enjoying an excellent season and has at least inserted his name into the Calder Trophy finalist conversation alongside Matthew Schaefer, the New York Islanders\u2019 fantastic 18-year-old defenseman.<\/p>\n

Sennecke is the leading goal-scorer among rookies with 18 and is second to the Montreal Canadiens\u2019 Demidov among rookies in points (44). Sennecke could join Bobby Ryan and Trevor Zegras as the Ducks\u2019 highest Calder finishers \u2014 Ryan was second to Steve Mason in 2009, Zegras was second to Moritz Seider in 2022 \u2014 even if he doesn\u2019t become the club\u2019s first winner.<\/p>\n

When did the Ducks first seriously consider Sennecke for the No. 3 pick? Verbeek isn\u2019t eager to divulge that, even more than 18 months later. \u201cWell, we have our draft list,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t like to tell you secrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Verbeek did take a bit of umbrage with the notion that Sennecke should have been considered a surprise pick. And then he opened a window into why Sennecke was their guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I went and watched him play, I thought he was extremely talented,\u201d Verbeek said. \u201cThere\u2019s a package there that, for me, has a chance to be off the charts. And at this point, he\u2019s learning the NHL game and there\u2019s a lot of ability there. For him, I think he\u2019s going to get better in the sense that he\u2019s going to get to know the players in the league. He\u2019s going to get stronger. He\u2019s going to understand how to play the system better.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s\u00a0just a lot of maturity\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0still left to come in his game. But from my perspective, there is really, really a ton of talent and ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sennecke already has shown elite skill, a concoction that includes heavy doses of relentless play and fearless behavior. It also can result in mistakes, as he has been guilty of taking bad penalties and committing turnovers when safer options were available. But those traits also have created game-changing moments.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In overtime against Utah on Nov. 17, Sennecke froze Mammoth goalie Karel Vejmelka with a slight fake as he drove the center of the ice and then slid a pass to Olen Zellweger for a tap-in goal that gave the Ducks a 3-2 victory.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sees the play,\u201d Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said afterward. \u201cYou\u2019re\u00a0thinking\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0got to shoot this thing, and then he makes a beautiful pass. Nice play. Incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 In the final seconds of regulation of the Dec. 9 game at Pittsburgh, Sennecke got the puck from Cutter Gauthier at center ice and stick-handled through two onrushing Penguins defenders before throwing the puck into the crease. Pittsburgh\u2019s Erik Karlsson inadvertently gloved the puck between the legs of Penguins goalie Art\u016brs \u0160ilovs. It crossed the goal line with 0.1 seconds left, improbably sending the Ducks into overtime, where they would eventually prevail in a shootout.<\/p>\n

\u2022 As the final minute of overtime approached on Jan. 17 against Los Angeles, Sennecke hustled back as the Kings\u2019 Kevin Fiala broke in on Anaheim goalie Ville Husso. As Fiala started to size up Husso, Sennecke lifted Fiala\u2019s stick and, in one motion, stole the puck and sent a backhand pass to Mikael Granlund.<\/p>\n

Granlund scored on the ensuing rush for a 2-1 victory. What might have gone less noticed is that Sennecke also rushed back into the offensive zone to present himself as a passing option for Granlund on the two-on-one counterattack.<\/p>\n

\u2022 With two goals already in his pocket on Jan. 25, Sennecke finished off his first NHL game in Canada by taking the puck down the ice in Calgary and zipping a rising wrist shot past goalie Dustin Wolf for a hat trick and a 4-3 overtime win. It made him the third rookie in NHL history under the age of 20 to record a hat trick, including the OT winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just one of those games where everything kind of\u00a0goes in\u00a0for you,\u201d\u00a0Sennecke\u00a0said. \u201cYou get them every once in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

For that, Sennecke got a face full of shaving cream from teammate Luk\u00e1\u0161 Dost\u00e1l while doing a postgame interview. Moments later, Sennecke vowed to another televised audience, \u201cI\u2019ll get him back. One way or another. I won\u2019t tell you guys, but I\u2019ll get him back.\u201d But the exchange is a snapshot into the instant bond the flourishing youngster has with his teammates.<\/p>\n

Count Jacob Trouba among the many impressed. Now in his 13th season, Trouba has come across countless young players and remembers when he was breaking into the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets. The defenseman sees in Sennecke a precocious kid who always wants to make something happen, and an ability to quickly move beyond the plays that don\u2019t work or a rough game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty rare,\u201d Trouba said.\u00a0\u201cEven just the progress\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0made from training camp to where we are now. From zero to 10 games, 10 to 20 games and how he keeps\u00a0kind of growing\u00a0and learning.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0still having fun.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0pretty refreshing\u00a0to have someone 19 years old in the room and how they act and what they do.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s\u00a0having\u00a0a good time. But he makes an impact in the\u00a0game,\u00a0and\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0getting better as\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0going. Kind of learning on the fly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before the Ducks opened training camp, Sennecke didn\u2019t have any commanding performances in the preceding rookie tournament. However, Quenneville noted how Sennecke got better with each day and through his preseason games. But, the coach conceded with a chuckle, \u201cIt was easy to say that he was improving every day after those levels. So that might be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

As camp continued, it was also easy to conclude the Ducks would, at minimum, give Sennecke a nine-game taste or keep him around until the World Juniors in December. But an injury to veteran forward Ryan Strome opened a spot in Anaheim\u2019s top nine. In his NHL debut in Seattle, Sennecke started on the second line with Mason McTavish and Cutter Gauthier.<\/p>\n

Just over four minutes into the game, Sennecke scored and became the seventh Ducks teenager to score in his first NHL game and the youngest player in 10 seasons to score that quickly to begin his career.<\/p>\n

Sennecke\u2019s early success hasn\u2019t surprised Roger Hunt, the longtime Oshawa Generals general manager who had Sennecke for three seasons. Hunt left a summer conversation with Verbeek convinced that Sennecke would get a real chance with the Ducks. Playing in the best league on a team with proven NHL veterans and growing stars would bring out the best in him, Hunt thought. \u201cI see a kid that\u2019s maturing into an NHL future star,\u201d Hunt said. \u201cHe\u2019s evolving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u00a0was always a sponge,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0added.\u00a0\u201cHe was always\u00a0very knowledgeable. So,\u00a0I think just by being thrust into that environment, the results are showing. I\u00a0truly believe\u00a0that\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0a budding star in the NHL that\u00a0we\u2019ll\u00a0be watching for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cCredit to\u00a0Anaheim, they gave him that opportunity.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0not a\u00a0fourth-liner. He\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0play on a team\u2019s fourth line, regardless of what league it is. But recognizing what they had with him,\u00a0they\u00a0gave him an opportunity to be at his best or certainly put him in a position to succeed by\u00a0putting\u00a0him in their top six.\u00a0I\u00a0truly believe\u00a0in the first\u00a050 games\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0played in the NHL now that he certainly repaid them in spades. I suspect\u00a0it\u2019ll\u00a0very much continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

As his goal against Calgary showed, Sennecke has a shot that can beat NHL goalies from distance. But that isn\u2019t the only way he scores goals. He has an appetite to be around the net, absorbing punishment to make plays for himself and teammates. If the cost is taking a post-whistle glove in the face or jab to his back from an opposing player, he\u2019ll gladly pay up.<\/p>\n

\"Beckett<\/p>\n

\n Beckett Sennecke can make goals happen in a variety of ways. (Christopher Morris \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

In his first multi-goal game, on Nov. 9 against Winnipeg, Sennecke showed how he can maneuver his 6-foot-3 body to gain leverage on a defenseman down low and cash in a rebound chance. He is comfortable operating in tight areas and open spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe looks like he\u2019s going to lose the puck and then all of a sudden, he\u2019s sliding through,\u201d Quenneville said. \u201cHis skill set\u2019s different than most players. I can\u2019t describe exactly what it is, but his elusiveness is a different level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hunt said it is an attitude that\u2019s been present since his Ottawa days.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was like Gumby at times,\u201d the Generals\u2019 GM said. \u201cYou think he\u2019s going to get killed and he survives it. He lives around the net. He\u2019s courageous. He\u2019s not a fighter but he\u2019s very courageous. He\u2019ll take the body. He\u2019ll go to those hard areas. He\u2019ll do what it takes to score.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tools and disposition are reminiscent of a former Ducks winger who grew from a first-round draft pick into one of the best at his position in his prime: Corey Perry. That\u2019s not a comparison made lightly. As Trouba said, \u201cThose are big shoes to compare to. I think he\u2019s got a long way to go before he probably deserves that comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perry has played in more than 1,400 games, scored 459 goals and is nearing 1,000 points \u2014 along with racking up 1,529 penalty minutes. Sennecke has only taken his first step and doesn\u2019t display Perry\u2019s devilish side or his accidentally-on-purpose way of distracting goalies. But as Hunt said, \u201cThey do certainly have that courage and willingness to do what it takes to win. I\u2019m sure as time goes on and Beckett gets more comfortable in the NHL, he\u2019ll drive players nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quenneville likes the comparison to Perry, professing an affinity for a player who was, for years, an adversarial nuisance. And the Ducks already are enjoying Sennecke\u2019s high ceiling. It is why the coach will correct the winger when he takes an ill-advised stick foul but doesn\u2019t plaster him to the bench for minutes on end. It is why he wants to eliminate the high-risk plays Sennecke got away with in junior hockey, but doesn\u2019t want to stifle his willingness to try things that others won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The upside is too great to suppress. The Ducks saw it before draft night. They\u2019re now real-time beneficiaries.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could just see his size, his deception, his skating, his shot,\u201d Ducks winger Troy Terry said. \u201cYou knew there\u2019s never any doubt how good of a player he was going to be. It\u2019s kind of surprising how fast he\u2019s already kind of gotten (there). I think he\u2019s just scratching the surface of the player he can be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anyone who followed Beckett Sennecke and his exploits before his draft night already knew what he was about,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164990,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,824,165,164],"class_list":["post-164989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-ducks","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}