2014 NHL Draft: Anaheim Ducks draft review

[HF Article]

 

The Anaheim Ducks were one of the most talked about teams heading into the NHL draft, mainly due to rumors circulating about them being in active trade talks to an acquire a new center.

As expected, early in the day a trade was announced, and the Ducks made a huge splash by acquiring Ryan Kesler and a third round pick in the 2015 draft in exchange for Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa, Anaheim’s first round pick (24th) in 2014, and Anaheim’s third round pick (85th) in 2014. This trade gives the Ducks one of the best one-two punches down the middle in Ryan Getzlaf and Kesler and will help come playoff time with the amount of grit and leadership that those two players alone can bring to a team.… read more



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[Hockey Duckie]

I was quite impressed with the preview!

Hockey's Future Staff Mock Draft Results:

10. Nick Ritchie, LW, Peterborough Petes (OHL)

The Ducks enter the draft looking for an impact forward with great size, and low and behold, Nick Ritchie fell right into their lap. His combination of dominating physicality, willingness to drive the net, and excellent shot make him a great fit in a division that features the Los Angeles Kings as their most heated rival. There were quite a few players considered at this spot, but Ritchie is closer to NHL ready than players like Alex Tuch (college bound) and Jake Virtanen (surgery). While Haydn Fleury was hard to pass up, Ritchie seemed like the best fit for the Ducks at the 10th spot.

24. Jared McCann, C, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

With Travis Sanheim already off the board, Jared McCann popped out as a player who was slipping down the line and he was ultimately too hard to pass up. He plays a sound two-way game and possesses a laser of a shot. He has been a proven goal scorer at every level he has played at, and adding two of the best shots in the draft (Ritchie and McCann) should be seen as a huge win. Other defensemen were considered with this pick, such as USNTDP members Jack Glover and Jack Dougherty and Swedish product Marcus Pettersson, but with the Ducks also holding the 38th overall pick, it seemed likely that the team could still find a very good defensive prospect with that pick.

 

[TopShelfWaterBottle]

Good job