Nov 11, 2011; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Peter Holland (74) reacts after scoring a goal Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo (right) during the second period at The Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

My number four top prospect for the Anaheim Ducks was Rickard Rakell. Now, my number three Anaheim Ducks prospect is center Peter Holland. The young gun made his NHL debut last season for the Ducks, appearing in four games and tallying his first career NHL goal on his first career NHL shot. He is currently on the Ducks roster, but has been a healthy scratch the first two games of the season. Before the lockout ended, he was having a pretty successful season with the Norfolk Admirals in the AHL.

Anaheim Ducks center prospect Peter Holland (via norfolkadmirals.com)

Holland is now 22-years-old. He hails from Caledon, Ontario, which is right around Toronto. He was born on January 14, 1991. The Ducks drafted him in the 1st round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, 15th overall. He is a left-handed shot and is listed at 6′ 3″-200 lbs.

Holland has really progressed well over the last few seasons. He has always had good size, but it is now evident that he has a great frame for the NHL. He had been questioned about his effort and consistency. However, he has worked hard and now seems to have fixed those problems. He has been able to produce a lot of points in every level he has played so far in his career. He was a over a point-per-game during his best years in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm. He has carried over his excellent offensive play to the Admirals in the AHL. He has a very soft touch for a guy as big as he is. His offensive skill at this point has developed very well and he still has plenty of offensive upside. However, if needed, he does have good vision and good passing abilities so that he could develop into a solid setup man as well. His shot is deadly accurate and he can go top shelf where momma hides the cookies!

As I said in the previous paragraph, some scouts had critiqued Holland as a guy who didn’t always give it his all. Therefore, his consistency was also called into question. However, he seems to have worked hard on trying to become more consistent and work hard on every shift. Another criticism of Holland’s game has been the use of his big frame. He’s 6′ 3″-200, but is not overly physical. He has the size and strength to be more physical. It’s all a question of his will to be more physical. If he wants to fully fulfill his potential, he needs to be more physical and become the elite scorer that he could become.

Holland is on the verge of becoming a full-timer for the Ducks. He’s been a healthy scratch so far this season with Rickard Rakell still on his six-game tryout. Rakell has looked pretty solid. So, if Rakell stays for the foreseeable future, than I think it would be better for Peter Holland to be sent down to the AHL, but if there are any injuries to a top-six forward, he should be the first guy to be considered to be called up. He is a scorer, plain and simple. Putting him in a bottom-six forward spot might not help him develop. However, it’s not going to be too long before a spot in the top-six opens up for Holland to fill in. With the other young forwards in the system for the Ducks, Peter Holland might be the best pure scorer.

My #2 prospect update will be posted next week. Be ready and go ahead and take a guess on who you think will be my #2 prospect for the Anaheim Ducks.

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Norfolk Admirals defenseman Sami Vatanen (via circlingthewagons.com)

My number five Anaheim Ducks prospect is defenseman Sami Vatanen. The diminutive defenseman grew up through his hometown hockey program in Finland. This season, however, he is making his North American debut in the AHL with the Norfolk Admirals.

Norfolk Admirals defenseman Sami Vatanen (via norfolkadmirals.com)

Vatanen is now 21 years old and is from Jyvaskyla, Finland. He was born on June 3, 1991. The Ducks drafted him in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (106th overall). He is a right-handed shot and is listed at 5′ 10″-176 lbs.

He is completely known for his offensive abilities. He is very skilled at controlling the puck and spreading it out. Scouts have said that his offensive abilities as a defenseman are as good as any offensive defenseman prospects out there. He is most valuable on the power play. He has good vision across the ice and has very good skating abilities. He doesn’t have a hard slap shot, but he is very accurate with his wrist shot. His hockey sense has also been praised in his time in Finland and short time in Norfolk. It’s always nice to have guys who just get the game and know how to play it well.

The young Finnish defenseman is not a guy who will bang bodies a lot. Due to his small size, nobody would want him to be a defensive defenseman anyway. Once again, he is 5′ 10″ and 176 lbs. There are not many players, specifically defenseman, who can stay healthy for 82 games and play well throughout an entire career at that size. He is not physical, and he does need to get a little more physical to adjust a little more to the North American style of play. His defensive skills aren’t “lacking” or “non-existent,” but he has been good enough in the defensive zone to survive the top FInnish leagues and in the AHL.

With the signings of Sheldon Souray and Bryan Allen, which filled two holes in the defensive corps, Vatanen will most certainly remain in the AHL for the foreseeable future. However, I would much rather have him on the blue line for a full season instead of Souray because, frankly, I am not a fan of Souray and was not pleased with the signing. Vatanen has grown in popularity with the fan base and the organization lately. Therefore, I think it is easy to say that at some point the Ducks will give him a major look. Vatanen has the potential to be a very dynamic 2nd pairing defenseman and very good power play asset. A pairing with a player with the same type of play and body size as current Duck Toni Lydman would most likely benefit Vatanen the most.

My #4 prospect update will be posted later this week. Be ready and go ahead and take a guess on who you think will be my # 4 prospect for the Anaheim Ducks.

Thanks for reading! Any questions? Contact us! Or follow us on twitter @DucksDailyBlog! We’re back on Facebook, so like us!

Follow me on twitter @ddb_sean! Follow our Lead Editor on twitter @thekrishill! Follow my fellow Staff Writers on twitter @bauerhockeydude and @CamLanier!