5 Options for the Anaheim Ducks to draft with 23rd overall pick
We are less than a month from the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Chris Bushell ranks his top five prospects that may be available when the Anaheim Ducks make the 23rd overall selection.
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is just a few weeks away. We can start to look at potential players the Anaheim Ducks could select. They own four picks in the first three rounds including #23 overall. These are my 5 potential prospects the Ducks should target with their first-round pick, in ascending order.
# 5 K’Andre Miller (D, U18 NTDP)
K’Andre Miller is the SportingNews.com pick for the Ducks to take at #23 citing the following; “You know your team is hurting for help on defense when they ice blueline dinosaurs like Kevin Bieksa and Francois Beauchemin for a playoff series.
Miller is a good piece to help the eventual transition toward quickness. He is a converted forward who has the size and wheels to shut down opposing rushes in the neutral zone. He maintains a tight gap and finishes his checks with authority.”
While they are right, the Anaheim Ducks D-core was depleted with the injury to Cam Fowler and the trade of Sami Vatanen, I don’t believe Miller is the best option here. A defenseman isn’t a bad strategy as the Ducks look poised to have one of the youngest D-cores in the league next season. They need to restock the shelves a bit.
Miller doesn’t impress me much especially as a 1st round pick. Only 18 years old, he is a big kid standing at 6’4″ 205lbs. A converted forward now on the blueline, scouts like his skating and puck moving ability.
He’s been playing with the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) the past two years. His rookie season with the National team was a difficult transition to make from Minnesota high school hockey. He posted 7 points in 34 games but was a minus 29.
This year, Miller posted 16 points in 22 games and was a +13, which was a significant improvement. One year of positive hockey at that level doesn’t have me clamoring for him. If selected by Anaheim, the Ducks will be able to watch him mature at the University of Wisconsin next season. I believe there are better choices for the Ducks.