Anaheim Ducks: Where Do the Ducks Go From Here?

Thinking About the Future

There is one thing you cannot knock Bob Murray on, an that is his drafting ability. He has made the majority of his picks for the Anaheim Ducks in the 20+ range and he has a remarkably high success rate regarding his picks.

He normally doesn’t draft all-stars, but he does a great job at finding everyday NHLers, regardless of where he’s drafting. That’s a great thing. Murray does have 2 forays in the top 10 however.

Drafting Hampus Lindholm with the Ducks own pick in 2012 at 6th overall has turned out remarkably well with Lindholm in the conversation for best pick of the entire first round, alongside Morgan Rielly and Filip Forsberg.

The other being Nick Ritchie, 10th overall with the Ottawa Senators pick in 2014. Ritchie hasn’t exactly been a home run, often drawing criticism from Anaheim Ducks fans, but if you look at that 2014 draft, Ritchie is still one of the more successful picks from that draft.

If Bob Murray can find himself in that top 10 range again, there’s some real talent out there in this upcoming draft, particularly at center, that the Ducks could desperately use as they try and find the successor to El Capitan.

The Candidates

Jack Hughes- Center- USHL

Jack Hughes is widely regarded as the consensus number one pick this coming draft. He is a high skill, incredibly fast skater, with soft hands, and remarkable vision.

I’m not entirely sold on Hughes as an elite goal scorer at the NHL level, but his passing ability should more than make up for that. I’ve seen his skill set compared to that of Patrick Kane and I can say it’s not too far off. Hughes would be a major asset if the Anaheim Ducks somehow managed to luck out and win the draft lottery.

Kirby Dach- Center- Saskatoon Blades

On the other end of the spectrum, Dach is not a flashy player. He’s a big-bodied center. He’s got a lot of skill and elite playmaking ability. Although he’s not a gifted goal scorer, his innate ability to find open passing lanes is something that should have teams coveting the young center.

A good comparison would be to that of a Joe Thornton or even a Ryan Getzlaf. Dach is a good 3 zone player who can make passes and is not easily dislodged from the puck. He could go as high as 3rd overall or could drop to the middle of the first round.

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He is going to be one to watch and if you want to replace Getzlaf, getting another player similar to Getzlaf isn’t a bad idea.

Kaapo Kakko- Right Wing- TPS

The name on everyone’s mind since the start of the season is Kakko. He’s had a remarkable year and has even been mentioned as a usurper to Jack Hughes’ stranglehold on the top spot in the draft.

While I don’t necessarily see that as truth, more so just people trying to stir up a story, Kakko is gonna be a legit contender. Kakko is a fairly big winger, at 6’2”, and is already playing at a high level.

He has great puck skills, both shooting and playmaking. While he’s not exactly the most fleet of foot, his other skills more than make up for that. I personally think he’ll go 2nd overall and will be a gem for whoever he ends up with.

Dylan Cozens- Center/Winger- Lethbridge Hurricanes

The first of the high-end prospects that I’m personally not high on, but is right up Murray’s alley. He’s a big body with a scoring touch. Cozens is a high energy player who will cause havoc for whichever team he’s matched up against.

I personally would prefer the Anaheim Ducks to look more towards skill than another power forward if they get a top 10 pick and for that reason, I wouldn’t want Cozens as much as others. At the same time, I concede that he will be a great NHL player.

Arthur Kaliyev- Right Wing- Hamilton Bulldogs

Now for the other end of the spectrum, the player that I wish Murray would take but I don’t think he will. Kaliyev is a Florida born Russian with a snazzy shot that will carry him into the NHL as a high-end goal scorer.

There are questions regarding Kaliyev’s physicality, and he has been critiqued for shying away from puck battles, but I think he’s going to be a big-time goal scorer in the NHL and one that I would like to see in the black and orange. He’s likely going to be a mid 1st round pick.

Cole Caufield-Right Wing- USDP

Now, my pick for the sleeper pick that I would salivate over the idea of being in a Ducks jersey. His size, a diminutive 5’6”, is likely going to scare a lot of teams away. It’s very similar to the situations with Johnny Gaudreau, Kailer Yamamoto, and Alex DeBrincat, all of which are actually taller than Caufield.

The fact is, Caufield might have the best shot of anyone in this draft. He’s a shifty player who is tenacious around the net. It’s not uncommon for the shorter players to play with a bit of a chip on their shoulders and Caufield I think will have quite a chip.

He’s probably the furthest out of the prospects listed here to play in the NHL but I think he’ll end up being one of the better players out of the entire draft.

The Anaheim Ducks are at a crossroads, and their actions over the coming months will really set the tone for their future. It’s going to be interesting to see how Murray responds to the most adversity he’s had since taking over the reins a decade ago, and I for one, am ready to see how he handles it.

These were just a few of the prospects that the Ducks could consider in the 1st round, if you’d like a more in-depth look at some of them, including more who are further down the top prospects list make sure to let us know!