Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks: 2019 Top 10 Early NHL Mock Draft

By Jonathan Maxfield

ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 19: Team Langenbrunner forward Trevor Zegras (11) scores the game winning goal in the 3rd period on Team Leopold goalie Dustin Wolf (30) during the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game between Team Leopold and Team Langenbrunner on September 19, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Team Leopold defeated Team Langenbrunner 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 19: Team Langenbrunner forward Trevor Zegras (11) scores the game winning goal in the 3rd period on Team Leopold goalie Dustin Wolf (30) during the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game between Team Leopold and Team Langenbrunner on September 19, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Team Leopold defeated Team Langenbrunner 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Anaheim Ducks
VANCOUVER , BC – JANUARY 5: Jack Hughes #6 of the United States skates against Finland during a gold medal game at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Rogers Arena on January 5, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images) /

For fans of non-playoffs teams, like the Anaheim Ducks, there’s not much to look forward to between the 82nd game of the season and the off-season.

The NHL is right in the thick of the playoff race right now, with round 2 right around the corner. However, for teams who missed the playoffs, like the Anaheim Ducks, the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is going to be the highlight of their summer. With the draft a little less than two months away, let’s take a look at how things could possibly pan out for the team drafting in the Top 10 on June 21, 2019.

After a pretty lousy season, the Anaheim Ducks won’t be selecting in the Top 5. Nevertheless, they did get the 9th overall pick, which is what most fans will be looking forward to. With that being said, let’s take a look at what we can expect on the road to 9th overall.

1st Overall: New Jersey Devils

1st Overall. Pick Analysis. Center. Jack Hughes. USA U18. player. 85. Scouting Report

While there is certainly an argument to be made for the Devils to take the player I think will go 2nd overall, given their recent draft history, I think the appeal of Jack Hughes will be too much for them to pass up. Jack Hughes has been the consensus first overall pick for quite some time and unlike the last time the Devils picked first overall (Nico Hischier) Hughes hasn’t fallen out of favor the way that Nolan Patrick did in his draft year.

Hughes is the total package and will be a massive difference maker in the NHL that will have Devils fans singing his praises for years to come. He can do it all, with the only real concern posed being his relatively small stature standing only 5’10 and pushing 170lbs.

2nd Overall: New York Rangers

Right Wing. Kaapo Kakko. player. Pick Analysis. TPS. 2nd. 95.

The Rangers lucked out moving up 4 slots from 6th overall to 2nd overall and will be handsomely rewarded with the name that has only risen in value from the beginning of the season. Kaapo Kakko is a bigger body than Hughes, standing 6’4 and over 200lbs, but that doesn’t mean he’s slow or lacks the foot-speed to be dynamic.

He’s not on the same wave-length speed-wise as some of the smaller forwards in this draft, but he makes up for it with agility that makes it difficult to pinpoint what he will do when he has the puck.

Kakko will join a team ripe with young forward talent ready to take the next step and his high-end hockey IQ will only help make the likes of Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson, and Brett Howden better overall. Picking up a player the caliber of Kakko puts the Rangers’ rebuild on the fast track to completion and fans should (and are) over the moon excited about what this team’s future holds.

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