Round Table: Grading the Anaheim Ducks 2020 Draft Selections

Jacob Perreault, Sarnia Sting, RW (27th Overall)

Brad Senecal: A+

If you read our roundtable predicting the Anaheim Ducks first three picks, you will know that this was the pick that I wanted. What you couldn’t gather from my read was how much I was living and dying by every selection leading up to this pick, wondering if Perreault would make it to 27.

I also foolishly predicted that Tyson Foerster would be available at 36 but when the Flyers picked him up at 23, all my hope went to the fact that Perreault would make it to the next selection, Bob Murray would make the selection. So when Martin Madden (in a very good French accent) selected Perreault, my night was definitely made.

With so much unknown on how players such as Sam Steel, Troy Terry, and Isac Lundestrom are to develop, getting a player who could fill as many needs such as Perreault was a great move. A natural Center with a great shot and knack for getting the puck to the net will greatly help the other young players on this Ducks team.

Many Anaheim Ducks fans right now are thinking about the combination that Perreault and Trevor Zegras could create playing side by side. I prefer to think about how his ability to put the puck in the net could benefit more natural playmakers such as Steel and Terry and help them reach a higher offensive potential than they have been able to achieve thus far.

I was on the fence with the Ducks picking Drysdale, but getting an offensive weapon in Jacob Perreault gave me the reassurance that Bob Murray was potentially able to help two major needs in this draft.

Garrett Brown: A

Everyone needs a little bit of luck to be successful. After the Drysdale selection earlier in the night, the Ducks addressed their most glaring need by plucking Perreault from the Sarnia Sting. The fact that this pure goal-scorer fell into the laps of the Ducks (and the fact that GMBM actually selected him) felt too good to be true.

Perreault has been considered one-dimensional by some. But that particular dimension is something the team, as well as the fan base, sorely need. A common mistake that seems to get made all too often by drafting teams is overlooking a player who may appear to be “too raw”. In other words, there might be tremendous upside to a player, but due to a deficit in a certain area, teams will look another way.

In this case, experts Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman of The Athletic have pegged Perreault as someone who doesn’t exhibit as much effort without the puck on his stick. Another aspect of his game that could use improvement is his skating.

Going against every fiber of his being, GMBM selected an incomplete player; someone who for once, will not be considered a Swiss army knife (not that that’s the worst thing to be considered). In Perreault, the Ducks have only one ask: goals. They’ve selected their fair share of two-way forwards, long-term projects, and otherwise. The time was now for a player of Perreault’s caliber.

Ben Thomasian: A

The Anaheim Ducks simply haven’t had a prospect who can rip the puck in a long, long, time. Kyle Palmieri may have been the last prospect they’ve had with genuine goal-scoring upside. Perreault dropped to them, due to a perceived lack of effort and a succinct lack of defensive chops.

It’s these flaws that drop him from an A+ to an A, as his blazing fast skating and weapon of a shot are both sorely needed on a Ducks team without much of either. Boom or bust type who could very easily be another Daniel Sprong and find himself on the outside looking in if his two-way play doesn’t improve dramatically.

Ciara Durant: A-

To be quite honest, I didn’t think Perreault would still be available when the Anaheim Ducks drafted at 27th overall. The fact that so many teams passed on him makes me think that maybe the hockey gods don’t hate us after all. The Ducks need goal scoring in a bad way, and, as mentioned, I thought they should have drafted one of those with their 6th overall pick.

Nevertheless, the Ducks fill two big holes with both Drysdale and Perreault. If Perreault’s skills can translate to the NHL, which I believe they will, the Anaheim Ducks may have one of the more successful first rounds in the 2020 Draft. The young center has a dangerous shot and he can score from almost anywhere.

He definetly has his flaws; his game away from the puck needs work and so does his skating. While his defensive game isn’t his strong suit, his current skill set offers a solution to one of the Anaheim Ducks’ most glaring holes. And, with the right linemates (I’d love to see him play with someone like Max Jones in the future) he is going to be an incredible asset to the Anaheim Ducks.

Overall Grade: