Later this week, The Hockey News will release its annual Future Watch issue. The Ducks rank #1 in the NHL in a poll of top 21-and-under NHLers plus prospects (ranked by a panel of NHL scouts).
In addition to NHLers Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, the Ducks also have five of the top 83 ranked prospects in the league with the recent addition of Drew Helleson, who joins Anaheim prospects Mason McTavish, Lukas Dostal, Olen Zellweger and Jacob Perreault.
Acquisitions and Draft Picks
Prior to the 2022 Trade Deadline, the Ducks acquired six picks in the first three rounds of the next three NHL Drafts in addition to six players/prospects. Anaheim draft picks include a 2022 first (Boston), 2022 second (Pittsburgh), two 2023 seconds (Boston & Colorado), one 2024 second (Colorado) and a 2023 third (Minnesota). Including Anaheim’s own picks, the Ducks now have eight selections in the first two rounds of the next two NHL Drafts (three 1st round picks and five 2nd round picks). From 2019-22 (three prior and upcoming drafts) the Ducks have 7 first round picks in a four-year span (Zegras, Tracey, Drysdale, Perreault, McTavish, ANA 2022 1st and BOS 2022 1st).
Players who joined the Ducks organization included 23-year-old D Urho Vaakanainen (Boston 1st round pick in 2017), 20-year-old D prospect Drew Helleson (2022 Team USA Olympian and 2021 WJC gold medalist), 19-year-old G prospect Calle Clang (playing for Rogle who leads Sweden’s top league in points) and three NHL veterans: LW Zack Aston-Reese and C Dominik Simon and RW Gerry Mayhew.
Vaakanainen joins a group of Ducks NHLers 24 years old-and-younger and recent first-round picks:
- Troy Terry (5th round in 2015)
- Trevor Zegras (9th overall in 2019)
- Jamie Drysdale (6th overall in 2020)
- Mason McTavish (3rd overall in 2021)
- Isac Lundestrom (23rd overall in 2018)
- Max Jones (24th overall in 2016)
- Sam Steel (30th overall in 2016)
- Max Comtois (50th overall 2017)
- Jacob Perreault (27th overall in 2020)
- Brayden Tracey (29th overall in 2019)
To learn more about Ducks ticket packages, offers and to have a chance to see this exciting team take shape, visit AnaheimDucks.com/SeeItLive.