Prospect Info: 2025 NHL Entry Draft

[MMC]

Any chance Amico is available with our 2nd?

 

[Sendhelp2Anaheim]

Any chance Amico is available with our 2nd?

Doubtful that type always goes higher than predicted.

But we do have 2 3rds and 2 5ths…. Maybe we can move up into top 40 and aim for him

 

[Rasp]

I'm liking what I see from Kashawn Aitcheson but why does he have to be a LD. He would be our pick if we missed out on Solberg last year.

I could still see us taking him as best available then just deal with the LD issue later.

Watch this and tell me you dont want to draft him:

 

[Terry Yake]

outside of schaefer, mrtka is the only other d prospect in this draft that impresses me

LHD is just not a need at all

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Doubtful that type always goes higher than predicted.

But we do have 2 3rds and 2 5ths…. Maybe we can move up into top 40 and aim for him

And in a weaker draft they definitely going higher. 2022 was deeper than this draft and Luneau/Warren go 2nd round. In this draft class a guy like Luneau would be a lock to go in 1st round even with the injuries.

I'm liking what I see from Kashawn Aitcheson but why does he have to be a LD. He would be our pick if we missed out on Solberg last year.

I could still see us taking him as best available then just deal with the LD issue later.

Watch this and tell me you dont want to draft him:

I'm in the same boat, if they feel he's the BPA then pick him, develop him a little bit and trade him for a Forward but if he somehow greatly exceeds expectations and Minty somehow continues to stall (very unlikely) then I guess he could replace him when he's ready. I already think Zellweger is gonna be moved eventually when Solberg takes his spot on the roster. Maybe if they are stuck on Minty being a 2way guy getting mostly defensive starts they eventually put him on RD and play him with LaCombe so LaCombe can just pinch ?

Was looking at Aitcheson stats he produces more than Jackson Smith and is 8 pounds heavier despite Jackson Smith being 2 inches taller. Seems he's like the Martin Brady of Dmen in this class.

 

[Boo Boo]

I'm liking what I see from Kashawn Aitcheson but why does he have to be a LD. He would be our pick if we missed out on Solberg last year.

I could still see us taking him as best available then just deal with the LD issue later.

Watch this and tell me you dont want to draft him:

You never know - when we picked Theodore we already had Fowler and lindholm playing ahead of him as well as vatanen. We also picked montour and larsson quite high shortly after.

I definitely wouldn’t fault our staff for picking a LD if they believe that there’s a stud available.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

You never know - when we picked Theodore we already had Fowler and lindholm playing ahead of him as well as vatanen. We also picked montour and larsson quite high shortly after.

I definitely wouldn’t fault our staff for picking a LD if they believe that there’s a stud available.

Theodore and Larsson were late 1st round picks. Pettersson and Monty were 2nd round picks in the same draft. Vatanen was a fourth round pick.

Last year, we drafted three LD's despite our need at RD talent depth in our system. Solberg was drafted late in the 1st round, Tarin Smith in the 3rd round, and Uljanskis in the 7th round. I'm actually really hyped for Uljanskis! He's heading to UConn in the NCAA's. The odd part about last year's draft was that we passed up on LD Dickinson, as he was one of prospects I wanted the Ducks to go after. I thought the team didn't care for LD's in last year's draft, but Verbeek goes and drafts three LD's. ::: raising shoulders ::: I was hoping that RD Lev would have fallen to us.

With the 10th overall pick, we actually have a lot of options. But because we passed upon LD Dickinson last year for a forward, then I can see a repeat of if Mrtka doesn't fall to us.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Any chance Amico is available with our 2nd?

 

[WhatTheDuck]

 

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[KickHisAssZegrass]

I hope his stock raises enough to be picked before 10

 

[All Mighty]

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Wow. So McQueen was dealing with a fractured back for two years, but the first year was misdiagnosed as a bulging disk. I'm glad he got a second opinion about his back to discover what truly was the problem. Good thing is he'll have a whole summer to continue to let the fracture completely heal since it is 95% healed, according to what McQueen said in the interview.

 

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Wow. So McQueen was dealing with a fractured back for two years, but the first year was misdiagnosed as a bulging disk. I'm glad he got a second opinion about his back to discover what truly was the problem. Good thing is he'll have a whole summer to continue to let the fracture completely heal since it is 95% healed, according to what McQueen said in the interview.

 

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[Hey234]

I think Mrtka will be gone before the 10th but man does he fit an organizational need. 6'5" 2-way RHD who skates well. Should be a lock to be a top 4 defenseman eventually as his floor.

 

[Rasp]

I think Mrtka will be gone before the 10th but man does he fit an organizational need. 6'5" 2-way RHD who skates well. Should be a lock to be a top 4 defenseman eventually as his floor.

The issue with Mrtka is besides those traits he isnt that good in comparison to other D. If he wasnt 6'5 or RD he would be a later 1st.

I just dont see him being better than the D we already have

 

[Hey234]

The issue with Mrtka is besides those traits he isnt that good in comparison to other D. If he wasnt 6'5 or RD he would be a later 1st.

I just dont see him being better than the D we already have

I disagree. It's way too early to firmly state he's not that good in comparison to other defenders. There are easily 10-15 players who are 6'4" to 6'5" in this draft who are rated in the bottom of the 1st to 2nd round. Why would everyone rate him consistently higher than all those defensemen if it was just his size? What makes Mrtka different is the combination of his size and talent. That combination is what makes me excited.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Ok so now I want McQueen at #10 lol, or Martin or Aitcheson if they are the BPA by Madden and co.
His goal song better for We are the Champions.

Wow. So McQueen was dealing with a fractured back for two years, but the first year was misdiagnosed as a bulging disk. I'm glad he got a second opinion about his back to discover what truly was the problem. Good thing is he'll have a whole summer to continue to let the fracture completely heal since it is 95% healed, according to what McQueen said in the interview.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

The issue with Mrtka is besides those traits he isnt that good in comparison to other D. If he wasnt 6'5 or RD he would be a later 1st.

I just dont see him being better than the D we already have

Before Mrtka made his way to North America (WHL), a majority of mocks had him in the late 20's. In the Czechia men's league, Mrtka wasn't getting a lot of play time and was seen as just a shutdown D who was 6'5 and 216 lbs project.

When Mrtka decided to bolt from Czechia to the WHL, he surprised everyone. Not only was he able to put up points, but he played all three facets of the game that made him play over 26 minutes a game and sometimes over 30 minutes a game. He was one of the more significant factors why the Seattle went from a non-playoff team to a playoff team. Which is why CSB bumped him up to 6th on NA midterm and 5th on NA final rankings.

Mrtka is a shutdown D with basic, effective offense that flashes once in a while. He scored 35 pts (3g, 32a) in 43 WHL games, which is far better than 1 pts in 10 Czechia men's league games. What separates Mrtka is his high level defense, aided with his height to have a vastly wide stick radius. And he will only get better when he adds more mass and strength to his lanky body. (We say the same thing about Sennecke because he still moves like a car sales air puppet.)

Here's bonus for Mrtka, he doesn't turn 18 until June 9th.

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There three basic types of defensemen: OFD (offensive d-man), DFD (Defensive or Stay-at-Home d-men), and 2WD (2-way D-men). The ultimate goal is to try to develop the them into 2WD's.

Currently, Anaheim possesses only one 2WD in LaCombe, and he has evolved into 1st pairing D. LaCombe was a high school OFD when he was drafted and spent four years in college learning to play defense. He was a 2WD in his last two seasons in college.

Our trio of Defensive Player of the Year for their respective CHL club were all recognized due to their high end offense as OFD's in Zell, Minty, and Luneau. Playing defense was not their priority in the CHL. At the NHL level, all three OFD's have struggled defensively. Zell is sheltered with the highest OZ Start%. Minty still is having difficulty playing above the 3rd pairing. Luneau got sent back down to the AHL b/c his defense was terrible. His still has a long way to go with his defense, but his offense finally popped back after missing a whole season due to body building and a staph infection.

The other NHL youth D is Helleson, who is a DFD. His defense is adequate for a third pairing, but it way ahead of Zell and Minty's defense. According to Helleson, the reason he plays so much better defense at the NHL level than down in the AHL (San Diego) is because there is more structure up with the NHL club. Zell only stayed with San Diego for half a season and it was his offense that promoted him to the NHL club around the TDL. A problem with Helleson is we do not know if he can handle a top-4 role. Part of the reason is he's blocked by Gudas and Trouba. But Gudas and Trouba have one year left under contract, also could be shorter if traded in-season or at the TDL.

Other DFD's in or will be in AHL

• LD/RD Hinds (Rd 3)
• RD Warren (Rd 2)
• RD Moore (Rd 3)
• LD Solberg (Rd 1)
• LD Konnor Smith (Rd 4)

Other OFD's in or will be in the AHL

• LD Dionicio (Rd 5)

Unsigned

• LD Tarin Smith is described as an OFD (Rd 3)
• LD Uljanskis is described as a 2WD (Rd 7; He is going to the NCAA next season)

Anaheim has only one top-4D in LaCombe, who is a #1D. Everyone else is a 3rd pairing D or AHL product. We could use a top-4RD that is more defensively inclined. Zell and Minty are OFDs who have played at the NHL level for the past two seasons and are still trying to develop into a top-4D. RD Moore has passed up RD Luneau on the depth chart in San Diego due to Moore's defense, according to Defend the Nest and MightyQuack. Moore flashed OFD in high school when he was drafted, went to the USHL, and then to the NCAA to learn how to play defense. (I see a common theme with d-men who went to the NCAA. They're better defensively early in their pro career.) LD Solberg could take away an NHL LD spot sooner the faster he can refine his defensive play.

Mrtka would be a wonderful addition to our corps, especially if he is to be paired with an OFD at the NHL level. And he would be an asset on the PK. Currently, it is LaCombe that's a PK staple. Helleson is next up whenever Trouba isn't in the game.

Potentially, we could have this blueline if the org continues to build from within:

LaCombe - Moore/Mrtka
Minty or Zell - Moore/Mrtka
Solberg - Luneau

 

[WhatTheDuck]

It does not appear as though Desnoyers will be joining others on the CHL to NCAA trail.

 

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