Prospect Info: With the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 Draft, the Ducks take Beckett Sennecke

[Mr Rogers]

What I want to know is how is his hockey IQ/hockey sense ? I hear alot about his speed, hands and drive to the net.

agreed and a tad bit concerning that it hasn’t been mentioned as a strength of his. I’d feel a lot more comfortable if that was being touted as something he excelled at.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

agreed and a tad bit concerning that it hasn’t been mentioned as a strength of his. I’d feel a lot more comfortable if that was being touted as something he excelled in.

Yep, I want to extra be sure there isn't any Nick Ritchie-ness to him, I am not comparing him to Ritchie at all, only that they both are fast/big and bring a shot handedness they need.
Ritchie had the size, speed, hands and the left shot the Ducks needed at the time, now its the right hand shot they needed. Sennecke has the motor and drive to the net Ritchie didn't have, I remember Ritchie being more perimeter player despite his size.

 

[anezthes]

Anyway...


Elite Prospects:

Player type: dangler, playmaker, two-way forward

"Sennecke's an ankle-breaking winger who combines deft playmaking, manipulation, powerful net drives, and puck-thievery skills to control the game. He’s an overwhelmingly confident puckhandler, grounded in solid technique with an unlocked top arm and fast-twitch hands. As a playmaker, he manipulates opponents, works the give-and-go, identifies the right play, and connects with perfectly weighted passes, no matter the obstacle."

#15 by consolidated ranking
#9 by Elite Prospects
#11 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
#11 by TSN/Craig Button
#18 by THN/Ferrari
#12 by THN/Kennedy
#14 by McKeen's Hockey
#11 by FloHockey/Chris Peters
#16 by FCHockey
#14 by Daily Faceoff
#13 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
#18 by HPR/Malloy
#17 by Draft Prospects Hockey
#14 by Sportsnet/Cosentino
#11 by Sportsnet/Bukala
#34 by Recruit Scouting
#11 by DobberProspects
#21 by Smaht Scouting


TSN/Craig Button

Projection: first line offensive winger
Comparable: Corey Perry
Skating: 4/5
Hockey sense: 4.5/5
Competitiveness: 5/5
Offensive play: 4/5
Shot/puck skills: 4/5

"Plays a straight ahead, attack type game with a hunger to get to the net and create some havoc and scoring chances."


Athletic/Pronman

Tier: bubble NHL All-Star and top of the lineup player
Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: high-end
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: above NHL average
Comparable: Kyle Connor

"Sennecke’s pure point totals on the season don’t jump out at you, but he was very good in the second half and was a top player in the OHL playoffs. He’s 6-foot-2, skates quite well for his size and has game-breaking skill. He’s one of the more creative puckhandlers in the draft, and that he can make those difficult plays at full speed makes him highly intriguing for the NHL level. He sees the ice well and is creative as a passer, although not to the level of his 1v1 abilities. There have been times when I’ve questioned his compete and consistency, but he answered those questions as the season continued. His stock is sharply trending up, and he looks like a player who can be a difference-maker at the next level."


The Hockey Writers

Strengths: skating, size, playmaking, puck handling, hockey IQ, edge work, creativity
Under construction: sometimes does too much with the puck, tends to be selfish and goes one-on-one too often, needs to develop more defensive awareness and work harder in his own zone

"Sennecke shined at the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, both in the actual game and the on-ice testing. He placed in the top five in five categories: 30M Backwards Skate (4th – 4.614 seconds), 30M Backwards Skate with Puck (3rd – 4.625 seconds), Weave Agility (2nd – 10.498 seconds), Weave Agility with Puck (1st – 10.693 seconds), and Transition Ability (5th – 13.525 seconds). Overall, he finished fourth behind Carson Wetsch, Sam Dickinson and Jett Luchanko. He was also impressive in the game for Team White, showcasing his hands and playmaking ability throughout."


More scouting reports
- The Hockey News

 

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https://x.com/i/web/status/1806859916654920013

 

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Sennecke, selected 8th overall by Oshawa in the 2022 OHL Draft, has undergone significant growth since then (from 5'10" to 6'03"). While this is obviously a positive, it has also brought him challenges, resulting in some ups and downs in his performance. He has had to dedicate considerable effort to his physical strength, as he remains physically immature even today. Improving his overall athleticism has proven demanding as he grows. He finished the year with 68 points in 63 games, which is a decent output. He finished strong, with 29 points in his last 21 games. In the playoffs, he improved even further with 22 points in 16 games. This was a significant change from the 39 points in 42 games he had until the start of February when he turned the corner. Once he realized that playing good defense would lead to more offense, this seemed to be when it all clicked for him. His two-way game was always a work in progress, but once his off-the-puck game started being more noticeable, his production improved. We started seeing more effort from him away from the puck, such as when backchecking. He always had the anticipation to read plays well, or the ability to steal pucks with his long stick while backchecking, but could not do this efficiently or consistently if his effort level was absent. Once he started putting this into place, he saw his results improve, and there’s nothing better for a player's psyche than when they make adjustments to their game and see results. Now that he has a better understanding of his off-the-puck game, he added another dimension to his game and long-term potential. Offensively, Sennecke can be unpredictable on the ice, as he can create offense in different ways. He can be tough to defend because he's adept at changing directions quickly, using deception well in the process. He can also use different skating routes and is not afraid to cut inside with the puck. With the puck on his stick, he can be tricky to defend, as he’s got very good puck poise and doesn’t sell if he’s going to shoot or pass the puck. Hiding his intentions well on the power play at the point or half wall, he incorporates hesitation moves to freeze his opponents for a fraction of a second,
opening a shooting or passing lane in the process. He’s good at extending his reach and swinging a pass to the other side of the ice. He’s as good a shooter as he is a passer. He can beat you with his hands, his shot, his passing and his
underdeveloped power game at the net. He’s a creative player offensively, thinking the game quickly with one-touch passes on his forehand or backhand to create chances for his teammates. With the puck, he really likes to use the toe
drag move one-on-one, changing the angle on his shot and making good use of his long reach when doing so. His reach is also useful in one-on-one play in tight spaces, as well as to help him deke out defensemen and go one-on-one
with goaltenders. He can disguise his release well with poise. We really like his hands and his one-on-one abilities with the puck. He can make defensemen look silly on the ice, but we wouldn’t categorize his shot as elite (simply above-
average). His mix of quick hands, reach, size and potential speed makes his offensive package really intriguing; he’s also one of the rawest players at the top of the draft. If he continues to improve without setbacks to his skillset or work ethic, you might have a heck of a player on your hands when he reaches physical maturity.
His skills and offensive abilities are evident, but he was hotly debated among our staff. While there's no denying his talent, his point-per-game ratio, whether just under or just over one, raised some questions for some of our scouts.
Oshawa was not exactly a team brimming with offensive talent. He didn't regularly play with Ritchie until the end of the year, and found success with him and Roobroeck, particularly in the postseason. That line proved to be dynamite;
Ritchie is undeniably talented, but Roobroeck doesn't stand out (aside from his size). Sennecke's absence due to injury during the series against North Bay, followed by missing the entire final, significantly affected their offensive momentum for Oshawa. As mentioned, he’s still quite immature physically. It shows when he protects the puck. He still doesn’t win enough
battles and can lose balance or simply get outmuscled on the ice. However, we saw positive improvements in his tenacity on the ice and overall strength since last year. The player-improvement curve for someone like Sennecke is very important; it helps us get a better read of his trajectory and long-term potential. He’s far from a finished product, and this makes him an exciting prospect for NHL teams. His reach does help him now, but once he’s physically stronger, the
mix of his reach and projectable frame will make it quite difficult to take pucks away from him, thanks to his added ability to shield away from defenders. While his skating has improved since last year, a lot of it has to do with his boost in physical strength. He’s a bit more explosive now, which shows in his ability to challenge defenders wide. He has more value with his transitional game as well. His skating does expose his physical immaturity, as he lacks stamina and explosiveness late in his shifts. At the start
of them, his skating looks fine and is even close to being well above-average. Adding strength to his frame will add more explosiveness, and his stamina will improve to perform better throughout those shifts.His compete level and physicality were never poor but this area of his game also improved this season. He showed
more physicality and effort level as the season progressed. As explained earlier, his overall game saw a boost in the last 20 games of the season. His compete level was even better in that last stretch; we had no complaints in the playoffs.
We couldn't categorize him as elite in this category either, but from what we saw late in the year, it’s not an issue. In the playoffs, we saw him engage more in physicality and scrums after the whistle. He was a focal point of the opposition’s
game plan in the first three rounds of the playoffs, and he performed admirably. For us, it’s very encouraging for the future. We think Sennecke will go high in the draft, a very real chance in the top 10, based on his skillset and the development rate we witnessed this season. When he’s on his A game, he looks like a top-10, even top-5 pick in this draft. Obviously, certain teams might prefer to go with a center or defenseman high in the draft if they value drafting based on position. We think he has legit top-6 upside if his development goes well over the next 2-3 seasons. We don’t expect him to be
NHL-ready soon, but he might be worth the wait.
“Constantly on his ass. So weak.” - NHL Scout, October 2023 “I like the skill but he is weak and his effort level is inconsistent.” - NHL Scout, October 2023 “It would be nice if they would play him with some talent.” - NHL Scout, October 2023 “He has elite puck skills.” - NHL Scout, October 2023
“Really good skill. He can beat guys one one one and he can pass the puck too. Great vision.” - NHL Scout, October 2023 “A bit lazy…not as high on him as you are.” - NHL Scout, December 2023
“I love the deception in his game. Combine that skill and size and how much better his 200 foot
game is compared to last year…the kid is a stud.” - NHL Scout, December 2023 “My top player from the OHL.” - NHL Scout, March 2024 “If he checks out for off ice stuff, he will be my top ranked player from the OHL.” - NHL Scout, March 2024 “He is 6’3 now and not even close to filling out that frame. Imagine him in 5 years.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 “Twiitter got upset when he speared the kid. Scouts moved him up their lists.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 “If he keeps improving at this rate he could be the second best player in this draft class in five years.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 “I have him third in the OHL behind the two Dmen but ahead of Luchanko. They are all top 15 picks though.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 “He has a motor now…he works and will take hits to make a play. With that size and skill he is a top 10 pick all day long.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 “I’m not buying him. He took off when he got on Ritchie’s line, not before. Now I’m hearing he’s not doing any testing at the combine.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 “Lanky…ton of room to grow. Really weak.Knocked off his feet with ease…reminded me of Julien in London last year when he was getting pushed around. With that said I’m a fan of Sennecke.” - HP Scout, Mark Edwards October 2023

From HP Black Book, ranked #6.

 

[FlyingV09]

The little research I’ve been doing makes me believe he could be a good fit with Carlsson.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Anyway...

The Hockey Writers

Strengths: skating, size, playmaking, puck handling, hockey IQ, edge work, creativity
Under construction: sometimes does too much with the puck, tends to be selfish and goes one-on-one too often, needs to develop more defensive awareness and work harder in his own zone

Ok i'm sold on him lol. The hockey IQ was the only thing I needed to see.
Interesting seeing the Corey Perry comparisson for him

 

[ADHB]

 

[Sean Garrity]

I don’t want to make the comparison, but outside of stronger skating I see a lot of a former twin in his game.

 

[Ducks DVM]

Dun dun dun

 

[Anaheim4ever]

I don’t want to make the comparison, but outside of stronger skating I see a lot of a former twin in his game.

A modernized Corey Perry with speed. Didn't Perry have a super skinny frame in his draft year too ?
He gonna need a lot of steak and potatoes to bulk up.

 

[Sean Garrity]

A modernized Corey Perry with speed. Didn't Perry have a super skinny frame in his draft year too ?
He gonna need a lot of steak and potatoes to bulk up.

It’s been like 20 years, but IIRC it was slight frame and lack of NHL skating that held Perry out of the upper first round.

 

[Boo Boo]

It’s been a long time but he reminds me a bit of draisaitls early days before he reinvented his game to play off of mcdavid

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Perry draft year - 25 goals 78 points in 67 regular season games, 7 goals 23 points in 14 playoff games

Sennecke - 27 goals 68 points in 63 regular season games, 10 goals 22 points in 16 playoff games

 

[70sSanO]

Best part of this pick was CBJ being so pissed off at their table. If they didn't want Sennecke they would have been pumped about it.

Could be a repeat of Carlsson last year.

I'm fine with this pick, especially if the Corey Perry comparison pans out.

John

 

[2faded]

I don't think I've seen any of this kid but I'm not sure. Is this the kid that seems to get knocked off his skates dangling but somehow keeps balance and the puck?

 

[ScarTroy]

Watched a couple shift by shift videos of him, seems like he has a high IQ. In the videos I saw I don’t see much in the defensive side of the ice, but apparently he worked on that as the season went on, and I’m not too sure if those made the cutoff of when he started focusing on that.

He is more physical than I was expecting, I was thinking I’d see a Terry type player, but he throws the body well for a kid growing into his frame. Him with Gauthier and Carlsson will be so sick.

 

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Video - 3c3b0747

Video was uploaded to Streamin.me on Jun 28, 2024.

streamin.me

lol the reactions of everyone around them too

 

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https://x.com/i/web/status/1806865064768704915

This is all very exciting. Whatever you think of the pick it's great theatre and will be super fun to follow.

 

[Duckesh]

I believe it was mentioned he grew 3 inches recently. And his play didn't suffer but it improved.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

The more you think about it, it made for a really great moment for Sennecke that going #3 overall was a complete shock to him, he may have had the greatest feeling of being drafted out of anyone tonight.
Not doing another interview before the draft when they already knew he was their guy all along made for a pleasant surprise for him.

 

[ohcomeonref]

I'll tell you what I don't like: I see the term "swing" being used a lot referring to this pick, like that's a good thing. I hate the idea of taking a swing at 3rd overall.

 

[Static]

I believe it was mentioned he grew 3 inches recently. And his play didn't suffer but it improved.

He has maybe the best hands in the draft and hasn't grown into his body. The question will be how well he can coordinate as he ages.

 

[FiveTacos]

His reaction is an all timer.

Perry draft year - 25 goals 78 points in 67 regular season games, 7 goals 23 points in 14 playoff games

Sennecke - 27 goals 68 points in 63 regular season games, 10 goals 22 points in 16 playoff games

Yeah, there was pre draft talk about how Perry seemed to have hit another level late in the year. If he'd been more filled out or a better skater, or it hadn't been an all-time strong draft he would have been a mid 1st or higher.

And then he went supernova the next year with London and put any thoughts to bed about it being just a flash. Next year will be one to watch for Sennecke. If he blows up like Perry did it'll be a good indicator that we gambled right.

 

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