Speculation: With the third pick in the 2024 NHL draft the Anaheim Ducks select...(Draft is June 28th @ 4pm PT. ESPN. ESPN+)

[WhatTheDuck]

Silayev/Dickinson/Yakemchuk or Levshunov if the Hawks don't take him as expected, - I think I'll be fairly surprised if our pick isn't one of those four.

 

[tomd]

Yakemchuk is easily the most defensively dominant player available in this year's draft. Silayev is probably close but Yakemchuk is more intense, more mean, probably more mature of a player as well. He's a very solid player. It was mentioned here before but everybody in the WHL hates playing against him. He's so smothering, dominating you in every way. He's always well positioned and there's just no way to get past him. He's also very efficient at boxing out, clearing the slot. If you want to mix it up he's just gonna beat you up. As annoying as it gets if he's not on your team.

Yakemchuk doesn't have skating issues. Again, skating has never been a problem for him in the WHL. He's a good skater for his size.

The problem is that he's a ~6'4 and 200lbs kid (I haven't checked what he was measured at the combine but that would be about my guess) but his play with the puck is still the most wild of his draft class. I mean that in a positive way but he won't be able to dangle and beat players, to pull off his crazy moves in the NHL the same way without further improving his skating. I'm fully convinced Yakemchuk could step into an NHL lineup right now and be an impact player. He'd be rock solid and skating wouldn't hold bim back one bit. However, dominating the NHL is much more difficult than dominating the WHL. If you want Yakemchuk to become a franchise defenseman in the NHL, to hold onto pucks and dance through opponents the way he does right now then that, considering how big he is, won't be possible without elite skating. That's why he's a project. But his skating isn't bad. In the WHL you can watch him for hours and it's never a problem. It's just that it could (likely will) become a problem if you want his play with the puck to be this adventureous in the NHL as well.

Dionicio is a similar type of player in the sense that both of them are big guys who love to hit and fight but at the same also have the ambition to hold onto pucks and dangle/dance as if they're much smaller. I don't think you can ever have enough of those players who can do it all.

Having said that, Dionicio, both as a player and as a person, is nowhere near as mature as Yakemchuk. Dionicio's body is also still a work in progess while Yakemchuk could pretty much step into an NHL lineup right now. Yakemchuk is much more solid, has much better discipline as well. He loves the rough stuff, takes too many penalties for how good of a player that he is but he doesn't do nearly as much really stupid stuff as Dionicio. Which is why Yakemchuk is a top prospect and Dionicio was not. Dionicio may have similar upside but the difference is that he's far less likely to ever get there.

I appreciate your passion for the player. My best comparable - for both good and bad - is a more aggressive David Jiricek. The good is really great but the bad just may keep him out of a top 4 role in the NHL. Another thought is that he is the Cole Eiserman of defensemen in this year's draft. Does a couple of things exceptionally well but has holes everywhere else in his game. 3OA? Not for me.

Just saw this on the main board in the Yakemchuk thread and thought you might find it interesting:

The Athletic was saying that one of the big talking points around the league after the combine was that he had a bad week. Poor interviews and testing. Supposedly his lack of athleticism was a common theme throughout the testing and some of his interviews. Didn’t sound like character concerns, but closer to he’s not a natural athlete and some of the indicators of future success at higher levels teams are worried about.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Florida is a realistic style/build of team I think they can achieve. They don't get that style with players like Demidov, Bedard, Gaudreau, Fowler, Drysdale.
Already got Carlsson aka Barkov 2.0, perhaps Cutter will become the Ducks version of Tkatchuk but a bit more like Kesler though. Maybe Zellweger becomes the Ducks version of 70point Montour.

Is there evidence that CG will be like Tkachuk? bit optimistic to think.

I am still very suspect of how well Zellweger will be taking that next step in his development. Am I worried about his skating and transition play? No, but I'm questioning how well he can actually defend given his small stature and size. One bad hit against the boards and it could be dangerous.

Hard pass please

6'3 RHD big defenseman with good offensive numbers is a pass?

Good points and I think that's why he's drafted Gaucher, Myatovic, Pitre, Warren, Smith, etc. over players that had more skill and talent. I assume he'll continue that trend in this year's draft. Time will tell if that strategy is successful but I agree it's 2-3 years away still.

Might be a hot take, but if we are in playoff contention, I wouldn't mind trading Terry off. I get he is solid offensively, but everything else about him (intensity, tough to play against) really isn't there

I hate to even mention this but it is information so do with it what you will. On "The Sick Podcast" today (around the 26 minute mark) ex-scout Grant Mccagg said the latest he is hearing is that Verbeek may not want to take a Russian at 3OA and the Ducks are very high on Yakemchuk and Sennecke. Mccagg is connected but oh boy that would be quite the surprise if the Ducks took either of them 3OA. I'm taking it with a huge helping of salt.

I'm bouncing all over the place with replies - but isn't Mccagg known for not being accurate with horrible takes? I think he wanted Laine over Matthews a few years back and was cooked for it.

 

[Hinterland]

I appreciate your passion for the player. My best comparable - for both good and bad - is a more aggressive David Jiricek. The good is really great but the bad just may keep him out of a top 4 role in the NHL. Another thought is that he is the Cole Eiserman of defensemen in this year's draft. Does a couple of things exceptionally well but has holes everywhere else in his game. 3OA? Not for me.

Just saw this on the main board in the Yakemchuk thread and thought you might find it interesting:

The athletic is a scam.

Which holes are you talking about? There are none. That's what I was talking about the entire time. He's a mature prospect who dominated the WHL at will. On a bad team. The only question is how much of his offense is gonna translate to the NHL.

 

[tomd]

The athletic is a scam.

Which holes are you talking about? There are none. That's what I was talking about the entire time. He's a mature prospect who dominated the WHL at will. On a bad team. The only question is how much of his offense is gonna translate to the NHL.

ok sure. I think we've jumped the shark here. We'll see if the Mccagg comment about the Ducks interest in Yakemchuk/Sennecke has any legs over the next 13 days.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is there evidence that CG will be like Tkachuk? bit optimistic to think.

I am still very suspect of how well Zellweger will be taking that next step in his development. Am I worried about his skating and transition play? No, but I'm questioning how well he can actually defend given his small stature and size. One bad hit against the boards and it could be dangerous.



6'3 RHD big defenseman with good offensive numbers is a pass?



Might be a hot take, but if we are in playoff contention, I wouldn't mind trading Terry off. I get he is solid offensively, but everything else about him (intensity, tough to play against) really isn't there



I'm bouncing all over the place with replies - but isn't Mccagg known for not being accurate with horrible takes? I think he wanted Laine over Matthews a few years back and was cooked for it.

Habs fan here - Mccagg used to post on our board and it's really two categories for him. If it's his opinion (Laine over Matthews, McLeod as a top 3 pick) it's usually horrible and inaccurate.

If he's talking about what he's hearing, he's usually pretty good (but more in the sense of like Noah Ostlund will go higher than projected rather than X team is taking X player).

Timmins is a good friend of his so he gets some info from him. But he's an arrogant prick and a hot take machine with the subtlety of a baboon.

 

[HanSolo]

Is there evidence that CG will be like Tkachuk? bit optimistic to think.

I am still very suspect of how well Zellweger will be taking that next step in his development. Am I worried about his skating and transition play? No, but I'm questioning how well he can actually defend given his small stature and size. One bad hit against the boards and it could be dangerous.



6'3 RHD big defenseman with good offensive numbers is a pass?



Might be a hot take, but if we are in playoff contention, I wouldn't mind trading Terry off. I get he is solid offensively, but everything else about him (intensity, tough to play against) really isn't there



I'm bouncing all over the place with replies - but isn't Mccagg known for not being accurate with horrible takes? I think he wanted Laine over Matthews a few years back and was cooked for it.

From the little I've seen, I have concerns about his ability to defend on the rush or just general tracking of above average skaters. I get the vibe he could be one of those guys who "dominated" a junior league by being the size of a grown man but may have issues adapting a complete game. Again, I could be way off base just like with any take I have about this or any other draft, cause for every "Griffin Reinhart at fourth overall is a huge mistake" take I have I have three to four "Alex Galchenyuk is gonna be a superstar 1c" takes.

From what I've seen I like Dickinson's game better and would even prefer Levshunov who I'm also not very high on.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Silayev/Dickinson/Yakemchuk or Levshunov if the Hawks don't take him as expected, - I think I'll be fairly surprised if our pick isn't one of those four.

I’d prob throw buium on that list…. I know he isn’t big like the other 4…. But there is a lot to like about his game

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Habs fan here. Not trusting McCagg at your own risk.

That man is usually pretty spot on with his sources. Wouldn’t be shocked to start hearing by more people around the league like next week that Anaheim likes Yakemchuk. He’s always kinda ahead of the pack and then you start hearing more.

How can he have sources who know what the Ducks are thinking internally? It's not like teams talk to each other about scouting.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

From the little I've seen, I have concerns about his ability to defend on the rush or just general tracking of above average skaters. I get the vibe he could be one of those guys who "dominated" a junior league by being the size of a grown man but may have issues adapting a complete game. Again, I could be way off base just like with any take I have about this or any other draft, cause for every "Griffin Reinhart at fourth overall is a huge mistake" take I have I have three to four "Alex Galchenyuk is gonna be a superstar 1c" takes.

From what I've seen I like Dickinson's game better and would even prefer Levshunov who I'm also not very high on.

Yeah watching the shift to shift vids, there are instances where he just doesn't seem to have the explosive backwards/lateral first step to allow him to hold the offensive line and/or maintain type gaps in transition without getting burned by faster forwards. But of course there have been others, including Evan Bouchard who he says he models his offensive game around, who had similar deficiencies and have made it work.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Pronman(who loves Yakemchuk so it’s obviously going to be positive) brought up Mintyukov as a comparable and I thought that was pretty interesting. Wasn’t really a major stylistic one, just that they’re both incredibly skilled guys not known for great defending, but looking at it further there’s also the comparison where both guys were easily the best player on a bad team and played differently as a result. They have to push everything to have a chance at winning and they don’t have much help on the defensive side. Maybe not even the best comp considering Minty was 10th overall and this is third, but definitely something to think about for me.

 

[tomd]

How can he have sources who know what the Ducks are thinking internally? It's not like teams talk to each other about scouting.

Scouts talk to each other all the time and I could see someone casually mention they like player x or player y. But we don't know the context of the conversation. As to the Russian thing, I think that was mostly conjecture on Mccagg's part. If the Ducks love a Russian then they'll take a Russian.

 

[HanSolo]

Yeah watching the shift to shift vids, there are instances where he just doesn't seem to have the explosive backwards/lateral first step to allow him to hold the offensive line and/or maintain type gaps in transition without getting burned by faster forwards. But of course there have been others, including Evan Bouchard who he says he models his offensive game around, who had similar deficiencies and have made it work.

I think all of the defensemen have something about them that makes them less than a slam dunk. I wouldn't be furious if Yakemchuk was the pick. I trust that our scouts definitely know more than I do. I'd just be less content than I would be for other options.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I think all of the defensemen have something about them that makes them less than a slam dunk. I wouldn't be furious if Yakemchuk was the pick. I trust that our scouts definitely know more than I do. I'd just be less content than I would be for other options.

Silayev and Dickinson both seem much more equipped to hypothetically step in and tread water in the NHL right now. While future or ultimate upside is not to be ignored at all, there's definitely something to be said for having a game that appears far closer or more certain to translate.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Iginla - Celebrini - Helenius
Lindstrom - Beaudoin - MBN

Dickinson - Silayev
Solberg

If tasked with putting together a half roster from this draft that had to compete against a team of NHLers in a mini tournament tomorrow - in terms of being physically and stylistically prepared for that right now, the above would be my choices.

 

[robbieboy3686]

Is there evidence that CG will be like Tkachuk? bit optimistic to think.

I am still very suspect of how well Zellweger will be taking that next step in his development. Am I worried about his skating and transition play? No, but I'm questioning how well he can actually defend given his small stature and size. One bad hit against the boards and it could be dangerous.



6'3 RHD big defenseman with good offensive numbers is a pass?



Might be a hot take, but if we are in playoff contention, I wouldn't mind trading Terry off. I get he is solid offensively, but everything else about him (intensity, tough to play against) really isn't there



I'm bouncing all over the place with replies - but isn't Mccagg known for not being accurate with horrible takes? I think he wanted Laine over Matthews a few years back and was cooked for it.

I agree Terry of all our young top 6 guys( including zegras) is the most likely future trade bait.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

I wouldn't trade any forward under 30 with any type of history of scoring.

Panthers this year / Vegas last year both had 3 lines that could put the puck in the net. Terry's game might not translate all that well to the playoffs but he could be a decent piece of the forward puzzle. Much rather have him on the 2nd / 3rd line when this team is in the dance than desperately looking for forward help at the deadline and being at the mercy of the market at that time.

 

[Terry Yake]

isn't yakemchuk ass on defense? the potential is obviously there, but i agree with others that he's just too much of a project at #3

 

[HanSolo]

Silayev and Dickinson both seem much more equipped to hypothetically step in and tread water in the NHL right now. While future or ultimate upside is not to be ignored at all, there's definitely something to be said for having a game that appears far closer or more certain to translate.

I think more certain to translate in Dickinson's case. A couple more years in the KHL for Silayev wouldn't hurt but he could probably hang as a number 6 defenseman today.

 

[HanSolo]

I wouldn't trade any forward under 30 with any type of history of scoring.

Panthers this year / Vegas last year both had 3 lines that could put the puck in the net. Terry's game might not translate all that well to the playoffs but he could be a decent piece of the forward puzzle. Much rather have him on the 2nd / 3rd line when this team is in the dance than desperately looking for forward help at the deadline and being at the mercy of the market at that time.

I'm not clamoring to see this team move Terry by any means but a huge chunk of Florida's forward depth came from the trade/FA market. Looking at their roster it's actually wild how they really only have two impact forwards that they drafted and developed in house: Barkov and Lundell.

There's something to be said for making a move while a player still has good value. This team has struggled with that somewhat in recent years.

That said, I wouldn't trade Terry for picks. We're at a point now where we need to start shaping a competitive youth core as the kids start getting closer to being properly developed. Sure, make the most of your draft opportunities along the way to keep the cupboards as well stocked as you can, but I don't see the need to keep stockpiling picks at this point. At least not at the expense of proven NHL talent.

If Terry gets moved I would want to see the move add an NHL player(s) you can plug right into the lineup that would help make the team better. If the move doesn't make the team better, no reason to do it.

 

[robbieboy3686]

I wouldn't trade any forward under 30 with any type of history of scoring.

Panthers this year / Vegas last year both had 3 lines that could put the puck in the net. Terry's game might not translate all that well to the playoffs but he could be a decent piece of the forward puzzle. Much rather have him on the 2nd / 3rd line when this team is in the dance than desperately looking for forward help at the deadline and being at the mercy of the market at that time.

I can see Terry being traded in part of a package for an upgraded forward ( like in a marner) type upgrade ( but not actually marner)

 

[Unholy]

Early in the week I was researching more on Silayev and now it’s Yakemchuk and trying to get myself excited on that possibility.. this draft needs to happen soon or I might go crazy lol

 

[HanSolo]

Early in the week I was researching more on Silayev and now it’s Yakemchuk and trying to get myself excited on that possibility.. this draft needs to happen soon or I might go crazy lol

I went from doing more review on prospects to looking for a ticket to round 1. For a concert, the upper level seating is fine cause you're treated to a massive LED screen. Most seats in the balcony you don't see too much on the stage. The closest seats in the lower balcony level are like $300 after fees and taxes. Brutal considering I want a close look at the new jersey and logo lol.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Early in the week I was researching more on Silayev and now it’s Yakemchuk and trying to get myself excited on that possibility.. this draft needs to happen soon or I might go crazy lol

It really is a toss up... but i think i narrowed the list down for you... it will 99% be 1 of(not in any order)

Demidov
Lindstrom
Levshunov
Silayev
Buium
Sannecke
Yakemchuk
Dickinson
Iginla

 

[Hinterland]

It really is a toss up... but i think i narrowed the list down for you... it will 99% be 1 of(not in any order)

Demidov
Lindstrom
Levshunov
Silayev
Buium
Sannecke
Yakemchuk
Dickinson
Iginla

The only ones who would make sense at 3 are Yakemchuk, Lindstrom, Iginla and Demidov.

With Lindstrom it all depends how happy the Ducks are with his medical report. I think he's easily the 2nd or 3rd best player available in this draft but I don't know any medical details and I'm not a doctor either. His history is certainly a potential concern and I assume it's been made available to teams potentially drafting him.

Dickinson and Buium could be options as well but I'm not sure if Dickinson has the tools to justify a 3rd overall pick (the other defensemen most certainly don't) and Buium would be a hail mary pick. High risk but potentially high reward. I'm curious about Eiserman though as he's essentially the forward version of Buium. Certainly has the tools of a 3rd overall. Question is if he reaches his potential.