With four games left in the regular season and a bottom-three finish secured, the Anaheim Ducks are putting the final pieces on a challenging 2023-24 season. Despite hopes that this season would signal the beginning of the end of their rebuild, injuries have plagued the Ducks all season, as their 25-48-5 record is only two wins better than a season ago.
Related: 4 Positive Signs for Anaheim Ducks’ Rebuild
Despite having the third-worst record in the NHL, the draft lottery math makes Anaheim drafting third the least likely outcome. According to Tankathon, they have a better chance of winning either of the two lottery draws (11.5% and 11.2% for the first and second draws) than picking third overall (7.9%). The most likely outcome is that the Ducks will pick fourth (39.7%) with a slip to fifth a disappointing but all-too-real possibility (29.8%).
With the end of the regular season nearing and no postseason in Anaheim to discuss, let’s take an early look at some of the names that could be available when the Ducks are on the clock. In addition to this early pick, they have another first-round pick after trading Adam Henrique to the Edmonton Oilers. That pick’s place will be determined after Edmonton’s season ends. We’ll have a better sense of their direction after the draft lottery, which still doesn’t have a specific date set.
Artyom Levshunov, Defenseman, Michigan State (NCAA)
The 2024 draft class is loaded with defensemen at the top of the draft. The Ducks have a deep defensive prospect pool, but trading away Jamie Drysdale left the team with one fewer right-handed play-driver. Like Drysdale, Levshunov boasts incredible mobility, but his 6-foot-2 frame is a much more desirable trait than Drysdale’s 5-foot-11 stature. Levshunov’s full draft profile can be found here.
Levshunov is far from the consensus top choice among defensemen. THW’s Peter Baracchini has him listed 11th overall, with four blueliners ranked higher. He mentions his risk-taking and decision-making as liabilities in the defensive zone. This is interesting to consider because general manager Pat Verbeek appears to value hockey sense, which is largely why he selected Leo Carlsson over Adam Fantilli a year ago. However, Levshunov would be a high-upside pick, which Anaheim has also gone to in recent years with the selection of Pavel Mintyukov 10th overall in 2022.
Cole Eiserman, Forward, Boston University (NCAA)
Few players are entering the 2024 Draft with a more polarizing reputation than Cole Eiserman. Once considered a near-consensus as the second overall pick, he’s still likely to land in the top five, but even that projection is getting murkier. Reading his draft profile will have you believe he’s the best pure scorer in the draft, but nobody knows where he will land. While some of this has to do with other players elevating their own draft stock, some of this fall lands on Eiserman himself.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
One issue is that Eiserman plays on the wing, which is considered less of a premium than centers and defensemen. We already mentioned the defensemen loaded at the top of this year’s draft, but several of the available top-end forwards can play center and will likely be drafted as such. The other issue is his attitude, or at least the perception of his attitude. He doesn’t hide his emotions, so frustrating shifts may end with broken sticks and arguments with linemates. Combined with the fact that he doesn’t excel in creating chances for his teammates and is subpar defensively, he’ll land the “selfish” tag from his detractors. His supporters will say he’s a passionate player who wants to win. He knows his shot is his greatest asset, so shooting the lights out gives his team the best chance to win (from, “Who is Cole Eiserman, Really? Behind the 2024 NHL Draft’s Complicated Top Scorer,” The Athletic, March 22, 2024).
Esierman to Anaheim would be interesting because he does address their need for scoring. Additionally, one could argue there’s enough playmaking within their top six that he will be asked to convert chances given to him instead of creating chances for others. However, Anaheim has been a frustrating place to play in. They lead the league in penalties, shoot at the fifth-lowest percentage in the league, and have lost 122 of 160 games over the last two seasons. Things should continue to improve before he’s ready for the NHL, but it would be a challenging environment for someone who wears their emotions on their sleeves.
Cayden Lindstrom, Forward, Medicine Hat (Western Hockey League)
Cayden Lindstrom has a chance to be the second center to be drafted after Celebrini, and he has all the tools to be a modern-day power forward. The 6-foot-3 native of British Columbia can use his size to his advantage on either end of the ice, looking like an unmovable man among boys in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Despite his size, he’s a quick skater with a high motor. His full draft profile can be found here.
The question of Anaheim drafting Lindstrom if he’s available to them comes down to roster construction. The Ducks have spent first-round picks on Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Nathan Gaucher in the last five years. One of Carlsson, McTavish, or Zegras already has to move to the wing to keep their spot in the top-six. That will almost certainly be Zegras, but what happens if Lindstrom is added to this group? Would the Ducks be open to moving McTavish to the wing as well? With Carlsson also 6-foot-3, the Ducks could potentially have one of the tallest one-two punches down the middle in the entire league.
Lottery Will Dictate Anaheim’s Direction
The Ducks should be in a place to draft the best available player instead of drafting based on positional need. While they’ll inevitably land somewhere within the top five, whoever ends up ahead of them will play a big role in how they proceed with their pick. This draft class doesn’t have the astronomical potential of last year’s, but several of these lottery teams will have a great chance to improve their defensive core.
