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The Anaheim Ducks missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the future is rather bright in Orange County. Anaheim has already made its first major move of the 2025 offseason. The Ducks traded for Chris Kreider in a deal with the New York Rangers. They also have a ton of money available for NHL Free Agency. Before that, though, there's the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Ducks did not win the NHL Draft Lottery back in May. This honor went to the New York Islanders. Anaheim saw its pick slide a bit as a result. They will round out the top-10, as they own the 10th overall pick in this draft. Last season, the Ducks chose Beckett Sennecke with the third overall pick, creating quite the draft moment in the process.
Beckett Sennecke was SHOCKED when his name was called by the Ducks at #3 overall 👀 pic.twitter.com/JsmBcSalf8
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 28, 2024
The Ducks have some options on the table in the 2025 NHL Draft. Anaheim, of course, has to wait for the nine teams ahead of them to make their decisions. Still, this is a good spot for Anaheim to add to its already impressive young core. With this in mind, here are three of the team's potential options with the 2025 NHL Draft less than a week away.
Brandon Wheat Kings forward Roger McQueen
The Ducks have a good amount of depth at nearly every position. In a way, Anaheim has no true weakness. They have their goalie of the future, high-potential wingers, and a potential No. 1 center. This is not a team who will draft for need.
As a result, one option for the Ducks is Brandon Wheat Kings star Roger McQueen. McQueen could have gone No. 1 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. However, a back injury kept him out of action for most of the year. This allowed other candidates to make a name for themselves at the top of the first round.
Anaheim needs to be comfortable with McQueen's medicals for this to truly be on the table. His potential is unlike many others in this class, though. Anaheim has to at least consider the possibility if he makes it to No. 10 on Friday night.
Djurgardens IF forward Victor Eklund
The Ducks are going to miss out on some of the top names available in the 2025 NHL Draft. However, they can still find some skilled players who project to have long careers in the league. Djurgardens IF forward Victor Eklund is one of these players.
Eklund — the brother of San Jose Sharks winger William Eklund — is one of the more skilled players in the class. He is also one of the most competitive players, as well. The Djurgardens IF star is an excellent playmaker and also possesses a very intriguing shot.
There are some who believe Eklund could find his way into the top 10. Some believe he may even go before this pick. If he makes it to No. 10, the Ducks have to consider his name when deciding who to take.
Blainville-Boisbriand Armada forward Justin Carbonneau
One area the Ducks could improve in is goal scoring. No player on this team scored more than 22 goals this year. However, they did get five players who scored more than 20. Kreider also scored 22 goals this year while playing for the Rangers.
There are few players in this draft who are better pure scorers than Justin Carbonneau. The Armada star had an incredible season, scoring nearly 90 points for his team. He isn't the most physical player, and he needs to make better decisions with the puck. However, he has top-six scoring wing potential in the NHL.
Some have Carbonneau a bit lower in their draft rankings. However, general manager Pat Verbeek is not afraid to go get his guy. Carbonneau could be an excellent addition to the Ducks pipeline in the 2025 NHL Draft.
