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The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects! Every day in August we will be bringing you a complete breakdown of a team’s draft, and insights into their off-season movements thus far. Following this up in September, we will dive into every team’s prospect depth chart with fantasy insights and implications for the upcoming seasons. Check back often, because we plan on filling your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season long!

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By: Aaron Itovitch

The direction is clear for the Anaheim Ducks. A young team built off of size and skill, the team made several more moves this off-season as their rebuild continues.

While no major moves were made on the free agent market, nor via trade, the team will have some fresh faces for the 2024-25 season. To hit the salary cap floor, Robby Fabbri and Brian Dumoulin were acquired. Jansen Harkins is their only notable free agent signings thus far.

However, for a team in Anaheim’s position, the draft is where the team had to shine – and they certainly made a splash.

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Draft Recap

Round 1, 3rd Overall – Beckett Sennecke, RW

I’ve been a staunch advocate for Beckett Sennecke for a long time, with him cracking my personal top-10 as early as February. With rumours of him going top-10 growing rampant approaching the draft, the Anaheim Ducks took him off the board earlier than anybody could expect (including Sennecke himself!), at third overall.

While there will be many skeptics of the selection, Sennecke fits exactly what the Anaheim Ducks seem to be building. Drafting Leo Carlsson last year gave the team a potential two-way dynamic threat down the middle, and Mason McTavish is coming into his own. The pure physical upside of Sennecke is incredible, growing from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-3 in only a year and a half. Having watched Sennecke while scouting Calum Ritchie in 2023, he was noticeable as a small player who could evade pressure with ease, and consistently exuded high-end skill. With the new frame, he is very lanky, but could realistically play in his prime at ~215 pounds, like most other players his height.

Sennecke has a quick pro-ready release, which will only improve as he gets stronger. He is equally a crafty playmaker. It won’t be an easy battle for Sennecke to prove himself over player picked after him, but there is no doubt that Anaheim got their guy.

Round 1, 22nd Overall – Stian Solberg, LD

Only the second Norweigan to ever be selected in the first round of the NHL draft (with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard being first only 8 picks earlier), Stian Solberg equally fits the Anaheim Ducks’ vision of physical hockey. Solberg loves to use his body not only to hit players, but also to create space for his forwards, making him an impact player both on and off the puck. He is among the most purely athletic players from the 2024 draft, and projects as a middle-pairing physical defenseman that fans and general managers love alike.

Round 2, 35th Overall – Lucas Pettersson, C

Lucas Pettersson is an incredibly smart, albeit undersized centre. Oozing offensive potential, Pettersson is a high-end play creator, thinking several steps ahead of his counterparts in J20 for most of last season.

He is an above average skater, but shines more in his overall dynamism and agility. His pure skating speed isn’t elite, but the way he can laterally move his body makes up for it.

Round 3, 66th Overall – Maxim Massé, RW

Maxim Massé is a pure power forward with a great shot. He still has a lot of room to mature physically, at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, and will only improve in the categories that make him an intriguing player. He has great hands as well, which allow him to take over games in the QMJHL. There are some elements of his game that are less translatable, with a lot of his offense coming from the perimeter, which is common with QMJHL prospects, however, he has flashes of strong middle-driven play, which provide excitement to his NHL projection.

Massé scores a lot of goals from the left side of the ice, with his ‘office’ being reminiscent of a mixture between Alex Ovechkin and Zach Hyman, to a lesser extent. Massé has the upside to be a strong offensively-minded middle-sixer, who fits what the Anaheim Ducks are trying to be perfectly.

Round 3, 68th Overall – Ethan Procyszyn, C

Another incredibly physical player joining the Anaheim Ducks in the 2024 draft, Ethan Procyszyn has more limited upside. Not a high-end point producer in the OHL, Procyszyn is one of the better one-on-one hitters in major junior. His skating is quite sound, and allows him to knock over competition with his well-timed and placed hits. He has some flashes of offensive skill, but has been forced into a specific role in the OHL. With Liam Armsby leaving the North Bay Battalion this season, Procyszyn will likely have the opportunity to grow into a top-six role for his D+1, where we will get a better look at what he could be as a player.

Round 3, 79th Overall – Tarin Smith, LD

Tarin Smith is a smart offensively-minded defenseman, who put up a strong performance in the WHL this season. He is quite raw as a prospect, but his pure intelligence is something to build around. Smith is a great scanner, which allows him to consistently produce high-danger chances. While he likely won’t be making the NHL any time soon, Smith could be a fun long-term project that will make an impact as the Ducks enter their competitive window.

Round 4, 100th Overall – Alexandre Blais, LW

Blais was among my favourite players to watch in the QMJHL this season, as he has a high-end motor, and a lot of highlight-reel offensive skill. Despite being small, and playing small, Blais is shifty and fun, and can dictate the pace of play just by being one step more dynamic than the rest of the ice. Another long-term project, just like Tarin Smith, there is possible middle-six upside with Blais. I am certainly rooting for him.

Round 6, 182th Overall – Austin Burnevik, RW

After two less physically imposing selections, the Anaheim Ducks went back to betting on big players with Austin Burnevik. While he was not on my radar this season, in a small sample prior to writing this I saw strong transition ability, and a player who serially creates play off the boards. Burnevik shines on the rush, which, coupled with his 6-4 frame, makes him a scary presence to drive the net. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the NCAA next season.

Round 7, 214th Overall – Darels Uljanskis, LD

One of the youngest players in the draft, Uljanskis is a smart two-way defenseman. In the WJC tournament, he showed some flashes of offensive skill, but wasn’t the most noticeable. Betting on a player who is mere weeks from being a 2025-class player is an interesting strategy, however.

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Offseason Moves:

Incoming:

Jansen Harkins on a two-year contract

Carson Meyer on a one-year contract

Robby Fabbri, acquired via trade from the Detroit Red Wings for Gage Alexander.

Brian Dumoulin, acquired via trade from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 4th round pick.

Outgoing:

Robert Hagg, UFA

Gage Alexander, Trade

Trevor Carrick, UFA

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, UFA

Ben Meyers, UFA

Max Jones, UFA

William Lagesson, UFA

Jakob Silfverberg, Retirement

Re-Signed:

Jackson Lacombe, two-year contract

Nikita Nesterenko, one-year contract

Pavol Regenda, one-year contract

Beckett Sennecke, three-year ELC

Stian Solberg, three-year ELC

Damian Clara, three-year ELC

Rodwin Dionicio, three-year ELC

Sam Colangelo, two-year ELC

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Final Thoughts:

Ultimately, the Anaheim Ducks’ restraint this off-season was the best possible move for them. Bringing in just enough salary to hit the salary cap floor, the team will have nearly unlimited flexibility as they build their long-term roster. Adding likely impact pieces in Beckett Sennecke and Stian Solberg is a great way to leave the first-round, and later upside swings have some potential. The vision is clear for what the Anaheim Ducks can be, and they certainly won’t be fun to play against in a few years.

Thanks for reading! You can follow me along on Twitter (X) @itovitch