Ducks Development Camp Takeaway: Sennecke's Self-Awareness
The Ducks held their development camp from July 1-July 5, culminating in a 40 minute 3v3 scrimmage on Friday.
Ducks Development Camp Takeaway: Sennecke's Self-AwarenessThe Anaheim Ducks held their annual development camp during the first five days of July. They featured potential future core members of the organization like Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, and Stian Solberg.
The Ducks ran a five-day development camp, focusing primarily on skating and defensive skills while featuring puck protection and shooting elements.
Prospects were joined on the ice by skills and skating coaches along with the organization's AHL and NHL head coaches Matt McIlvane and Greg Cronin. The coaching staff featured a familiar face, franchise legend, and 12-year captain Ryan Getzlaf.
The camp concluded on Friday afternoon with a 40-minute 3v3 scrimmage followed by a shootout. Fans in attendance got a first-hand look at some of the Ducks organization's youngest members in simulated game action.
Though not many significant overarching aspects can be concluded from a five-day skills camp, there were nuggets of insight to be found.
Sennecke's Struggles Turn to Strengths
The Ducks selected Beckett Sennecke (18) with the third-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. One week later, his first development camp was in the books. He treated those in attendance with some of the skills that instilled confidence in the Ducks to select him that high while showing an open mind and learning some valuable lessons.
Being a third-overall pick comes with certain pressures and expectations as a franchise's future cornerstone piece.
"The expectation is a big thing," Sennecke said following the team's 3v3 scrimmage on Friday. "I’m a third overall pick now so that comes with a lot of high expectations. Not just from everyone else, but myself as well."
Sennecke was selected due in large part to his competitive spirit, approach to diagnosing an opposing defensive structure, and undeniable physical skills.
While he is disruptive with his stick on the forecheck and when opposing teams attempt to attack the middle of the ice, he lacks some key defensive fundamentals.
Sennecke was exposed defensively in several of the angling 1v1 drills the Ducks ran during their on-ice sessions. Coaches forced players to defend without their sticks, relying solely on body position and angling to prevent attackers from taking pucks to the net.
As the sessions wore on, Sennecke was visibly frustrated with himself. However, by the end of the drills, he was grasping some of the fundamental concepts being taught. He was staying in front of attackers, forcing them to the outside, and engaging through their bodies.
"On the ice, it was very defensive," Sennecke said of the biggest takeaways from his first development camp. "That was the biggest part. I don’t really know how to play a lot of defense from junior hockey, so that’s the next stepping stone, to play that side of the puck as well. Going against a lot of highly skilled players was a new world I was introduced to this week."
Sennecke is as skilled as he is calculating and deceptive. He blends his puck skills with his new long reach to protect pucks before displaying his vision to attack the defensive structure most optimally.
Without the puck, he displays great anticipation skills. If he doesn't have the puck on his stick, he soon will whether he's getting open for teammates to feed him passes or reading how pucks are going to jar loose from battles.
If he can continue his disruptive defending with his stick and high-motor while adding fundamental angling and body positioning layers, he can become a truly dominant two-way player in the NHL.
He seemed to respond well to failure and criticism, which is indicative of his character and drive to maximize his potential.