The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their 2024 NHL Draft by taking defenseman Darels Uljanskis with their seventh-round pick
The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their 2024 NHL Draft by taking defenseman Darels Uljanskis with their seventh-round pick
With their final pick in the 2024 Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks selected Latvian left-shot defenseman Darels Uljanskis with the 214th overall pick from the AIK J20 Nationell team.
The Ducks acquired the 214th pick along with the 182nd pick in the 2024 NHL Draft in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for the 164th pick.
A Latvian national, Uljanskis has been playing in Swedish junior leagues at the J18 and J20 levels since 2021-22.
He represented Latvia at the U18 World Championships in both May 2023 and May 2024, when he wore an "A" on his sweater. While he was rendered scoreless through five games in 2023, he tallied a goal and an assist in five games in 2024.
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Uljanskis represented Latvia at the 2024 World Junior Championship this past winter. Unfortunately, he saw his role and ice time diminish with each passing game. Latvia finished the tournament with a 1-4 record and was eliminated by the United States in the quarterfinal.
The 6-foot-2 194-pound defenseman wrapped up his 2023-24 campaign with 11 goals and 29 points in 45 games at the J20 level. He added two goals and an assist in two playoff games.
There isn't an aspect of Uljanskis' game that jumps off the screen but he flashes every tool an NHL prospect needs to forge a career in North America.
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"There's just one hole in his game, he needs to get a little more mobile off of his pivots to defend better against speed," Ducks Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden stated after the draft. "He's got size, he's got strength, he's got really good hockey sense, really good hands, can really shoot the puck, so we'll help him get better."
He's the prototype of a two-way defender and chips in the majority of his offense while on the power play. He finds a way to get quality shots through screens and find the sticks of teammates for tips.
Uljanskis isn't shy about activating in the offensive zone and consistently gets pucks to dangerous areas of the ice.
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While his tool box is understated, his tracking data provided by eliteprospects.com is quite favorable.
With some polish and continued progression, Uljanskis could round out his game and become a solid two-way defender at the highest level.
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