The Anaheim Ducks have missed the playoffs every year since 2017-18 and in doing so, have drafted in the top ten for seven consecutive seasons and procured one of the NHL’s deepest and most potent prospect pools.
Despite several young players having graduated and become full-time NHLers, such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, the Ducks still have an impressive pipeline of potential impact and depth prospects yet to make the jump.
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For this exercise, only players who haven’t lost rookie status are eligible for a ranking, and to be clear, these are my (Patrick Present) subjective rankings.
Honorable Mentions: Yegor Sidorov, Herman Traff, Tarin Smith, Lasse Boelius, Calle Clang
Top Ten:
10. Nathan Gaucher, 21, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
9. Ian Moore, 23, RHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
8. Sasha Pastujov, 22, W, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
7. Tomas Suchanek, 22, G, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
6. Eric Nilson, 18, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)
5. Lucas Pettersson, 19, C, Brynas IF (SHL)
4. Stian Solberg, 19, LHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
3. Tristan Luneau, 21, RHD, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
2. Roger McQueen, 18, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
1. Beckett Sennecke, 19, RW, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Though Beckett Sennecke (3rd overall in 2024) was drafted seven spots higher than Roger McQueen (10th in ’25) in what was considered a “better” draft, the margin between them in these rankings was still razor-thin.
Without meaning to diminish how talented Sennecke is (because he’s incredibly so), McQueen plays a more premium position, has the slight hockey IQ advantage, and their tangible tools (skating, puck skills, shooting, etc.) are comparable. The tiebreaker became uncertainty surrounding McQueen’s back injury, the initial reason he was available to the Ducks at tenth overall.
The Ducks are fortunate to have two players with Sennecke and McQueen’s elite potential at the top of their prospect pool.
Sennecke entered the OHL at 16 years old, standing just 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds, and measured in at the 2024 draft combine at 6-foot-2.75 and 182 pounds. As of August 2025, he is now listed at 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, a remarkable discrepancy in a short amount of time.
By adding six inches and 45 pounds, an adjustment period was needed to mentally grow into his new frame, but he managed to retain, translate, and build on the aspects of his game that made him an effective undersized player.
He has some of the best hands to come out of the draft in recent years, and though his stride comes off as a tad clunky, he utilizes it, along with his reach, to evade contact and protect pucks, both on the cycle and rush.
His most extraordinary yet under-appreciated skill is how involved he is, both offensively and defensively. His assertion derives from a keen sense of anticipation; he can diagnose developing plays and put himself in good positions, find lanes, disrupt breakouts, etc.
“I think I got a lot better at puck protection. I feel like I got a lot stronger, and I was able to keep guys on my hip and create more time and space for myself,” Sennecke said of how his game progressed over the 2025-26 season. “Something that can still improve on (is) with my quick release. I kind of try and get so much on my shot and get the perfect shot, and when you’re shooting on bigger NHL goalies, it’s going to be something that you can’t do. It’s more quick over power.”
Another underrated quality of Sennecke’s game is how he elevates when games matter most. In his 2023-24 draft year, he had a scorching second half of the season for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL after starting the season by producing just 30 points (12-18=30) in his first 35 games. He finished his draft year by tallying 38 points (15-23=38) in his final 28 regular season games and added 22 points (10-12=22) in 16 playoff games.
After being a “surprise” selection by the Ducks with their third overall pick at the 2024 draft, Sennecke scored 86 points (36-50=86) in 56 regular season games in 2024-25 and elevated yet again in the playoffs by tallying a whopping 32 points (14-18=32) in just 18 playoff games.
“I think we're all very pleased with his development. He had to deal with a lot from the start, from the draft on,” Assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden said. “So, lots of different ways that he had to adapt and become aware of his own reactions and his own emotions related to everything. Off-ice reactions, on-ice.
“How do you deal with the spotlight? How do you deal with (being left off the World Juniors squad)? How do you rebound after that? How do you lead your team in the playoffs? How do you come back from injury? He grew as a person, he grew as a prospect. He had a terrific season.”
Other than needing to add strength, like most prospects do, the next steps in Sennecke’s development will be to work on his one-on-one defensive skills as well as shielding and fending off bigger, stronger players at the highest level.
“He's close. He's one really good summer away from being able to compete physically with NHL players, in my mind,” Madden said. “There's no doubt he's got the talent to make the jump. Now, he just needs to seize the opportunity, and that comes with pressure.”
There isn’t much, if any, room for improvement at the junior level for Sennecke. However, due to his age and contract situation after signing his ELC last summer, his only options will be to play in the NHL or back in the CHL with a sprinkling of AHL games thrown in on a potential conditioning stint.
The Ducks have a crowded top-nine forward group heading into training camp, so an injury to one of those nine and/or an overwhelmingly terrific camp from Sennecke will likely be the only path toward him playing in the NHL for the duration of the 2025-26 season. Whichever path the Ducks elect to take with Sennecke’s development next season, they’ll need to properly weigh their options and come to the most optimal decision. He’s one of their most important pieces to the future of the organization.
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