Strategic depth and high floors define this tier of Anaheim’s pipeline. Discover the versatile skaters tasked with anchoring a top-heavy roster and sustaining the Ducks' long-term contention.
In Part Three of this series, we’ll take a look at the back half of the top 10 Anaheim Ducks prospects heading into the 2026-27 season. None of these prospects are likely destined to perform at the top of an NHL lineup in their careers, but they all play highly translatable games, and it would be somewhat surprising if they didn’t each play at least 100 career games in the NHL.
Due to the cap structure the Ducks’ front office is now forced to operate under, they’ll likely have to move forward with a top-heavy roster, and the development of these five players and the five players who will be highlighted in Part Four will be paramount if the Ducks are to keep their build on track. Luckily, they have a lot of arrows in the quiver, as their goal is now to fill out the middle of their depth chart with these young, translatable players.
Read Parts One and Two here:
Author’s Note: To qualify for this list, players must be rookie-eligible in 2026-27. Unfortunately, that disqualifies Tristan Luneau from this particular exercise.
In reverse order, let’s dive into the Ducks’ top 10 prospects:
10. Eric Nilson, 19, Michigan State University (NCAA)
C, 6-foot, 170 pounds, 45th overall in 2025
Nilson made the jump to North America the season after he was drafted in the second round by the Ducks with a pick they acquired in the trade that sent Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers. In his freshman season at MSU, Nilson was given a premium checking role and did well to become the goal line to goal line, matchup center that was required of him, but his production suffered as a result. He only tallied 11 points (3-8=11) in 35 NCAA games and added three points (1-2=3) at the 2026 World Junior Championships, where Sweden won a gold medal.
Compared to former Ducks center William Karlsson at the time of his draft by Ducks director of amateur scouting and assistant GM Martin Madden, Nilson is effortlessly smooth, intelligent, and technically proficient over the entire ice surface and on both sides of the puck. He performed in the role he was tasked with during his freshman season, but the hope is that with more comfort at the NCAA level in his sophomore season, he’ll see the production increase to the level he’s capable of.
If he can explore the limits of his puck skills, express his creativity, and add to his frame, his ceiling tops out at that of a middle-six forward. His IQ and skating raise his floor considerably, and should lead to him playing at least a couple hundred NHL games throughout his career.
NHL Arrival Prediction: 2028-29
9. Lasse Boelius, 19, Assat (Liiga)
LHD, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, 60th in ’25
Speaking of Madden, he certainly has a type when it comes to blueliners. In the mold of Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Shea Theodore, Marcus Pettersson, Jacob Larsson, Jackson LaCombe, and Pavel Mintyukov comes Boelius, drafted from Assat in Finland. Consistently playing above his age group, Boelius hasn’t produced much on the offensive side of the puck. He only totaled eight points (1-7=8) in 40 Liiga games a year ago. That’s not to say he’s incapable of offensive production, as he tallied seven points (2-5=7) in seven games at the 2026 World Junior Championship.
Boelius is mobile, long, and consistently makes crisp, smart outlets up ice. He hasn’t shown much willingness to activate and attack low in the offensive zone to this point, but is more than capable of patrolling a blueline and getting intelligent shots through traffic. Playing in professional men’s leagues has refined his defensive habits quickly and raised his projected NHL floor. He’ll return to Liiga for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
NHL Arrival Prediction: 2029-30
8. Lucas Pettersson, 20, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
C, 6-foot, 190 pounds, 35th in ’24
Like Nilson, Pettersson was also compared to William Karlsson by Martin Madden at the time of his draft in 2024. However, at this point in their careers, Pettersson has the offensive edge on Nilson, rendering him a bit more akin to that of another former Ducks player who developed alongside Karlsson: Rickard Rakell. Pettersson played his first full SHL season with Brynas IF in 2025-26, scoring 20 points (10-10=20) in 41 games and adding six (4-2=6) in six WJC games.
Pettersson is another 200-foot center, prolific on both sides of the puck and in every zone. He is an intelligent, high-pace attacker who cleverly finds ways to get pucks on his stick and make plays from there with quick cutbacks and changes in direction. He made the jump to the AHL at the tail end of 2025-26, and though he failed to register a point in four games, he can now hit the ground running and knows what’s expected of him to succeed with the Gulls in 2026-27.
NHL Arrival Prediction: 2027-28
7. Anton Wahlberg, 21, San Diego Gulls (AHL)
W, 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, 39th in ’23
The Ducks acquired Wahlberg from the Buffalo Sabres along with a second-round pick (Jayden Kurtz) in exchange for defenseman Olen Zellweger just before the start of the 2026 Draft. Wahlberg is among the Ducks’ most NHL-ready prospects following two full seasons in the AHL with the Rochester Americans. In 2025-26, he increased his production from 30 points (11-19=30) in 63 games to 37 points (9-28=37) in 68 games the year before and added three assists in three playoff games.
Wahlberg can play up and down a lineup, providing a forechecking impact and a desire to get to the interior of the ice. He’s capable of protecting pucks low on the cycle or making connecting plays on the rush. He possesses the necessary skill to play in the top half of a lineup and the tenacity and powerful skating ability to play lower if tasked. He’ll likely start the 2026-27 season in the AHL with the Gulls, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he proves to be one of the season’s first call-ups among forwards for the Ducks.
NHL Arrival Prediction: 2026-27
6. Tyson Hinds, 23, Anaheim Ducks (NHL)
LHD, 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, 76th in ’21
Hinds’ presence this high up the list may raise an eyebrow or two. His placement ultimately came down to the fact that he’s a surefire NHL defenseman right now. He’s in line for his first full season with the Ducks in 2026-27 after finishing the 2025-26 season on a recall and starting nine playoff games on the team’s run to the second round. With Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov clearly ahead of him on the depth chart and Stian Solberg nipping at his heels, it’s unlikely Hinds will become more than a third-pairing defenseman. However, he’s capable and in line to receive a sizable role on the penalty kill for the Ducks moving forward and has the capacity to eat tough minutes against quality NHL competition.
Hinds uses every bit of his length and four-way mobility to angle and shut down rush attacks, get his stick in lanes and on pucks, and close perceived gaps quickly. He has enough skill to retrieve a puck, make a decent first pass, and get pucks to the net from the point, but his value comes on the defensive side of the puck, where he can provide a steadying presence for a more offensively inclined partner and become a difficult defenseman to play against on a shift-to-shift basis. He was one of the few Ducks defenders during their playoff run who could be relied upon to clear the net front of pucks and bodies on a consistent basis.
NHL Arrival Projection: Arrived
