The 2025 NHL Draft is now just days away, and the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] hold the tenth overall selection after dropping two spots, as they had the eighth-best odds of winning the Draft Lottery. Along with their top pick to be made on Friday, they have eight more picks spread throughout rounds 2-7 on Saturday. The upcoming tenth overall pick will mark the seventh consecutive time the Ducks will have selected in the top ten of a draft, and they’re hoping it’s the last, as they have repeatedly stated they intend to challenge for a playoff spot in the 2025-26 season. The Ducks' scouting staff has traditionally ignored consensus when making their selections since Pat Verbeek took over as general manager in 2022. With his first selection as an NHL GM, Verbeek selected Pavel Mintyukov (10th overall in 2022). Mintyukov was his most “chalk” pick at the top of a draft, as he was consistently ranked between 10 and 12 by most media outlets. In 2023, Verbeek drafted Leo Carlsson (2nd in ’23), surprising many as he passed on consensus number two player in that draft, Adam Fantilli, after Fantilli won the Hobey Baker as a freshman at the University of Michigan. In 2024, Verbeek seemingly went way off the board with his top pick by drafting Beckett Sennecke (3rd in ’24) from the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. Sennecke was ranked as high as ninth (Elite Prospects) and as low as 16th (FC Hockey) by major media outlets heading into the 2024 NHL Draft. Consensus rankings and mocks heading into the 2025 draft have the Ducks most commonly selecting a player in the range of Roger McQueen, Radim Mrtka, Victor Eklund, and Kashawn Aitcheson. The biggest questions pertaining to the Ducks' tenth overall pick are whether or not they are looking to trade it in a deal to improve their current roster, and if they aren’t, are they preparing to make an off-the-board selection again? If they do go against consensus, who might they be targeting? Photo Credit: University of Wisconsin Athletics [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f742f85c-7bda-4043-b2dc-2390c4cd9572.webp] Photo Credit: University of Wisconsin Athletics LOGAN HENSLER Coming into the 2024-25 season, Hensler was widely considered a top-three defenseman in this draft class and a relatively surefire top-ten pick. He’s big (6-foot-2, 196 pounds), mobile, displays great defensive fundamentals, and has shown flashes of what can become a serviceable offensive contributor from the blueline. So what happened? Hensler was born in late 2006, so he made the transition to the University of Wisconsin to start his collegiate career. He scored 12 points (2-10=12) in 32 games, as both he and his Wisconsin Badgers (13-21-3) disappointed in 2024-25. For some players, the transition from the USHL to the NCAA isn’t always as smooth as it is for players like Macklin Celebrini or Artyom Levshunov. There’s often a learning curve. But Hensler’s talent remains, and he has a very NHL translatable skillset. Hensler is being ranked anywhere between 15 and 26 by the media’s draft experts, but a team like Anaheim could look beyond his 2024-25 output and project him as a talented piece to their pipeline. Hensler’s game would complement the bevy of offensive talent on the left side of the current Ducks blueline. Photo Credit: Eric Young/CHL [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5bce92a0-1f5d-4b86-be1d-e556612fe853.webp] Photo Credit: Eric Young/CHL LYNDEN LAKOVIC Lakovic was the captain and leading scorer of the worst team in the WHL in 2024-25 despite missing seven weeks with a lower-body injury. He possesses every physical tool one craves in a hockey player, but many have questioned the toolbox. Within an NHL frame (6-foot-4, 190 pounds), Lakovic is a tremendous skater, fluid and explosive. He’s a puck transporter with tremendous hands and a wicked release that he used to score 27 goals in 47 games this season, and he can break down defenders one-on-one. The drawbacks are present when he doesn’t have the puck on his stick. His engagement is lacking at times, he doesn’t find soft ice well, and he has a questionable drive to win pucks back. He’s raw. Lakovic’s skillset is reminiscent of 2024 third-overall pick Beckett Sennecke’s, so the Ducks clearly like players of that mold. If they feel he has more to offer in terms of intangibles, a selection with the tenth overall pick wouldn’t be unheard of. Photo credit: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f787a6dc-3f8d-4f27-8a60-daba276d276d.jpeg] Photo credit: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies BILL ZONNON This one is far more off the board than the first two, but Zonnon seems to check every box Verbeek values in his players. Zonnon is big, smart, competitive, skates well, and gets to the middle of the ice. Zonnon is ranked as high as 13 and as low as 34 among public scouts after a productive 2024-25 campaign that saw him finish seventh in the QMJHL in scoring with 83 points (28-55=83) in 64 regular season games and add 16 points (8-8=16) in 13 playoff games. He is a versatile forward who can produce and provide an impact from any role within a depth chart. His motor alone raises his floor, and his hockey IQ raises his ceiling. Ducks director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager Martin Madden seems to have an affinity for players in Zonnon’s mold, especially so if they play in the QMJHL. The Ducks walk away from most drafts with a player akin to Zonnon, but Zonnon would have the most upside of those similar players (Nathan Gaucher, Maxim Masse, Nico Myatovic). Honorable Mentions Carter Bear, Justin Carbonneau, Vaclav Nestrasil, Blake Fiddler Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
