Derek Lee and Patrick Present discuss their coverage of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is just around the corner. The scouting combine wrapped on June 8, and reports have been surfacing around the NHL since. The latest from Grant McCagg of recrutes.ca [https://recrutes.ca/] was that the Anaheim Ducks "like" forward Beckett Sennecke and Carter Yakemchuk and may use the third overall pick to select one of them, as stated on "The Sick Podcast-Recrutes Draftcast." McCagg is a former NHL scout and founder of recrutes.ca. Dark Horse Anaheim Ducks Draft Target: Southern California Native, Zeev Buium [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/editorials/dark-horse-anaheim-ducks-draft-target-southern-california-native-zeev-buium] "The two guys I heard they (the Anaheim Ducks) like are Sennecke and Yakemchuk," McCagg stated on his recent "Sick Podcast-Recrutes Draftcast." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcU6ZG9WmLM[/embed] The number one selection is a formality at this point. The San Jose Sharks won the draft lottery on May 7. They will likely select Macklin Celebrini, Boston University's star forward and Hobey Baker winner who has been earmarked for the top selection in the 2024 NHL Draft for as long as one can remember. Recent rumblings indicate the Chicago Blackhawks are leaning toward selecting Michigan State right-shot defenseman, Artyom Levshunov. "As of today, I think they'd (the Blackhawks) select Levshunov," Scott Powers of the Athletic stated [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5550049/2024/06/12/nhl-mock-draft-2024-staff/]. Anaheim Ducks Will Select Third Overall in the 2024 Draft [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/anaheim-ducks-will-select-third-overall-in-the-2024-draft] The Anaehim Ducks hold the third overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and could seemingly go in several directions with the pick. They don't have any pressing need within their organization's pipeline of prospects and there seems to be a clear lack of consensus among media, scouts, organizations, etc. over who the next best players in the draft are after Celebrini. The tier after Celebrini seems anywhere between five-to-ten players deep, at least. How the next several picks play out is largely dependent on what teams value and their preferences. Beckett Sennecke and Carter Yakemchuk both possess numerous traits the Ducks have coveted since Pat Verbeek assumed the role as general manager, rendering potentially spending the third overall draft pick on one of them unsurprising. BECKETT SENNECKE Beckett Sennecke (18) is the epitome of "late riser," both in terms of his draft stock and in terms of his actual physical height. Sennecke entered the OHL as a 16-year-old in 2022-23 at a listed height and weight of 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds. Though he didn't participate in the NHL scouting combine, Sennecke recently measured in separately at 6-foot-2.75 and 182 pounds. Sennecke was listed 15th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's mid-term rankings [https://www.nhl.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-midterm-rankings-released] in January, finished 13th [https://www.nhl.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-final-north-american-rankings] in mid-April, but seemingly continues to climb up draft boards as June 28 approaches. Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Ivan Demidov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/editorials/anaheim-ducks-2024-draft-target-ivan-demidov] In his OHL rookie season (2022-23) for the Oshawa Generals, Sennecke scored 20 goals and 55 points in 61 games, a .9 points-per-game pace. He added a goal in five playoff games. His draft year (2023-24) started the same way his previous season ended. He tallied 26 points in 29 games to start the year, a .9 points-per-game pace. Thereafter, he kicked his production into high gear, finishing the season with 42 points in 34 games (1.24 points-per-game) and elevated that production further in the OHL playoffs scoring 10 goals and 22 points in 16 games (1.38 points-per-game). Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Artyom Levshunov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/editorials/anaheim-ducks-2024-draft-target-artyom-levshunov] Sennecke played his best hockey when the games mattered most and when the most eyes were on him. "Sennecke could be a 100-point, 6-foot-3 winger," McCagg went on to state. "I did a scouts poll and he ranked top 2, and only one guy was top 2, in stickhandling, sense, and playmaking. I hear Anaheim might take him at three. Columbus likes him (at four)." Sennecke blends a high hockey IQ with otherworldly hands to manipulate play with the puck on his stick. He can beat defenders with dangles, reach, protection skills, or the shear determination to get to dangerous ice. Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Cayden Lindstrom [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/editorials/anaheim-ducks-2024-draft-target-cayden-lindstrom] He possesses a rare anticipation quality where if he doesn't have the puck on his stick, he soon will. He is a cerebral forechecker, consistenly breaking up first passes on opposing breakouts. He reads how pucks will bounce loose from board battles so he can pick them up in stride. He's also perennially open as a passing option regardless of where the puck is on the ice. Sennecke's skating can look a touch clunky at times, but remains powerful nonetheless. Growing more than four inches in two years would likely effect anyone's skating stride. If Sennecke can maintain his steady trajectory and continuously improve, the Ducks selecting him at third overall shouldn't be considered scandalous by any means. CARTER YAKEMCHUK Carter Yakemchuk (18) is a throwback defenseman with modern skillsets and tendencies. The Calgary Hitmen finished the 2023-24 season in 17th place out of 22 teams and missed the WHL playoffs. Because his team lacked talent to remain competitive, every play seemingly ran through Yakemchuk. Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Sam Dickinson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/editorials/anaheim-ducks-2024-draft-target-sam-dickinson] His 71 points in 2023-24 placed him fifth among WHL defensemen in scoring and Yakemchuck led all WHL defensemen with 30 goals, good enough for second in the entire CHL (Parekh). Offensively, Yakemchuk did it all for Calgary in 2023-24. He orchestrated breakouts, led rushes, joined rushes, worked the offensive blueline, wheeled in throughout the offensive zone, and took any shot he could find, whether he created it himself or he was off-puck. He can be accused of "doing too much" at times, but he was often willing to take control of play when teammates wouldn't or couldn't. Yakemchuk displays a sound understanding of defensive fundamentals. He closes gaps, keeps attackers outside, and consistently comes away with pucks out of battles along the boards. Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Anton Silayev [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/editorials/anaheim-ducks-2024-draft-target-anton-silayev] Low in the defensive zone, Yakemchuk is as punishing and relentless as they come. He boxes out the crease area with ferocity and makes getting there a daunting task for any attacker. Reports of Yakemchuk having a lackluster combine have begun to surface since the event's conclusion. "One of the guys we’ve heard some buzz about that maybe didn’t interview well was Carter Yakemchuk," Chris Peters of Flohockey stated on "The Athletic Hockey Show" podcast. "There have been questions about his overall athleticism. Things like horizontal jump and vertical jump, he was well below average. He’s a tremendously talented player, but maybe doesn’t present as confidently as a player with his skillset." "In the CHL/NHL top prospects game, he finished 33rd of 35 skaters in the overall testing of strictly on-ice testing," Scott Wheeler of the Athletic added [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/podcast/240-the-athletic-hockey-show/]. "He’s not a natural athlete. He’s not an outgoing kid. The hockey is everything to him." Perhaps the Ducks are less concerned with Yakemchuk's off-ice demeanor and more focused on what he can bring to the team on the ice; a terrific foundational and translatable skillset. 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