The NHL’s draft lottery played out in the way that few NHL seasons ever do: according to the odds.
That meant the San Jose Sharks would select first, last year’s No. 1 overall pick owners, the Chicago Blackhawks, would be up second and that the Ducks would slot in third.
This year’s most coveted prospect is Boston University freshman Macklin Celebrini. However, the Ducks have never chosen first overall in their 32-year draft history and it will be no different when the two-day draft starts June 28 in Las Vegas.
“While it’s disappointing to not win a lottery, we remain in a position to draft one of the best players available and add to our young, strong core of top young players already in the NHL,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement.
The Ducks also possess another first-round pick in this draft, which they acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick. It’s currently No. 24 overall, but that position could be impacted by the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, Utah’s new club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes), Ottawa Senators, Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild will make the next 10 picks in the draft as of now. San Jose acquired the Pittsburgh Penguins’ pick in the Erik Karlsson trade and will select 14th overall, with the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues rounding out the lottery picks.
The Ducks selected third overall in 2021, when they snagged wrecking-ball center Mason McTavish. He joined the parent club a season later and has amassed 85 points in 144 NHL games.
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Whomever the Ducks select – Belarussian import turned Michigan State standout Arytom Levshunov would fit beautifully into perhaps the top group of prospect defensemen in the NHL – will join a crowded pack of aspiring stars that includes five other lottery picks.
In addition to McTavish, there’s the supremely creative Trevor Zegras (No. 9 overall, 2019), the prototypical modern rearguard Pavel Mintyukov (No. 10 overall in 2022), the moment-relishing McTavish and last year’s No. 2 overall selection Leo Carlsson. The Swedish center made his debut last season, showing immense promise, and the Ducks added another high-profile forward prospect in January when they shipped Jamie Drysdale (No. 6 overall in 2020) to the Philadelphia Flyers with a second-rounder in exchange for Celebrini’s college rival, Boston College sophomore Cutter Gauthier (No. 5 overall in 2022).