Anaheim Draft Additions Edition

While the Anaheim Ducks didn't make any picks until the third round of the 2022 entry draft, GM and head scout VideoJ believes that they brought several pieces to the team who will pay off in the future for this organization.

In the middle of the third round, at # 80 was Mikko Matikka of Jokerit's U20 team in Finland. Born in Helsinki, Mikko is a promising young power forward. He displays slick skating, especially for a player of his stature. He has a powerful shot and solid offensive toolkit to boot. He missed half of last season with an injury, which GM VideoJ believes attributed to him falling out of the 2nd round. Hard hitting forwards who can skate well and shoot the puck are rare to come by. The Anaheim Ducks look like they drafted a diamond in the rough. Through only 9 games thus far, Mikko has accumulated 7 goals and 7 assists with the Madison Capitols in the USHL.

Shortly after, at #83 was the high octane Ludwig Persson. As VideoJ is a student of music, he could not resist a person with the name Ludwig. On top of having a name that is music to the ears, he plays at a high-pace and with a quick first step, he is an agile and smooth skater. Ludwig displays offensive talents that, if developed properly, can be a scoring threat at the professional level. He does have some holes in his defensive game and positioning, but he is looking to iron out those errors in the Karlskoga organization in Sweden. He has started the season off with 5 points in 9 games.

The Anaheim Ducks left Europe for their third pick of the draft, going with Michael Buchinger of the OHL’s Guelph Storm at pick #102. The first defenseman they’ve drafted in 2022, he logged over 21 minutes of ice time per game last season. He is an efficient puck mover, who plays a two-way game. He had 44 points in 63 games, 4th must for draft eligible D-Men in the league. He does not have any standout qualities, but rather an impressive all around game that could develop into an NHL caliber player. In his second year of the OHL, he already has 12 points in 12 games and looks to continue developing his string skill set.

Keeping with the Swedes and Ludwigs, at #146 Anaheim selected defenseman Ludvig Jansson. Praised for his work with and without the puck, Jansson looks to be a solid 2-way defender in the organization. He played for Sodertalje SK in Sweden’s top professional league, HockeyAllsveskan. He only recorded five points in 47 games, however at his age, it is nothing to fret about. He has the mobility, defensive awareness, and offensive positioning to be a steal this late in the draft. He has already matched his point totals from last year during only 13 games this season.

With Anaheim’s final pick, they selected center Barrett Hall from the Minnesota Wilderness of the NAHL. He totaled 20 points in 19 games at this level, however started the 2021 season with Gentry Academy in the United States High School League. There he was captain of the team, accruing 55 points in 25 games. A boom or bust type of prospect, he is hard to accurately compare to other draftees, as he spent the majority of the season at the high school level, where he dominated. He has excellent puck skills and an arsenal of shots. If he can transition his game to a higher level of play, he could be something special in a few years. Thus far this season, he has 4 points in 9 games for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL. He is committed to St. Cloud State University of the NCAA.