ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Ducks stood pat Tuesday night, securing the third overall pick in next month’s NHL Entry Draft.
The Ducks began the day with the third-highest odds to win the top overall pick and that’s where they stayed. The San Jose Sharks, who compiled the league’s worst record in 2023-24, won the first pick. The Chicago Blackhawks will pick second.
“While its 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.
Anaheim has picked third once before in team history. They selected Mason McTavish at No. 3 in 2021. Whomever the team selects on June 28 will be the fifth top-three pick in franchise history (Leo Carlsson, McTavish, Bobby Ryan, and Oleg Tverdovsky).
As illustrated in The Sporting Tribune’s draft lottery preview, Anaheim’s pick will afford Verbeek the opportunity to acquire the right-handed-shooting defenseman he put on his wish list during the past season. Michigan State’s Artyom Levshunov — a six-foot-two, 210-pound 18-year-old — is the right defenseman most commonly appearing near the top of many NHL mock drafts.
Russian right wing Ivan Demidov also will receive consideration.
Early Tuesday afternoon, social media was abuzz with conspiracy theories after a well-known NHL broadcaster posted a photo of the ESPN studio where that evening’s NHL Draft Lottery was to be held. The photo showed a video screen with what appeared to be the results of a lottery draw. It showed Anaheim picking fourth.
Stay updated on Anaheim’s build-up to the NHL Entry Draft and what promises to be an active summer @DannyEvansTST.
