AROUND THE WEB RECAP OF DUCKS’ MOCK DRAFT SELECTIONS

By Sean James

Bleacher Report on Jun. 22
Kelly Friesen of Bleacher Report on Jun. 6
Winging it in Motown of SB Nation on Jun. 11:
Daniel Sprong – RW, Charlottetown (QMJHL)
In terms of skill, he’s a top 10-worthy pick. However, his smaller size seems to have hurt his ranking. However, he has some very good offensive upside with a good wrist shot with a quick release. He has good hands and can burn by many defenders with his speed. He has a very high hockey IQ when he has the puck. Needs to add muscle and work on his game without the puck and play in the defensive zone. His talent has been compared to Alexander Semin.

Damien Cox of Rogers Sportsnet on Jun. 13,
NESN on Jun. 22:
Paul Bittner – LW, Portland (WHL)
Has excellent size at 6’4”-194. His style of play has been compared to Scott Hartnell of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s a hard worker along the boards and gets to the dirty areas. He has soft hands and a powerful skating stride. He’s a big strong kid with a big shot, but scouts have said that he needs to learn how to use that size and strength more consistently.

BSN Denver on Jun. 3,
The Cannon of SB Nation on Apr. 2:
Denis Guryanov – RW, Ladia Togliatti (MHL)
This guy is an interesting prospect. He has only played eight games of professional hockey and has not yet appeared for Russia’s top junior team. However, scouts have said that his skill level could potentially make him a top-line player. He has shown a natural ability to score goals and create opportunities. He has good puck skills with a good shot and a fast release. At 6’2”-185, he does possess some decent size. Much like many other Russians, he is an excellent skater with a great first step. Scouts have also said that he should not have a problem acclimating to the North American game.

CSN New England on Jun. 2,
USA Today on Jun. 1:
Jordan Greenway – LW, USNTDP (USHL); Will be attending Boston University
Greenway is another guy that could be available at the Ducks’ slot that has a good power forward game. Scouts compared his play to Milan Lucic, who while he can be quite a dick at times, is still a pretty good power forward. Greenway is 6’5” and listed at 223. Scouts have raved at his ability to winning battles along the boards with his physicality while also using that strength to protect the puck. He does not possess an overly powerful shot and his release reportedly needs to be worked on. Also, his overall consistency has not been impressive apparently.

Broad Street Buzz of the Fansided Sports Network on Jun. 14:
Jake DeBrusk – LW, Swift Current (WHL)
DeBrusk is one of the better two-way prospects available in this draft. To go along with his good two-way play, DeBrusk has good mobility and a nice scoring touch. He has always been willing to get to the dirty areas and play below the hashmarks. He is not physically imposing, but he has some nice skill that can be used to create space for himself and his teammates.

The Draft Analyst on Jun. 1:
Colin White – C, USNTDP (USHL); Will be attending Boston College
His rankings are kind of all over the place. He has been ranked anywhere from 18-49. Scouts compare him to Ryan Callahan in his style of play. He is very responsible in the defensive zone and is a hard backchecker and forechecker. He also is an excellent passer with nice vision and quick hands. However, scouts have said he needs to work on his skating and also needs to add some muscle to his frame.

The Hockey Writers on Jun. 4:
Jeremy Bracco – C/RW, USNTDP (USHL); Will be attending Boston College
His style of play is much like fellow young American, Johnny Gaudreau, who has comparable size. Bracco is only 5’9”-172, but his talent makes up for that small size. He has excellent playmaking skill that could help him excel on the PP. His vision, speed and hockey IQ have had scouts raving about his offensive upside. Bracco has a huge work ethic, but his defensive ability and backcheck is not good.
MyNHLDraft.com on Jun. 16:
Jansen Harkins – C, Prince George (WHL)
His all-around style has drawn comparisons to David Krejci who combines blue collar, defensive responsibility coupled with good playmaking ability. As some scouts have said, he does all the little things well. He makes high-percentage plays in all three zones and is a very smooth skater who garnished the reputation of a guy who outworks the opposition on a nightly basis. He has also shown leadership qualities that could lead him to being a captain or an alternate at the NHL-level.

TodaysSlapshot.com on Jun 4th:
Jack Roslovic – C, USNTDP (USHL); Will be attending University of Miami (OH)
Roslovic has been a surprise and a bit of a late bloomer. He began his career with the USNTDP as a fourth liner, but has progressed to play with future 1st round picks Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk on the top line. He has developed a nice offensive skillset with hands that help him stickhandle in difficult situations and tight spaces. He is a good passer with good vision on the ice. However, when playing against older opposition, it was noticeable that he was being shoved around too much. He was not effective and it became clear that he needs to bulk up more and work on his shot so he can become a complete scoring threat.
To be honest, I would be happy with any of these prospects. I have full faith in Ducks GM Bob Murray and scout David McNab to make good use of every draft pick, as usual. Over the last handful of years, the Ducks have become one of the best drafting teams in the league and Ducks fans are accustomed now to them picking prospects who develop into NHL-caliber players. They will almost certainly go with a forward in the first round with how well the blue line is shaping up for the future.