Beckett Sennecke was selected third overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Even in a draft without much of a consensus ranking after the top prospect (Macklin Celebrini), Sennecke’s selection at third was still seen as a surprise to some.
After suffering a foot fracture during offseason training that kept him from rookie camp and most of training camp, Sennecke was returned to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL for the duration of the 2024-25 season.
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He was one of the most dominant players in the CHL in the season following his draft, displaying the high level of skill Anaheim saw in the 6-foot-4 winger and potentially forcing Team Canada to regret not selecting him for their 2025 World Junior Championship team.
Sennecke scored 86 points (36-50=86) in 56 regular season games for Oshawa, ranking 13th among OHL players in points per game. He improved upon that production rate in the Generals’ run to the OHL Championship series, where he tallied 32 points (14-18=32) in just 18 games.
In an interview with The Hockey News, Ducks’ director of amateur scouting and assistant general manager Martin Madden offered his thoughts on Sennecke’s 2024-25 campaign.
“Really well. I think we're all very pleased with his development. He had to deal with a lot from the start, from the draft on,” Madden said. “So, lots of different ways that he had to adapt and become aware of his own reactions and his own emotions related to everything. Off-ice reactions, on-ice.
“How do you deal with the spotlight? How do you deal with (being left off the World Juniors squad)? How do you rebound after that? How do you lead your team in the playoffs? How do you come back from injury? He grew as a person, he grew as a prospect. He had a terrific season.”
Having grown six inches in 18 months after joining the Generals as a 16-year-old, Sennecke was still growing into his body when he was drafted in June 2024 and was seen as a rawer prospect than is typically selected at third overall.
A year later, his skill level has surpassed that of the CHL. The CHL will also become less competitive moving forward as a result of an agreement struck between the CHL and the NCAA, which will allow CHL players to transition to American college hockey.
This could leave Sennecke in a bit of a “no-man’s land” situation if he isn’t deemed NHL-ready by the Ducks’ front office, as he is likely too advanced for the CHL and is ineligible for the AHL, as he won’t turn 20 until Jan. 2026.
Madden offered his thoughts regarding how near-ready Sennecke is for a role as a full-time NHL player.
“He's close. He's one really good summer away from being able to compete physically with NHL players, in my mind,” Madden said. “There's no doubt he's got the talent to make the jump. Now, he just needs to seize the opportunity, and that comes with pressure. Let’s see what the team looks like in September, October, and where he fits at that point. It's his to take, I think.”
Sennecke will almost certainly start the 2025-26 season in the NHL with the Ducks. What follows remains a bit uncertain, as general manager Pat Verbeek and Ducks’ ownership have been very public on their intentions to make the 2026 playoffs. Inserting a potentially volatile rookie into a substantial role at the highest level of the sport may lend itself to costly errors, jeopardizing that mandate.
What are the potential blueprints for Senencke’s 2025-26 season?
Full Season in the NHL
The most beneficial option for the Ducks and Sennecke in terms of both short and long-term development is for Sennecke to arrive at the Ducks' rookie and training camps in Sept, undeniably ready for the NHL from both a physical and mental standpoint.
He exhibited a level of determination and perseverance following his snub from the World Juniors, but was also suspended multiple times in 2024-25, potentially highlighting concerns with discipline.
If deemed ready and with his talent level, Sennecke could be the key to unlocking the depth and potency of the Ducks' depth chart from an offensive standpoint, an area they’ve struggled and have needed improvement since they were perennial playoff contenders.
In the last ten years, only one player selected third overall hadn’t made the jump to full-time NHL player two years following their draft season: Dylan Strome (2015).
Cup of Coffee
According to the CBA and the agreement between the NHL and CHL, players signed to entry-level contracts can play up to nine NHL games before a year is spent off their contract. Once a player is sent back to the CHL, they are ineligible to return to their NHL club.
On several occasions each season, NHL teams will exercise this option to attain a better handle on where an individual prospect is on their developmental timeline.
It can be assumed that Sennecke will be afforded nine games at the start of the season to make a positive impact on the Ducks' lineup. In all likelihood, he would have to severely disappoint during such a stint to cause the Ducks’ front office to send him back to the CHL.
The Shane Wright Plan
The Seattle Kraken selected Shane Wright with the fourth-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. He was perhaps the most NHL-ready prospect to come out of that draft, but Seattle didn’t feel he was ready for a full 82-game schedule at the highest level. Instead, they opted for a unique approach to the season following his selection.
In 2022-23, he played a total of eight games at the NHL level and another five in the AHL, on a conditioning stint, before he was sent to join Team Canada for their camp leading up to the World Junior Championship.
Following World Juniors, Wright was sent back to the CHL to join his Windsor Spitfires team for the remainder of their campaign. After 20 regular season games and four playoff games in the OHL, Wright returned to the AHL for the Coachella Firebirds' three remaining regular season games and suited up for 24 AHL playoff games during Coachella’s run to game seven of the Calder Cup Final.
This blueprint is viable if an NHL club isn’t willing to start the clock on a prospect’s contract, but values the experience gained from participating in day-to-day activities within the organization and adapting to the lifestyle of professional hockey players.
The Leo Carlsson Plan
Heading into the 2023-24 season, the first NHL season of Leo Carlsson’s career, Verbeek and the Ducks development team implemented a unique strategy to get the most out of Carlsson’s first season in North America while ensuring he didn’t hit a wall late in the season, not uncommon for NHL rookies.
Following an exhausting 2023 offseason that included SHL playoffs, World Championships, the NHL Draft Combine, the NHL Draft, Anaheim Ducks development camp, rookie camp, and training camp, it was clear to Verbeek that though Carlsson would benefit from spending the season in Anaheim, an 82-game schedule would prove too greuling for the talented youngster.
For the first half of the season, Carlsson was scheduled to play two games per week, mirroring a typical college or SHL schedule. This would allow him to spend his off days in the gym, building the needed strength to compete at the NHL level. He was to spend the second half of the season playing every game.
Ultimately, Carlsson sustained a few lengthy injuries, rendering the experiment fruitless, but Verbeek remained confident in the strategy and has stated he wouldn’t hesitate to use it again should a similar situation arise with a young player.
Much of Sennecke’s rookie season will be dictated by Sennecke. How he arrives at camp and how he performs will eventually force management’s hand one way or another.
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