The Anaheim Ducks made ten selections at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft over the two-day event in Los Angeles on June 27 and 28.
They made two significant trades leading up to the draft, trades that included long-time roster pieces Trevor Zegras and John Gibson, but didn’t move up or down with any of their picks during the event.
Due to the uncertain nature of evaluating draft picks, as they’re incredibly young and likely will take several years to reach the NHL, if at all, it’s difficult to dislike any selection made by any team at any point in the draft. With that said, for this exercise, instead of typical letter grades, I have graded the Ducks' selections in terms of “Cold Stone Creamery” ice cream sizes, which reflect varying degrees of enjoyment: “Like It,” Love It,” and “Gotta Have It.”
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10. Roger McQueen, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
6-foot-5 | 192 pounds
Grade: Gotta Have It
The Ducks have one of the deepest and most potent prospect pools in the NHL, with several of their top U24 talent already playing significant roles in the NHL. McQueen was the draft’s highest-risk/highest-reward player, who, if it weren’t for a back injury, would have likely been selected in the top five of this draft and perhaps even top two or three.
He models his game after Ryan Getzlaf, but has more upside than Getzlaf did when it comes to creating offense in transition. He’s an impactful skater, fluid and explosive, for his size, who finds lanes on and off the puck, competes, and can score from anywhere in the offensive zone, whether that’s from distance or the front of the net.
“It comes down to upside. It’s not every year you have a chance to select a 6-foot-5 (center), somebody who will be over 220 (pounds) with his type of skill, his type of hockey sense,” Ducks assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden said of the selection. “Generally good edges and a skating ability that will keep getting better. At ten overall, it just doesn’t happen. We did our homework. We feel comfortable that he’s healthy, that he will play a full season next year, that he’ll make up for the lost time this year, and maximize his potential.
“We went back and watched the Moose Jaw series (against McQueen’s Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL playoffs). We’d seen a few games live last year, but I watched the whole thing. He was their best player; he was the best player on the ice against the top team in the league for three of those games. He was a play driver; he was so strong on the puck, he carried his team. What we liked the most was that even in games where they were behind by two or three goals, he kept competing and pushing and getting his team back into it. So I think that speaks to his character, that speaks to his resilience, and that’s why we like him so much.”
45. Eric Nilson, C, Djurgardens IF (J20 Nationell)
6-foot | 165 pounds
Grade: Love It
Several excellent players fell to day two of the draft, and several were available (Max Psenicka, Shane Vansaghi, William Moore) for the Ducks at 45th overall, a pick they acquired in the week leading up to the draft in exchange for Zegras.
They went with a detail-oriented, two-way center from Sweden, Eric Nilson. Nilson is a cerebral yet responsible center who thrives in transition offensively. He has quick hands, which he uses to freeze defenders in front of him so as to either dish to an open teammate on the flank or get off his plus release. He defends with his feet more than anything, as he closes on attackers in a flash, taking away time and space, especially on the backcheck.
“You regroup overnight and you’ve got your targets for the next morning, and we tried to move up again this morning, and that didn’t work out. We got lucky and we got our guy at 45,” Madden said. “He reminds us of William Karlsson at the same age. Really, really smart, really competitive, great skill, great edge work, and he’s also 165 pounds.
“So he’s got some work to do in the gym, and he understands that, and that’s why he’s taking the path to go to Michigan State. He wanted to get the best program off the ice. That was his focus, and we kind of agree. He’s going to a great spot for him. He’s a good two-way player, he’s first off the bench on the PK, and he’s on the first power play unit for the (Swedish) national team. He’s a hockey player.”
60. Lasse Boelius, LD, Assat (U20 SM-sarja)
6-foot-1 | 190 pounds
Grade: Gotta Have It
The Ducks took their first of four left-shot defensemen in this draft at the end of the second round with the selection of Boelius out of Finland. There were taller defensemen still on the board when the Ducks made this pick (David Bedkowski, Kurban Limatov, Will Reynolds), but the Ducks elected for the supremely mobile Boelius.
Boelius closes gaps in the blink of an eye and has a knack for identifying where on the ice he needs to be to present himself as a passing option for his defensive partner or forwards looking for a regroup. He’s shifty at the offensive blueline and will likely run Finland’s U20 power play for the next couple of World Junior Championships.
“Lasse is a really, similar to many puck-moving defensemen we’ve drafted during the last ten years; he’s a smart, mobile kid,” Madden said. “The Finnish U18 team was not the strongest this year, but he was clearly their best player from last summer to the U18 Championships in Dallas.
“He played pro, and he really impressed in those pro games. He was able to adapt his game, he’s a smart kid. Really level-headed and competitive, as most Fins are. That’s what we really liked about him.”
72. Noah Read, F, London Knights (OHL)
6-foot | 170 pounds
Grade: Like It
With their lone third-round pick, the Ducks selected OHL and Memorial Cup champion forward Noah Read. Though typically with these picks, the Ducks elect for size over speed, Read is one of the faster players selected by the team of late.
His brain works as fast as his feet, and despite a fourth-line role with the Knights, he made an impact in transition and when agitating opponents with drives to the top of the crease. Read assumed a role lower on the depth chart than others from the CHL in this range, but will likely be slotted into a larger role in the upcoming 2025-26 season, with London set to graduate several of their key contributors.
101. Drew Schock, LHD, USNTDP (USHL)
6-foot | 179 pounds
Grade: Like It
The second defenseman the Ducks took in the draft was Schock from the NTDP team, who played big minutes alongside Charlie Tretheway on both the power play and penalty kill. He’s more offensively inclined than Boelius, consistently looking to join rushes or make plays from the offensive blueline. While not the biggest and far from physical, he does well to gap and angle attackers to the boards.
The strength of his game lies in his ability to retrieve pucks and snap them quickly to outlets. He’ll play at the University of Michigan in 2025-26, where he’ll look to add a physical element to his sound fundamental defensive play and add strength.
104. Elija Neuenschwander, G, HC Fribourg-Gotteron (U20-Elit)
6-foot-4 | 198 pounds
Grade: Like It
The Ducks typically select at least one goaltender in every draft, but took the 2024 draft off in that regard. They went back to the crease with their second fourth-round pick and took Swiss goalie Neuenschwander this year.
Neuenschwander was the third-ranked European goaltender by NHL Central Scouting and played the majority of his draft year in the Swiss U20 league, but got a cup of coffee in the NL. His game is based on his utilization of angles and quiet movements, while playing pucks well from behind the net. As he did in 2025, he will represent Switzerland at the World Junior Championships again in 2026.
“Very, very similar profile to Damian (Clara): big, lanky, still physically developing. Really poised goaltender, good overall hockey sense, ability to track the puck, will get the opportunity to keep getting better on the international stage,” Madden said. “He’s already in the program with the Swiss U20s, he was there this year. Sudsy and Pavel Routa, our Czech scout, love this kid.
“They saw him play a lot. They’ve spoken with him on numerous occasions during the year. They love his personality, the way he’s willing to learn and adapt his game. He understands that it’s going to be a longer process, and we’ve got a long runway with him.”
136. Alexis Mathieu, LHD, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
6-foot-4 | 196 pounds
Grade: Like It
Mathieu began a mini-run of QMJHL players for the Ducks, a specialty of Martin Madden. Mathieu’s skillset with the puck on his stick is limited at this stage in his development, but he possesses elite shutdown capabilities with his mobility and physicality.
159. Emile Guite, LW, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)
6-foot-2 | 179 pounds
Grade: Gotta Have It
His draft position does not represent Guite’s skill. He was the second overall pick in the QMJHL, and he had a terrific rookie season in 2023-24. His production was down considerably in his second season, causing his stock to slide heading into the draft.
He’s labeled as a pure goal scorer, and while his pace and skating could use some improvement, he’s cerebral with the puck on his stick and looking to break down defenders in one-on-one situations. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to see him bounce back in his third season in the QMJHL, refine his offense, and make this pick look like a steal. This is the kind of late-round swing fans crave from their favorite teams.
“Emile was a second-overall pick in the QMJHL behind (Caleb) Desnoyers a few years back, he grew up playing with him. Everybody in the province compared them as equally talented at a young age, and he had a hell of a season at 16. 60 points with super high expectations to be a first-round pick this year,” Madden said. “Probably put a little too much pressure on himself, the team might have put a little too much pressure on him.
“He had a setback season, but we are convinced that he’ll bounce back. He’s got outstanding hockey sense, a great shot, and really good hands. We’ll help him. We’ll support him. He’ll get faster. He’ll keep going as the player. We’re super excited for the value he got in the fifth round.”
168. Anthony Allain-Samake, LHD, Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
6-foot-2 | 183 pounds
Grade: Love It
Allain-Samake was drafted in both the USHL and the QMJHL, opting for the former with his sights set on the NCAA in 2025-26, where he’ll play at the University of Connecticut. This is another big swing late in a draft that could prove a significant boom for the Ducks.
AAS is just a few days from being a 2026 draft-eligible player, born on Sept. 10, so he has one of the longer runways for development. His biggest strength is his skating; he’s always active and involved, but doesn’t have the production to show for it.
“Allain-Samake is going to a good school,” Madden said. “He’ll be with a few of our prospects down the road there at UConn. (Scouts) Steve Lyons and Gabri (Switaj) were really excited for him in the sixth. Number one quality: really mobile, really good skater. Puck-moving defender, competitive kid.”
200. Brady Turko, RW, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
6-foot | 168 pounds
Grade: Like It
Teammate of McQueen in the WHL and an even younger prospect than Allain-Samake. Turko didn’t produce much for Brandon in his rookie WHL season, and he didn’t assume too high a role in their lineup.
He is a slight player, but willing to use his body on the forecheck, nonetheless. He utilizes a 10-2 mohawk to gain time and space with the puck on his stick before confidently attempting to make a play to the middle of the ice. He’s another decent late-round swing from the Ducks' scouting staff and not a bad player to throw a dart with.
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Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
