Get to Know the Anaheim Ducks’ 2026 Draft Class

Nikita Klepov is a creative, high-impact player who knows how to both score and make plays for his teammates. His skillset is among the best of this year’s draftees, and he was a coveted pick. He needs to size up in the next few months to be NHL-ready, but he will be a fast, impactful player for the Ducks very soon.

Marcus Nordmark

The second first-round pick the Ducks took was Marcus Nordmark, a Swedish winger who played for Djurgardens IF. He has impressive speed, makes impactful plays, and has a powerful shot. He tallied 38 points in 25 games and plays with confidence. He does lack consistency and will need to improve both his defensive game and the mental aspect of his play before he is ready to join the NHL full-time.

Notably, they traded their pick up just one spot in order to ensure they could secure Nordmark. “I don’t like taking chances to hope that that player is going to be there. We like the player a lot, and we want to be aggressive to make sure that we got that player,” Verbeek said. The team believes in their ability to develop him to his full potential and took a chance on the Swede.

Jayden Kurtz

The team drafted a bit out of left field with their second-round selection of defenseman Jayden Kurtz. He made a name for himself in the Minnesota high school hockey circuit and will be a longer-term project for the Ducks. He is an offensive defenseman, similar to Jackson LaCombe. He has great movement, strong breakouts, and knows how to operate under pressure.

He totaled 38 points in 26 high school games and three points in 16 games with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He has committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2026-27 season and will continue to grow and develop his game at the collegiate level.

Mathis Preston

Right winger Mathis Preston is dynamic. He is fast in all facets of the game, from his skating to his playmaking and his stick skills. He is a team player and described himself as being able to “learn people’s games so that I can help them,” adding that he tries to “know their strengths and where they’re comfortable.”

He had a solid 44 points in 46 games last season with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He also played with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship, totaling six points in five games. He will need to add some bulk to his frame to make himself a more well-rounded player, but his offensive skills are among the top of the class.

Rian Chudzinski

Rian Chudzinski is a responsible, no-nonsense forward. He is not flashy and not exceptionally high-scoring, but he knows how to move the puck, positively impact the forecheck, and get into difficult and high-danger areas. He contributes to the team’s defense by bringing a physical presence to his game and will be a solid addition to the Ducks’ fourth line one day.

He had 21 goals and 17 assists in 54 games last season, when he played with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s (QMJHL) Moncton Wildcats. He’s a gritty, hard-working player and has the potential to develop into a reliable bottom-sixer.

Eric Frossard

Eric Frossard is a sizeable defensive defenseman. At 6-foot-6 and 206 pounds, it is no surprise that he is effective at shutting down the other team’s offense. He is skilled at eliminating pathways and angles for opponents to score and can protect the net front with ease. He will need to tailor and improve his offensive game before he is NHL-ready, as two-way defenders are of much higher value in today’s game.

He totaled 14 points in 51 games for the OHL’s Guelph Storm. He will play again for Guelph in 2026-27 and has committed to the University of Notre Dame for the following season. He has plenty of time to grow and develop his game, but he will be a valuable asset to the Ducks’ defensive pairings in a few years.

Gleb Peshkov

As the Ducks tend to do, they added another goalie to their pipeline in Gleb Peshkov. He stands at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds with room to grow– a good frame for a goaltender. He is athletic, effective, and quick.

He played in Russia last season with Taifun Primorsky Krai, where he had a solid .930 save percentage across 47 games. He will need to improve his positioning and puck tracking before he can make the jump to North American hockey, but the team is not shy about developing goaltenders over a longer period of time.

Noah Kosick

The Ducks chose center Noah Kosick from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. He is a playmaker with keen hockey sense, good vision, and impressive puck-moving skills. He knows how to position himself effectively to start passing plays and create open lanes.

He split time between the Swift Current Broncos and the Thunderbirds last season, playing 69 games and totaling 54 points. Kosick has lots of room to grow and will be another longer-term project for the Ducks. He will be joining the University of Michigan in 2027-28.

James Rieber

The team’s final selection was defenseman James Rieber, who played last season with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL. He is a defensively-minded, sizeable blueliner with high potential. He will need to work on his offensive abilities prior to joining the NHL, as he had just 11 points in 60 games in 2025-26. He committed to Miami University (Ohio) for 2027-28 and will likely play another season in the USHL.

With these nine selections, the Ducks have further deepened their pipeline of talented and impressive players. After a whirlwind season of success and a two-round playoff run, they are looking deep into the future to determine the most effective ways to continue competing at that level of success. The Hockey Writers will have news on all of these prospects and more as we inch closer to the 2026-27 season.