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Windsor Spitfires’ forward Jack Nesbitt. (David Jewell / The Hockey Writers)

Who Should the Anaheim Ducks Consider for the 2025 NHL Draft?

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Hayley Paljug | Last updated May 12, 2025 10:35 AM ET

In the recent NHL Draft Lottery, the Anaheim Ducks were determined to make their first-round pick 10th, although they had the eighth-best odds to win the first overall pick. Their position near the middle of the pack means they will likely miss out on the top prospects like Michael Misa, Matthew Schaefer, James Hagens, or Anton Frondell. However, this year’s draft class is not as clear-cut as years past, with the top-rated prospects changing frequently throughout the season.

The Ducks should be looking for a fast, skilled forward with consistent shooting accuracy. While young players like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier are starting to develop their game and bring more offense to the team, the Ducks could still benefit from added offensive firepower. They are lacking a point-per-game forward who finds the back of the net often and rounds out the top-six players. The team does not need to add more defensemen to their roster, as their defensive lineup is full, and their pipeline runs deep. The Ducks could also look to add a solid goaltender to their prospect pool to back up Lukas Dostal in a few years, but a goalie would likely not be drafted in the first round. Who should they be keeping an eye on to top off their offense?

Victor Eklund

Victor Eklund is a Swedish forward who has been playing with Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan) in Sweden. He is the brother of San Jose Sharks player William Eklund, so hockey runs in his blood. He had a stellar season with the team, totaling 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists), leading all under-20 players in the league. He also represented his country at the 2025 World Junior Championship, where he totaled two goals and four assists in seven games. He particularly stands out against older opponents and can handle himself physically, skills that would be particularly useful when jumping up to the NHL level. He’s a fast skater and would do well alongside other young Ducks like Mason McTavish and Trevor Zegras.

Jack Nesbitt

Jack Nesbitt is another high-performing forward who could be highly beneficial to the Ducks as they look to find greater success in the upcoming seasons. Nesbitt has been playing with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for two seasons now and has shown a tremendous improvement from his freshman season to his sophomore one. In 2023-24, the forward tallied just 18 points across 58 games.

However, in 2024-25, Nesbitt had an astounding 64 points in 65 games–nearly a point-per-game performance. He noticeably contributes to the power play–a skill that would make him beneficial for the Ducks, who had the second-worst power play in the league in 2024-25. He also won 51.4 percent of his faceoffs last season, which is critical in the NHL, especially in close games or overtime. His skills would make him fit well and benefit the Ducks, and veteran players like Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn could help to develop and mentor the young player, making it a mutually beneficial relationship.

Jake O’Brien

Jake O’Brien is another forward from the OHL, playing for the Brantford Bulldogs. O’Brien is nothing short of a phenomenal point-producer. In his most recent season with the Bulldogs, he tallied an astounding 98 points (32 goals, 66 assists) across 66 games. O’Brien plays a two-way game and produces high-danger chances often. His performance has allowed him to climb the prospect rankings easily, and he finds himself in the top 15 consistently. While he will need to develop at the NHL level and increase his skating speed, he could easily become a top-six forward who could perform at the top of his team (and possibly the league) season after season. Having a reliable producer like him would help the Ducks build and bolster their offense, and his playmaking skills would be valuable alongside top Ducks’ shooters like McTavish.

The Ducks have some great options when it comes to power forwards in this year’s NHL Draft. It would be ideal for them to be able to draft an NHL-ready player, but with 2024’s Round 1 pick, Beckett Sennecke, not having played for the team yet, this year’s pick may be given more time to develop in the minor leagues while Sennecke gets experience at the NHL level. It will be interesting to see what direction the Ducks go with this year’s draft, and it will speak to general manager Pat Verbeek’s knowledge of the team and his new head coach’s style.