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Full list of NHL Organizational Rankings
Anaheim Ducks Top 10 Prospects
1. Rickard Rakell, Right Wing
2. Kyle Palmieri, Right Wing
3. William Karlsson, Center
4. Emerson Etem, Right Wing
5. Hampus Lindholm, Defense
6. Sami Vatanen, Defense
7. Peter Holland, Center
8. Nicolas Kerdiles, Left Wing
9. Max Friberg, Left Wing
10. John Gibson, Goaltender
Organizational Ranking: 8th
System Overview: Losing Justin Schultz to the Oilers was a big blow to the top of this system, but it remains very strong. Anaheim was 24th in Goals For, so it should reassure Ducks fans to know scoring talent is significant and aplenty in their pipeline. Players like Rickard Rakell, William Karlsson, and Emerson Etem may still need some more time, but Kyle Palmieri, Peter Holland, and Sami Vatanen are knocking on the door. They boast two very strong goalie prospects, too, in John Gibson and Frederik Anderson, to go along with newly-signed Viktor Fasth, who isn't eligible as a prospect. Anaheim lacks that elite prospect, but they have quite a few well above-average ones.
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1. Rickard Rakell, Right Wing
2010-11 Ranking: Unranked
Date of birth: 05/05/1993
Age: 19
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 190
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 60 GP 28 G 62 P (Plymouth-OHL)
Acquired: First round, 30th overall in 2011 by Anaheim
The Good: Rakell is an extremely skilled puck-handler. He can make highlight reel moves regularly and has really impressed with the high level of offensive potential he displayed this season relative to last season. He's a creative passer as well who can make plays to his teammates. Rakell has a decent strength level and can protect the puck fine along the walls along with a good overall on-ice work ethic. He's a decent skater.
The Bad: He can be a victim of trying to do too much on the ice in regards to fancy plays and it happens with frequency.
Projection: He could be a below-average first line winger.
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2. Kyle Palmieri, Right Wing
2010-11 Ranking: 2nd
Date of birth: 02/01/1991
Age: 21
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 193
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 51 GP 33 G 57 P (Syracuse-AHL)
Acquired: First round, 26th overall in 2009 by Anaheim
The Good: Palmieri is a very gifted offensive player who is good in all aspects of the game. His skating has improved significantly from years ago to the point where scouts call him a "tremendous skater" and a true blazer. He has good puck skills, above-average hockey sense with the puck as a passer, and good off-puck awareness in both ends. Palmieri is a gritty player who gives it his all every shift. He also is a great finisher who can snipe shots past goalies from a distance. He's dominated the AHL level and is ready for the next step.
The Bad: Despite his impressive intangibles, Palmieri's size keeps him from projecting as a true top-flight player due to the fact he's maybe an average physical player at best and may even be below average. He should keep improving on his strength level as well.
Projection: He could be a great second line winger.
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3. William Karlsson, Center
2010-11 Ranking: 8th
Date of birth: 01/08/1993
Age: 19
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 176
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 46 GP 12 G 45 P (Vasteras-Allsvenskan)
Acquired: Second round, 53rd overall in 2011 by Anaheim
The Good: Karlsson is gifted in terms of raw puck possession skills. He's very creative and can regularly make high-level plays with the puck as he is very coordinated. He's a plus thinker who is imaginative in the offensive end and also makes as many plays in his own end. Karlsson supports his defensemen well, works hard to get the puck out, and makes good defensive-end reads.
The Bad: His skating has improved somewhat, and can look decent in a straight line, but he still looks sluggish at times. Karlsson needs to put on a ton of weight and strength as well before excelling in the North American pro game.
Projection: He could be a very good second line center scoring-wise who can log tough defensive minutes.
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4. Emerson Etem, Right Wing
2010-11 Ranking: 3rd
Date of birth: 06/16/1992
Age: 20
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 197
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 65 GP 61 G 107 P (Medicine Hat-WHL)
Acquired: First round, 29th overall in 2010 by Anaheim
The Good: Etem is a legitimate high-end skater, maybe even pushing elite. He can absolutely fly and will be able to threaten just about any NHL defender with his speed. He's also a high-end shooter with a wrist shot that explodes off his stick tape. Etem improved this year quite significantly on his all-around offensive game, using his teammates more and displaying a lot more puck creativity. He's a hard worker that can use his speed to be a pain to defensemen on the forecheck and he will drive the net without fear.
The Bad: Scouts have expressed slight concerns about Etem's consistency. He will show periods of great playmaking and decisions. At other times, he'll turn the puck over a lot. Etem will need to learn to make plays quicker and do better in tight spaces. He needs more strength as well.
Projection: He could be an above-average second line winger who may need to be started more often in the offensive zone.
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5.Hampus Lindholm, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: N/A
Date of birth: 01/20/1994
Age: 18
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 196
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 20 GP 1 G 4 P (Rogle-Allsvenskan)
Acquired: First round, sixth overall in 2012 by Anaheim
The Good: Lindholm's development curve trended way up in his draft season. After being just fine in the first half, he was fantastic in the February and April tournaments and really turned heads. He's a high-end skater who can fly up on the rush and stay with the fastest of forwards. Lindholm has good vision and puck-moving skills on top of having above-average puck skills. He can be solid in the physical game, and although he's not a crash and bang player, he bumps guys off pucks just fine.
The Bad: Lindholm's defensive-end play could use some work, as his reads are sometimes off in that end. His decision-making is sometimes suspect, too.
Projection: He could be a good second pairing defenseman.
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6. Sami Vatanen, Defense
2010-11 Ranking: 4th
Date of birth: 06/03/1991
Age: 21
Height: 5'9''
Weight: 165
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 49 GP 14 G 42 P, 23:39 ATOI (JYP-SM-Liiga)
Acquired: Fourth round, 106th overall in 2009 by Anaheim
The Good: Vatanen skates very well, showing plus speed and arguably beyond that while also showing a high level of four-way mobility. He's a skilled player who can dangle with the puck. He's also a very smart two-way player who sees his options and moves the puck well, along with making good reads defensively. Vatanen has great character as well. After a great season in Finland, he is ready to potentially push for an NHL job or be an impact guy in the AHL next season from day one.
The Bad: He's just so small. The thing with Vatanen is he loves to engage in the physical game as he has great on-ice work ethic and determination in one-on-one battles, but he'll be way below replacement level in that area in the NHL due to his stature.
Projection: He could be a good second pairing defenseman who is somewhat sheltered and is great on the power play.
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7. Peter Holland, Center
2010-11 Ranking: 6th
Date of birth: 01/14/1991
Age: 21
Height: 6'2''
Weight: 185
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 71 GP 23 G 60 P (Syracuse-AHL)
Acquired: First round, 15th overall in 2009 by Anaheim
The Good: Holland had a good first pro season, starting initially on the second line in Syracuse and worked his way to being a top-three forward on the team. He's very skilled with the puck, getting regular praise for his hands and creativity from scouts. Holland has good vision as well and skates at a solid level. I wouldn't say his finishing skills are great, but he's a decent shooter as well.
The Bad: Consistency has been Holland's major knock the last few seasons, and while that issue isn't gone, in the pro game it was notably better than his junior years. His defensive game is the same in that while it has improved, it still isn't that good either. I don't think he'll need to be pushed to the wing on a permanent basis, but that could be an option down the road.
Projection: He has the tools to be a little better, but I'd say as of now he could be an average second line center.
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8. Nicolas Kerdiles, Left Wing
2010-11 Ranking: N/A
Date of birth: 01/11/1994
Age: 18
Height: 6'2
Weight: 201
Shoots: Left
Statistics: 54 GP 22 G 48 P (USA Under-18-USHL)
Acquired: Second round, 36th overall in 2012 by Anaheim
The Good: Kerdiles led the USNTDP in scoring on an unusually weak forward corps for that team. He's an above-average skater with good mechanics and a great on-ice work ethic that lets him act as a pest with his forechecking. He has solid puck possession skills, and while he's not an overly skilled player, he can make plays. He battles hard in the corners and shows a desirable hustle to get back on defense. Kerdiles can be a fine penalty killer.
The Bad: He will at times show some lack of creativity or get tunnel vision with the puck. Kerdiles lacks a true standout skill, and he also needs to bulk up.
Projection: He could be an average second line winger.
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9.Max Friberg, Left Wing
2010-11 Ranking: Unranked
Date of birth: 11/20/1992
Age: 19
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 194
Shoots: Right
Statistics: 48 GP 5 G 10 P, 10:11 ATOI (Timra-SEL)
Acquired: Fifth round 143rd overall in 2011 by Anaheim
The Good: Friberg really impressed this year. Scouts I talked to who said he looked like a "two-way energy player" last season talked about the surprising amount of offensive talent he displayed this season. Friberg is an above-average thinker who regularly shows impressive playmaking skills to go along with solid hands. His puck possession skills in the offensive end are good, but he's also a hard-working and reliable defensive player as well. Friberg shows good effort in the corners to maintain pucks and will drive the net. He also has a high-end shot with the ability to rip accurate wristers from way out.
The Bad: His skating is below average and notably below average for a smaller player. His size will be a hindrance to him as he projects as a below-average physical player at best at the top level.
Projection: He could be a league-average player.
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10. John Gibson, Goaltender
2010-11 Ranking: Unranked
Date of birth: 07/14/1993
Age: 19
Height: 6'3
Weight: 212
Catches: Left
Statistics: 32 GP .928 SV% (Kitchener-OHL)
Acquired: Second round, 39th overall in 2011 by Anaheim
The Good: Gibson's development started to track upwards towards the end of last season and he continued to trend up this season. He moves at a well above-average level for a player his size. Gibson's movements tend to be subtle and calculated, as he has a low panic threshold and generally squares up pucks with little effort. He doesn't play a classic butterfly style, and while he will use his size to cut down angles when going down as well as anyone, he also has good hockey sense and will make stand-up plays at the appropriate time.
The Bad: Gibson doesn't have a glaring weakness although he lacks standout level type of reflexes and doesn't really have that game breaking level of ability in net.
Projection: He could be an average starting goalie.
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The Next Five:
11. Chris Wagner, Right Wing: I heard mixed reviews about Wagner this year, with one scout calling him an intense, physical two-way player with little offense, while another praised his vision and possession skills.
12. Frederik Andersen, Goaltender: Andersen put up a ridiculous .943 SV% in the SEL this year. He's a huge goalie who moves very well for his size. His positioning and overall technique looks a little raw, though, and he needs better conditioning.
13. Patrick Maroon, Left Wing: Maroon has good hands and a great physical game, but his skating and hockey sense limit his potential. He was third in AHL scoring.
14. Ryan Lasch, Right Wing: Lasch was the leading scorer in Finland's top league last year. He has good hands and works hard, but it's questionable if he has the skill to progress past the AHL at his size.
15. Andrew Welinski, Defense: Welinski skates well, has good hockey sense, and won the USHL defenseman of the year this season. The degree of his offensive ability will be a key thing to watch with Minnesota-Duluth.
The Sleeper: Kevin Roy, Center
Roy has a ton of puck skills, and while he's very small, after torching the USHL this season he got an invite to Canada's Under-20 camp.
Anaheim Ducks Organizational Top 10
Players 22 or under as of 09/15/2012 or still considered a prospect as defined here.
1. Cam Fowler, Defense
2. Rickard Rakelll, Right Wing
3. Kyle Palmieri, Right Wing
4. William Karlsson, Center
5. Luca Sbisa, Defense
6. Emerson Etem, Right Wing
7. Hampus Lindholm, Defense
8. Devante Smith-Pelly, Right Wing
9. Sami Vatanen, Defense
10. Peter Holland, Center
Anaheim's rebuild isn't done yet, but there are quite a few key pieces on the way or already at the NHL level. Fowler has star written all over him and he looks like he's the kind of player who will be one of the NHL's best defensemen for a long time. Sbisa has had a rough landing in the NHL, and while I believe in his abilities and he's still moderately young, at some point he's got to establish himself as a top-four defender. Smith-Pelly should not have been in the NHL this year, but he has more skill than I've given him credit for in previous years and he has tremendous intangibles. I'm not fully sold on him being a top-six player, but I like his hockey sense and finishing ability, so I could see it as plausible.
Corey Pronman is an author of Hockey Prospectus.
You can contact Corey by clicking here or click here to see Corey's other articles.
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