After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16 and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the Anaheim Ducks. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
As with many teams on the high end of their Stanley Cup contention arc, the Ducks' young prospects are not necessarily in great demand with the big club. However, they possess a balanced group that includes two of my top 100 skaters (and one who just missed), along with my No. 2 goalie prospect in John Gibson.
Nic Kerdiles plays a skilled, quick style and has an edge to him as well. He's been a guy who has always impressed me during the past few years, even though his production in the AHL in 2014-15 wasn't all that gaudy.
Blueliner Jacob Larsson moves effortlessly in all directions and evades pressure pretty well for a big guy. He's not an overly gifted puck mover, but has solid to above-average skill. Defensively, he uses his body well to win battles and shows good effort in battles. He could clean up his reads, reactions and overall positioning.
Kevin Roy is pretty small, but is a dynamic scorer. He has great hands, is intelligent offensively, and has the skating abilities to be elusive and pressure off the rush. Max Friberg is a guy who is caught in a spot where he does everything fine but hasn't shown exactly what he'd be in the NHL. At the AHL level he plays all situations, shows skill and good hockey IQ. He doesn't have a lot of "wow" in his game, and he's not a great physical specimen either.
Brandon Montour really turned heads this season with his offense, especially after he turned pro and had a great short stint in the AHL. He's a great skater with a lot of offensive creativity, but scouts note that his defense is a major work in progress.
Rounding out the top 10, Deven Siederoff is undersized, but contributes in a lot of areas. He is a few inches shorter than the average pro, but he has an edge to his game and will fight for pucks. He also exhibits fine two-way hockey IQ. He's a player on the rise.
Noteworthy prospect
Stefan Noesen has been tough to read, due to injuries. The former first-round pick looked pretty solid at times this past season when rolling at 100 percent, even being used at center at times in the AHL. He's a skilled, gritty forward who sees the ice at a high level.
2015-16 impact
I would not be surprised to see Noesen make his way into some NHL games at some point, especially if he looks very strong during Ducks camp. Gibson is technically already part of the process, and his "prospect" categorization is really just a technicality at this point. Nick Ritchie and Shea Theodore will likely make some noise at camp, but a season in the AHL is likely their route.