Fansided

2018 NHL Draft: Report card grades for every team

By Jeremy Lambert

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadians pose for a picture of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadians pose for a picture of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TX – JUNE 22: Isac Lundestrom poses after being selected twenty-third overall by the Anaheim Ducks during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – JUNE 22: Isac Lundestrom poses after being selected twenty-third overall by the Anaheim Ducks during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Anaheim Ducks – B

First Round Pick: Isac Lundestrom (C) (23)

Hey look, a team that didn’t reach on a center because they are a well-run organization with a history of drafting and developing well. Amazing how teams like Anaheim and Los Angeles take the right player at the right position while teams like Phoenix and Montreal get blinded by position and and try to outthink the rest of the league by taking players that no one else are thinking of. It’s almost like there’s a reason no one has those guys on their board and there’s a reason why Anaheim and Los Angeles are in the playoffs nearly every season. There’s nothing flashy about Lundestrom, but he’s a reliable two-way center who could turn into a strong second option up the middle. He’ll get the chance to learn from Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler in the coming years, which certainly won’t hurt.

Other Notable Picks: Benoit-Olivier Groulx (C) (54), Blake McLaughlin (LW) (79), Lukas Dostal (G) (85)

As a depth guy, Anaheim got a winner in Benoit-Olivier Groulx. Maybe you would like to see them select more high-end talent in the first round, but the Ducks plan in this draft was clear based on their first two picks. They were going after two-way players to eventually replace Getzlaf and Kesler. McLaughlin has scoring upside, if you’re into that kind of thing. Lukas Dostal was the top ranked European goalie and Anaheim managed to get him in a good spot.

I give Anaheim credit for having a plan and sticking to it, even if it’s not overly flashy.

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