Inside the NHL Draft War Room: Experts Clash Over Surprising Round 1 Picks for 2025

I’m only thinking about three names here: Mrtka, Eklund and Brady Martin. Coincidentally, they all play different positions and are all good fits for the Ducks for different reasons. Martin would give them an ultra-competitive center who fits the identity they want to play. Eklund, another competitor, would give them a right-shot winger to bolster the depth they began prioritizing with the Beckett Sennecke pick last year. And despite having a good, young group of defensemen to work with, all of Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger and Stian Solberg are lefties, and none of them look like Mrtka. Mrtka’s combination of handedness, size and skating would make him unique for the Ducks, even if this would be a real debate for me. — Wheeler

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