Anaheim Ducks select Sean Tschigerl, Gage Alexander, and Kyle Kukkonen in NHL Entry Draft
The Anaheim Ducks rounded out their 2021 Entry Draft selections by taking forward Sean Tschigerl in the fifth round (130th overall), goalie Gage Alexander in the fifth round (148th overall), and Kyle Kukkonen in the sixth round (162nd overall).
Let’s take a look at these three late round selections to see what the Ducks are adding to their prospect pipeline after a very successful first few rounds.
Sean Tschigerl (5th round, 130th overall) – Forward – Calgary Hitmen
Sean Tschigerl’s play style can most accurately called “aggressive”. He has an aggressive shot, which is strongest asset, and is aggressive defensively where he attacks opposing skaters to take away shots and attempt a quick counter-attack the other way frequently.
He burst onto the scene last year with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen (Ryan Getzlaf’s junior team), leading them in scoring with 13 goals in 21 games and an overall point per game pace. His shot still needs some work, and he’ll undoubtedly get a chance to develop it more with the Hitmen this upcoming season. However, he’ll need to work on a few more things if he wants to get a shot in the NHL and truly utilize his potential scoring ability.
He’s average sized at 6’0” and 181 lbs. He’s an ok skater, but nothing particularly pops out in his stride or his ability to create separation. His hockey IQ also needs some work, as he has a tendency to not always anticipate puck movement to get into open and soft areas of the ice for scoring chances, which makes him very dependent on his teammates to get him the puck.
If he can improve his skating and be more proactive in terms of finding open ice, Tschigerl could see more success and an increased chance at making the NHL.
Gage Alexander (5th round, 148th overall) – Goaltender – Winnipeg Ice
Gage Alexander is big. Really big. Standing at 6’7” and 212 lbs, the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice goalie doesn’t have a ton of scouting reports on him and has flown a bit under the radar. He did put up a solid .917 save percentage last year in nine games, so he has had some success.
Based on my limited viewings and research of him, he’s a goalie that relies mostly on his size to cover the net and cut down on angles, as you might expect. I saw some solid technical foundations, with a strong push-off tenancy to cover a lot of lateral ice quickly, including a few athletic plays. The biggest issue with Alexander is his consistency. He’s had stretches of being nearly unbeatable and also stretches where everything gets by him.
With the “you can’t teach size” concern out of the way, Alexander’s success will depend on finding more consistency on a game-to-game basis.
Kyle Kukkonen (6th round, 162nd overall) – Forward – Maple Grove High
Kukkonen is an undersized forward at 5’10” and 165 lbs. However, he brings production with him, at least at the high school level. He scored 74 points in 23 games with Maple Grove High at a blistering three point per game pace. He also played in the UMHSEHL, a high-end midwest high school league where he set the record for highest scoring season in the league’s history.
With that said, his competition hasn’t exactly been top-notch. He has quite a bit of skill when it comes to handling the puck and getting to the net, that much is clear. However his skating technique is not great and will need a lot of work to play at the NHL level. He’s also extremely inconsistent on defense, often not being bothered to be active in the plays and instead choosing to wait to expend his energy on offense.
His shot itself isn’t particularly strong, which will also need plenty of work. Most of his production comes from his puck handling to get himself into better scoring positions, but he will not be able to rely on that skill as he plays with Michigan Tech in the NCAA, where defenders are much better at not biting on fancy moves and closing in on space.
