Anaheim Ducks Select Connor Hvidston with the 139th Overall Pick

With their 5th round selection of the 2022 NHL Draft at #139 overall, the Anaheim Ducks selected forward Connor Hvidston from the Swift Current Broncos.

Elite Prospects had the following to say about him

“A breakout second half has Connor Hvidston looking like one of five Swift Current Broncos poised to hear their name called at the 2022 NHL Draft. Most of our game reports share one commonality: Hvidston’s impact comes from his play away from the puck, especially defensively. “Off-puck, he’s always scanning, anticipating, and eliminating threats,” Elite Prospects Dir. of North American Scouting Mitch Brown wrote in a late-season report. “He applies pressure without over-extending, coming across the hips to force dump-outs, intercepting passes, and getting steals.” Offensively, “Hvidston sprints his routes to push back defenders, eliminates sticks to create passing lanes, stops inside space when necessary, works to establish positioning on defenders in front of the net, and moves pucks quickly,” wrote Brown. When the puck arrives on Hvidston’s stick, he uses one- and two-touch shots to beat goaltender’s across the net and turn tricky passes into scoring chances. A hook pass as he wraps around the net and turn-around feeds from the corners are his go-to set ups in the offensive zone. In transition, Hvidston isn’t quite as effective because he plays a simple, straight-line game. He’s often risk-averse with the puck, although in late-season game reports he swung in the other direction. To take the next step, Hvidston must improve his strength and lower-body flexion, as his lack of depth creates difficulty playing inside contact and fending off defenders along the boards. If Hvidston makes the NHL, he could become a fourth-liner who brings defensive value and off-puck offence.”