NHL Prospect Watch: Anaheim Ducks

Ahead of the 2025-26 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for each of the NHL’s 32 teams. This series will highlight current and former WHLers who are signed to an NHL contract, have recently been drafted by an NHL team, or meet the NHL’s definition of a rookie.

We begin with the up-and-coming Anaheim Ducks and a recent top 10 NHL Draft selection.

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Roger McQueen

The Brandon Wheat Kings star ended up with one of the most memorable moments of the 2025 NHL Draft. Not only did McQueen hear his name called at 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks, but he was also quickly whisked away in a helicopter to Disneyland to pose for pictures with Disney character Lightning McQueen. The 6-foot-5, 197-pound centreman seemed primed for a special season after bagging four goals on opening night and eight tallies in his first six games. While a back injury dramatically shortened McQueen’s season, the Saskatoon, Sask. product was able to return for the home stretch of the regular season and playoffs, closing the year out with 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points in 17 games and one playoff goal. McQueen has been invited to the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase, though he is unable to participate, and says his goals for 2025-26 include hitting 50 goals with the Wheat Kings if he doesn’t make the Ducks and cracking Team Canada for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Lightning McQueen once said, “Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride.”

We feel that Roger McQueen echoes a similar sentiment.@bdnwheatkings | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/zZe797dtE3

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 14, 2025

Nico Myatovic

The 2023 WHL Champion has completed his first year of professional hockey with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Myatovic scored his first pro goal against the Colorado Eagles on December 21, 2024, and went on to pot 10 goals (including two game-winners) and 9 assists for 19 points in 64 games. Anaheim selected the 6-foot-2, 199-pound winger with the 33rd overall pick early in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. The Prince George, B.C. product suited up for four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, piling up 46 goals and 75 assists for 121 points in 181 career regular season games. Myatovic also boasts 15 points (7G-8A) in 44 playoff appearances, including the Ed Chynoweth Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 of the 2023 WHL Championship Series.

Congratulations on your first career @TheAHL goal Nico! pic.twitter.com/mwpsBTGrkQ

— San Diego Gulls (@SDGullsAHL) December 21, 2024

Egor Sidorov

While the Gulls wouldn’t crack the AHL postseason in 2024-25, former Saskatoon Blades fan favourite Egor Sidorov was a bright light in his first professional campaign. The 21-year-old netted 17 goals (including San Diego’s Teddy Bear Toss strike) and 17 assists for 34 points in 59 games. Sidorov ranked second among all Gulls rookies in goals and third in assists and points. He was named the AHL Player of the Week in mid-December after erupting for two goals and three assists in two games and lighting the lamp for four straight contests. The 6-foot, 184-pound winger signed on with Anaheim after being drafted with the 85th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Originally selected by the Blades with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 CHL Import Draft, Sidorov never put up fewer than 23 goals in a WHL season, highlighted by a 50-goal, 38-assist run in 2023-24. Sidorov graduated from the WHL with 113 goals and 86 assists for 199 points in 177 regular-season games, in addition to 45 points (25G-20A) in 37 playoff tilts.

Let the bears flood the ice!#LetsGoGulls | #SDvsONT pic.twitter.com/GdZSmn9LwL

— San Diego Gulls (@SDGullsAHL) December 8, 2024

Tarin Smith

The Porcupine Plain, Sask. product doubled his offensive output in 2024-25 and played a key role in helping the Everett Silvertips lock up the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as 2024-25 WHL regular season champions. Smith tallied 16 goals and 44 assists for 60 points in 65 games, tying for fourth in points on the powerhouse squad. Smith, 19, had another four goals and 12 assists in 13 playoff games and was only held off the scoresheet twice as Everett reached Game 7 of the second round. The Silvertips alternate captain ranked seventh among all WHL defencemen in assists and 10th in plus/minus with a +35 rating. Everett also allowed a league-low 178 goals against. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound rearguard, who was named to the CHL All-Rookie Team in 2024, is currently competing for Canada at the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase- the first step to earning an invitation to the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Tarin Smith! Tips within one!@WHLsilvertips | @AnaheimDucks | #FlyTogether #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/yVNB0mVsJB

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 29, 2025

Tomas Suchanek

Suchanek seemed primed for a breakout after climbing from the ECHL to the AHL and earning an NHL entry-level contract in 2024. But instead, the 22-year-old netminder spent all of 2024-25 on the sidelines recovering from a ruptured ACL and knee surgery in September. Suchanek went 14-10-5 with a 2.92 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage with the San Diego Gulls in 2023-24 and has been back on the ice this summer to participate in the Ducks’ annual development camp in early July. The 6-foot-2, 182-pound puckstopper spent two seasons with the Tri-City Americans, earning WHL Second-Team All-Star honours in 2022-23. Suchanek went 39-38-5-2  in 88 regular season appearances in his WHL tenure with a 3.44 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and two shutouts. He’s also backstopped Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship and snagged a spot on the tournament’s All-Star Team.

Summer means a time to rest, recover and build for training camp in September. For @SDGullsAHL goaltender Tomas Suchanek, that was the plan last summer. Until it wasn’t.

📝: @pwilliamsAHL | https://t.co/9kjAmsAiQ3 pic.twitter.com/Qi4Ej8kfgs

— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) July 20, 2025

Brady Turko

Turko has gone from WHL rookie to NHL prospect in one whirlwind season! The Ducks claimed the 6-foot, 185-pound winger with the 200th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NHL Draft, joining his Wheat Kings teammate McQueen in the Anaheim system. Notably, he was the youngest player at the Ducks’ 2025 development camp. Turko picked up a modest seven goals (including one game-winner) and 19 assists for 26 points and a +11 rating in 68 games with Brandon, but the McCreary, Man. product will be expected to play an even bigger role with heightened expectations for Brandon in 2025-26. The 17-year-old was selected by the Wheaties with the 97th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.

Brady Turko shows everyone proper breakaway etiquette 🫡@bdnwheatkings pic.twitter.com/Hmdfl1fVBK

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) December 8, 2024

Jaxsen Wiebe

The gritty forward started his season with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers, where he potted 13 points (4G-9A) in 14 games to earn a call-up to the AHL squad in late November. Wiebe scored once in his next 2 games with the Gulls before an upper-body injury spelled the end of his season. The 23-year-old will look for a bounceback in 2025-26 as he enters the final year of his three-year, entry-level deal. Wiebe was signed as an undrafted free agent after a strong WHL career with the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Oil Kings and Prince George Cougars. The 6-foot-2, 209-pound winger was an alternate captain for the Oil Kings during the team’s 2022 Championship run, where he snagged eight points (2G-6A) in 13 playoff games. Wiebe added another four points (3G-1A) in three tilts at the 2022 Memorial Cup, highlighted by the overtime winner against the host Saint John Sea Dogs in round-robin action.

A couple of championship alumni, Jaxsen Wiebe and Ethan Peters stopped by development camp to say hi! 👑 pic.twitter.com/BbHaNzyvbm

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) May 23, 2025