Teams were looking to shape the future of their franchises, including the Anaheim Ducks, by selecting players who would hopefully build a foundation that would hold up for years to come. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the most popular option for the first overall pick, while arguments could be made for Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Huberdeau or defenseman Adam Larsson. Overall there were some promising players available but very few had “superstar potential” near their evaluations.
Anaheim finished the season with a 47-30-5 record, good enough for 99 points and a 4th seed in the Western Conference playoffs.