A Ducks first-round pick is headed for a different setting next season. OHL London announced that it has signed Marcus Nordmark for the upcoming campaign, giving the 18-year-old a new team and a new league after Anaheim took him 28th overall.
The Ducks moved up one spot to get Nordmark, jumping from the 29th pick they had acquired as part of the return for Mason McTavish. Nordmark spent most of last season in Djurgardens’ under-20 system, where he produced 38 points in 25 games.
He also saw eight SHL appearances and recorded one assist. If his season in London goes well, he could be in position to move up to the AHL in 2027-28.
In Vancouver’s camp picture, prospect Ilya Safonov said in a blog for Sports.ru that his contract gives him an option to return to the KHL at some point in the coming season if he doesn’t land a spot with the Canucks. The 25-year-old signed a one-year, entry-level deal in June after a solid KHL season with Ak Bars Kazan, finishing with 16 goals and 17 assists in 68 games.
On the surface, Safonov looks like a tough fit for the opening-night NHL roster, and AHL Abbotsford would seem the likeliest starting point. Still, he said he won’t head back home at the first challenge, which points to at least some time in the minors in 2026-27.
As for Calgary, GM Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that the Flames do not plan to add anyone else to training camp on a PTO beyond winger Alex Nylander. Conroy also addressed some uncertainty around veteran Jonathan Huberdeau, but he said he wants to give younger players a chance to compete for a roster spot. With Calgary looking like a team that is likely to miss the playoffs again, that kind of approach makes sense as the Flames try to learn what their prospects can actually give them.
In Other News...
Ducks Prospect Faces A Crucial Next Step In His Development
Darels Uljanskis spent the 2023-24 season with the Flint Firebirds in the OHL and added another notable stop by representing Latvia at the World Junior Tournament, a useful blend of junior production and international exposure for a seventh-round pick. Drafted by the Ducks in 2024, the defense prospect has already built a rsum that suggests there is more to come, and his next step will come in college hockey rather than immediately in the pros.
Uljanskis is set to play at St. Cloud State next season, giving Anaheim a longer runway to watch how his game translates against older competition. He remains unsigned for now, but the Ducks still hold his rights for years, so this stage is less about urgency than about patience and development as he starts a new chapter in the NCAA. [Read more 🡒]
Lucas Pettersson Is Giving Ducks Fans A Reason To Watch Closely
Lucas Pettersson gave Ducks fans a little more reason to keep an eye on Sweden this past season. Drafted in the second round in 2024, the young forward spent most of the year with Brynas IF in the SHL, where he put up 10 goals and 20 points, while also earning a spot with Sweden at the World Juniors and coming home with a gold medal.
Now Pettersson is moving a step closer to Anaheims picture. He got his first taste of North American pro hockey with a late-season AHL debut for the San Diego Gulls, and his next stretch will be about showing he can handle a bigger role in the organization. For a Ducks system still looking for its next wave of impact forwards, his progress is worth following closely. [Read more 🡒]