There are rumors flying around that Verbeek wants to make a risk pick with Michkov at pick 2.

Personally I would be furious if Verbeek picks Michkov, a player who has no intention to sign in North America, and if he did, it wouldn’t be until 2026.

Fantilli would instantly shoot our rebuild to the max and having too many elite centers is not a bad thing. What is bad is wasting a pick on a player who may never even play a single game in North America.

Thoughts?
@GeneralLandro @GiggywithGibby @OldNYIFan

@Jah1722 @ItsDuckSeason

The "rumors" are nothing more than fantasies or lies, depending upon the intent of the people voicing them. Ignorant know-nothings make ignorant statements.

He’s not taking Michkov. He may take Leo but Michkov being at least 3 years out isn’t an option. Verbeek will most likely be gone before Michkov comes over if he picks him.

I should mention if we were in SJS or CHI position just starting a rebuild with a bare cupboard then I’d be all for the Michkov selection at 2oa. He’d come over after a couple more top 3-5 picks were made.

There is no way — it will 97% be Fantilli and 3% Carlsson

32T said someone texted them and thought they think Verbeek would be the guy to take him in the top 4 and everyone just loves to stroke off that pod

I listened to the source of the rumors. It was today's 32 thoughts podcast. One person who called in said they think Verbeek takes Mitchkov.

What they then spent a lot of time talking about is that like Yzerman, Verbeek doesn't give a F*ck what people think, he will make the pick that he wants, and he has the kind of leash from the owners that he COULD take Mitchkov 2nd.

However, Mitchkov doesn't line up with the kind of player Verbeek takes. Fantilli and Carlsson do. Be big, be strong, be tough to play against, be responsible the whole 200 feet, prevent goals first and foremost, score enough goals to win. We're going back to the 2016-17 era ducks where games were almost always decided by one goal.

That all being said, I believe Mitchkov truly does want out of Russia. His father was found dead in a pond in Russia, it's believed that the circumstances of his death have to do with him attempting to break his son's contract and get him to North America. I believe he will sign with whatever NA team drafts him as soon as he possibly can.

However, he is still a diminutive winger, were talking Cole Caufield sized, but missing the weight, I believe he came in at 148 lbs in his draft profile. Carlsson and Fantilli are both north of 6 feet.

The only other off the board thing I could see Verbeek doing is taking Reinbacher. Similar to Seider, and if you recall he was projected to go in the mid teens his draft.

Maybe Verbeek trades down with Montreal so he gets a bit more with his reach, if we could walk out of the first round with Dach and Reinbacher, we are probably better off than with Fantilli. Hard to say, but Mitchkov seems incredibly unlikely.

He won’t. If he does I’d lose my cool.

I was just thinking about it and wonder if there would be a way Z stays in the middle and Fantilli plays on his LW (Terry on the RW)

My thought was Z can be more creative and Fantilli could possibly thrive off of that being a skilled power forward off him wing

How far fetched you think I am here? I could go deeper into my thought but I’d just be rambling

@OldNYIfan @Salzy @Lenny7

These Rumours were straight up speculation by Jeff Marek who is rarely right about anything

"Someone texted me saying I think the Ducks are going to take Michkov" thats the quote that started this

He even clearly said this isnt insider reporting, just a text from someone purely speculating about a hypothetical situation

This is more clickbait for draft time, the pick is Fantilli/Carlsson, Michkov wont even be considered

This is as big of a non-story as the Ducks trading the pick to the habs

Fantilli is the most natural Centre out of him, Z and McTavish to me

Id put Z or McTavish on the wing myself

I do think Z goes to his wing when it’s all said and done but I was just going off of a ‘what if’

Going to go against the grain here, and say that I'd take Michkov over Carlsson.

Here's my reasoning behind it though, keeping in mind that I definitely want Fantilli over the other two:

-I'm not super concerned about the contract going to 2026. It's a while to wait, but this team is so thin right now that the idea of being on the rise in a couple of years, then adding Michkov (on an ELC at that!) could be gnarly. I don't buy the whole "He's not coming to the NHL!" thing. The kid is coming to the draft. He wants to play in the NHL. Yes, he's stuck with that contract, but this could be like the Wild adding prime Kaprizov. The only thing about it that I don't like is that they'll have zero control over his development while he's in the KHL. Talent usually trumps, but that's a bit scary.
-Rolling with that, by 2026 you *should* be in the prime of Z/McTavish/Drysdale/Some of the other young guys, and be at the point where there's been some solid additions elsewhere.
-My main concern with Carlsson is that it's too safe. I don't think he ever becomes more than a 60ish pt guy who plays a sound 2 way game. There's Barkov comps out there, but I don't buy it. That being said, I could be off my rocker.

Again, I want Fantilli. But, if GMPV goes with Michkov instead (I don't think he will), I'm not going to be heartbroken (I'll be fine with Carlsson too, I suppose...just disappointed). I *WANT* this team to be great, but I don't see a situation where we're not 2-3 years away from even being good, which is why I have no issue playing the long game. I hate the idea that we'll have to wait, but FWIW, when it comes to timelines, I'm pretty sure Fantilli goes back to Michigan (and signs his ELC at the end of the year, burning a year off of it), and that Carlsson plays in the SHL next year.

I'd imagine Fantilli in Anaheim follows a similar path to Z and Soap, where he starts on the wing, then moves to center. Z seems like the logical guy to end up on the wing, though his playmaking up the middle is almost the only reason why the Ducks scored any goals last year