Ducks Draft Defenseman Eric Frossard 146th Overall in 5th Round

Q: After trading a star for picks, what does drafting a 6-foot-5 defenseman signal about the Ducks' new long-term strategy?

It signals that Anaheim is leaning into a patient, asset-driven rebuild built around projection, size and development rather than short-term certainty. Trading Mason McTavish for two first-round picks showed the Ducks are willing to move an established young NHL player for a larger pool of future assets. Drafting Eric Frossard at 146th overall fits that logic: he is not an immediate answer, but a long-range bet on tools. At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, with NHL Central Scouting ranking him 68th among North American skaters, he represents the kind of prospect teams target when they believe their development system can turn raw traits into usable NHL value. The pick also suggests Anaheim wants to shape a bigger, harder-to-play-against blue line over time. Frossard’s offensive numbers in Guelph were modest, but they improved sharply year over year, and his profile is that of a projectable defender with reach, frame and defensive upside. In the fifth round, that is often exactly the type of swing rebuilding teams take. More broadly, the Ducks’ draft points to a two-track strategy: add skill early, then use later picks on high-upside physical prospects. Anaheim’s first-round approach was described as adding skill, while Frossard adds a different element to the pipeline. Together, that suggests the Ducks are not rebuilding around one type of player, but trying to assemble a deeper, more balanced future core with cap flexibility, multiple draft bets and a stronger developmental runway.

3 articles · Updated · NHL.com · Jun 27

146th overall, Anaheim used its fifth-round NHL Draft pick on defenseman Eric Frossard in Buffalo, adding an 18-year-old blue-liner from the OHL.
Frossard posted 14 points in 51 games for the Guelph Storm in 2025-26, improving by 12 points from his rookie season, and added one assist in four playoff games.
The London, Ontario native brings size at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds after splitting 2024-25 between the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms and Guelph, where he had two assists in 30 OHL games.