Ducks trade up to select tough, physical defenseman
Stian Solberg
The Anaheim Ducks have acquired the 23rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 31st and 58th overall picks.
After making a surprise selection of Beckett Sennecke with the third overall selection, the Ducks used the 23rd overall pick to select defenseman Stian Solberg out of Valerenga in Norway. Stolberg is a quality shutdown defenseman and represents one of the most physical defensemen in the draft. Not only does Solberg effectively shut down offensive pressure from opponents, he makes sure to punish them if they ever touch the puck.
In Valerenga this season, Stolberg scored five goals and 15 points in 42 games while collecting 47 PIMs in the process. At the international level, Solberg scored one goal and one assist in five games during the 2024 World Junior Championships and added two goals and one assist over seven games for Team Norway in the 2024 World Championships.
In Toronto, the team moves back eight spots while adding some draft capital in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. Heading into Friday evening’s festivities, the Maple Leafs did not have a second-round pick as they had moved theirs to the St. Louis Blues in the deal that landed Ryan O’Reilly with the Maple Leafs. Without factoring in any other moves for Toronto, the Maple Leafs will now only be without choices in the third and sixth rounds of this weekend’s draft.
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