'He Can Play Any Type of Game': Verbeek on Ducks First-Round Picks

A busy offseason for the Ducks got off to a big start Friday night as Anaheim added two key pieces to its top-ranked prospect pool in winger Beckett Sennecke and defenseman Stian Solberg.

Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek met with the media after making those selections to share his thoughts on both players.

On the decision process for the third overall pick
We narrowed it down to three or four players and then we had a really good discussion. There were other players that ended up getting pushed down for different reasons. So near the end of the conversation it really boiled down to two and it was a good discussion. We reached a consensus on Beckett.

On Solberg
He took a big jump in the second half. He seemed to get a lot more confident. He started to exert himself more physically and in the playoffs. He was a tough player to play against and that element really drew us to him. 

On Sennecke
I think he's a really versatile player. I think that he's a guy that, when he gets physically stronger, he is going to be able to be a guy that can play any type of game on the ice. He can play a physical game. He can play a skilled game and he can also play a speed game. So I think his overall game is what excited us.

The NHL Draft resumes Saturday morning (8:30 a.m. PT) with Rounds 2-7. For more on the draft, click here.