The problem with mock drafts is the potential for trades in the middle of the process. Such was the case this week when the Anaheim Ducks sent Frederick Andersen to the Toronto Maple Leafs for picks.
We were not about to pick a goalie in the 24th spot for the Ducks but the trade means Anaheim will rely on John Gibson this coming season and maybe the era of the merry-go-round of former coach Bruce Boudreau in the crease is over with Gibson getting the number one spot in the rotation. 
The Ducks started the 2015-16 NHL season floundering but finished with a flourish to take the Pacific Division crown on the final night of the season.
The Ducks then laid the proverbial first round egg as they were bounced but the lesser foe, Nashville Predators.
The inevitable then happened and Boudreau was relieved of his coaching duties shortly after the ignominious exit in Game 7 of the first round.
Were the Ducks gassed from the run down the stretch? Or was Boudreau just unable to respond to the Preds game scheme?
For the regular season, the Ducks yielded a league-low 188 goals. The offense produced a lackluster 215 goals, good for 17th in the league. Much of that offense came in the final three months of the season.
The power play was ranked top in the NHL with 23.1% success rate and the penalty kill was also tops in the league at 87.2%.
If only that success could have been mustered in the post season.
Are the Ducks getting old? The short answer is yes but there is no real reason to panic this coming season. But they need to prepare for the days when the Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and the rest of the front line are too old to repeat the regular success never mind the post season.
A centerman would seemingly be the direction Anaheim will take as they prepare the future.
One option at 24 is Pascal Laberge from the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Last season Laberge iced in 56 games and scored 23 goals and 68 points.
He has been described as a tough and spirited player with good hockey sense and good two-way player meaning he brings offense and attention to the defensive zone that the Ducks organization has prided itself on.
He’s listed at 6 feet in height and just 162 pounds. So a year in the weight room and some muscle mass would make him a good fit in Anaheim in a year or so. That would give the Ducks a chance to get him ready for the larger clubs in the Pacific Division.
A talented scorer with a good defensive commitment to his team would seem to make for the following announcement in Buffalo this week.
“With the 24th, the Anaheim Ducks are proud to select, from the Victoriaville Tigres, Pascal Laberge.”
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