Prospect Update: Darels Uljanskis
Photo: AIK
By Thomas Harrington
Drafted by Anaheim in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Darels Uljanskis primarily played for AIK J20 in the J20 Nationell, while also playing for AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan and for Team Latvia at the World Junior Championships.
Uljanskis played in 44 games for AIK J20 and scored nine goals and 39 points, finishing second on the team in assists and points and leading the defense in both categories. In the entire J20 Nationell, he finished tied for 37th in scoring and tied for 19th in assists. Among defensemen in the J20 Nationell, he ranked second in points, third in assists, and tied for sixth in goals. He only played one game for AIK in the HockeyAllsvenskan and was scoreless.
At the World Juniors, Uljanskis played in all five games for Team Latvia and recorded one assist. He was one of two drafted players on the team. He played on both the powerplay and penalty kill for Latvia. Latvia won two games in the tournament, and none were bigger than when they beat Canada in a shootout. Latvia lost in the quarterfinals to Sweden.
Uljanskis is a two-way defenseman with offensive upside. As a seventh round draft pick, he’s a very raw talent and is definitely something of a long-term project. While it’s unlikely, if he can develop properly, he could become a bottom pairing player who gets time on both the powerplay and penalty kill units.
Uljanskis will be coming to North America next season and playing for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. Originally, he was going to come and play in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers, but decided that the CHL would be better for his development this coming season. He is committed to attending the University of Connecticut starting in the 2026-2027 season, so his time in Canadian Juniors will only last for one season.
I have a few expectations for Uljanskis this coming season. Given that he’ll be playing in a new league on a new continent, I don’t want to set things too high for him. First, he has put up some solid offensive numbers from the backend in the J20 Nationell over the past two seasons, and I’d like to see him continue to produce offense from the blueline. Second, the Firebirds finished sixth in the western conference of the OHL and then lost in the first round of the playoffs. I’d like to see Uljanskis help them advance further in the postseason. Finally, I expect him to once again play for Team Latvia at the World Juniors. Hopefully he can put up a little more offense and lead them to a better record.
Uljanskis is a long way away from making it to the NHL, if he ever gets there. It’s rare for seventh round picks to do so, but he has some nice offensive instincts to go along with a solid two-way game, so there’s definitely a chance. For the immediate future, he’ll be playing in the OHL and then NCAA. I expect him to spend several years at the University of Connecticut once he gets there. If he develops well enough playing college hockey to get an entry-level deal, he’ll spend time with the Gulls before he gets a look at the NHL. If he can further develop his game with the Gulls, he could eventually have a shot at making his way to Anaheim, but that probably won’t be for at least four or five years.
Uljanskis is currently unsigned and according to Puckpedia, the Ducks control his rights until June 2028, which is great news for Anaheim. This will give the front office several years to properly scout and evaluate Uljanskis. If he can develop his game over the next three years, expect him to be signed to a standard entry-level contract. However, if his game regresses or even just stagnates, the Ducks will likely choose to not sign him.
The next prospect update will be on goaltender Damian Clara.
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September 11th, 2025
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