Draft night is the reward for Martin Madden and the extensive work of his Ducks scouting staff, as they try to add more young talent into the pipeline for the club to tap into when they’re ready.

It can be energetic. It can be exciting. But it may be a quiet one for the Ducks this time around.

The Ducks don’t have a selection in the first round of the NHL entry draft Friday night at Chicago’s United Center. They’re without one for the first time in 18 years and, barring a deal swung to obtain one, will have to wait until Saturday to make their first selection in the second round.

To acquire Patrick Eaves the Ducks sent a conditional second-round selection to Dallas, and they watched that change to a first-round pick when they reached the Western Conference finals, with the winger also sidelined for the series after making a big impact upon his arrival.

It isn’t an ideal development for Madden, the Ducks’ scouting director who has done some quality work to help keep the franchise a contending force in the Western Conference. And that’s just fine with him.

“With the team we had and the year we had, I think we had to add a piece like we did,” Madden said. “We all want to win. That’s the only reason why we’re in this game. Anything that can help us win, I’m all for.”

Not having a first-round selection is unfamiliar territory with the Ducks. The last time they’ve been a spectator was 1999, a draft mostly known for the Sedin twins being selected behind No. 1 overall pick Patrik Stefan and Henrik Zetterberg being taken behind 209 other players.

There was a dearth of franchise-shaping talent in that widely panned draft. And the consensus is there may not be a great deal in the 2017 version, which could ease the blow for the Ducks if it is a quiet Friday for them. But that doesn’t keep Madden and his group from doing their prep work.

“It’s definitely different,” Madden said. “We’ve known for a while that this is a situation we were in. We scouted down the stretch as such, knowing that we might end up with one at the last minute.

“So you’ve got that in the back of your mind but you can’t forget about the top guys either. You still need to know those players well.”

Ducks general manager Bob Murray holds the keys to the picks they do have — five in all, in rounds two through five. Two are in the second round, the Nos. 50 and 60 selections. But it is Madden who goes to Murray and tells him what is possible when players on their draft board come near them and whether a move should be made to get their choice.

“Right now, there’s nothing but it could change in five minutes,” Madden said. “We still have some picks. I think there would be more trades than usual. But it’s so difficult to predict. You just got to prepare, thinking that you might end up with picks. And obviously there are parameters in terms of what makes sense for us.

“At this point, there’s nothing available.”

There is one clear goal for this draft. The Ducks have John Gibson as their clear No. 1 goalie but have Jonathan Bernier and Jhonas Enroth – who could depart as free agents – behind him. Dustin Tokarski was their No. 3 until Enroth came along.

Beyond them, there’s minor-league journeyman Matt Hackett. Garrett Metcalf, a 2015 sixth-round pick, is the closest thing to a young prospect. So a goalie is on their draft menu.

“We’d like to,” Madden said. “But we’re not going to force it. We almost did add one last year and it just didn’t fall our way. If we see a kid of value with starting potential, we will do that. But we’re not going to draft a goalie just to draft a goalie and add depth to the system in that respect.”

When it comes to finding players in later rounds, the Ducks have developed a strong track record. Josh Manson (sixth round, 2011) is a fixture on defense. Brandon Montour (second round, 2014) and Ondrej Kase (seventh round, 2014) made an impact as rookies.

Nic Kerdiles (second round, 2012) and Jaycob Megna (seventh round, 2012) also made their NHL debuts this season. Former players Frederik Andersen, Joseph Cramarossa and William Karlsson also lasted beyond the first round but managed to come up through their system.

“It’s way too early to say it’s a poor draft or a way below average draft,” Madden added. “You can only do that in hindsight. What I can say is that the long tail of second-round value-type players begins earlier than it has in the last five years.

“First-round value players, there’s fewer of them this year. There’s still some good players going. There still going to be good players coming out of later rounds. There always is. So our job is to find those. But I do find that it’s not quite the same depth in terms of real first-round value players.”