2023-24 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Anaheim Ducks

Leo Carlsson (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

When an NHL team comes dead last, you better hope the future is bright. Thankfully for the Anaheim Ducks, it is.

The Ducks lost out on the NHL Draft lottery, and thus missed snagging Connor Bedard. Instead, they took Leo Carlsson, who, before long, should challenge for No. 1 center duties after a tremendous season back in Sweden.

Not too shabby, especially with the prospect pool the Ducks have.

Anaheim already has a nice young core, led by Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry and Jamie Drysdale. About half of the projected roster for 2023-24 was drafted by the Ducks, with many others ready to make their mark in the near future.

The Ducks have drafted for a variety of needs, whether it be snagging creative, modern-day defenders or finding role guys who can make their bottom six so difficult to play against. And even with the Ducks doling out contracts for UFAs Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas this offseason, you can expect them to draft high again in 2024.

Biggest Strength

Is there a team with a better offensive defensemen crop than the Ducks? With Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger and Tristan Luneau leading the way, the Ducks managed to have a prospect win the top defenseman award in all three CHL leagues. That’s unprecedented territory. And that doesn’t include Jackson Lacombe, Rodwin Dionicio and Tyson Hinds, among others.

Biggest Weakness

Forward depth as a whole needs some work, but especially on the wings. The Ducks don’t appear to have anyone ready to step up from the wing just yet, and even Sasha Pastujov – a high-end scorer – has his flaws.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

Sep 27, 2022; San Jose, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) shoots during the first period against San Jose Sharks left wing CJ Suess (73) at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Ranking: A

1. Leo Carlsson, C, 18 (Anaheim Ducks)

Drafted: No. 2, first round in 2023

The Ducks made a surprising decision, passing on near-consensus No. 2 Adam Fantilli to snag Carlsson. The 6-foot-3 center is a difficult player to contain, and after an impressive season playing against men between Orebro and Sweden at the IIHF’s World Championship, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Carlsson this coming year. He can clearly hang with quality talent, and he’ll be a popular figure in Anaheim.

2. Pavel Mintyukov, D, 19 (San Diego, AHL)

Drafted: No. 10, first round in 2022

Mintyukov was the OHL’s version of Zellweger – a dominant offensive defenseman. That shouldn’t be surprising because he scored at a high rate every level and capped off his second OHL campaign with 88 points in 69 games. His three-play zone is extremely underrated, and at 6-foot-1 with great footwork, there’s NHL size and mobility there. He’s slightly younger than Zellweger, which helps, but the gap between the two stout defensemen is very close.

3. Olen Zellweger, D, 20 (San Diego, AHL)

Drafted: No. 34, second round in 2021

Few players can control offense from the point like Zellweger. He finished his junior career with 183 points in 180 games and another 17 points over two World Junior Championships – both resulting in gold medals. Only Ben Zloty – who played nearly 30 more games in the same five-year span – scored more as a defenseman with 189 points, and no NHL defensive prospect is within 30 points of Zellweger. It won’t be long until the skilled blueliner is controlling the power play.

4. Sasha Pastujov, LW, 20 (San Diego, AHL)

Drafted: No. 66, third round in 2021

Pastujov’s absence from the American world junior team raised some eyebrows, especially given his 40-goal pace at the time. He finished with 41 goals and 98 points between Guelph and Sarnia, and now he’s ready to take his talents to the AHL. He’s a pure goal-scorer who has tallied at least 30 goals a year at every level since 2020-21, but poor skating and rough possession numbers have stood out. The ceiling is high, but he’ll need to be a goal-scorer in the NHL to be truly effective.

5. Nathan Gaucher, C, 19 (San Diego, AHL)

Drafted: No. 22, first round in 2022

Gaucher isn’t going to be a game-breaking, goal-stealing, eye-popping forward in the NHL. But he’ll definitely be one of the hardest-hitting, smartest-thinking, most defensively responsible options the Ducks have. Gaucher attacks the play with ferocity and is a pain in the rear-end to move out of the net. He’s strong, puts power into his shot and showed commitment this year into improving his two-way game. As a power forward, Gaucher is valuable.

6. Lukas Dostal, G, 23 (Anaheim Ducks)

Drafted: No. 85, third round in 2018

Is this finally the year Dostal gets his full-time NHL shot? He was excellent in spot duty last year in his early-season NHL duty but had a bit of a rough patch to close things out. Inconsistency has been an issue, but facing shots has never been. With John Gibson’s future in question, and no other NHL goalie currently signed, Dostal has a chance to take over starter’s duties shortly. That being said, consistency will be key for him in the NHL.

7. Tristan Luneau, D, 19 (Gatineau, QMJHL)

Drafted: No. 53, second round in 2022

A second-round pick in 2022, Luneau is yet another high-offense CHL defender, this time out of the Q with Gatineau. He saw his offense nearly double this year, recording 20 goals and 83 points before putting up 17 points in a fantastic playoff run. His run-and-gun nature makes him difficult to slow down, and his passing game has only improved. His overall speed is still quite average, with scouts saying he needs to be lighter on his feet. Regardless, it doesn’t hurt to have another weapon in the arsenal like that.

8. Coulson Pitre, C (18)

Drafted: No. 65, third round in 2023

Few players aim to hit every living, breathing target as much as Pitre does. The Flint Firebirds star had 60 points, but it’s his physicality and how he uses it to his advantage that really allows him to stand out. His play style is similar to that of Tanner Jeannot, a versatile forward that works his butt off to make plays and land crushing blows. And, fortunately, the numbers followed him, too.

9. Jackson LaCombe, D (22)

Drafted: No. 39, second round in 2019

Fun fact: Lacombe’s uncles worked as bodyguards for Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, apparently needed help for some reason. Lacombe is an intimidating presence himself, with the 2019 second-rounder standing tall at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds. He finished his fourth year with the University of Minnesota and immediately turned pro with Anaheim, skating in two games with the club. The puck-moving defenseman can play both sides defensively, which is good, but his decision-making knocks him down a few pegs.

10. Nico Myatovic, RW (18)

Drafted: No. 33, second round in 2023

Myatovic was one of the most improved forwards in the WHL this year, with the 6-foot-3 forward proving to be one of the best at having a dominant net-front presence. His numbers jumped by more than double from 28 to 60 points during the regular season and he helped Seattle reach the Memorial Cup with a solid playoff run. He’s the type of energetic power forward you can staple to the bottom six and thrive.

Other notables (no particular order): Nikita Nesterenko, C (21), Rodwin Dionicio, D (19), Damian Clara, 18 (G), Carey Terrance, C (18), Jacob Perreault, C/RW (21), Brayden Tracey, LW (22), Sam Colangelo, RW (21), Calle Clang, G (20), Noah Warren, D (19), Tyson Hinds, D (20), Ian Moore, D (21)

Discover Betano.ca – a premium Sports Betting and Online Casino experience. Offering numerous unique and dynamic betting options along with diverse digital and live casino games, Betano is where The Game Starts Now. 19+. Please play responsibly.