All Mighty
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Luneau, Tschigerl, and Hinds all here. No Gaucher for some reason.
Prospect Info: 2022-23 Ducks Prospects
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Hockey Duckie
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2021 Top 50 (Ducks), Wheeler
4. Zegras
17. Drysdale
21. McTavish
21. Mason McTavish, C, 18 (Anaheim Ducks — 3rd overall, 2021)
If you were to pull the 2021 draftees that appear on this list out of the herd and into their own ranking, you’ll notice that one thing in their order has changed since my final list dropped: McTavish has risen from 10th to eighth. Now, that’s still not as high as third (where the Ducks took him), nor is it any softening on the two he has leapfrogged (you’ll notice they follow him in quick success here, so they’re still very close for me) but the way McTavish’s soft area skill and playmaking flashed at Team Canada’s summer showcase in Calgary really helped to soften some of the concerns I had about his ability to play more than the push-and-pop goal-scoring game we already know he’s so good at. It was also evident that he has worked very hard this summer to get into pretty incredible shape, which will help him play the kind of game he needs to play at the next level to reach his ceiling.
(For what it’s worth: I also recently learned that McTavish was the Blue Jackets’ target at fifth overall, so even if the Ducks didn’t take him, he wasn’t ever going to be around where I had him ranked.)
2022 Top 50 (Ducks), Wheeler
13. McTavish
27. Zellweger
13. Mason McTavish, C, 19 (Anaheim Ducks — No. 3, 2021)
McTavish is a sturdy, highly-talented goal scorer who plays a powerful, middle-lane game built on a competitive foundation. He looks to dictate play in puck protection, drive the net, and manufacture his own offence first, but he can also involve his linemates and use some of the attention he draws as a tool to facilitate.
Despite how big and strong he is over his skates, he’s also capable of playing with speed and pace and has worked hard to add tempo changes to his game. There are still times when he can look a little slow-moving from a standstill, but when he’s ramped up and engaged, he wins a lot of races, outmuscles opponents on retrievals, and pushes through checks and bumps with such ease (a huge part of his game). He’s also a powerful skater when he gets a full head of steam, and creates separation in longer races and pushes down ice in transition (he really started to turn D consistently this year, turning his speed into a real strength).
He also finishes every check, knocks a lot of players over, wins lanes, and loves to be involved in the battles that happen on the ice. He’s a menace on the forecheck, forcing rushed decisions. Nobody in junior wanted to bump him when he had possession this year because he would just stand over pucks and hold them. Offensively, he’s a natural finisher who can overpower goalies and loves to shoot (occasionally to his detriment). Despite his game’s hardness, he also boasts impressive soft skill, finding his way through traffic with quick dekes under sticks when the opportunity to drop his shoulder and push past the defender isn’t there.
His game used to be all about force, and power, and tenaciousness, and bullishness. And while he still has that in spades, there has also just developed a crispness to his passes and handling that has taken him to another level. Everything is clean, flat, and in control (instead of out of it) now. Even the little things, like how he handles bad passes off his skates, are in line now. There are times when he looks like he’s a man on a mission and just takes over.
He’s going to need to work to stay in top shape throughout his career and there are still times when I think he can tunnel vision, but he’s got just about everything else you look for in a power forward. His ability to make plays under the triangle of defenders’ sticks in one sequence, draw a penalty hanging onto a puck on the cycle in the next, and get from the outside in with incredible ease on the next, allows him to make things happen in a variety of ways inside the offensive.
Plus he brings a physical element to a line on top of all of that.
After the season McTavish had, I thought Wheeler would have boosted him higher.
One odd thing about Wheeler is his worry about McTavish "staying in top shape". I haven't read any reports on McTavish being out of shape, only that McTavish is ripped. I have no idea where Wheeler sources this concern. Wheeler had the same concern for 2022 Bichsel (6'5 and 225 lbs), but I didn't see that same concern for 2022 Warren (6'5 and 225 lbs).
Hockey Duckie
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McTavish and Zellweger have been praised for their work in the CHL. Lopina was signed late last season. Hinds and Tschigerl recognized with team Canada. That 2021 class is something.
All Mighty
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Tschigerl and Luneau are about to start a scrimmage against the U-18 Canada team here:
video.hockeycanada.ca
Hinds' team plays the U-18 team tomorrow.
U18 CAN vs. U20 White (July 26, 2022) | 2022 U18/U20 Summer Showcase
Watch Canada (U18) vs. White (U20) from the Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary.
video.hockeycanada.ca
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
- 28,539
- 29,293
All Mighty
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All Mighty
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bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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He's an effortless skater but he has no like explosiveness. I'd make him do squats and work on quick agility workouts, he definitely has upside.
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All Mighty
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Anaheim4ever
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- Jun 15, 2017
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All Mighty
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Luneau looked more comfortable in the 2nd half of the game. Tschigerl didn't play a ton, but I liked him when he was on the ice. Tenacious on the puck and showed a little skill.
That’s disappointing and caps his upside. He’s sounding more and more like another Larsson. I Really we wished we went with Sykora or Trikozov instead.
GunnarStahl
Let’s go shake their hands
- Oct 13, 2020
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I still think there is a lot of latent value in Luneau, I haven’t watched this scrimmage yet but Luneau seems to have lots of hockey sense and a decent tool kit, with room for improvement
Sean Garrity
Quack Quack Quack!
I'm no skating coach, but I feel like explosive skating would be one of the "easier" skills to teach.
KaseMeOutside
Based
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Evaluating a player's future based on a single scrimmage in July seems a bit over the top. I suspect he will be the top defenseman in the QMJHL this season which is probably a better indicator of his future success.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
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Who is evaluating how he's going to end up? We were updating everyone on how he looked is that okay?
Some of YOU are taking it over the top, it's a discussion board and he played in a game yesterday.
It is a discussion board and I can make my views known. People who follow your scouting expertise do so at their own risk.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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Okay then do that, watch the game yourself and comment about what you see instead of bitching about other people commenting on it. Not everyone can watch every game and those watching it might want to discuss it which is why those watching were making comments about how he looked.
Hockey Duckie
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Great reporting!
Due to a knee injury and surgery last year, Luneau's development was set back due to surgery. That was a factor for Luneau dropping out of the first round. He had a first round grade in Central Scouting's Pre-lim ranking. Madden is gambling that Luneau will be able to regain explosiveness in his skating. Anaheim isn't in any rush and, hopefully, Luneau will get a couple more summers to improve his explosiveness.
G Stolarz took a few seasons to recover from his knee injury(ies). He was once protected in the VGK expansion draft, got sent to the ECHL, moved through three teams in two seasons, and revived his career within the Anaheim organization.
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=== Source on Luneau's Knee Injury and Surgery ===
Getting to Know the Ducks Draft Class with AGM Martin Madden | Anaheim Ducks
The names have been called and the dust has now settled.The Ducks added eight young players to the club's prospect pool at this week's NHL Draft in Montreal, including two selections in each of the first two rounds.Get to know each of those eight prospects here with insights from Ducks
www.nhl.com
"If you went back to last year, he[Luneau] grew up in Quebec as the top prospect all the way up, from the time he was ten up until last season," Madden said. "Then, he hurt his knee and had to go through surgery [last] offseason and missed training for most of the summer. It took him three months to get back to the confidence to use his mobility and his agility the way he had in the past. It affected his play early in the year.
"In the second half, now the strength was back. You could see a jump in his step, and he started to proactively take charge with the puck. He's a really smart defenseman. He can move the puck. He can defend well. That's what he brings."
I'm appreciating the updates on any of our prospects in the games
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