Prospect Info: 2022-23 Ducks Prospects

[GreatBear]

Steel is doing marginally better with Minnesota than he was with the Ducks. The Wild is a better team so I would expect this. He is not a bust, but he certainly isn't a star.

I expect more out of Zellweger. His skating and hockey IQ are well above Steel's. And while he is short for a defenseman, he is muscular for his size, and apparently devoted to getting stronger. I would hope for a second pairing OFD out of him, but even a third pairing OFD would be fine. He is going to have competition from other young Ducks defensemen, so we shall see how he does out of the group.

 

[tomd]

Zellweger will obviously need to add some structure to his game to be effective at the next level. When he played with structure at the WJC he was very effective; when he didn't he got into trouble.

Having said that, if I had to bet today, I would bet that Zellweger outscores every single current Ducks forward prospect over the course of his/their careers.

 

[rlstine]

The price Kamloops paid to get Zellweger was insane and yet he’s played so well that it seems justified.

Still a little skeptical his game will translate at higher levels

 

[LePerilsofPerreault]

Our PP could use a Zelle transaction

 

[Hockey Duckie]

The price Kamloops paid to get Zellweger was insane and yet he’s played so well that it seems justified.

Still a little skeptical his game will translate at higher levels

We had Vatanen and paired him with a big defensive d-man, which worked well for Anaheim. There's thoughtfulness in roster balance.

I think Zellweger can thrive as a 3rd pairing OFD who participates on the PP unit. Z's speed, four-way skating, and IQ points to him finding a niche in the NHL. Tracking his WHL career, his progress has been amazing, including his WJC-18 performance that helped him get landed by the Ducks. Z might take a year or two learning defensive structure in the AHL, but it'll pay off for his NHL future.

 

[AngelDuck]

He will be better than a 3rd pairing OFD IMo

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

He will be better than a 3rd pairing OFD IMo

Def going to need the right partner for him...

man our transistion game is going to be nutty from the back end soon

Fowler, Mintyukov, Zellweger, Drysdale

 

[MMC]

 

[Static]

Luneau is 1+1 tonight, hinds has an assist.

 

[Static]

 

[Kalv]

Derek said that Warren had looked better as of late – I haven't got any Olymiques games myself lately tho.

Such a shame, I hope it's nothing serious. His relatively slow scoring pace might be related to aa disrupted training camp because he had an injury. And here I'm hoping he doesn't become injury prone... dude is MASSIVE for his age, and needs to take extra care of his body probably.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

He will be better than a 3rd pairing OFD IMo

Zellweger's talent will probably be better than a 3rd pairing, but have you seen what we have in our pipeline and Fowler will still be here for another three seasons.

LD Fowler​

RD Drysdale​

LD/RD LaCombe​

LD/RD Hinds​

LD Mintyukov​

RD Luneau​

RD Warren​

RD Helleson​

RD Andersson​

RD Moore* (unsigned NCAA junior)​

We can have great balance with all three pairings. Anaheim has been missing talent depth on the blue line since the 2018-19 TDL the start of the rebuild. Although we have no #1D, we might have a plethora of 2nd pairing D talent and talent depth. We don't have a 1st or 3rd pairing, in that sense.

 

[Static]

Stock Falling

Sam Colangelo, C/RW, Northeastern (Anaheim Ducks)​

Sam Colangelo hasn't been nearly as productive at the college level as anyone would've hoped. He's ending the regular season on a low note too, with two points at evens in his last five contests going into the Hockey East quarterfinals.

The culprit? Well, a lot of it boils down to Colangelo's skating. It's well below average, even at the college level, so he spends most of his game operating as a spectator – scanning and seeking out plays or threats ahead of time and still arriving late. Compounding matters is the fact that the Ducks prospect doesn't manage space particularly well away from the puck, wandering in and out of prime shooting opportunities without increasing the quality of each look.

At this point, it would come as some surprise to see Colangelo leave college ahead of his senior season. There's still plenty that he can learn at this level, and a lot that he needs to work on mechanically to get back on track to a bottom-six projection as a defensive forward.

Also has Ian Moore in his honorable mentions for his stock rising section.

NCAA Stock Watch: Alexander Campbell getting hot in time for ECAC Tournament

This month's NCAA Stock Watch zeroes in on the play of Alexander Campbell, Gavin Brindley, Mason Lohrei, Wyatt Kaiser, and Sam Colangelo.

eprinkside.com

 

[Static]

Stock Up:

Olen Zellweger, D, Kamloops Blazers (Anaheim Ducks)​

How much better can the league’s best blueliner get? A lot, actually. The blockbuster trade that sent Olen Zellweger to Kamloops has worked so far, whether that’s in terms of production (he’s scoring at a staggering 1.8 points per game) or highlight reel moments.

Even on a much stronger team, Zellweger controls the game. He’s an automatic in transition, turning tightly contested battles into zone entries in the blink of an eye. As usual, he’s been a dynamic shooting threat off the rush. But he’s also showing a bit more playmaking. He recovers loose pucks and instantly spins them back into the slot to his teammates. As he shifts across the blue line, he looks for teammates lurking around the net.

There’s more improvisation to Zellweger’s game in Kamloops, which often leaves him too far up the rink as the opposition clears the zone. That’s understandable; he’s a top prospect trying to take his game to even new heights. And it’s working.

Connor Hvidston, C, Swift Current Broncos (Anaheim Ducks)​

The Swift Current Broncos weren’t short on breakout candidates entering the season. Connor Hvidston, a Ducks fifth-rounder, was among them. His off-puck game was projectable and refined. He flashed exciting shooting and passing. But his impact with the puck waned. That’s no longer the case.

Hvidston has 21 points in his last 15 games, showcasing the full extent of his offensive game. The highlight has been his craftiness as a playmaker. He fakes to open lanes, slips pucks through defenders to hit open teammates, and passes on the heels of defenders, where they can’t intercept.

The offence has come alongside the off-puck game. Hvidston skates his routes to completion, pushing back defenders to create space behind him. Proactively positioned, he’s always a factor on the defensive end. More and more, he’s looking like a potential NHLer.

Steady Steady:

Sean Tschigerl, LW, Calgary Hitmen (Anaheim Ducks)​

Sean Tschigerl was one of the WHL’s bubble breakout stars. He potted 13 goals and 21 points in 21 games, showcasing an NHL shot and flashy handling skill. In the two seasons since, his production has steadily dwindled. Now, at 0.86 points per game, his NHL odds are decreasing.

To be fair, the tape’s much kinder on the Ducks’ fifth-rounder. Tschigerl’s morphed into a better passer over the past two seasons. Where he used to take low-percentage shots, he looks inside and finds a teammate in scoring position. And there’s some nuance to his dishes, preparing passes with look-offs and fake shots to secure the lane.

The Ducks have a difficult decision: To sign or not to sign. If they elect to pass, Tschigerl becomes one of the CHL’s premier free agents, likely to post gaudy point totals as an overager, especially if Calgary sells.

WHL Stock Watch: Olen Zellweger just keeps getting better

The latest WHL Stock Watch looks at Olen Zellweger, Stanislav Svozil, Ben Hemmerling, Connor Hvidston, Sean Tschigerl, and Josh Davies.

eprinkside.com

 

[LePerilsofPerreault]

​

Also has Ian Moore in his honorable mentions for his stock rising section.

NCAA Stock Watch: Alexander Campbell getting hot in time for ECAC Tournament

This month's NCAA Stock Watch zeroes in on the play of Alexander Campbell, Gavin Brindley, Mason Lohrei, Wyatt Kaiser, and Sam Colangelo.

eprinkside.com

Hope this man can at least stand at the top of the crease effectively

 

[tomd]

​

Also has Ian Moore in his honorable mentions for his stock rising section.

NCAA Stock Watch: Alexander Campbell getting hot in time for ECAC Tournament

This month's NCAA Stock Watch zeroes in on the play of Alexander Campbell, Gavin Brindley, Mason Lohrei, Wyatt Kaiser, and Sam Colangelo.

eprinkside.com

I knew skating was Colangelo's achilles heel but for the author to say that it is below average even at the college level is truly alarming. I had hopes when he was drafted that he could be a top six option but now it looks like he'll be lucky to even make the NHL in a bottom six role.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Hope this man can at least stand at the top of the crease effectively

I hope so. At 6'3 and 185 lbs (I hope he's gained more mass since his draft metrics), I think he can stand at the top of the crease. The real question is if he has the capacity to want to move people instead of curtsy around an opponent.

Here's a clip of him finishing a check and earned him a penalty... for boarding?




When I first read up on Moore years ago, you'd be thinking offensive guy b/c he's the second defensive high schooler we drafted in consecutive drafts who also skates well and high scoring. LaCombe was the first in 2019.

Then I did another reading up on Moore this year and didn't realize he's actually known for being a shutdown D. This year, he currently leads Harvard defensemen in plus/minus with +20. The second highest D plus/minus player is Thrun with a +16. Last year, Moore's freshman year in the NCAA (but D+2 season), he was second overall on the team with plus/minus at +16; Thrun was a +9. Damn... no wonder why Murray was always including Moore as one of his top defensive prospects two seasons ago.

Here is Dobber Prospects' May 2022 report on Moore:

Will be more valuable in real hockey than fantasy, Moore is a shutdown defenseman who will be able to provide peripheral stats and chip in on the scoresheet from time to time.​

I'd like to keep Moore, especially because he is a defensive RD who can skate at 6'3!

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I knew skating was Colangelo's achilles heel but for the author to say that it is below average even at the college level is truly alarming. I had hopes when he was drafted that he could be a top six option but now it looks like he'll be lucky to even make the NHL in a bottom six role.

Let's hope he realizes it's his skating that held him back this season and he works hard on it in the summer as well as all throughout his senior season if he wants a sniff at the NHL.

 

[Static]

 

[Static]

Luneau has an early assist.

With 70 points, he's five points shy of having a top 100 scoring season ever by a dman in the QMJHL, which is kind of cool.

 

[Static]

Mintyukov has an assist.

 

[Static]

Mintyukov has an assist.

Has been changed to a goal, his 24th.

Gaucher remains out of the lineup.

 

[AngelDuck]

Edit

 

[Mr Rogers]

I liked the Luneau pick but didn't see his offense coming along quite like this.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I liked the Luneau pick but didn't see his offense coming along quite like this.

Now imagine if he ever regains his skating burst, which is still a work in progress.