Former Ducks (2024-25 edition)

[Arthuros]

Oh, Max.

Max Jones? More like "League Min" Jones. *snort*

Shame he never made it as an everyday guy. But a head full of rocks doesn't get you far in this league.

 

[Rybread86]

Oh, Max.

Hey, at least the dudes made some $$ over the years but ya, his career might be wrapping up in the NHL

 

[MMC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1854253917946761277

 

[WhatTheDuck]

With his size, skating ability and talent, a player would only need to have a mediocre processor at best, in order to be a surefire bottom six NHLer at worst. Max has all the tools, the effort and even seemingly a great attitude but just does not think the game well enough to be effective with any level of consistency in the NHL.

It's too bad, was hoping for his sake he had just plateaued here and could figure out how to play a simple energy game elsewhere, but clearly did not work out.

 

[dracom]

Sam Steel, put up 2 points tonight in a win against Chicago. he now has 5 points in 11 games. there are only 4 players on the Ducks with more points than him.

 

[All Mighty]

Drysdale will be a healthy scratch today. He still doesn’t have an even strength point this season.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Drysdale will be a healthy scratch today. He still doesn’t have an even strength point this season.

Ouch.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1856019999757902180

Yikes

 

[Goose of Reason]

Drysdale was placed on IR and isn't being healthy scratched I guess. Really sucks to see his career go this way.

 

[Mr Rogers]

Drysdale was placed on IR and isn't being healthy scratched I guess. Really sucks to see his career go this way.

Yeah he's injured.

While Drysdale's IQ is nothing to write home about, if he wasn't rushed and was developed properly, i have no doubt he'd have turned into a nice player. I don't think we did a good job with him and Philly probably has no answers for him either. The injury in 2022 was awful luck but honestly i wonder if he should have even been in the NHL when it occurred.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Yeah he's injured.

While Drysdale's IQ is nothing to write home about, if he wasn't rushed and was developed properly, i have no doubt he'd have turned into a nice player. I don't think we did a good job with him and Philly probably has no answers for him either. The injury in 2022 was awful luck but honestly i wonder if he should have even been in the NHL when it occurred.

I'm not sure we are doing a good job with any of our young players. I agree Drysdale being rushed to the NHL has probably hurt his development.

 

[MMC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1856114331701702709

 

[Terry Yake]

drysdale wasn't even all that impressive in juniors. really never understood what the ducks saw in him aside from his skating to take him that early

 

[Hockey Duckie]

drysdale wasn't even all that impressive in juniors. really never understood what the ducks saw in him aside from his skating to take him that early

Great skating two-way RD who put in extra work on defense between seasons individually. Drysdale did earn rookie of the month in the AHL during COVID, beating out Zegras. Played 81 games in his first, full season in the NHL, but Verbeek traded away D Lindholm and D Manson. Drysdale was better sheltered with Lindholm than with Fowler.

I've noticed that Drysdale's usage with Philly of late has been top-4/top-2 minutes. Guess he regained some trust.

Drysdale still looks better than the next few picks after him for the time being.

5. LD Sanderson - Ottawa
6. RD Drysdale - Anaheim
7. RW Holtz - NJ
8. RW Quinn - Buffalo
9. C Rossi - Minn

I do wonder, though, if GM Murray really wanted Jake Sanderson. Murray thought he had a chance of choice between Drysdale and Sanderson. Guess that's partially why Murray was pissed the Ducks dropped down a slot for the second consecutive draft in 2020. Turns out it ended up being three consecutive drafts the Ducks moved down under Murray.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Drysdale still looks better than the next few picks after him for the time being.

5. LD Sanderson - Ottawa
6. RD Drysdale - Anaheim
7. RW Holtz - NJ
8. RW Quinn - Buffalo
9. C Rossi - Minn

Doe he? Drysdale definitely doesn't look better than Rossi. At this point I also have more faith in Holtz and Quinn. Holtz might not become the goal scorer he was projected to become but I think he becomes a regular NHL player. I think Quinn will become an impactful player eventually. He was having a good season last year until the injury. Needs to get going again.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Doe he? Drysdale definitely doesn't look better than Rossi. At this point I also have more faith in Holtz and Quinn. Holtz might not become the goal scorer he was projected to become but I think he becomes a regular NHL player. I think Quinn will become an impactful player eventually. He was having a good season last year until the injury. Needs to get going again.

Quinn gets leeway for being injured, but Drysdale being injured for what feels like two consecutive seasons after a successful offensive rookie season doesn't get leeway?

2021-22: 81 games, 32 pts, and -26 rating
2022-23: 8 games, 0 pts, and -3 rating
2023-24 (Ducks): 10 games (out of 39 Duck games), 5 pts, and -2 rating (contract hold out, missed training camp)

When Torts said Drysdale needs a lot of learning and played like 13 minutes, it looked bad for Drysdale. It's true that Drysdale has to learn a whole new defense to play from man to zone. Since then, Torts has had him play 20+ minutes in 8 out of 12 games and around 18 minutes or more in 12 out of 12 games Drysdale has played. That is top-4 minutes Drysdale has been playing regularly with Philly in his last 12 games. I'm not stating he's great in the top-4, but Torts apparently trusts him enough to put him in his top-4 regularly since that 13 minute game.

I think Drysdale does receive more negative inferences about his play since being traded. When reports that Drysdale wouldn't be in the lineup, the conclusion was he was a healthy scratch. We find out later in the day that he was put on IR.