RD Tristan Luneau - Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL (2022, 53rd, ANA)

[LuGBuG]

2nd round #53rd overall pick making his NHL debut already showing teams should not have passed on him.

LaCombe is also a 2nd round pick by Ducks also a rookie D playing tonight for the Ducks.

Lacombe has played every game so far and a couple last year.

 

[ScarTroy]

2nd round #53rd overall pick making his NHL debut already showing teams should not have passed on him.

LaCombe is also a 2nd round pick by Ducks also a rookie D playing tonight for the Ducks.

To be fair we passed on him in the 2nd round too

 

[Sean Garrity]

Penciled in to be on the top pairing. Have fun with Hintz-Robertson tonight lol, good test.

 

[Kalv]

Decent debut, especially for a 2nd round pick. Needs to work on a number of stuff but that is more than normal

 

[LuGBuG]

Potential is obvious. Needs more time to cook though.

 

[Kalv]

Potential is obvious. Needs more time to cook though.

Yeah going back to Q (albeit perhaps to a better team) and the WJCs (I assume he'd get picked) and perhaps a stint with San Diego at the end of the season would be really decent for him along with the NHL debut (and perhaps some more games). It'd give him more time to develop.

Next year it's AHL/NHL but the dude will be a player for sure. He looked really good in preseason but not ready for the full show just yet perhaps. He's damn close tho

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Yeah going back to Q (albeit perhaps to a better team) and the WJCs (I assume he'd get picked) and perhaps a stint with San Diego at the end of the season would be really decent for him along with the NHL debut (and perhaps some more games). It'd give him more time to develop.

Next year it's AHL/NHL but the dude will be a player for sure. He looked really good in preseason but not ready for the full show just yet perhaps. He's damn close tho

Hopefully during the time their keeping him up his Q team trades him, then suddenly the Ducks can send him down to the Q.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

It's his first game, there aren't very players like Mintyukov who come in and look like NHL players on game 1 as a teenager. Would like to see how the kid acclimates to the speed after a few more games

 

[Kalv]

It's his first game, there aren't very players like Mintyukov who come in and look like NHL players on game 1 as a teenager. Would like to see how the kid acclimates to the speed after a few more games

Absolutely. Hampus Lindholm wasn't a 1st pair D in his first game as well. I think I saw couple times where Luneau was pushed around so I think he will need to work on his strength before he can be more effective tho

 

[Arthuros]

Defensive game needs some work. Offensive awareness is high, but a nervous game.

Probably wasn't the best thing to debut as a top pairing guy immediately, though. Hopefully he'll take his lessons from this and improve next game.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Soooo is this gonna be his season? Stay with Anaheim and spread out those 9 games and hope he can do an AHL conditioning stint type thing?... Maybe send him back to juniors after WJC?

 

[Sean Garrity]

Soooo is this gonna be his season? Stay with Anaheim and spread out those 9 games and hope he can do an AHL conditioning stint type thing?... Maybe send him back to juniors after WJC?

Seems to be, maybe hope he gets traded to a better team in the Q? With Drysdale out I expected him to get another game or two, but with the road win streak, Lacombe's ability to play the right side and Vaakanainen looking solid he has not had the opportunity. I believe he's eligible for that AHL conditioning stint after last nights game.

 

[Gliff]

Soooo is this gonna be his season? Stay with Anaheim and spread out those 9 games and hope he can do an AHL conditioning stint type thing?... Maybe send him back to juniors after WJC?

I think he will go down for a conditioning stint and then go back to the WJC/Q similar to how Wright was handled.

It sucks he was born 12 days too late... He has nothing to prove in the Q, but obviously isn't ready for the NHL.

 

[Kalv]

First goal for Luneau in his 5th game:


He played 19 mins, +2, and at the end of the game he was really dictating plays. He got an assist as well so first multi-point game. He's looking better and better.

 

[BondraTime]

One of the most poorly scouted players in recent memory.

 

[Gliff]

One of the most poorly scouted players in recent memory.

Even the Ducks passed on him in the 2nd round.

 

[nbwingsfan]

First goal for Luneau in his 5th game:


He played 19 mins, +2, and at the end of the game he was really dictating plays. He got an assist as well so first multi-point game. He's looking better and better.

He’s going to be a player. Couldn’t for the life of me understand why he wasn’t a 1st round pick.

 

[BondraTime]

Even the Ducks passed on him in the 2nd round.

For the life of me, have zero clue how someone could take a chance that Luneau would be taken in order to grab Warren, who is a more than fine pick in the early 2nd. (Not a shot at the Ducks, shot at the entirety of the NHL scouting community)

I understand the love for size and snarl, but Luneau was a top 10 caliber player dealing with an injury

NHL teams missed the boat entirely with him. Made zero sense to me then, even less now.

Ducks got a very, very good player.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

One of the most poorly scouted players in recent memory.

Some of us did our homework.

 

[Kalv]

For the life of me, have zero clue how someone could take a chance that Luneau would be taken in order to grab Warren, who is a more than fine pick in the early 2nd. (Not a shot at the Ducks, shot at the entirety of the NHL scouting community)

I understand the love for size and snarl, but Luneau was a top 10 caliber player dealing with an injury

NHL teams missed the boat entirely with him. Made zero sense to me then, even less now.

Ducks got a very, very good player.

Would you say the same at the time of the draft? It wasn't so clear-cut back then. Warren was just a safer pick at the time. Consider Anaheim is the best D drafting team and they still passed on Luneau.

 

[BondraTime]

Would you say the same at the time of the draft? It wasn't so clear-cut back then. Warren was just a safer pick at the time. Consider Anaheim is the best D drafting team and they still passed on Luneau.

Without a doubt, thought that long before, and long after the draft

Who is the best defender in this year's draft NOT named Jiricek or Nemec?

I think it's safe to say Nemec and Jiricek have a case to both be top 5 (maybe even top 3) talents. But I'm curious where the rest of the field stands. Most people would probably say Mateychuck, Mintyukov, or Korchinski, but are there other names that could rise before the draft?

forums.hfboards.com

Korchinsko or Mintyukov, either or should be top 10 picks.

After that I'd go Luneau

NHL Entry Draft - 2022 NHL Draft Thread - Part 2

Maybe it's me but move the world Juniors to July then move the draft to August. Sample guide. Memorial Cup finals end June 29. World Juniors starts July 11 ends July 22nd. Draft combine is August 4th with the draft on August 12 and 13. That way all healthy prospects can participate in the...

forums.hfboards.com

Yeah I’d imagine lots of people on here have been across to Olympigue games, Luneau is likely one of the most viewed guys here.

I’ve only seen him live 3 times this year, but have been watching him since he was in Bamtam, I like him more than I did Chabot in 2015, and I absolutely loved Chabot. I’d take a Luneau in the top 10 over quite a few of the guys that are ranked there constantly.

I peg him as a solid 30 point 2 way guy who you can put on PP1 or PK1 for 24 minutes a night on the right side. Obviously my own personal opinion. He’s the 2nd best D prospect at the draft out of the Q I’ve watched aside from Dobson, with Chabot on ~an even ground as him.

 

[Gliff]

Luneau was just a boom/bust pick due to the risk with his injury.

I think the Ducks were comfortable taking him since they had already taken 2 defensemen that were safe picks in that draft.

Without a doubt

NHL Entry Draft - 2022 NHL Draft Thread - Part 2

Maybe it's me but move the world Juniors to July then move the draft to August. Sample guide. Memorial Cup finals end June 29. World Juniors starts July 11 ends July 22nd. Draft combine is August 4th with the draft on August 12 and 13. That way all healthy prospects can participate in the...

forums.hfboards.com

Good call.

 

[Kalv]

Without a doubt

NHL Entry Draft - 2022 NHL Draft Thread - Part 2

Maybe it's me but move the world Juniors to July then move the draft to August. Sample guide. Memorial Cup finals end June 29. World Juniors starts July 11 ends July 22nd. Draft combine is August 4th with the draft on August 12 and 13. That way all healthy prospects can participate in the...

forums.hfboards.com

Then you should send your CV in for some teams this was pretty great insight back then

Anyways, hopefully he can go to WJC to get some more reps in. Last night Vaaks came out but he's actually been good and will son come back in.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

For the life of me, have zero clue how someone could take a chance that Luneau would be taken in order to grab Warren, who is a more than fine pick in the early 2nd. (Not a shot at the Ducks, shot at the entirety of the NHL scouting community)

I understand the love for size and snarl, but Luneau was a top 10 caliber player dealing with an injury

NHL teams missed the boat entirely with him. Made zero sense to me then, even less now.

Ducks got a very, very good player.

Anaheim took Mintyukov 10th overall. That was the Ducks' offensive d-man pick. The next pick was to draft a shutdown type. Warren was the last in the tier grouping for shutdown D: Bichsel (18th OA), Pickering (21st), Lamoureau (29th), and Chesley (38th). Warren was always going to be a long term project as a 6'5 RD.

Anaheim is known for drafting defensemen and goalies beyond the 1st round. Recent d-men picks: (OFD = Offensive d-man, DFD = Defensive d-man)

2019: Rd 2 OFD LaCombe (now with Ducks),
............ Rd 4 DFD Thrun (traded to Sharks for a 2024 3rd round pick)
.......... Both d-men won gold at the WJC with team USA
2020: Rd 1 OFD Drysdale (with Ducks, won gold and silver WJC),
............ Rd 3 DFD Moore (NCAA junior)
2021: Rd 2 OFD Zellweger (AHL, won gold at WJC-18 and WJCx2, WHL DotY x2, CHL DotY),
............ Rd 3 DFD Hinds (AHL, won gold at WJC)
2022: Rd 1 OFD Mintyukov (with Ducks, OHL DotY),
............ Rd 2 DFD Warren (In Q),
............ Rd 2 OFD Luneau (With Ducks , QMJHL DotY)
2023: Rd 4 DFD Smith (in OHL)
............ Rd 5 OFD Dionicio (in OHL)

There is a pattern here from the Ducks scouting and drafting crew on drafting defensemen. That should answer partly why Luneau was passed up at pick 42.

I was hoping for a forward with the 53rd pick, but Anaheim went boom/bust with offensive d-man Luneau. They can take their time with Luneau and hope his knee will eventually get back into form from his surgery, which caused his drop from first round to 53rd. That initial burst was gone after the surgery. Scoring 43 points in 63 games in the Q and ranked him 15th best scoring defensemen doesn't scream 1st round pick.

To give more perspective on D+0 offensive defensemen, Mintyukov scored 62 points in 67 games in the OHL, Mateychuk scored 65 points in 63 WHL games, and Korchinski scored 65 points in 67 games in the WHL. Even more perspective on D+0 OFD from the Ducks, Zellweger was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2021 draft and scored 13 points in only 11 WHL games; also scored 8 points in 7 WJC-18 games.

Luneau was an "A rating" by Central Scouting before his D+0 started, which meant 1st round pick. Living off of the promise of Luneau, Central Scouting still ranked him 10th best NA prospect in it's mid-term rankings. Other D-men NA prospects at the mid-term rankings: Mintyukov 5th, Mateychuk 9th, and Korchinski 20th. Tristan was highly regarded. prior to the 2022-23 season.

Central Scouting's Final ranking had Luneau ranked 24th.

NHL teams didn't miss on Luneau in the first round. They were very prudent on a prospect who may or may not recover completely from knee surgery.

The 2nd round is a different matter. Anaheim had two 2nd round picks and they took a chance on Luneau with their second 2nd round pick, the 53rd selection. Teams who had multiple picks who passed on Luneau: Anaheim (42nd), San Jose (34, 45), Seattle (35, 49), Arizona (36, 43), and Detroit (40, 52). Someone was gonna win the gamble on Luneau, it was just a matter of how late Luneau would be selected. Anaheim took the gamble at pick 53 and won.

 

[Kalv]