Prospect Highlight: Sam Colangelo
- Colangelo
- Drafted: = 2020, Rd 2 (36th Overall)
Colangelo was generating hype in this draft season as he finished third in team scoring with 58 points for the
Chicago Steel. That team had several players who were drafted in the 2020 and 2021 draft such as 2021, 1st overall pick D Power, as well as forwards Brisson, Farrell, Coronato, Samoskevich and Fontaine.
Central Scouting's 2020 final ranking for NA skaters had Brisson at 20th and Colangelo at 31st. Anaheim took the gamble at pick 36.
Sam's collegiate career had a couple of lumps, but the gamble looks like it's paying off for the Ducks at the moment - Anaheim still needs to sign the young man. His injury in his freshman year truly disguised Colangelo's talent. Although his junior year was a step back, Sam was still productive on the scoresheet. A big reason why his junior year did not take another step forward was because the coaching staff separated him from his linemates from his sophomore season. There was great hype about the trio staying together and reaching new heights, but it was not so.
The step back in his junior year could be seen as Colangelo being held down. Sam had thought about turning pro after his junior season, but wanted to improve his game. During the 2023 summer Dev camp in Anaheim, Colangelo looked like he was a man on a mission as he was very noticeable on the ice in goal scoring and tenacity. The future Western Michigan Bronco had a well laid plan in place to improve his stock when his junior season ended. Here are
some article excerpts on Colangelo from Medium:
Colangelo considered turning pro after the 2022–23 season, but ultimately decided to play another year of college was the right choice. One thing was clear to him, though. His time at Northeastern was done.
Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler had seen him play when he was a coach for Team USA at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in 2018, so there was already a level of familiarity between the two.
“I’m a guy who likes to shoot the puck and likes to score goals,” he said. “When you see (Western Michigan’s history) — their goals per game is in the top five every season that Coach Ferschweiler has been here — obviously, that’s a testament to the players that they’ve had, but also the coaching staff and what they’re doing. That doesn’t happen by accident.”
There are two Western Michigan players ranked in the top-10 in NCAA goal scoring today, one of them is Colangelo. Sam's gamble to transfer definitely paid off.
Currently, as of Feb 13th, with 19 goals on the season so far, Colangelo ranks tied for seventh in the NCAA is goal scoring. The top goal scorers in the NCAA are fellow Ducks prospect Cutter Gauthier and projected #1 overall 2024 draft prospect Macklin Celebrini with 23 goals.
That is Colangelo's third NCHC "Forward of the Week" recognition, as per
the Rink Live. The talent was always there. Staying in college and transferring to a program designed to help Colangelo succeed as a scorer is going to pay him dividends into the near and, hopefully, far future.
With the turnover the Ducks will have after this season, or sooner at the trade deadline, at forward with the presumed losses of C/LW Henrique and RW Silfverberg, there exists a path to the NHL. Conflate that with the need for goal scorers at the NHL level for the Ducks, then the path to the NHL becomes closer in reach. Let us hope GM Verbeek is able to sign and help Colangelo shine with the Ducks' organization.
