Prospect Info: 2021 Ducks Prospect Rankings #7

[bsu]

I'm fairly confident to say I watch more Gulls games than most people... surprised to see Groulx this early tbh. He's solid but still surprising... good for him.

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

How the hell is thrun losing ?

People seem to be favoring NHL readiness as opposed to potential ceiling.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Went with LaCombe. He always had high upside, but the initial flaw in his game was that it was all done against high schoolers. Here's a refresher on his scouting report by The Hockey Writers: link. He was always a long term project with high dividends if developed. In his draft year, he made Big-10 all rookie team. The following year, he made the Big-10 team. Each year, LaCombe has shown that he can produce at a higher level, which is the NCAA level. While Jackson did have one set back, which was the WJC tourney, he rebounded exponentially from that experience.

Jackson	LaCombe	NCAA	2020-21
.	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG Rate
Before WJC	6	0	2	2	0.33
After WJC	21	4	15	19	0.90

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I think he was overwhelmed at the WJC Russia game and couldn't rebound fast enough. Kinda like the term "quicksand" from the movie The Replacements with Keanu Reaves playing QB. Yet, he did show some flash at the WJC that made the coaches keep putting him into the lineup.

So many people are enamored with Zellweger, but he's two years behind where both LaCombe and Thrun are. We know what we have with both in LaCombe and Thrun. It's a bit of a headscratcher to have Zellweger above both LaCombe and Thrun today.

I think if Thrun hadn't lost his NCAA year to COVID, then he might be ahead of LaCombe, but because LaCombe did have an NCAA season and went bonkers after the WJC's, that's why LaCombe has the edge over Thrun. LaCombe still revealing how high his potential is.

 

[GunnarStahl]

My case for voting Pastujov over Thrun and LaCombe really comes down to the fact that the leading USNTDP scorer for the last 8 years has almost always become a top 6 presence
From 12-13 to 19-20 the list goes
Kelleher
Eichel
Matthews
Keller
Norris
Wahlstrom
Hughes
Bordeleau
I don’t think Pastujov will be as good as the top names on this list but there was only one bust on the whole list so his odds should be pretty good to succeed

 

[bsu]

Sasha gonna light it up now that he switched from NCAA to junior.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

My case for voting Pastujov over Thrun and LaCombe really comes down to the fact that the leading USNTDP scorer for the last 8 years has almost always become a top 6 presence
From 12-13 to 19-20 the list goes
Kelleher
Eichel
Matthews
Keller
Norris
Wahlstrom
Hughes
Bordeleau
I don’t think Pastujov will be as good as the top names on this list but there was only one bust on the whole list so his odds should be pretty good to succeed

Yup. Its crazy how he fell to the 3rd round, another slow skating Sniper in Kaliyev only fell to the 2nd round of 2019.
One big difference is that Pastujov has a great work ethic and great personality while Kaliyev has some kind of work ethic or character issue that was mentioned somewhere around the 2019 draft.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Sasha gonna light it up now that he switched from NCAA to junior.

Guelph will be an interesting team to follow. They could potentially have two of the league's better players in Chayka and Pastujov, though don't seem to have much else pending strong development of their younger players. Maybe they try to buy some better talent to put around them, maybe they use them as trade bait to help set up their next wave.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Changed my vote to Thrun. 2nd pair Dman > 3C (so easy to just sign a stop gap Nate Thompson type of 3C)

 

[91Fedorov]

Would be interesting to see how people value those aspects of development in terms of value. Projection, upside, draft position, NHL readiness, low ceiling with high probability vs high ceiling with low probability, etc.

We kind of are seeing it here, right? I think there is also some shiny new toy syndrome too. This a pretty interesting study in perceived value actually.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

I'm fairly confident to say I watch more Gulls games than most people... surprised to see Groulx this early tbh. He's solid but still surprising... good for him.

I believe in the offense enough to where I think he's a middle-sixer for a long time in the league.

Can't begrudge anyone who voted for Thrun though. I don't know what his ultimate upside is, but he's absolutely going to play in the league for many years.

 

[Vinegar Strokes]

Thrun is one of my favorite prospects. I think his absolute ceiling is Jacob Slavin.

I don’t know if his skating will ever be as good as Slavin’s but I see the same hockey IQ both offensively and defensively and they’re about the same size.

I think Thrun will absolutely be a top-4 defender in this league with an outside shot of being an all-situation top-pairing guy who puts up 30-40 points a season.

 

[OCSportsfan]

I am a Thrun fan. One of those defensemen that just stays in the league for 10 years, never top pairing, but someone that makes your team better.

Think of Carney, Dollas, Beauch. (although some of those may have played top pairing)

 

[Anaheim4ever]

I am a Thrun fan. One of those defensemen that just stays in the league for 10 years, never top pairing, but someone that makes your team better.

Think of Carney, Dollas, Beauch. (although some of those may have played top pairing)

Lydman is another one like that.

 

[Kalv]

Went with Thrun, but Groulx is a solid pick here as well, I think.
Both are defensive-minded and maybe less flashy, but potential good and reliable middle-of-the-lineup players.

 

[lwvs84]

Any chance Thrun becomes a top pair D like Manson was? Where he is solid and doesn't look out of place, but is just a good enough compliment guy for the other d-man (Drysdale in this case) and not a true top pairing guy on his own.

Edit: I should say is there a decent chance, there's always a chance someone breaks out and becomes higher than projected.

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

Any chance Thrun becomes a top pair D like Manson was? Where he is solid and doesn't look out of place, but is just a good enough compliment guy for the other d-man (Drysdale in this case) and not a true top pairing guy on his own.

Edit: I should say is there a decent chance, there's always a chance someone breaks out and becomes higher than projected.

Could definitely see a Thrun-Drysdale pairing at some point, especially if Lindholm leaves.

 

[GunnarStahl]

Looks like this poll will end in a tie

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Looks like this poll will end in a tie

Should do a Run-off poll between just Thrun and Groulx.
@MMC