Prospect Info: 2020 Ducks Prospect Rankings #14

[MMC]

In the fourteenth poll, I am voting for Ian Moore.

As always the list will define prospects as hockeysfuture does: NHL Prospect Criteria - Hockey's Future.

2020 Ducks Prospect Rankings
1. Trevor Zegras (-)
2. Jamie Drysdale (1st year)
3. Lukas Dostal (+5)
4. Maxime Comtois (-)
5. Jacob Perreault (1st year)
6. Isac Lundestrom (-1)
7. Henry Thrun (+10)
8. Brayden Tracey (-1)
9. Benoit-Olivier Groulx (+3)
10. Josh Mahura (+1)
11. Jackson Lacombe (+2)
12. Sam Colangelo (1st year)
13. Brendan Guhle (-3)
​

Our notable graduates and departures are:

Troy Terry
Sam Steel
Max Jones
Jacob Larsson
Chase De Leo
Brent Gates Jr.
Kiefer Sherwood

Click to read more...

 

[Gliff]

Went with Drew over McLaughlin probably due to recency bias lol.

 

[Kalv]

I went with Ian Moore but just because he was our 3rd round pick recently and I trust our scouts.
But so far I have not seen him much and his preseason didn't blow anyone away.

 

[McDonald19]

Went with Drew over McLaughlin probably due to recency bias lol.

Went with Drew also. I’ll take the Josh Manson upside at this point in the rankings.

 

[Paul4587]

Is all this Hunter Drew love coming from the recent 4 goal game? I don’t get it, he wasn’t even that good in the AHL last season and the league he’s currently playing in isn’t much better than the ECHL.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Went with Golod. This past season, he put it all together on the ice. Of course, it helps that he was part of like a hour long Youtube video focused on how coaches can use some stats and scouting negatives to improve his game. On the plus side, Golod at least shows he's willing to take instructions to help him and the club improve. Granted, he's playing as an overager in the CHL, but this coming season should be a good barometer of that improved play in the AHL, provided he doesn't play another season with the Otters.

I wonder if it's because of that case study video done for this past season that helped him get signed by the Ducks or because the Ducks' scouting staff noticed him while scouting Drysdale?

 

[bsu]

Benoit is a better prospect than Drew. I don't know how anyone that watches SD can say otherwise.

 

[McDonald19]

Is all this Hunter Drew love coming from the recent 4 goal game? I don’t get it, he wasn’t even that good in the AHL last season and the league he’s currently playing in isn’t much better than the ECHL.

Partly, but I liked him before that due to the right hand shot, size and physicality.

 

[MMC]

Is all this Hunter Drew love coming from the recent 4 goal game? I don’t get it, he wasn’t even that good in the AHL last season and the league he’s currently playing in isn’t much better than the ECHL.

Has to be, he has no business being even top 20 IMO.

 

[JabbaJabba]

This is very difficult at this point. Several guys are good picks here. I chose to go with recent draftee Moore again. He has pretty good ceiling, higher than most of these guys. Will he pan out? Tough to say. I like players like Drew and Nickl more, but I don't think they have the same potential.

 

[AngelDuck]

Drew does not have Josh Manson upside. His absolute maximum to me is like the current version of Gudbranson or a guy like Clayton Stoner. That’s not a worthless prospect but you don’t rank that higher than a lot of these guys
When Manson got to the AHL you could tell immediately he was a very solid skater. Not the case with Drew so far
Will Francis should and probably would be ahead of him too ultimately if not for his cancer diagnosis

 

[Kalv]

I also would not pick Drew here, but regarding him and Manson:

Manson PRO rookie year he was 24. He scored 12p in 36 games (but also played 28 games in the NHL)
Drew PRO rookie year he was 21. He scored 7p in 29 games

Manson was a rare case and in no way we should automatically assume any of our D prospects with size and grit become him, but just to give context, Drew was always a long-term project and he's not disappointing anyone right now. To score 4 goals in any league is a big deal, let alone as a defenseman. While Slovakia is not among the top tier European leagues, it's still quite decent.
Yes, the lack of skating and defensive ability is visible in Drew's game in those highlights but note that it's the first time he has to transition to European-sized ice. The fact that his ice time and point production is with an upwards trajectory (last week he has been a beast) is very, very encouraging.

Drew really has to work on skating and defensive coverage but some picks down the road I will be very excited to pick Drew, if he will still be there.