Prospect Info: 2023 Ducks Prospect Rankings #10

[MMC]

It's time for our annual Ducks prospect rankings. Each poll will run for 48 hours except in the case of a clear landslide. I will go to the top 25 and include a final poll where you can pick 5 honorable mentions. Please tell me who you want me to add in the replies. In the ninth poll, I am voting for Nico Myatovicr.

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

2023 Ducks Prospect Rankings:

1. C - Leo Carlsson (2023 draftee)
2. D - Pavel Mintyukov (no change)
3. D - Olen Zellweger (no change)
4. G - Lukas Dostal (no change)
5. D - Tristan Luneau (+9)
6. D - Jackson LaCombe (+4)
7. D - Tyson Hinds (+13)
8. C - Nathan Gaucher (-1)
9. RW - Sasha Pastujov (no change)

Our graduates and departures are:

Mason McTavish
Urho Vaakanainen
Henry Thrun
Simon Benoit
Axel Andersson
Sean Tschigerl
Hunter Drew
Thimo Nickl
Olle Eriksson Ek
Bryce Kindopp
Max Golod
Ethan Bowen​

Click to read more...

 

[MMC]

Pastujov has ranked 9th in all 3 of these polls since he was drafted.

 

[Goose of Reason]

Just going to continue to roll the dice on pure upside and say Perreault, because he's skilled as shit and last years Gulls aren't exactly a good way to judge a player even if he was largely underwhelming. I'm probably wrong but this pick is so wide open that I'm going for it.

 

[Gliff]

Hvidston.

 

[Arthuros]

Hvidston. Getting into the big pile of meh.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Went with Hvidston. Comparing Hvidston to Myatovic, I came away more impressed with Hvidston and his big jump in development. Myatovic might have benefitted offensively on a stacked team. Hvidston can score on the PP! Hvidston can score on the PK! Hvidston also became the AHL Gulls' youngest goal scorer, beating McTavish!

When Asst GM Madden was talking about "elite support player for the top-6" for Myatovic, I was thinking Hvidston became that guy this past season as his offense spiked!

As for Moore, I think he's a shutdown defenseman due to his speed. Still waiting on that offense to pop onto the scene. This year is a big year for Moore. Both Thrun and LaCombe's third year after starting college hit the 30 point mark.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Sticking with Nesterenko.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Still riding with Moore, though you can’t really go wrong with about 5 different choices at forward. I think they’re interchangeable at this point

 

[Rasp]

Myatovic coz he has that new prospect smell

 

[JabbaJabba]

Still riding with Moore, though you can’t really go wrong with about 5 different choices at forward. I think they’re interchangeable at this point

I forgot Moore. Voted for Sidorov.

Add Gage Alexander.

 

[AngelDuck]

Hvidston. Getting into the big pile of meh.

I’m not really sure that’s the case yet in these polls. Still several guys out there that I believe will have NHL careers.

It’s just very tough to compare guys like Helleson and Nesterenko to guys like Myatovic and Hvidson

Anyways, I went with Perreault here. I think he’ll rebound with a near point per game season in San Diego this year

 

[Gliff]

Hvidston. Getting into the big pile of meh.

I feel there are multiple guys who would likely be top 5 prospects on a few teams. They are meh for the Ducks prospect pool.

 

[Arthuros]

I’m not really sure that’s the case yet in these polls. Still several guys out there that I believe will have NHL careers.

It’s just very tough to compare guys like Helleson and Nesterenko to guys like Myatovic and Hvidson

Anyways, I went with Perreault here. I think he’ll rebound with a near point per game season in San Diego this year

I feel there are multiple guys who would likely be top 5 prospects on a few teams. They are meh for the Ducks prospect pool.

Eh, I guess I'm just a bit jaded with forward prospects in our system. Personally I can't see guys like Pastujov or Myatovic cracking top-5 for other non-playoff teams.

 

[Gliff]

Eh, I guess I'm just a bit jaded with forward prospects in our system. Personally I can't see guys like Pastujov or Myatovic cracking top-5 for other non-playoff teams.

Pittsburg
Washington
Vancouver
Calgary

Thats just non-playoff teams.

Boston
Tampa
Colorado
Islanders
Toronto
Vegas
Florida
Edmonton

This next group of like 5 guys could all be in the conversation of top 5 guy on any of those teams, and slamdunk top 5 on some of them.

 

[Arthuros]

Pittsburg
Washington
Vancouver
Calgary

Thats just non-playoff teams.

Boston
Tampa
Colorado
Islanders
Toronto
Vegas
Florida
Edmonton

This next group of like 5 guys could all be in the conversation of top 5 guy on any of those teams, and slamdunk top 5 on some of them.

Ah, I purposely specified non-playoff teams because I would expect playoff teams to have worse pools (same goes for Pittsburgh and Washington who were perennial playoff teams up until last year). But yeah, Boston in particular is no bueno.

 

[Gliff]

Ah, I purposely specified non-playoff teams because I would expect playoff teams to have worse pools (same goes for Pittsburgh and Washington who were perennial playoff teams up until last year). But yeah, Boston in particular is no bueno.

I don't see why it really matters if they are playoff teams or not. A lot of playoff teams have great pools (Carolina, Wild, Kraken, Stars, NJ), and who cares? Top 5 prospect on another team barely making our top 15 is impressive no matter how you slice it.

 

[McDonald19]

People are sleeping on Helleson.

He already showed he can compete at the NHL level (yes a very small sample size).

 

[lwvs84]

There is a very real possibility that a lot of the guys outside of the top 5 will top out as AHL/journeymen. There is also a real possibility that at least one guy (possibly more) ranked out of the top 8 could end up being a key contributor (top 6 forward/top 4 D). We just need 2 of those forwards to be complimentary top 6 guys... the 3rd best forward on a line that meshes with the line drivers. We have our top 4 forwards sent for a long time.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Eh, I guess I'm just a bit jaded with forward prospects in our system. Personally I can't see guys like Pastujov or Myatovic cracking top-5 for other non-playoff teams.

I think Pastujov's production after being traded to Sarnia is eye opening. In the regular season, he had 79 points in 46 points, or 1.72 ppg (highest rate on Sarnia). For the playoffs, he lead the team in scoring with 19 points in 16 games, or 1.19 ppg. Pastujov's total production of 98 points ranked him 4th best scorer in the OHL.

Three factors why Pastujov is ranked low in our pool.

1. Offensive only wingers in Tracey and Perreault having a bad season last year has us jaded. Both are late first round selections.

2. We hit jackpot on defensemen & a goalie not drafted in the first round

Spoiler: List of non-1st rd D & G

---- Rd 2. D Zellweger (2x WHL DPoY)
---- Rd 2. D Luneau (2023 QMJHL DPoY)
---- Rd 2. D LaCombe (4-year college D-man)
---- Rd 3. G Dostal
---- Rd 3. D Hinds (2023 QMJHL defensive DPoY)
(Sharks' 2023 summer Prospect ranking has Rd 4 selection Thrun 6th)

3. We have two top-10 picks in #2OA C Carlsson and #10OA D Mintyukov. That's automatically a top-5 spot reserved for these picks.

===

With late first round selections, we did change philosophies. Under Murray, we went big swing on offensive forwards in LW Tracey and RW Perreault. Under Verbeek, we go with 2-way players who are defensively sound in C Gaucher and LW Myatovic (first pick of the 2nd round).

A forward I'm really hyped about is Hvidston. This past season he added being an offensive contributor to his shutdown defense at ES and PP. I like his upside more than Gaucher and Myatovic.

Another forward to keep track of this season is Colangelo. He looked very eager at the Dev camp and I hope he continues that determined play at his new college team, Western Michigan. Colangelo, like Tracey & Perreault, took a step backwards last season.