Prospect Info: 2023 Ducks Prospect Rankings #13

[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 thirteenth poll I am voting for Nikita Nesterenko.

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)
10. LW - Nico Myatovic (2023 draftee)
11. LW - Connor Hvidston (2022 HM)
12. D - Drew Helleson (-1)

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...

 

[Rasp]

Nesterenko gets it over Groulx and Moore due to looking decent at NHL level

 

[Kalv]

Nesterenko gets it over Groulx and Moore due to looking decent at NHL level

Nesterenko indeed showed some flashyness but he was also sheltered a lot.

Groulx, for example, played 17+ minutes in each of the last 2 games and looked ok. He is also older and with lower ceiling tho. But I still take Groulx over Nesty for now. It felt like there was a deal that we play Nesty for the remaining games if we get him signed, I think he will spend a lot of time in San Diego next year. Just guessing/speculating

 

[Gliff]

Moore

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Nesterenko indeed showed some flashyness but he was also sheltered a lot.

Groulx, for example, played 17+ minutes in each of the last 2 games and looked ok. He is also older and with lower ceiling tho. But I still take Groulx over Nesty for now. It felt like there was a deal that we play Nesty for the remaining games if we get him signed, I think he will spend a lot of time in San Diego next year. Just guessing/speculating

I think so too, at least as far as the deal goes. PV said he'd be signed to an ATO and the next thing we know he's signed to an ELC and he immediately played the remainder of the first year in Anaheim.

I think he could outcompete some guys for a starting spot in the opening night roster but probably not, at least if everyone's healthy. He's still my pick because I liked how he looked and I think he's got a higher ceiling than Groulx, for example, although Groulx might end up being the more useful player.

 

[Sean Garrity]

Moore, Luneau and Warren would solve so many problems if they hit. Every team is almost always looking for RHD yet alone big RHD that can skate. 2 out of those 3 hitting would be huge for the organization. I like what Moore has done so far so went with him.

 

[Hey234]

This is where it gets harder. On the potential versus actualizing that potential scale, this is where it balances out and is more personal preference. My choice is Warren but it was a tough one. If he stays healthy, I see him as the highest potential riser next season.

Perreault, Tracey, and Warren all have good potential but poor last seasons for different reasons. Nesterenko, Regenda, and Groulx all have some NHL experience but a lower ceiling than the previous three.

Guys like Colangelo, Clang, Terrance, Clara, Moore, etc... need to show more to be rated higher IMO. It's not that they don't have good potential, but they are too far away and not enough evidence to justify a higher rating at this spot. Maybe in 3-4 picks.

 

[AngelDuck]

Perreault has a chance to be a big riser with a rebound year

 

[Arthuros]

Gonna go with Warren on this one.

 

[Sean Garrity]

Perreault has a chance to be a big riser with a rebound year

Highest ceiling player left I think. I just don't think he gets there.

 

[lwvs84]

I'm kind of hoping Carlsson plays down in the AHL if he doesn't force his way on to the main roster. I haven't looked at the Gulls roster, but if they have an AHL veteran wing and Perreault with Carlsson, I think Perreault could break out. I want to see what he'll play like as a 3rd wheel, I think his future role (if he makes it) is that, he doesn't seem to have the style to dominate in his own (if he can't now at the AHL, he probably won't in his prime in the NHL).

 

[Anarchynate]

Went with CareyTerrance. His speed is a legit weapon and something we lack. If his head can catch up with that, we have a top 6 LW

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I'm kind of hoping Carlsson plays down in the AHL if he doesn't force his way on to the main roster. I haven't looked at the Gulls roster, but if they have an AHL veteran wing and Perreault with Carlsson, I think Perreault could break out. I want to see what he'll play like as a 3rd wheel, I think his future role (if he makes it) is that, he doesn't seem to have the style to dominate in his own (if he can't now at the AHL, he probably won't in his prime in the NHL).

I think all of the AHL prospects got shafted last year with a bad roster construction. And the ones that did shine where put into positions they shouldn't have been, such as shutdown C Groulx as 1C, or were injured too often, such as RD Andersson and RW Perreault. LW Tracey got hit with the injury bug too. The only youth prospect that looked decent overall was Regenda.

From Defend the Nest (site that follows the Gulls), Lopina's game improved once Hvidston and Slavin were added to the roster and his line. Same thing happened with RD Helleson, his game improved once we acquired vet D MDZ.

Perreault took a very unusual route to the pros due to COVID. Since the OHL never reopened during COVID season, Perreault and Tracey were allowed to play in the AHL. Both were under 20 years old at the time. Perreault played in the AHL right after being drafted and never returned to the OHL. Last year was his first year of his ELC. He's quite young as he turned 21 years old in mid-April.

​

Spoiler: Perreault and Tracey's past three seasons in the AHL

San Diego​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
Season​	Player​	Games​	G​	A​	Pts​	PPG​	​	Plus/Minus​	Team Scoring rannk​
2020-21​	Perreault​	27​	3​	14​	17​	0.63​	​	-11​	11th​
​	Tracey​	12​	0​	0​	0​	0.00​	​	-2​	T-32nd​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
2021-22​	Perreault​	55​	14​	23​	37​	0.67​	​	-6​	4th​
​	Tracey​	55​	11​	20​	31​	0.56​	​	-1​	7th​
​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​	​
2022-23​	Perreault​	48​	8​	11​	19​	0.40​	​	-16​	9th​
​	Tracey​	62​	10​	18​	28​	0.45​	​	-17​	6th​

I agree that Perreault and Tracey are complementary players. According to Defend the Nest, Tracey and Perreault together is the team's most offensive duo. Last year, Defend the Nest often commented they were rarely together and were often in a middle-six role.

Looking at their first two years in the AHL vs last year, both Perreault and Tracey's game had an upward trajectory in their first two years in the AHL.

With an influx of massive talent going to the AHL and a new HC who might want to keep Perreault and Tracey together, then we might see their offense shine once again. If Carlsson is in the AHL as a center, then I'd put both Perreault and Tracey as his wingers. There could be a possibility that trio could be our third line for a season when Carlsson is getting acclimated to the NHL in 2024-25.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I went with 6'3 RD Moore.

Moore has got hidden offense that's been suppressed in his first two seasons in college because his focus was learning how to play defense, just like LaCombe. Both high school draftees that went the college route.

Spoiler: In-depth reason why Moore should have more hype

Moore is an NCAA product and I tend to like defensemen developing in the NCAA due to two points, usually: body development and learning how to play defense.

Moore	Harvard
Season	Games	G	A	Pts	ppg	Shots		+/-	Blocks	Blk Rank	High Blk
2021-22	35​	2​	13​	15​	0.43​	78​		16​	36​	4th	59​
2022-23	34​	1​	18​	19​	0.56​	52​		20​	36​	4th	40​

Last year, Moore finished tied for 1st in d-men +/- with Thrun and 2nd in d-men scoring. There were times where Thrun and Moore were a pair.

Next year, Moore will be a captain and be a top pairing D. I expect Moore to improve his shots and scoring from the blueline.

Does Moore have the capacity to being an offensive D? We drafted Moore as a high school product, USHS-Prep. Here's his draft year high school production: 67 points in 46 games (1.64 ppg), 3rd in points for d-men overall and 2nd in ppg rate for d-men overall at USHS-Prep league. This is why Verbeek said this about Moore:

Ian's in his second year at Harvard. I've seen him a little bit before playing with the [U.S U-18 team]. Six- foot-three and very, very mobile defender. He's another kid that you would like to see be a little more offensive because he does have really good hockey sense. At some point I would like to see him make a jump there from his offensive side. He's a good prospect.​

For added reference, LaCombe's draft year USHS-prep production was 89 points in 54 games (1.65 ppg), 1st in d-man scoring and 3rd in d-man scoring rate in the USHS-Prep league. It took LaCombe four years in the NCAA to reach close to a point-per-game rate (0.95 ppg). Moore is entering his junior season (3rd year) with Harvard.

 

[McDonald19]

Perreault. Nester’s ceiling is questionable.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Perreault. Nester’s ceiling is questionable.

The Hockey Writers has ranked Perreault 10th overall for their 2023-24 Ducks Top-10 prospects.

Ducks Top 10 Prospects for the 2023-24 Season

As the Anaheim Ducks turn their attention to the 2023-24 season, here are their top 10 prospects and it's a promising group.

thehockeywriters.com