Prospect Info: 2023 Ducks Prospect Rankings #15

[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 fifteenth 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)
13. D - Ian Moore (+5)
14. RW - Jacob Perreault (-9)

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...

 

[Gliff]

Nestorenko for me. A lot of options though.

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

Nest.

Was underwhelmed initially when I learned he was the main piece of the Klingberg trade. Mostly because I expected Verbeek to get a 1st rounder for Klingberg when he signed him. I didn't quite expect that at the deadline given the year he had, but still thought maybe a 2nd rounder was possible.

A former 6th rounder was a far cry from that, but he really impressed me with his short stint in the NHL. I expect him to spend the year in San Deigo and make the team the following year.

 

[AngelDuck]

Perreault dropped 9 spots from last season, holy shit. My guess is he rises 3-4 spots by next years polls

 

[McDonald19]

Warren at this point.

I like his upside as a physical top-4 D. He’s a project though, and he needs to stay healthy.

 

[Arthuros]

Still Warren.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

If Perreault went this high, then I'm buying on Tracey. He's still got top-6 potential and was always a late bloomer due to his physical makeup. His first full season the CHL was his D+0 year, where he won WHL rookie of the year. Tracey's bio is 6'0 and 177 lbs. For comparison, Zegras is listed at 6'0 and 185 lbs and Pastujov is 6'0 and 184 lbs.

Tracey added bulk between his D+2 and D-3 season. That bulk paid off.

AHL​

D+2: 12 games, 0g + 0a = 0 pts​

D+3: 55 games, 11g + 20a = 31 pts​

If Tracey continues to add bulk, then this year could be a big season for him, especially with the huge influx of talent joining the Gulls this coming season.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Still Warren.

+1. Also motion to add Kyle Kukkonen to the poll at some point.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

+1. Also motion to add Kyle Kukkonen to the poll at some point.

Kukkonen was a top-5 freshman goal scorer in the NCAA last year with 18 goals. The second highest goal producer on the team had 12 goals. In this year's Dev camp, Kukkonen did show off his hands to score a self shot, rebound goal and a shootout goal.

I totally forgot about him. I did mention him in the group of Gaucher, Pastujov, Hinds, and Myatovic a while back too.

 

[Kalv]

To support my Groulx vote, I think he's being overlooked. Sure, we hoped he'd have developed a bit better, but at the same time he hasn't had any real setbacks as well. Especially if comparing to where we voted in Gaucher, I think Groulx is being overlooked:

Gaucher D1:
* 1.05 PPG / 0.9 PPG in playoffs
* 6th best scorer on his team
* Best defensive forward in the Q

Groulx D1:
* 1.25 PPG / 1.2 PPG in playoffs
* 2nd best scorer on his team
* Defensively responsible but won the same trophy in the D+2

I think Groulx is also a slightly better skater. He hasn't really disappointed in his development but I guess we'd have liked to see more out of him. But he's been polishing his game in SD. Groulx played last 2 games of the season in Anaheim, 17+ minutes a night and looked quite ok doing that. His ceiling is lower than some of the others on the remaining list, but the probability of him reaching it is significantly better than for anyone else, I think. Thus, I'm picking him and expecting him to fill 4C role next year and hopefully eventually he could push for 3C spot.

 

[AngelDuck]

+1. Also motion to add Kyle Kukkonen to the poll at some point.

And Vojtech Port who has big raw upside

 

[Hockey Duckie]

To support my Groulx vote, I think he's being overlooked. Sure, we hoped he'd have developed a bit better, but at the same time he hasn't had any real setbacks as well. Especially if comparing to where we voted in Gaucher, I think Groulx is being overlooked:

Gaucher D1:
* 1.05 PPG / 0.9 PPG in playoffs
* 6th best scorer on his team
* Best defensive forward in the Q

Groulx D1:
* 1.25 PPG / 1.2 PPG in playoffs
* 2nd best scorer on his team
* Defensively responsible but won the same trophy in the D+2

I think Groulx is also a slightly better skater. He hasn't really disappointed in his development but I guess we'd have liked to see more out of him. But he's been polishing his game in SD. Groulx played last 2 games of the season in Anaheim, 17+ minutes a night and looked quite ok doing that. His ceiling is lower than some of the others on the remaining list, but the probability of him reaching it is significantly better than for anyone else, I think. Thus, I'm picking him and expecting him to fill 4C role next year and hopefully eventually he could push for 3C spot.

I don't think Groulx is overlooked. He's trying to re-establish himself after faltering as the Ducks' 4C to the start of the 2021-22 season. Groulx's game struggled even after he was sent down to San Diego in that season. Last year, he was put in a position to play 1C as opposed to being a defensive stalwart. Groulx was the 2nd best Gulls' scorer on the team, but a -22 plus/minus rating. It's difficult to gauge Groulx because I don't know really know what type of player he is now.

Groulx looked great in his first pro season with San Diego, under HC Dineen. That's what prompted the promotion to be the Ducks' starting 4C in the 2021-22 season. The oddest thing is that his next two pro seasons in San Diego, Groulx had different coaches. That's three different coaches in three seasons: Dineen, Bouchard, and Sommer.

Gaucher's CHL production runs similar to Groulx's CHL production. I think Gaucher's build might be better than Groulx's going forward, but Groulx's got three years worth of pro experience ahead of Groulx. I can see Gaucher as a 3C, but I can't see Groulx as a 3C at the moment - strictly 4C.