Prospect Info: 2023 Ducks Prospect Rankings #18

[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 eighteenth poll I am voting for Calle Clang.

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)
15. D - Noah Warren (-2)
16. LW - Nikita Nesterenko (2023 acquired)
17. LW - Pavol Regenda (+7)

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...

 

[GunnarStahl]

At this point I’m voting on who I think has a chance to become a somewhat reasonable chance of becoming an impact player. I like Groulx and think he can carve out a nice career but I don’t know if I see a world where he would fit the description of what I’m looking for. I went with Terrance but will probably follow that vote up with Clara, Buteyets, Pitre, Clang, Sidorov in no particular order. There’s a good part of me that wants to include Kukkonen and Dionicio in that group, maybe even Port, but I want to see some live action first. Kukkonen, with a good season next year could be a big riser for me.

And then there’s Tracey, I have no clue what to do about him really. I think there could still be a neat 3rd liner there but man we need to see some signs of life next year, honestly all the Gulls had such a useless season when it comes to evaluating them, and my skepticism about Tracey leading in to the season was not helped by what unfolded.

 

[Gliff]

Tracey is massively underated here. Last year he was PPG through the first like 30 games of the AHL season. I think he actually fits the "middle 6 support" player the Ducks are targeting in the draft recently.

edit: last season as in 21-22. Sorry for confusion.

 

[AngelDuck]

Tracey is massively underated here. Last year he was PPG through the first like 30 games of the AHL season. I think he actually fits the "middle 6 support" player the Ducks are targeting in the draft recently.

edit: last season as in 21-22. Sorry for confusion.

He’s not a punishing player and is slow of foot though IMO. There is some skill around the net for sure but he feels too vanilla to make it at the next level. Really hope I’m wrong - the ducks could really use a guy like him panning out

The guy I think that’s on the board still that might be getting underrated is Colangelo - but he’s kind of a similar story

Regardless, there is a great deal of interesting players still left which bodes well for us.

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

Tracey is massively underated here. Last year he was PPG through the first like 30 games of the AHL season. I think he actually fits the "middle 6 support" player the Ducks are targeting in the draft recently.

edit: last season as in 21-22. Sorry for confusion.

Dude has 21 goals in 129 career AHL games. I think he's properly rated.

 

[Gliff]

Dude has 21 goals in 129 career AHL games. I think he's properly rated.

You do realize there is more to goal scoring right? He is not a goal scorer...
His career high is 36 in 66 WHL games.

Maybe underrated is overstating it. He is not getting enough consideration.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

We're pretty deep into the "probably won't be NHLer" section of the prospect group. A lot of these guys were 1st/2nd rounders or have done something interesting at lower levels so there's a bit of intrigue, but any clear-eyed look at their chances has to have you saying that in all likelihood these dudes are AHLers at best.

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

You do realize there is more to goal scoring right? He is not a goal scorer...
His career high is 36 in 66 WHL games.

Maybe underrated is overstating it. He is not getting enough consideration.

Actually I didn't, so thanks for illuminating my perspective.

Seriously though, I don't think that's a topic that should be disregarded in this instance. Whether or not that's his forte, the reality is that's a low number for a winger if you're expecting him to compete for a spot in the NHL at any point.

And at this point, I'm not. Which is why I think he isn't underrated at all. Goal scoring aside, there are plenty of forwards ahead of him that can and have contributed more than he has and will.

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

We're pretty deep into the "probably won't be NHLer" section of the prospect group. A lot of these guys were 1st/2nd rounders or have done something interesting at lower levels so there's a bit of intrigue, but any clear-eyed look at their chances has to have you saying that in all likelihood these dudes are AHLers at best.

It's getting there, but there's understandably a blind spot with a lot of guys from this year's draft. Also, goalies are so damn hard to predict. In a couple years it wouldn't surprise me if we're talking about Clang, Alexander, or Clara like we've been talking about Dostal.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Tracey was a bad pick - I will never let that go!

 

[Gliff]

Actually I didn't, so thanks for illuminating my perspective.

Seriously though, I don't think that's a topic that should be disregarded in this instance. Whether or not that's his forte, the reality is that's a low number for a winger if you're expecting him to compete for a spot in the NHL at any point.

And at this point, I'm not. Which is why I think he isn't underrated at all. Goal scoring aside, there are plenty of forwards ahead of him that can and have contributed more than he has and will.

Thats fair. I just think he should get more consideration then he has been getting.

I don't hate the pick as much as others. 21-22 was a rebound year and I think he deserves a break for last year. The Gulls were real bad...

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Tracey was a bad pick - I will never let that go!

oh what could've been.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

It's getting there, but there's understandably a blind spot with a lot of guys from this year's draft. Also, goalies are so damn hard to predict. In a couple years it wouldn't surprise me if we're talking about Clang, Alexander, or Clara like we've been talking about Dostal.

I never include goalies in my predictions (for whatever those are worth) because a long time ago I just mentally checked out on goalie prospects. Too hard to predict and they take forever.

 

[AngelDuck]

View attachment 735073

oh what could've been.

Kaliyev can’t establish himself as a top 9 player on the Kings. He’s not the player they should have picked there either

 

[Kalv]

Kaliyev can’t establish himself as a top 9 player on the Kings. He’s not the player they should have picked there either

Yeah, not excited about Arty. Pinto though, that would had been nice

 

[JonathnTaylorTavares]

Kings board is optimistic this is going to be Kaliyev breakout year. I dont see it happening

 

[TopShelfWaterBottle]

Clang for me he is our best goalie prospect outside of Dostal

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Kaliyev can’t establish himself as a top 9 player on the Kings. He’s not the player they should have picked there either

Kings have had great forward depth his entire career. They are a team that hasn't set themselves up to be a great spot for young forward prospects to be at the top of their line up. His power play numbers are simply fantastic.




From the 2019 draft class the only people above him in points are players that were drafted in the high first round. Kaliyev was absolutely the right choice at 29.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Tracey is massively underated here. Last year he was PPG through the first like 30 games of the AHL season. I think he actually fits the "middle 6 support" player the Ducks are targeting in the draft recently.

edit: last season as in 21-22. Sorry for confusion.

Just me, but I think Tracey is still a late bloomer. He physically is behind a lot of players as he's only 6'0 and 176 lbs still. Pastujov, drafted two year later, is currently 6'0 and 183 lbs.

Tracey's first full season in the CHL was his draft year because he was held back, probably due to his lack in physique. Most others have two years under their helmet before being drafted. The younger ones born in Sept, like Hvidston, have their draft year as their first year in the CHL.

Last year, Tracey was separated from Perreault and rarely played on the top line. I've often seen him on the 2nd or 3rd line in the lineup charts before games. Tracey still finished 6th in team scoring despite the team lacking loads of talent.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I like clang or colangelo here

Just don’t see Tracey being anything more than an ahl player

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I like clang or colangelo here

Just don’t see Tracey being anything more than an ahl player

I remember three years ago many on this board said Tracey was an automatic bust when he scored 0 points in 12 AHL games. Then two seasons ago, he put up 31 points in 55 games and became a good prospect again. Last year, the whole AHL club was worse than the NHL club. Our shutdown D became our 1C is not ideal. The Gulls finished 20 points worse than any other AHL team, finishing at the bottom of the league.

This year, the club will have a mass influx of talent and the head coach meant for the assistant coaches last year. Tracey is a complementary winger, not the head honcho, which is why he went late in the first round. Let's see what he can do in a more offensive role with a more talented team.

 

[wesott11]

I just have to say… it’s shocking that we’re this far into the prospect poll and we still have some legit prospects on this list. I remember going through prior years and having a hard time voting for anyone worth while.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I just have to say… it’s shocking that we’re this far into the prospect poll and we still have some legit prospects on this list. I remember going through prior years and having a hard time voting for anyone worth while.

Gotta thank the board members here because we're sharing more information now than before as well as keeping better track of prospects already in the system. It also helps that we're drafting much better.

 

[Duck Off]

Changed my vote. I have Clara next but Groulx over Tracey easily for me so switched it since those two were so close.

Hated the Tracey pick then, hate it now. Don’t see him ever being more than an ahler