Prospect Info: 2023 Ducks Prospect Rankings #8

[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 eighth poll, I am voting for Nathan Gaucher.

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)

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...

 

[Static]

I'll take gaucher here. Hoping he rounds into a PK1 stalwart and PP2 net presence.

 

[Vinegar Strokes]

Went with Perreault. He had a tough year on a miserable team but I still like his upside. I think he has a big season in a more favorable situation next season.

 

[AngelDuck]

Agree on Perreault here. Still young with considerable upside

Helleson next

 

[GunnarStahl]

This is where it gets tough for me. Helleson, Gaucher, Pastujov, Myatovic, and Moore are all super close for me, with Nesterenko, Sidorov, Hvidston and Warren closely following suit. Among others.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Going with Hvidston. Looks like he'll continue to climb in years going forward.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Gave a long thought to going with Ian Moore here, but it's Gaucher time. Judging from my limited viewings of him at the WJC and the Memorial Cup, he's a guy who may drive this fanbase nuts over an 82-game regular season but shows up when the calendar flips to mid-April, May, and June.

 

[Hey234]

At this point in the rankings, potential is a factor, but it carries less weight because there are other detracting issues. For me, likelihood of becoming an actual NHL player pushes someone like Gaucher over a prospect like Pastujov. If Pastujov fulfills his potential, he'll in theory be a better or more impactful player. However, I see Gaucher becoming a dominant 3rd line center much more likely than Pastujov, Tracey, Perreault, etc... becoming at top 6 scoring winger.

 

[Gliff]

Time for the run of forwards.

I went with Pasta but Gaucher and Hvidston are right there.

 

[Kalv]

This is still Hvidston for me.

He is really responsible defensively, like all other notable forwards drafted under Pat, but Hvidston is making some really great plays. He has the tools and he has the brain, plus he's on a real steep trajectory now.

Next bunch for me could be Gaucher, Helleson, and Moore. I'm not really high on our offensive-minded forwards right now.

 

[anezthes]

Clang.

 

[Arthuros]

Hvidston.

 

[Duck Off]

Gaucher easily here for me. Helleson next.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

This is still Hvidston for me.

He is really responsible defensively, like all other notable forwards drafted under Pat, but Hvidston is making some really great plays. He has the tools and he has the brain, plus he's on a real steep trajectory now.

Next bunch for me could be Gaucher, Helleson, and Moore. I'm not really high on our offensive-minded forwards right now.

Everything i've read on this forum has convinced me of Hvidston.
Its still really early but what if he becomes Verbeek's Palat/Cirelli like the late pick steals that Yzerman had in Tampa.

 

[Deuce22]

I like Gaucher more than most and have been voting for him since #5. Maybe I'm overrating him a bit because he is exactly what this team lacks, as opposed to being the 4th or 5th LHD in the organization. Don't need him to be a top 6 scorer, hoping for a bargain basement Ryan Kesler.

 

[AngelDuck]

I like Gaucher more than most and have been voting for him since #5. Maybe I'm overrating him a bit because he is exactly what this team lacks, as opposed to being the 4th or 5th LHD in the organization. Don't need him to be a top 6 scorer, hoping for a bargain basement Ryan Kesler.

Kesler was a very powerful skater and had strong hands, although there was significant development in him after the age of 20. don’t see that out of Gaucher

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

Little overdue for Gaucher.

Other than Leo, will any of this years' draft picks even make the top 10? Very surprising, especially given how many picks we had in the first 3 rounds of a historically bad year.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

=== Bottom 6 Forwards ===

Gaucher and Groulx are eerily similar to me, both bottom-6 centers.

Spoiler: Gaucher and Groulx stats

Gaucher	v	Groulx
Player	Season	League	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG	Column1	Plus/Minus
Gaucher	D+0	QMJHL	66​	31​	26​	57​	0.86​		30​
		Playoffs	12​	3​	6​	9​	0.75​		1​
	D+1	QMJHL	44​	22​	24​	46​	1.05​		35​
		Playoffs	16​	7​	9​	16​	1.00​		8​
Groulx	D+0	WHL	68​	28​	27​	55​	0.81​		9​
		Playoffs	9​	2​	6​	8​	0.89​		2​
	D+1	WHL	65​	31​	49​	80​	1.23​		37​
		Playoffs	10​	4​	8​	12​	1.20​		3​
	D+2	WHL	55​	29​	49​	78​	1.42​		20​

Regenda spent most of last year adapting to NA ice with San Diego at behest of former coach Eakins. Regenda finished 8th in scoring with 25 points in only 50 games. To put into perspective of scoring, when Gulls captain De Leo returned from injury, his final tally was 23 points in 22 games. At 6'3 and 211 lbs, Regenda could be tough to play against in a bottom-6 role.

=== Elite Support for top-6, Two-way wingers ===

• Hvidston:
  • Will turn 19 in Sept.
  • meteoric rise in offense and improved defense.
  • Offensive rate better than Gaucher's.
  • 3rd best scorer on non-playoff team
  • Became Gulls' youngest goal scorer last year

• Myatovic:
  • Will turn 19 in Dec.
  • metoric rise in goal scoring and defense.
  • 6th best scorer on playoff team, 12th best scorer on team in playoffs

Spoiler: Hvidston and Myatovic Stats

Hvidston	vs	Myatovic
Player	Age	Season	League	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG		Plus/Minus
Hvidston	16	D-1	SMAAHL	7​	6​	6​	12​	1.71​		n/a
	17	D+0	WHL	58​	13​	19​	32​	0.55​		-5​
	18	D+1	WHL	59​	21​	44​	65​	1.10​		15​
Myatovic	17	D-1	WHL	67​	4​	24​	28​	0.42​		11​
	18	D+0	WHL	68​	30​	30​	60​	0.88​		43​

=== Mid-bottom pairing D ===

• RD Moore
  • Sophomore in college last year
  • 6'3 and 185 lbs
  • Skates like the wind
  • 2nd highest scoring D on team
  • 1st (tied) highest +/- D on team (with Thrun)
  • 36 blocked shots each season (Fr, So). Fourth on team each season. (Max 50 Fr, Max 40 So)
  • Will be top pairing D next year as a junior

Moore's defense seems to be coming along great. He might have been playing top-4D with Harvard last year, sometimes being paired with Thrun. This coming season, it appears Moore will be a top-pairing D.

Warren was oft injured, which does affect his development. Unfortunately, IMO, other D prospects have passed him up this past season.

=== Top-6 Scoring Wingers ===

Tracey (2019), Perreault (2020), and Pastujov (2021) were all prolific scorers in their draft year in the CHL.

Perreault has a bad season last year, full of injuries and not playing top-line. Often, he and Tracey will be seen cycling on the third line.

San Diego Season 1: 0.63 ppg​

San Diego Season 2: 0.67 ppg​

San Diego Season 3: 0.40 ppg (Last year)​

Tracey also had a bad season last year with injuries. Still finished 7th in points on the team.

San Diego Season 1: 0.00 ppg​

San Diego Season 2: 0.56 ppg​

San Diego Season 3: 0.45 ppg (Last year)​

Pastujov had continued his high end scoring last year, topping off at 1.72 ppg with his new team!

All three are complementary top-6 wingers. Tracey and Perreault are making me a bit gun shy on how Pastujov will perform at the AHL level. Plus side is that the AHL will be filled with a lot of top end talents. That's a boon for all the complementary top-6 scoring forwards

============================

I think it's a toss up between Hvidston, Myatovic, and Moore if based upon their NHL potential. Think I'll go with Hvidston.

 

[Deuce22]

Kesler was a very powerful skater and had strong hands, although there was significant development in him after the age of 20. don’t see that out of Gaucher

Don’t see him scoring like Kesler. But see a lot of similarities in other areas of the game.

 

[pbgoalie]

I'll take gaucher here. Hoping he rounds into a PK1 stalwart and PP2 net presence.

I chose Gaucher as well.
I do believe he’s a reach, but there I believe there is work ethic and and responsible game that will go with his size to be a solid NHLer for a lot of yesrs

 

[lwvs84]

Little overdue for Gaucher.

Other than Leo, will any of this years' draft picks even make the top 10? Very surprising, especially given how many picks we had in the first 3 rounds of a historically bad year.

Might be a combination of Ducks going off the board with a lot of the picks (not getting the players that people wanted) along with so many previous picks having amazing years (3 D-men of the year, defensive D of the year, Hvidson breaking out, etc.) and Ducks traditionally doing better with D. I really like the scouting reports on a lot of the guys we picked up and there will probably be more love for those players next year when more people follow them and (hopefully) some of them explode in production.

 

[Gliff]

Little overdue for Gaucher.

Other than Leo, will any of this years' draft picks even make the top 10? Very surprising, especially given how many picks we had in the first 3 rounds of a historically bad year.

Probably not. None of them were sexy picks, and the Ducks prospect group is insane.

I’m sure a couple of them will have huge jumps next year like Hinds and Hvidston will this year.

 

[MMC]

Surprised this is such a landslide, especially considering the responses are pretty mixed