Confirmed with Link: Ducks sign Nico Myatovic to ELC (3 years, $897k AAV; begins 2024-25)

[MMC]

Click to read more...

 

[duxfan1101]

If he weren't a 2nd round pick I feel like he would be a candidate to go back to junior next year since this season was pretty unfortunate for him. Either way, I hope he shows some promise at the pro level.

EDIT: The article says that Myatovic's injury was a broken leg. Not sure if that had been public info before now.

 

[forever1922]

He might go to juniors next season on loan anyway, we will see how he does in the AHL.

It's a good thing from Verbeek and the Ducks to award him a contract at this time, after the year he had. A much needed positive for him I'm sure.

 

[AngelDuck]

I just don’t get the warm and fuzzies about this player having much hope to amount to anythung

Hope I’m wrong

 

[Hockey Duckie]

If he weren't a 2nd round pick I feel like he would be a candidate to go back to junior next year since this season was pretty unfortunate for him. Either way, I hope he shows some promise at the pro level.

EDIT: The article says that Myatovic's injury was a broken leg. Not sure if that had been public info before now.

I think the ELC starting next season is to leave open spots for Cutter and Colangelo. If both sign, then that brings the contracts to 48/50 for this season. Verbeek might want to have the extra two spots open in case he might like to sign some college FA's.

Signing Myatovic to an ELC doesn't necessarily mean he's going pro next season. His contract can slide to the next season if he doesn't go pro next season.

 

[tomd]

I just don’t get the warm and fuzzies about this player having much hope to amount to anythung

Hope I’m wrong

Could end up anywhere between a 2nd line NHL support winger or be an AHL lifer. I liked what I saw in last year's Memorial Cup but this year was a step back for many reasons beyond his immediate control.

 

[MMC]

 

[Ducks DVM]

Playing for the Gulls tonight it appears

 

[DavidBL]

What's our contract count look like?

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Had a pretty uneventful debut.

 

[12ozPapa]

I’m

Had a pretty uneventful debut.

TRADE HIM!!

 

[MMC]

What's our contract count look like?

46 for this season

 

[Masch78]

I just don’t get the warm and fuzzies about this player having much hope to amount to anythung

Hope I’m wrong

He has size that is it.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

He has size that is it.

How many of his games did you watch this year?

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

How many of his games did you watch this year?

Yeah he definitely has more than size, he's also pretty poised and has a good motor. That much was evident from just the one game last night. Also he's clearly not filled in, not a lot of man strength there. SD will be eliminated if they lose 6 points from either losing games or Abbotsford (I think) winning them, so maybe after that he'll get more ice time and we'll get a better idea of how he looks with the puck on his stick.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Yeah he definitely has more than size, he's also pretty poised and has a good motor. That much was evident from just the one game last night. Also he's clearly not filled in, not a lot of man strength there. SD will be eliminated if they lose 6 points from either losing games or Abbotsford (I think) winning them, so maybe after that he'll get more ice time and we'll get a better idea of how he looks with the puck on his stick.

I'm intrigued by his ability to play and more specifically shoot in traffic. We need big bodies who can play off the puck and finish, being heavy but still with touch. Myatovic seems naturally heavy handed (in a good way) and doesn't need time and space to score. This should only improve, as he still appears to be a fairly lanky kid and will get a ton stronger.

 

[Masch78]

I'm intrigued by his ability to play and more specifically shoot in traffic. We need big bodies who can play off the puck and finish, being heavy but still with touch. Myatovic seems naturally heavy handed (in a good way) and doesn't need time and space to score. This should only improve, as he still appears to be a fairly lanky kid and will get a ton stronger.

And this then leads to whopping 9 goals in a draft +1 season in juniors? I know he had a tough season in terms of injuries but still.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

And this then leads to whopping 9 goals in a draft +1 season in juniors? I know he had a tough season in terms of injuries but still.

I'd confidently maintain that his 30 goals the year before, was more indicative of his talent, and the 9 this year represents how just about everything went wrong for him this season. It happens, development is not linear and he'd be far from the first legit prospect to have a down year in their teens. His year is a lot more explainable, versus a player just suddenly having that drop off for seemingly no reason, that would be setting off major red flags. But to just take a peak at a guys stats for this season and write him off as just a big body, you're really not applying any more logic or depth than the dummies out there who think we would sell Zegras for 40 cents on the dollar based on his production this season.

 

[tomd]

I'd confidently maintain that his 30 goals the year before, was more indicative of his talent, and the 9 this year represents how just about everything went wrong for him this season. It happens, development is not linear and he'd be far from the first legit prospect to have a down year in their teens. His year is a lot more explainable, versus a player just suddenly having that drop off for seemingly no reason, that would be setting off major red flags. But to just take a peak at a guys stats for this season and write him off as just a big body, you're really not applying any more logic or depth than the dummies out there who think we would sell Zegras for 40 cents on the dollar based on his production this season.

I do have sympathy for your argument and I hope you are right. That said, was his 30 goal year the exception and his 4 and 9 goal years the rule? We'll see but he is such a project at this point that he could be anything.

The bigger issue IMO continues to be the team's poor track record using high draft picks to draft forwards who can contribute offensively. Since 2016 the stellar list of forwards taken in the 10-35 range include:
Jones
Steel
Lundestrom
Tracey
Perreault
Colangelo
Gaucher
Myatovic

Colangelo is the only one who looks like a potential 20 goal scorer and that is pretty optimistic.

Contrast that with some other teams (Dallas and St. Louis to take just two examples) and it's a big factor in why this team is still a bottom feeder.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I do have sympathy for your argument and I hope you are right. That said, was his 30 goal year the exception and his 4 and 9 goal years the rule? We'll see but he is such a project at this point that he could be anything.

The bigger issue IMO continues to be the team's poor track record using high draft picks to draft forwards who can contribute offensively. Since 2016 the stellar list of forwards taken in the 10-35 range include:
Jones
Steel
Lundestrom
Tracey
Perreault
Colangelo
Gaucher
Myatovic

Colangelo is the only one who looks like a potential 20 goal scorer and that is pretty optimistic.

Contrast that with some other teams (Dallas and St. Louis to take just two examples) and it's a big factor in why this team is still a bottom feeder.

Until this year, many of us were a bit quick to be writing off Colangelo as well (including myself in that). Not that he's completely proven now based on his college senior year, but definitely has changed opinions around here and everyone wants him signed now.

I'm not saying let's just dismiss Myatovic's struggles this year all together, but rather that we shouldn't already be capping his ceiling at just being a big body. His future is pretty open ended at this stage, he's not suddenly devoid of the intriguing skills that made him one of the bigger late risers in last year's draft. Let's see if he can turn it around with a strong showing as a rookie pro.

 

[tomd]

Until this year, many of us were a bit quick to be writing off Colangelo as well (including myself in that). Not that he's completely proven now based on his college senior year, but definitely has changed opinions around here and everyone wants him signed now.

I'm not saying let's just dismiss Myatovic's struggles this year all together, but rather that we shouldn't already be capping his ceiling at just being a big body. His future is pretty open ended at this stage, he's not suddenly devoid of the intriguing skills that made him one of the bigger late risers in last year's draft. Let's see if he can turn it around with a strong showing as a rookie pro.

Yeah, at this point all we can do is watch Myatovic develop and hope he pans out down the road. Colangelo has improved his draft stock but he's 22 and still has a ways to go. Both are big projects.

For me though, the bottom line remains that the Ducks need to either improve their player draft evaluations or change their drafting philosophy. They can't continue to draft forwards so poorly in that coveted 10-35 range and expect to get out of this rebuild any time soon.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Yeah, at this point all we can do is watch Myatovic develop and hope he pans out down the road. Colangelo has improved his draft stock but he's 22 and still has a ways to go. Both are big projects.

For me though, the bottom line remains that the Ducks need to either improve their player draft evaluations or change their drafting philosophy. They can't continue to draft forwards so poorly in that coveted 10-35 range and expect to get out of this rebuild any time soon.

There definitely is some divide in the philosophy they use to evaluate D and forwards.

 

[Masch78]

I'd confidently maintain that his 30 goals the year before, was more indicative of his talent, and the 9 this year represents how just about everything went wrong for him this season.

By all respect, 30 goals was on an absolute powerhouse team that had 111 pts last year. 2nd in the league. This year Seattle is among the worst teams in the WHL. I do not write him off but he is very Tracey for me. We will see.

 

[Gliff]

I do have sympathy for your argument and I hope you are right. That said, was his 30 goal year the exception and his 4 and 9 goal years the rule? We'll see but he is such a project at this point that he could be anything.

The bigger issue IMO continues to be the team's poor track record using high draft picks to draft forwards who can contribute offensively. Since 2016 the stellar list of forwards taken in the 10-35 range include:
Jones
Steel
Lundestrom
Tracey
Perreault
Colangelo
Gaucher
Myatovic

Colangelo is the only one who looks like a potential 20 goal scorer and that is pretty optimistic.

Contrast that with some other teams (Dallas and St. Louis to take just two examples) and it's a big factor in why this team is still a bottom feeder.

Youre missing a ton of context on this. For example in 2016 there was a grand total of 2 top 6 forwards drafted from 10-35, Tage Thompson, and Jordan Kyrou. In fact Steel has more points then every forward outside of those 2 between 10-35.

In 2017 our first pick was Comtois at #50. You have to go all the way to pick 121 for the next best forward, Batherson.

In 2018 they took Lundestrom at 23. Who is the best forward taken after him you may ask? That would be Yegor Sharangovich who was taken at pick 141 in the 5th round. Who is the second best between those 2? Ryan McLeod and his career 71 points.

In 2019 Tracey is a borderline bust. Not going to debate that. Pinto, Kaliyev, Hoglander, and Brink all would have been much better picks taken in the next like 11 picks.

In 2020 Perreault was a boom/bust pick that busted. Honestly this year may hurt the most. Guys taken between 28-45: Greig, Brisson, Bourque, Wallinder, Peterka, Bordeleau, Evangelista, Faber.

In 2021 we didnt select a forward after McTavish until the 3rd round.

Anything later is just pointless since they are still developing. So ya, the Tracey and Perreault picks hurt, but lets stop acting like the Ducks have missed gem after gem every year.

 

[tomd]

Youre missing a ton of context on this. For example in 2016 there was a grand total of 2 top 6 forwards drafted from 10-35, Tage Thompson, and Jordan Kyrou. In fact Steel has more points then every forward outside of those 2 between 10-35.

In 2017 our first pick was Comtois at #50. You have to go all the way to pick 121 for the next best forward, Batherson.

In 2018 they took Lundestrom at 23. Who is the best forward taken after him you may ask? That would be Yegor Sharangovich who was taken at pick 141 in the 5th round. Who is the second best between those 2? Ryan McLeod and his career 71 points.

In 2019 Tracey is a borderline bust. Not going to debate that. Pinto, Kaliyev, Hoglander, and Brink all would have been much better picks taken in the next like 11 picks.

In 2020 Perreault was a boom/bust pick that busted. Honestly this year may hurt the most. Guys taken between 28-45: Greig, Brisson, Bourque, Wallinder, Peterka, Bordeleau, Evangelista, Faber.

In 2021 we didnt select a forward after McTavish until the 3rd round.

Anything later is just pointless since they are still developing. So ya, the Tracey and Perreault picks hurt, but lets stop acting like the Ducks have missed gem after gem every year.

I understand context and you make some fair points but the bottom line is that for a team which realistically must build through the draft, the Ducks cannot afford to only count on success when drafting in the top 10. This is especially true for 2019 and later when it was obvious the team was in rebuild mode. It is possible...teams like Dallas and St. Louis are examples of what can be done.