Prospect Info: With the 39th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the Ducks select Jackson LaCombe

Sean Garrity

Quack Quack Quack!
Dec 25, 2007
17,420
6,039
Dee Eff UU
Sounds a lot like Gardiner with his late switch to D, smooth skating, and the college route. Would be pleased if he turned in to a Gardiner type.
 

Exit Dose

Registered User
Jul 2, 2011
29,203
3,336
Georgia
Sounds a lot like Gardiner with his late switch to D, smooth skating, and the college route. Would be pleased if he turned in to a Gardiner type.
Manson went this route, too. It seems like they look for guys like this to be diamonds in the rough whose value becomes more apparent once their defense catches up with them in the transition. Considering how good those two turned out, it seems like a winning approach.
 

Static

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Feb 28, 2006
47,187
32,951
SoCal
LaCombe has been invited to the US WJC summer camp.

Hopefully Thrun plays his way into contention (he should be at that camp) because we could possibly have five players on the US team alone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sean Garrity

Zegs2sendhelp

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jul 25, 2012
38,996
33,440
LaCombe has been invited to the US WJC summer camp.

Hopefully Thrun plays his way into contention (he should be at that camp) because we could possibly have five players on the US team alone.
Who are the 5?
 

Kalv

Slava Ukraini
Mar 29, 2009
23,469
10,962
Latvia
Thoughts on this player? Purely stat watching he looks to be having a solid year.
He is progressing nicely, but he is still a long-term project. He has some good raw skills but still putting it together. In the WJC he looked shaky at times, and deservedly, did not see much of ice time. Still made some eye-popping plays tho
 
  • Like
Reactions: Getz2noone
Oct 18, 2011
44,064
9,673
Thoughts on this player? Purely stat watching he looks to be having a solid year.
he seems to have built on WJC, at first he was very bad, by the end he was pretty good and made some nice passes. He is a project but i think he has high upside
 

Mr Rogers

The Establishment
Jul 11, 2010
19,743
9,058
Calgary
Really nice to see LaCombe stepping up the offense this season. not too far under ppg, big improvement.
 

Hockey Duckie

Registered User
Jul 25, 2003
17,093
12,041
southern cal
LaCombe's turned heads and we can reflect on the gamble the scouting group took. We didn't know what to expect from a player who switched from F to D, while destroying the high school level. Could LaCombe make the big jump from high school to college level? He did.

LaCombe
YearLeagueGamesGAPtsPPG ratePlus/Minus
2019-20NCAA37310130.35-1
2020-21NCAA27417210.7819
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

In 2019-20, LaCombe made the Big-10 freshman team. The following year, he made the Big-10 first team. LaCombe also finished 8th overall for a scoring defenseman in the NCAA's this past season. Jackson more than doubled his scoring rate in his sophomore year.

Shots and Blocked Shots
LaCombe
YearLeagueGamesShotsS/Game.PPGSHG.BLk ShotsBS/Game
2019-20NCAA37320.86 10 611.65
2020-21NCAA27491.81 02 331.22
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Stats from Minny Hockey Website: link

Jackson took off in his sophomore year by shooting more. It's a simple concepts, but still difficult for players to do if they're not confident. NBA great Michael Jordan once said....

b57edcd71e87a1420a3a34d35faeadfc.jpg

The increase in shooting is great, but it didn't hinder LaCombe's defense. His +19 plus/minus rating has him ranked 2nd best on the team in 2020-21. The previous year he ranked 15th best with his -1 plus/minus rating. Jackson also accounted for 2 short-handed goals, which is team leading. In 2019-20, LaCombed finished 2nd in blocked shots for the team and this past year he finished 3rd overall. Learning to play defense was the reason he went the college route and to Minny. It's paid off. Jackson looks to be a well rounded two-way defenseman.

Believe it or not, but the WJC's was a spark for LaCombe, despite being played in a limited role due to the embarrassment against the Russians. Every team USA player was embarrassed by the Russian team, but LaCombe seemed like a magnet that game for it than others. The kid's resilient to bounce back from something that devastating on a world stage!

Before and After the WJC's
LaCombe
GamesGAPtsPPG Rate
60220.33
After WJCs
21415190.90
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

That's quite an impressive production from LaCombe. I suppose seeing other top talents may have given him some insight on what he can do with his own game. It is as if he was letting himself know that he belongs with the top players and that was the reason why he went to the WJC's. Again, I'm more impressed he bounced back after his disaster on a world stage.​
I can't wait to see more growth out of LaCombe's game! Also, I remember reading that Asst GM Madden said that LaCombe was still growing when he was drafted. I wonder if that's true and if his height has increased?
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->