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2021 NHL Draft: A Closer Look At 2016-2020 Selections

2021 NHL Draft: A Closer Look At The 2016-2020 Selections

Jul 12, 2021

Note: This story originally ran on AnaheimDucks.com on July 8, 2021.

The Ducks have been very successful at the NHL Draft in recent years, and hold the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft to be held July 23-24. Here's a closer look at Anaheim's selections the past four years.

By Ducks Staff/AnaheimDucks.com

Jamie Drysdale - 2020 NHL Draft, First Round, 6th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Appeared in his first NHL season with Anaheim, scoring 3-5=8 points with six PIM in 24 games…was the only defensemen selected in the 2020 NHL Draft to appear in an NHL game in 2020-21.
  • Ranked fifth among NHL rookies in TOI/game (19:35) and was second among Ducks blueliners in goals.
  • Scored a goal and added an assist in his NHL debut, Mar. 18 vs. ARI at 18 years, 344 days, becoming the third defensemen in NHL history to record multiple points in his NHL debut at age 18-or-younger (Petr Svoboda, MTL; Oct. 11, 1984 @ BUF and Ray Bourque, BOS; Oct. 11, 1979 @ WPG).
  • His first career NHL goal marked only the fourth time in NHL history an 18-year-old scored a goal in his NHL debut (Bourque in the aforementioned game, Scott Stevens, WSH; Oct. 6, 1982 @ NYR & Jason Doig, WPG; Oct. 7, 1995 vs. DAL)…at 18 years, 344 days, Drysdale became the youngest Ducks player in 25 years and the second-youngest player in franchise history to score a goal in his NHL debut (Chad Kilger, Oct. 9, 1995 @ WPG; 18 years, 316 days)…also became the third-youngest Ducks defensemen to score a goal (fourth-youngest player overall) and the youngest-ever player in franchise history to record two points in his NHL debut (1-1=2).
  • Began the season with San Diego (AHL), scoring 4-6=10 points with a +1 rating and six PIM in 14 AHL games, co-leading AHL rookie defensemen in points-per game (.71, min. 10 games).
  • Was named the AHL Rookie of the Month for February 2021, scoring 4-5=9 points in 11 games, tied for the team lead in scoring during the month.
  • Scored his first professional goal and added an assist (1-1=2), Feb. 5, becoming the youngest player in Gulls history to score a goal (18 years, 303 days).
  • Appeared in his second straight World Junior Championship, helping Canada to a silver medal in 2021 following a gold medal in 2020…recorded two points (0-2=2) in seven tournament games, ranking tied for third among all skaters with a +11 rating.

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Jacob Perreault - 2020 NHL Draft, First Round, 27th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Made his professional debut with San Diego (AHL), recording 3-14=17 points with 29 PIM in 23 games.
  • Ranked second among San Diego rookies in assists (14) and power-play assists (4).
  • Concluded the 2020-21 regular season with 2-11=13 points in his final 16 games.
  • Registered three assists in a career-best three-point game (0-3=3), Apr. 9 at Tucson.
  • Collected his first career multi-point games in back-to-back games, Apr. 3 vs. San Jose (1-1=2) and Apr. 4 at Ontario (1-1=2).
  • Scored his first AHL goal, becoming the second-youngest player and youngest forward in Gulls history to score a goal (18 years, 313 days), Feb. 17 vs. Bakersfield.

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Trevor Zegras - 2019 NHL Draft, First Round, 9th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Appeared in his first NHL season with Anaheim, scoring 3-10=13 points with a team-leading +6 rating in 24 games…led Ducks rookies in scoring and assists, and co-led in goals.
  • Finished the season with 2-6=8 points and a +6 rating his final eight games.
  • Scored his third goal in the season finale, May 8 @ MIN, completing the season with a career-tying three-game point streak (1-2=3)…also recorded points in three straight Mar. 16-20 (1-2=3).
  • Recorded his first career multi-point game with two primary assists (0-2=2), Apr. 4 vs. ARI…added 1-1=2 points and a career-high +3 rating, May 1 vs. LAK.
  • Scored his first career NHL goal (Adin Hill) at 19 years, 363 days, Mar. 18 @ ARI, becoming the third-youngest U.S.-born player to score a goal for Anaheim (10th-youngest player in club history).
  • Recorded his first NHL point (assist), Mar. 3 vs. STL.
  • Made his NHL debut at 19 years, 339 days, becoming the third-youngest U.S.-born player and eighth-youngest forward to appear in a game with Anaheim, Feb. 22 @ ARI.
  • Began the season with San Diego (AHL), scoring 10-11=21 points with a +7 rating and 12 PIM…led San Diego in points-per game (1.24) while ranking tied for second among club rookies in scoring and goals.
  • Among AHL leaders, ranked seventh in points-per game while third among rookies (min. 10 games).
  • Was named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week Feb. 7, beginning his professional career with 2-3=5 points in his first two games, including a three-point game in his AHL debut, Feb. 5 (1-2=3).
  • Led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship, scoring 7-11=18 points in seven tournament games…was named the tournament MVP, the fifth American ad second Ducks prospect to earn the award (John Gibson, 2013)…tied the all-time Team USA WJC record for both points and assists (7-20=27), matching both marks held by Jordan Schroeder, who did so over three tournaments and 19 games (Zegras completed his second tournament, 12 career games)….finished his WJC career with the second-highest points-per-game total in U.S. history with 2.25 points per game (Doug Weight, 2.71 per game) and second in all-time assists with 1.67 per game (Weight, 2.0 per game).

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Brayden Tracey - 2019 NHL Draft, First Round, 29th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Split the season between San Diego (AHL) and Victoria (WHL).
  • Made his professional debut with San Diego, appearing in 12 AHL games…made his AHL debut Feb. 5 vs. Bakersfield.
  • Scored 9-12=21 points with 24 PIM in 22 WHL games with Victoria…led the Royals in scoring, PPG (6) PPP (12), co-led in goals and appearances, and ranked second in assists and PPA (6).
  • Recorded a season-high 2-1=3 points, including the OT-winning goal in a 3-2 victory, Apr. 6 at Prince George (2-1=3).
  • Finished the season ranked 10th among all WHL players in scoring (67-96=163) and assists since the start of 2018-19.

Jackson LaCombe - 2019 NHL Draft, Second Round, 39th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Appeared in his second collegiate season with the University of Minnesota (Big Ten), earning 4-17=21 points with a +19 rating in 27 NCAA games.
  • Ranked tied for fifth in the nation in scoring among defensemen while he led Minnesota blueliners in scoring, goals, assists and plus/minus.
  • Recorded two assists in the championship game to help the Golden Gophers to a Big Ten Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
  • Was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and was a NCAA Second Team All-American.
  • Helped Team USA to a gold medal at the 2021 World Junior Championship, recording one assist in six tournament games.

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Isac Lundestrom - 2018 NHL Draft, First Round, 23rd Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Appeared in his third NHL season with Anaheim, scoring 6-3=9 points with 14 PIM in 41 games.
  • Established career highs in points, goals, assists, games played, TOI/game (15:15), FO (398) and FOW (189).
  • Scored his first career hat trick (3-0=3), becoming the second-youngest player in club history to score a hat trick (21 years, 115 days), behind only Sam Steel (21 years, 51 days on Mar. 26, 2019 @ VAN, 3-0=3), Mar. 1 vs. STL…the three goals also marked his first career multi-goal effort.
  • Registered his first career goal streak, scoring in back-to-back games Feb. 6-9.
  • Scored his first career NHL goal (Devan Dubnyk), Feb. 6 vs. SJS.

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Benoit-Olivier Groulx - 2018 NHL Draft, Second Round, 54th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Made his professional debut with San Diego (AHL), recording 10-19=29 points with a +14 rating in 42 games.
  • Among AHL rookies, ranked tied for third in assists, fifth in scoring and tied for fifth in plus/minus (+14)…co-led the AHL in shorthanded points (2-2=4).
  • Led San Diego skaters in plus/minus…ranked third among team leaders in points, assists and games played.
  • Finished the regular season with 4-16=20 points in his last 23 contests.
  • Scored his first career AHL goal, Feb. 17 vs. Bakersfield and tallied his first career assist, Feb. 26 vs. Henderson.

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Lukas Dostal - 2018 NHL Draft, Third Round, 85th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • In his first season with San Diego (AHL), went 15-9-0 with a 2.87 GAA and .916 SV% in 24 games.
  • Ranked second among AHL goaltenders in saves (745) and third in wins (15)…led AHL rookie goaltenders in minutes (1,424), ranked second in wins and SV% (.916), and fourth in GAA (2.87).
  • Set a Gulls rookie record with an eight-game win streak from Mar. 31-Apr. 30, the third-longest win streak in San Diego history.
  • Began his AHL career with five straight wins Feb. 5-17, becoming the first San Diego netminder to win each of his first five starts.
  • Stopped 29-of-30 to earn a 4-1 a win in his AHL debut, becoming the youngest goaltender in Gulls history to win a game at 20 years, 233 days, Feb. 5 vs. Bakersfield.
  • Began the season with Ilves (Finland), posting a 10-0-1 record with one shutout, a 1.64 GAA and .941 SV% in 11 games.
  • Prior to joining San Diego, led Liiga in wins (10), GAA (1.64) and SV% (.947), and ranked sixth in minutes (659)...also led all Liiga goaltenders with 37 wins dating to the start of the 2019-20 season.
  • Completed his season with Ilves riding an eight-game win streak with one shutout, a 1.78 GAA and .928 SV%, the longest such streak in Liiga at the time.

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Max Comtois - 2017 NHL Draft, Second Round, 50th Overall

2020-21 Season Highlights:

  • Appeared in his third NHL season with Anaheim, scoring 16-17=33 points with a +3 rating and 40 PIM in 55 games…set new NHL career highs in goals, assists, points, GWG (3), games played and TOI/game (15:28).
  • Led the Ducks in goals, points, GWG (3), points-per game (.60), even-strength goals (15), even-strength points (29)…ranked second in shots (93) and tied for second in PP (4) and appearances (55), and third in assists.
  • Became the second-youngest player in Ducks history at 21 years and 120 days to lead the team in goals and scoring, behind only Paul Kariya's 18-21=39 points in 1994-95 (20 years, 199 days).
  • Was the second-youngest NHL player to lead his team in scoring and goals, behind only Brady Tkachuk in scoring (OTT: 17-19=36) and Joel Farabee in goals (PHI: 20).
  • Recorded a career-high three assists (all primary) in a 6-5 Ducks OT win, Mar. 8 vs. LAK.
  • Set a career-high with two goals twice, including Feb. 5 vs. SJS (2-0=2) and Jan. 14 @ VGK (2-0=2).
  • Became the 10th player in the NHL's modern era and 15th in NHL history (first Duck) to score each of his team's first three goals to begin a season, Jan. 16 @ VGK…was the first player to do so since Connor McDavid, Oct. 4, 2017 vs. CGY.
  • Scored two goals (first career multi-goal/point game) in the first 7:58 of Anaheim's season-opener, Jan. 14 @ VGK, marking the fastest two goals by an NHL player to start a season in over 15 years…the last NHL player to score two goals in the first eight minutes of a season was Jeremy Roenick (LAK), who scored two goals in the first 4:18 on Oct. 5, 2005 @ DAL…became is the 11th player in NHL history to score two goals within the first eight minutes of a club's season, and marked the fastest two goals to start a season in Ducks history, besting Joffrey Lupul's two goals 22:19 into the season on Oct. 5, 2005 @ CHI.
  • Finished the campaign leading all Ducks players 23-and-younger in career scoring (23-28=51) and goals, while ranking second in assists.
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