Ducks Set to Welcome New Wave of Prospects
Sep 30, 2020By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com
In less than one week, the hockey world will convene – virtually – to usher in the newest wave of talented prospects to the professional ranks.
NHL DRAFT STARTS TUES., OCT. 6 AT 4 P.M. PT
The NHL Draft – scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6 (4 p.m. PT) and Wednesday, Oct. 7 (8:30 a.m. PT) – presents another opportunity for the Anaheim Ducks to add high-end talent to its prospect pipeline. Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray and Director of Professional and Amateur Scouting Martin Madden enter this year’s event with two first-round selections – the sixth and 27th overall. The Ducks are the only team (barring future transactions) with two first-round selections in each of the last two drafts.
Anaheim’s early second-round selection gives the organization three choices in the first 36 picks.
“We are excited that the top pick this year is also in the top-ten and amongst a good group of players,” Madden said on a GullsCast episode in June. “You want these top-two round players to be impact players. As such, those are three important picks for the next five years of the franchise. We realize that and we take that responsibility very seriously.”
The 2020 Draft will mark only the sixth time Anaheim has multiple first-round selections (also 2019, 2016, 2010, 2009 and 2003).
A MODEL OF DRAFT SUCCESS
Despite not having a recent top-five selection, the Ducks drafted 30 NHL players over the past 10 years (2010) who played 5,893 games, the most in the NHL. The list is led by first-round picks Cam Fowler (679), Hampus Lindholm (502) and Rickard Rakell (447).
John Gibson (287) - selected in the second round (39th overall) - played more games than any other goaltender drafted in 2011. Fowler has the most points (301), assists (234), power-play points (120), shorthanded goals (4) and appearances among defensemen selected in 2010.
Just two seasons ago – in 2018-19 – the Ducks led the NHL in games played by drafted defensemen (418). Anaheim also ranked second in most rookies (16), games played by rookies (325) and games played by defensemen aged 27-or-younger (449).
Additionally, all seven players selected by Anaheim in 2011 NHL Draft played at least one NHL game, and all made their NHL debut with the Ducks. It marked only the fourth time in NHL history – since the first NHL Draft held in 1963 – a team selected at least seven players in a single draft and seen each appear in the NHL. The others – the 2009 New York Islanders, 1979 Boston Bruins and 1979 Philadelphia Flyers. All had seven draft picks.
The seven Ducks selected in the 2011 draft: Rakell, Gibson, William Karlsson, Joseph Cramarossa, Andy Welinski, Max Friberg and Josh Manson.
The 2019 draft class appears ready to make its first contributions to the organization.
The ninth overall selection, Trevor Zegras, turned pro after compiling 11-25=36 points with a +8 rating in 33 games with Boston University (Hockey East) this season. Named to the 2019-20 Hockey East All-Rookie Team, he ranked tied for second among NCAA freshmen in assists and tied for third in points and points-per-game (1.09). The 6-0, 170-pound forward also ranked second on the Terriers in assists and third in points and plus/minus.
At the 2020 World Junior Championship, his nine assists (0-9=9) for Team USA led the tournament and ranked tied for the fourth-most by a U.S. player in a single World Junior Championship.
In January, The Athletic named Zegras the top prospect outside of the NHL.
Brayden Tracey, selected 29th overall in 2019, combined for 22-39=61 points in 52 WHL games with Moose Jaw and Victoria. He was traded to Victoria on Jan. 9, 2020. In his second junior season after being named the WHL Rookie of the Year following 2018-19, he led both Moose Jaw (1.36) and Victoria (.96) in points-per game.
THE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Successful drafting brought on-ice success in the American Hockey League. Since 2010, the Ducks’ affiliates have posted a combined 330-261-36-29 record (.553%) in 713 regular-season games, while advancing past the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs four of the five times an affiliate qualified for the postseason in the last nine seasons.
All time, 119 draftees have appeared in games for Anaheim’s primary development affiliates. Since the move to San Diego, 35 players dressed for the Gulls in a combined 2,288 AHL games. Out of those same 35 players, 22 also appeared in 2,110 NHL games.
Of the 65 players selected by Anaheim since 2010, 41 appeared in a game for the club’s primary affiliate, with 13 yet to obtain AHL eligibility at this juncture in their career. Eighty percent of all available Ducks draftees spent time at one point or another in the AHL over the past nine seasons.
Only Fowler (2010) made the jump directly from the draft to the NHL with the Ducks, the first to do so since 1995. Four players in this history of the organization joined the Ducks immediately after the draft (Fowler, Chad Kilger, Oleg Tverdovsky and Paul Kariya).
The numbers likely would have grown if the 2019-20 season didn’t end prematurely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In four of the last five seasons, San Diego featured an Anaheim first-round selection on its roster. This includes Isac Lundestrom (23rd overall in 2018), Max Jones (24th overall in 2016), Sam Steel (30th overall in 2016), Jacob Larsson (23rd overall in 2015), Nick Ritchie (10th overall in 2014) and Shea Theodore (26th overall in 2013).
Lundestrom took strides forward in his first full professional season, setting new highs in all offensive categories while skating in 43 games for the Gulls.
Every player eligible to play in the AHL in the last five drafts (2014-19) made their debut, including Anaheim’s entire 2016 class (Jones, Steel, Josh Mahura, Jack Kopacka, Alex Dostie and Tyler Soy).
Taking this further back, all eligible players from the entire 2014 and 2015 draft classes also spent time with San Diego. This includes the AHL debut of defenseman Steven Ruggiero this past season.
Lukas Dostal, Roman Durny, Kyle Olson and Olle Eriksson Ek have yet to appear for Gulls.