The Official 2023-2024 Anaheim Ducks Thread

[deepdrive]

5 hours ago, gotbeer said:

Ducks Assign Four Players to AHL San Diego

Interesting that Helleson, a RD was sent down.  But I guess nothing really earth shattering.  The other 3 young high end Dmen are still sticking around. 

Another touted prospect who has fallen out of favor. SD really did a number on our prospects last year. Or, some of our prospects were grossly overrated.

[gotbeer]

Interesting.  Gudas paired with Zellweger.  Would have thought Fowler would be paired with him.

[deepdrive]

Starting to feel a little bit more like NHL hockey. 

Take away the first period and there was a lot to like about the Ducks play - especially considering who wasn't there.

Looking forward to Thursday.

[gotbeer]

10 hours ago, deepdrive said:

Starting to feel a little bit more like NHL hockey. 

Take away the first period and there was a lot to like about the Ducks play - especially considering who wasn't there.

Looking forward to Thursday.

I thought the same.  My thoughts.

Mintyukov and Zellweger look NHL ready.  Mintyukov's big frame did well on D.  And dang, does Mintyukov like to shoot the puck, which I think is a good thing.  And the thing is, his shots were getting to the goalie, which is a plus.  Zellweger looks like the speed that Drysdale is supposed to have + some.  He was not only flying out there, but he wasn't bullied off the puck like Drysdale usually is.  I think between Zellweger and Drysdale, Zellweger looks closer to Makar. 

LaCombe also looked NHL ready.  Also did not back down from the physicallity.

Gudas.  As advertised.  Not much on offense, but he is just what the Ducks needed on defense.  He was just flattening people.

Carlsson.  He looked NHL ready also.  He was also a bit faster than I was expecting him to be.  Especially for a big guy.  I'd like to see Carlsson centering Z.  Both their creativity can make for some fun hockey.  Maybe put Rico on the line, as Rico will go to the dirty spots, opening up ice for Z and Carlsson to move. 

Jones.  He's a bull in a china shop.  There is just zero finesse to his game.  He is see a scrum, get in the middle of the scrum.  He's a sledgehammer, when we need a rubber mallet.  Really a great guy, seems like he's all in on the Ducks, but I just can't see him as anything but a 4th line guy. 

Rico, Strome, Vatrano.   All looked rusty and a step slow.  They were really out of the picture. 

Everyone else, not real noticable. 

2 games left, and still no Silfverberg, and Z has to get some gametime.  I think Terry and McTavish only has one game in. 

[gotbeer]

Next cuts.

https://www.nhl.com/ducks/news/ducks-trim-training-camp-roster-to-34-players

Quote

Assigned to San Diego Gulls (AHL):
Calle Clang – Goaltender
Glenn Gawdin – Center
Nikita Nesterenko – Left Wing
Pavol Regenda – Left Wing

Released from the PTO and assigned to San Diego:
Scott Harrington – Defenseman

 

[deepdrive]

1 hour ago, gotbeer said:

Next cuts.

https://www.nhl.com/ducks/news/ducks-trim-training-camp-roster-to-34-players

 

The only surprise for me here is Nesterenko. I thought he would be one of the last to be assigned. 

[gotbeer]

Kaliyev suspended 2 regular-season games for actions in Kings game

 

[arch stanton]

Gudas blasted him and he didn't like it

[deepdrive]

And now Drysdale is back.

[gotbeer]

About where we thought it would be.  Now, he has to fight for his spot on the NHL roster.

Jamie Drysdale, Ducks agree to 3-year extension, per source: Impact of this deal for team, player

[deepdrive]

29 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

About where we thought it would be.  Now, he has to fight for his spot on the NHL roster.

Jamie Drysdale, Ducks agree to 3-year extension, per source: Impact of this deal for team, player

Well, I wouldn't say fight for it. He may not have Fowler, Gudas type of security, but he's not far off. Unless he shows poorly for an extended period he's one of our top 4.

Surprised he went 3 years at that type of money. Maybe the Ducks refused to do less.

[gotbeer]

Might be a short stint with the Ducks for Lassi Thompson.

[gotbeer]

Good job in taking a penalty while on the PP Kassian. 

[gotbeer]

Seems like crosschecking is being called a lot more this offseason.

[deepdrive]

29 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

Might be a short stint with the Ducks for Lassi Thompson.

Lol

[deepdrive]

5 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

Seems like crosschecking is being called a lot more this offseason.

Yeah, seems like players haven't got the message yet.

[deepdrive]

They haven't looked very good offensively. I guess that's the reason for the zero.

I like the talk of Carlson staying up this year. But, I don't believe it.

[gotbeer]

Well, the positives of the game.

Damn.  Carlsson has some explosive sneeky speed.  He definitely looks like he belongs.  Passing or shooting.  He was doing it well.

Mintyukov.  He also looks like he belongs.  Even though it was two lefties, him and Fowler were not bad. 

Z looked rusty.  He was airmailing everything. 

Not a fan of the lines.  I don't like Carlsson/Terry/Z.  I really think they need to have a Rico/Terry/McTavish and a Carlsson/Z/Strome.  That would make two dangerous lines.  And also Rico and Strome will go to the net, giving the young guns room.

I don't see where Silfverberg fits on this team. 

Gudas is really a punishing player. 

[deepdrive]

Verbeek said this morning that Carlsson is up for the season - as per Ducks announcers.

I agree on Minty. I think he's ready to stay up. If not full time, then maybe up and down with Zellweger and LaCombe.

Silfverberg - 4th line with Carrick and Leason/Jones.

[arch stanton]

Mintyukov is a ELC slide candidate. I seriously doubt he gets more than 9 games with the Ducks. Beeker won't set all these contracts in motion at once

[deepdrive]

1 hour ago, arch stanton said:

Mintyukov is a ELC slide candidate. I seriously doubt he gets more than 9 games with the Ducks. Beeker won't set all these contracts in motion at once

I get what you're saying and I would agree except for a couple reasons.

First, Verbeek said he is going to keep Carlson up this year. No reason to do that except to jumpstart his timing to coincide with Zegras, Terry and McTavish. If Verbeek is going to accelerate the rebuild timing, he needs to bring the defense along too. Watching the games this preseason, it's obvious Mintyukov is the most ready to play in the NHL.

Second, The Ducks have too many good defensive prospects coming on line at the same time. I know that sounds like a fanboy statement and maybe it is. But, if just four of them are legit NHL'ers, the Ducks need to get a couple of them started this year. You can't back legit NHL prospects up 3-4 years in the AHL.

I thought Verbeek was going to string this rebuild out another 2-3 years and play it like you're saying (and he has said in the past). But, putting Carlsson with the Ducks this year is a departure from that. I think keeping Mintyukov on the team has to be in play.

From what I've seen, Mintyukov is as ready as Carlsson to play in the NHL. But we'll see in probably the next few days or couple weeks at the most what Verbeek thinks.

[gotbeer]

8 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Mintyukov is a ELC slide candidate. I seriously doubt he gets more than 9 games with the Ducks. Beeker won't set all these contracts in motion at once

JMO, but I think if he's ready he's going to play.  He's already burned one year of his 3 year ELC.  Might as well use up the 2 years of ELC, and see what they have.  And maybe what Beeker is doing with Z and Drysdale is a purposeful thing.  Bridge, then pay more through the prime.  Strat wise, is it better to do a 3 taking them to 24 and then a 7 year taking them to 31ish.  Or to do what other teams are doing, giving a 20 year old a 8 year contract, have that contract expire while they are in their prime, and probably end up giving another 8 year contract, 5 of those in his declining years?  Or worse, to lose them in their prime.

[deepdrive]

I thought he looked the most NHL ready of the prospects.

If they could send him to the AHL, that would be one thing. But the guy would be wasting a year in OHL (I think that's the one he played in. Wasn't Zellweger in the WHL.) And like I said, the Ducks have to move at least one guy up this year, preferably two. Otherwise, you're going to bunch these guys arrival time and have to dump half of them without knowing their NHL viability. That would be worse than burning a year of Mintyukov's contract.

[deepdrive]

One more preseason game than 6 days to be concerned about how bad a start against Vegas, Carolina and Dallas can turn out. Seeing where the Ducks were the last couple games, it could get ugly.

I don't think the Ducks are anywhere near ready for the season to start. Killorn out ; Zegras and Drysdale showing up late and being rusty; Mctavish and Carlsson too young and inexperienced; Terry seems to need a high quality veteran that he's plays regularly with to excel; Fowler and Henrique are good, but not impactful; the rest of the guys are borderline NHL players or mistake prone rookies. It just looks like if this season is going to take a while to come together, if it does

[gotbeer]

Ducks Assign Hagg, White to AHL San Diego, Warren to QMJHL

Quote

Assigned to San Diego Gulls (AHL):
Robert Hagg - Defenseman
Colton White - Defenseman

Assigned to Junior Team:Noah Warren - Defenseman (Victoriaville, QMJHL)

So here is who's left.

D Guaranteed

Drysdale R, Fowler L, Gudas R, Lyubushkin R

left LaCombe L, Luneau R, Mintyukov L, Thomson R, Vaakanainen L, Zellwegger L

I just think it's going to be LaCombe and Mintyukov, with Luneau and Zellwegger sent to the AHL for full time work and Thomson and Vaakanainen on the healthy scratch backup role.

O Guaranteed

Rico/Terry/McTavish, Strome/Z/Carlsson, Jones/Vatrano/Silfverberg

IR to De Leo, Lundestrom and Killorn.  I would not discount Killorn being ready for the opener.  Fingers grow back for hockey players. 

left Agozzino, Carrick, Groulx, Kassian, Leason, McGinn I think Carrick earned a spot.  The last 2 spots are really up for grabs in this afternoons game.  Groulx, Kassian, and Leason are 3 big guys.  But I think these 2 spots are wide open until Killorn and Lundestrom come back.