Ducks 2023 Rookie Tournament Recap

By Thomas Harrington

This past weekend, Anaheim’s prospects were in Las Vegas taking on the prospects from Vegas, Colorado, and Los Angeles. The Ducks finished with a record of 2-1, and played a strong defensive game throughout the tournament. I was lucky enough to watch the first two games and then catch the highlights of the third. For me, the record in these tournaments doesn’t matter, nor do the points. What matters is that these prospects get more experience, play well, and stay healthy.This was the first time I had a chance to see most of the 2023 draft class play, and some of them really impressed me. Jackson LaCombe was Anaheim’s captain for the first two games, and it was then passed to Nikita Nesterenko for the final game when LaCombe was given the night off. Prospects Sasha Pastujov and Connor Hvidston did not play due to precautionary reasons, so Anaheim played the same group of 12 forwards in all three games.

Anaheim Beats Vegas 4-2

Game one saw Anaheim’s prospects face off against Vegas’. Calle Clang was Anaheim’s starter for this one, and he was the Ducks’ best player early on as the Golden Knights tested him early and often, but he was up to the challenge. Things started to shift for the Ducks while they were shorthanded. Coulson Pitre made a great play to steal the puck at the blueline and score on the breakaway. After that, the Ducks were the better team for most of the rest of the game. Later in the first, Leo Carlsson made a great cross-crease pass and Tristan Luneau scored to make it 2-0. In the second period, Pitre had his second shorthanded breakaway of the night but failed to score on it. Vegas scored the only goal of the second to make it 2-1. In the third, Vegas tied the game early, but just a couple of minutes later, camp invite Kyle Crnkovic made the pass of the night from behind the net to Luneau, and he scored his second goal of the night. The Ducks enjoyed a two-man advantage later in the third, and Pavel Mintyukov made it 4-2.

This first game was a lot of fun to watch. Pitre was definitely the surprise of the game for me. While he only scored one goal, he easily could have had two or three more. Three of the four goals came from defensemen. Olen Zellweger was the most noticeable player on Anaheim’s defense, but the entire six-man unit played well throughout the contest. This was my first chance to watch and really pay attention to Carlsson, and I liked what I saw. He’s a good skater and a great passer.

Colorado Edges Anaheim 5-3

Game two saw the Ducks’ prospects line up against Colorado’s. Gage Alexander took over in net, while on defense Zellweger, Mintyukov, and Noah Warren were given the night off, and 2023 picks Konnor Smith, Rodwin Dionicio, and Vojtech Port stepped in. The Ducks had a strong, defensive opening period, limiting Colorado to just a handful of shots on goal, and none were incredibly dangerous. Partway through the first period, Ben King took a shot on goal, and Carey Terrance fought off multiple defensemen to get to the loose puck and make it 1-0. It was in the second where things fell apart for Anaheim.

After four straight periods of solid defensive hockey, Colorado was able to break through and get several high quality chances, starting with a shorthanded goal early in the second. However, seconds later, Carlson made a great rush up the ice, passed the puck to Terrance who made a good shot, and then Nathan Gaucher scored on the rebound to put the Ducks back on top. Colorado then scored two quick goals, one on a breakaway and one on a deflected point shot, to take the lead. All three of Colorado’s goals came in the first five minutes of the period. Later in the period, Anaheim had another powerplay. Nesterenko tied the game, pouncing on a loose puck in the slot. Late in the period, Colorado scored again to make it 4-3. Despite pressure from the Ducks in the third, they were never able to tie the game, and the Avalanche scored into the empty net and won 5-3.

Despite the loss, there were a lot of positives in this game. Carlsson and Nesterenko seemed to really develop some chemistry as the game went on. If both make Anaheim this season, I’d be very interested in seeing them play together. The defense was a bit of a mess in the second period, but LaCombe had another strong game; he and Luneau formed a solid top pairing. Even though Colorado scored a shorthanded goal, Anaheim’s powerplay was very good, scoring twice and having a number of other high danger chances. Finally, Terrance had a really strong game and was noticeable throughout, similar to how Pitre played in the first game.

Anaheim Doubles Up Los Angeles 4-2

Game three saw Anaheim’s prospects play against Los Angeles’. Both Alexander and Clang were given the day off, and instead, camp invite Tomas Suchanek got the start in net. LaCombe, Luneau, and Tyson Hinds were also given the day off, while Zellweger, Mintyukov, and Warren stepped back into the lineup. For the third straight game, the Ducks struck first as Zellweger found King, and he made a perfect shot to make it 1-0 in the first period. The Kings tied the game in the second, Carlsson restored the lead with his first of the tournament, and then Yegor Sidorov made it 3-1 a few minutes later. In the third, Rodwin Dionicio made it 4-1, though the Kings were able to get one back later and the Ducks skated off with a 4-2 victory.

Wins and points are great, but again, it’s more about how the team played overall. While the Ducks weren’t dominant in any game, they were competitive in all three games and played well defensively for eight of the nine periods they played. If the puck had bounced a little differently, they could have come out with a 3-0 record. In a tournament like this where most of these prospects have never played together, that’s good enough for me. As long as the effort level is there, the execution will come with time.

Final Thoughts

There were definitely a few standouts from these three games. Starting at forward, Carlsson looked like he had the highest skill level of any of Anaheim’s prospects. He’s not the oldest or the most polished player yet, but he made plays that make me excited for his future. Nesterenko looked like he was ready for the NHL, or at least to be one of the better AHL players if he starts the season there. Of the other 2023 draft picks, both Pitre and Terrance really impressed me, while Sidorov scored one of the prettier goals of the tournament. Terrance ended up leading the team in scoring with four points in three games. Despite the lone goal, I was impressed with what I saw from Gaucher; he made smart plays and was one of the young leaders on this team, wearing the A as one of the alternate captains. Finally, I have to mention again how camp invite Crnkovic had the assist of the tournament for the Ducks when he fed Luneau for a goal against Vegas.

The entire defensive group was great throughout the three games, but they were particularly stingy in the first game. Zellweger, Mintyukov, LaCombe, Hinds, Warren, and Luneau formed an excellent top six who played sound defensive hockey while also adding a good chunk of offense. Of the 11 goals that Anaheim scored in the three games, four of them came from the blueline. Smith, Dionicio, and Port didn’t impress as much, but given that all three were recent late round picks, I was satisfied with what I saw out of them.

In net, Clang looked ready to be San Diego’s starter this year. Alexander struggled a little more, but I can’t really blame him for any of the goals that got by him. There were odd man rushes, breakaways, and a beautiful tip that no one was stopping. However, from what I’ve read and the little I saw, it sounds like the best goaltending performance may have come from camp invite Suchanek. He’ll be in the WHL this year, and if he has a strong season, maybe he’ll get a contract with Anaheim or another team next summer.

Overall, it was a good tournament for the Ducks. As far as I know there were no major injuries and most of Anaheim’s prospects played well. It was a little disappointing that neither Pastujov nor Hvidston got to play, but hopefully they’ll be ready for training camp and then get some preseason action in. Training camp is just days away, and the first preseason game soon after that. Expect many of these players to get a game or two of preseason action before heading back to their junior teams or the AHL.

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September 20th, 2023