Prospect Update: Coulson Pitre

Thomas Harrington

Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, forward Coulson Pitre played his rookie season for the San Diego Gulls.

Pitre played in 61 games in his rookie year, scoring three goals and 16 points, while being used up and down the lineup. It took a little while for him to find his offensive game, but had a run of four points in a three-game span in early November and scored his first career goal against Bakersfield in December. Pitre finished second among San Diego rookies in games played and finished fourth in assists and fifth in points.

I had two expectations for Pitre last summer, and he was able to partially hit one of them. First, for him to play in most of San Diego’s games and get some time on the Gulls’ special teams. He had a couple of minor injuries and was scratched a handful of times, but he was able to play in a majority of the team’s games. He didn’t do much on San Diego’s special teams, though. Second, I was hoping for more offensive production out of him, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 goals and 25 points. He wasn’t far off in the assist department but fell well short in the goals and points department.

Pitre will be back in San Diego this coming season. With his rookie season behind him, more will be expected out of Pitre, but he’ll also be fighting for a spot in the lineup. If he can play well enough to stand out from the rest of the forwards and carve out a role on the team, that will be a great sign of his development.

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I have two expectations for Pitre this coming season. First, for him to set career highs in goals, assists and points. He’s not one of Anaheim’s most gifted offensive prospects, but he scored at a point-per-game pace in the OHL and should be able to score more than the three goals he did this past season. Second, for him to set a career high in games played and not play in any games in the ECHL. 61 games is a good season for a rookie, but now Pitre needs to build on that. 

Pitre has a number of years ahead of him before he has a shot at the NHL. I think he’ll likely spend all of the next two years in San Diego, further developing his game. If he can take some big steps over those two seasons, he may have a shot at some time with Anaheim in the 2027-2028 season. However, if he progresses at a slower rate, then he might not see time with the Ducks until the 2028-2029 season or beyond.

Pitre has two years remaining on his entry-level contract. He’ll be a restricted free agent when it expires. As long as Pitre has become a strong contributor to San Diego’s success, he should be re-signed. However, if he only scores around five goals for each of the next two seasons, the Ducks will likely choose to not qualify him and let him become a free agent.

The next prospect update will be on defenseman Konnor Smith.

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August 31st, 2025