Prospect Update: Tyson Hinds

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks drafted defenseman Tyson Hinds in the third round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, 76th overall. He spent most of the year in the AHL with San Diego, but did make his NHL debut towards the end of the season and played in several Stanley Cup Playoff games as well.

Hinds spent most of his time in San Diego on the team’s second pairing, often playing with Tristan Luneau. Overall, he played in 62 games for the Gulls, scoring five goals and 19 points. Hinds set a career high in both goals and points, while matching his best assist total, despite playing in nine fewer games than each of the previous two seasons. San Diego really struggled after he was called up, winning only a couple of games to finish out the season. If he’d been present for the playoffs, maybe the Gulls would have had a better series.

Hinds was called up to Anaheim in early April and stayed up for the rest of the season. He played in six games for the Ducks and was scoreless. In his first game, Hinds put four shots on goal and played over 23 minutes. His ice time was between 11:36 and 16:44 for his remaining five games, which is closer to what he’d be expected to do at this point. In the playoffs, Hinds played in Anaheim’s first nine games, playing over Olen Zellweger. Hinds picked up his first NHL assist against Edmonton in game three of that first round series. However, when the Ducks needed some more offense from the backend against Vegas, Hinds was scratched in favor of Zellweger for the final three games of that second round series. He played on the Ducks’ third pairing, often next to Drew Helleson and played well against some of the NHL’s best forwards.

I had three expectations for Hinds last summer, and he met all three of them. First, he’s been very durable through the start of his professional career. I wanted him to once again play in a majority of San Diego’s games, which he was able to do, appearing in 62 of their 72 games. Second, after getting called up to Anaheim during the 2024-2025 season but not playing in any NHL games, I wanted to see him make his NHL debut. He not only did that but then suited up for nine playoff games as a nice bonus. Finally, for a player primarily known for his defensive game, I wanted to see his offensive game continue to improve. While he didn’t blow his career highs out of the water, he was able to set career highs in goals and points while playing in fewer games.

This coming year, it looks like Hinds is a safe bet to be in the NHL, provided he can provide the same level of steady play he showed at the end of last season and into the playoffs. On the left side of Anaheim’s defense, they have Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, and that’s it, other than Hinds. Given how well he played to end the season and into the playoffs, the Ducks already view Hinds as one of their top six defensemen heading into the season. The only thing that could change this is if the Ducks sign someone else or make a trade to bring someone else in. It would be fun if he played much of this season next to Luneau, his longtime San Diego defensive partner.

With Hinds likely in the NHL for the entire year, here are my expectations for him this season. First, for him to play in a majority of Anaheim’s games. He’s going to have some off nights and probably need a game or two off every now and then, but I think it’s important he plays in most of the Ducks’ games this season. Second, for him to play more on Anaheim’s penalty kill unit. He averaged 43 seconds of shorthanded ice time last season in his few NHL regular season games, and I’d like to see him raise that. Finally, even though he’s not going to bring a lot of offense from the blueline, I’d like to see pick up his first regular season point and goal this season.

Hinds was a restricted free agent this summer, but the Ducks qualified him and then signed him to a two-year, one-way deal. That one-way is the important part. More than anything else, that shows the Ducks view him as an NHL caliber player this coming season. Hinds will be a restricted free agent again in two years’ time. Depending on how things have gone, he may sign another shorter deal, or, if he’s become an integral part of Anaheim’s top four, he could sign a considerably longer and more lucrative deal.

The next prospect update will be on goaltender Damian Clara.

Related Articles:

Prospect Update: Brady Turko

Prospect Update: Lucas Pettersson

Prospect Update: Darels Ujlanskis

Prospect Update: Eric Nilson

Prospect Profile: Cruz Lucius

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September 6th, 2026