Prospect Update: Coulson Pitre

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks drafted forward Coulson Pitre in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 65th overall. This was his second professional season, and he split the year between the AHL and ECHL.

Pitre had a difficult season. He was likely going to spend most of, if not the entire, season in San Diego. However, he was injured during the preseason and by the time he was healthy, there wasn’t room in San Diego’s lineup for him. He was assigned to the ECHL at the end of October and played for the Tulsa Oilers. Pitre was called up to San Diego in January, reassigned to the ECHL in mid-February, and then called back up to the Gulls at the end of February. He spent the rest of the season in the AHL. With Tulsa, Pitre played in 26 games and scored five goals and 21 points. With San Diego, he played in 25 games and scored two goals and five points. He was primarily used on the team’s fourth line. He also played in one of San Diego’s two playoff games, suiting up on their third line.

I had two expectations for Pitre last summer, but he missed both of them. First, after scoring three goals and 16 points as a rookie with the Gulls, I wanted him to set career highs in his sophomore campaign. Between his time on injured reserve and the ECHL, Pitre never really had a chance to meet this expectation. Second, for him to play in more than 61 games and not spend any time in the ECHL. I knew that playing time among a relatively deep forward group would come at a premium, and Pitre needed to play well in order for him to be consistently on the ice. His injury really cost him that chance, and he spent more than half of his season in the ECHL as a result.

Pitre will be in the minors this coming season. The question really is, will he play well enough to stay in San Diego, or will he once again play a large part of the year in the ECHL? With Lucas Pettersson and Herman Traff joining the Gulls, a roster spot could be that much harder to get and keep. However, it is a good sign that Pitre did get into a playoff game while neither Pettersson nor Traff did.

I have three expectations for Pitre this coming season. First, for him to stay healthy. That early season injury really cost him this past season, making him start in the ECHL and work his way back to San Diego. Second, for Pitre to play in more AHL games than ECHL ones. Finally, if Pitre does play in the ECHL, to score at a point-per-game pace, something he was close to this past season.

Pitre is still several years away from making it to the NHL, if he makes it at all. He had a solid but unspectacular junior career. He looked like the kind of player who could make it as a bottom six player with some offensive upside. However, after spending so much time in the ECHL this past season, that NHL future is looking more doubtful. If he can spend all of the next couple of seasons in the AHL and put up significantly better numbers, then he’ll have a chance at making his NHL debut in the 2028-2029 or 2029-2030 seasons.

Pitre has one more year left on his entry-level contract, and he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer. If he can spend most or all of the season in San Diego, the Ducks will likely qualify him and sign him to a one-year, two-way deal. However, if he spends much of the year in the ECHL again, he likely won’t be qualified and be allowed to leave as a free agent.

The next prospect update will be on goaltender Tomas Suchanek.

Related Articles:

Prospect Update: Nathan Gaucher

Graduated Prospect: Beckett Sennecke

Graduated Prospect: Tim Washe

Graduated Prospect: Ian Moore

Prospect Profile: Anton Wahlberg

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July 21st, 2026