The Anaheim Ducks have assigned defenseman Tristan Luneau to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League, the team announced on Friday (Nov. 1). The move comes as the Ducks (4-4-2, 7th in the Pacific) return from a five-game Eastern Conference road trip.
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Luneau has appeared in six games for the Ducks this season and has yet to register a point. With Olen Zellweger and Jackson LaCombe playing their way into permanent roster spots on the right side alongside veterans Radko Gudas and Brian Dumoulin, Luneau is the odd man out. He appeared in one game during Anaheim’s road trip — filling in for LaCombe in the second game of a back-to-back.
More Minutes in San Diego for Luneau
A second-round draft pick in 2022, Luneau was named the Defenseman of the Year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2022-23. As a 20-year-old, he stood out during the 2023-24 preseason and made the roster out of camp. He appeared in seven games and registered three points during the 2023-24 campaign, but suffered a knee infection just before the 2024 World Junior Championship that kept him off the ice for the rest of the season.
Ice time is important to Luneau’s development after a lost season. While Luneau has proven himself worthy of an NHL roster spot, he needs to continue to develop, and San Diego will be his clearest avenue to big minutes. With the Gulls, he’ll play alongside another high-end defensive prospect, as Tyson Hinds or Rodwin Dionicio will be his two most likely defensive partners.
With this transaction, the Ducks will have an open roster spot with goaltender John Gibson nearing a return to the lineup.
