We’re back with another Anaheim Ducks prospect update! Jamie Drysdale is inching closer to his NHL debut, a few prospects saw their NCAA season come to an end, and Brayden Tracey returned to the Western Hockey League. It’s time to recap and analyze their performances. Welcome back to our series updating you on some of the Ducks’ top prospects and picks from the NHL Entry Draft.
Gulls Struggle & Drysdale Headed for NHL Debut
It was another tough week for the San Diego Gulls as they lost all four of their games and were outscored 14-6 in the process. Jamie Drysdale finally made his return to the Gulls’ lineup after being on the Ducks’ taxi squad for the last few games. He played in games on Saturday and Sunday and registered one assist and 11 shots on goal. In comments to the Orange County Register, Ducks’ general manager Bob Murray mentioned his plan for Drysdale with the Ontario Hockey League set to return in the near future (from ‘Ducks reeling after more injuries to key players,’ Orange County Register, Mar. 10, 2021).
Jamie’s with us right now. I’d like to get him into some games. He’s seen the American League. Now he needs to see the National League because there is a big jump. He needs to see it. He got a puck in the face last week, knocked a couple of teeth out. He hasn’t eaten. I’d like to get his weight back up first.
With both Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson out of the Ducks lineup right now with injuries, it presents a perfect opportunity for the team to hand Drysdale his NHL debut. He had a couple of games this weekend to get back up to speed, and it will be interesting to see if he draws in for the Ducks games on Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
Lukas Dostal’s struggles continued as he started three of four games this week and extended his losing streak to seven games, allowing ten goals on 100 shots against. He currently has a 3.09 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. Olle Eriksson Ek started his second game of the season in the Gulls’ 3-2 loss to the Henderson Silver Knights on Sunday night and allowed three goals on 27 shots against. Jacob Perreault hasn’t played since Mar. 5, and it’s a situation to monitor. He will return to the Sarnia Sting when the 2020-21 OHL season begins.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 20/21 vs. Tucson
Galimov & AK Bars Kazan Move On in KHL Playoffs
Artyom Galimov and Ak Bars Kazan completed the sweep of their first-round playoff series against Torpedo with a 4-1 victory. Galimov recorded one assist and finished the series with one goal and one assist in four games played. He finished the regular season with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points in 41 games played. Kazan’s second-round opponent is Salavat Yulaev, with games scheduled to begin this week.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 17/19/21 vs. Salavat Yulaev
Sam Colangelo & Trevor Janicke
It was a tough end to the season for both Sam Colangelo and Trevor Janicke. Colangelo and Northeastern were playing in the Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinals against the University of Massachusetts Amherst and fell 4-1. Colangelo finished the games as a minus-one. He finished the season with three assists in eight games played.
As for Janicke and Notre Dame, they fell 6-3 to Penn State in their Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals matchup. Janicke was pointless in the game and registered four shots on goal. He finished the season with four goals and six assists for ten points in 29 games played.
Axel Andersson, Albin Sundsvik and Thimo Nickl
Axel Andersson featured in the last four games played for Södertälje SK in the HockeyAllsvenskan. He finished the week scoreless and with four shots on goal, all coming in one game. Södertälje is in the quarterfinals in the HockeyAllsvenskan and are waiting for their opponent to be decided from the round of 16. He finished the season with two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 51 games played.
Upcoming Games: N/A
Albin Sundsvik had one assist across two games played for Skellefteå AIK last week. That brings his season total to six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 42 games played.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 20 vs. Oskarshamn
Still no update on Thimo Nickl and his situation with Rögle of the Swedish Hockey League. He was loaned to Mora in the HockeyAllsvenskan, but he was returned to the team on Feb. 15. He has yet to feature in any game since February.
Upcoming Games: N/A
Blake McLaughlin, Jackson LaCombe and Jack Perbix
While we saw Colangelo and Janicke’s season come to an end, it was a different story for the three Ducks’ prospects at the University of Minnesota. They played their Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals matchup against Michigan State on Sunday night and walked away with the 2-1 overtime victory. McLaughlin, LaCombe and Perbix finished scoreless but had five shots, three shots and one shot on goal, respectively. Minnesota will play the University of Michigan on Monday night in the semifinals.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 15 vs. Michigan
Henry Thrun & Ian Moore
Henry Thrun is back in action in the United States Hockey League and recorded one goal in two games this week for the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He now has two goals and one assist in six games played this season. It’ll take him some time to get back in rhythm after taking time off after winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2021 World Junior Championship.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 16 vs. Green Bay, Mar. 19/20 vs. Chicago, Mar. 21 vs. Green Bay
Ian Moore has cemented his spot in the Chicago Steel lineup, having played in all three games for the team this week. He added another goal to his season totals and recorded four shots on goal. He’s now up to seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 32 games played. It’s been a tale of two seasons for Moore, with only one goal and two assists in his first 15 games played, but he now has six goals and five assists for 11 points in his last 17 games played.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 19/20 vs. Dubuque
Brayden Tracey & Ethan Bowen Return To Play
Brayden Tracey was sent back to the Victoria Royals from the San Diego Gulls, with the Western Hockey League franchise returning to play. He failed to register a point in 12 games with the Gulls. His first game with Victoria is slated for Mar. 26 against the Kelowna Rockets. He had 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 52 games played during the 2019-20 WHL season.
Upcoming Games: Mar. 26 vs. Kelowna
The BCHL has announced that they will be back on the ice to play for their 2020-21 season. The condensed season will start in the first week of April and will feature three to four team “pods” that will play each other in different locations across the province. BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb had this to say about the return-to-play announcement in a press release.
After months and months of hard work behind the scenes by the league’s Return-to-Play Task Force, we are pleased to make the announcement today that the BCHL will be back on the ice to play the 2020-21 season. This entire process has always been about our players and giving them the best chance to get back to playing games and showcasing their skills, and we have accomplished that today.
Bowen had 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 41 games played for the Chilliwack Chiefs during the 2019-20 season. He is committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2021-22 season.
Upcoming Games: N/A
Thanks for checking out our latest prospects update of the 2020-21 season. Stay tuned for a fresh update on Ducks prospects from major junior, NCAA, Europe, and around the world!
In the meantime, if you want to hear my thoughts on the team’s prospects and current affairs, check out The Forever Mighty Podcast for all the latest Anaheim Ducks talk and analysis.