We’re back with another Anaheim Ducks prospect update. Trevor Zegras led the Gulls with five points in four games last week and is proving he deserves to finish the season in the NHL. Lukas Dostal extended his winning streak to seven games and only allowed two goals in two starts. Brayden Tracey extended his point streak to four games after registering two goals and two assists in three games last week. Welcome back to our series updating you on some of the Ducks’ top prospects and picks from the NHL Entry Draft.
Zegras & Dostal Lead Gulls to Successful Week
The San Diego Gulls started the week with three straight victories and outscored their opposition 15-4. Their mini winning streak came to an end on Sunday night with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Henderson Silver Knights. Alex Limoges and Andrew Agozzino led the way with three goals and two assists in four games played. Zegras also joined the five-point club as he registered two goals and three assists in four games, as well as 13 shots on goal. Since returning to San Diego to begin his transition to center ice, he has amassed six goals and 12 points in nine games. He is third in AHL rookie scoring with 21 points and is tied with fellow teammate Benoit-Olivier Groulx.
Speaking of Groulx, he recorded two goals in two games last week to bring his season totals to 10 goals and 11 assists in 34 games played. Sam Carrick made his return to the Gulls lineup and posted two goals and an assist in two games played. The captain has spent time between the Gulls and the Ducks’ taxi squad as of late.
Vinni Lettieri has been one of the Gulls’ best players this season, and he recorded three goals and one assist in four games last week with 14 shots on goal. He has 12 goals and 23 points in 17 games this season. Jacob Perreault amassed three assists across four games and brought his totals to three goals and 14 points in 22 games played.
Axel Andersson and Simon Benoit both led the Gulls’ blue line with three points in four games last week. Andersson had two goals and one assist along with five shots on goal. It’s been a nice start to his AHL career as he has two goals and three assists in nine games played. Benoit posted one goal, two assists and eight shots on goal last week.
Dostal stopped 62 of 64 shots across two starts last week and extended his winning streak to seven games. In his last three starts, he has stopped 99 of 102 shots. He now has a 12-7-0 record with a 2.94 goals-against average (GAA) and a .918 save percentage (SV%). He ranks fifth in the league in SV% and third among goalies who have played at least ten games. He ranks third in wins, trailing only Logan Thompson (14) and Stuart Skinner (16). Olle Eriksson Ek split his two starts last week, picking up a win in a 6-1 victory over San Jose and a loss in last night’s 5-4 defeat to Henderson. He ended his three-game losing streak but has lost four of his last five games. He has a 7-4-1 record with a 2.77 GAA and .911 SV%.
Upcoming Games: April 30 and May 1 vs. Tucson
Albin Sundsvik & Artyom Galimov
Skellefteå AIK’s triumphed in Game 7 of the Swedish Hockey League quarterfinal matchup against Luleå last week with a 3-1 victory. However, Albin Sundsvik was again used as an extra forward and only played 4:18 in the game. Skellefteå is now taking on Rögle in the SHL semifinals and are down 2-0 in the series. Sundsvik finished pointless in both games, playing 3:42 in Game 1 and 3:50 in Game 2. It’s a trend that will likely continue for the remainder of the playoffs, but not one that’s surprising since he’s one of the younger forwards on the team.
Upcoming Games: April 26/27/29 vs. Luleå
Despite his KHL season coming to an end, Artyom Galimov was expected to play for the Russian national team in the Eurochallenge with two games against Belarus on Apr. 23 and 24. However, he did not feature in either game and has left the team due to an upper-body injury. It’s a disappointing development for Galimov, but we should learn more about the extent of the injury in the coming weeks.
Upcoming Games: N/A
Henry Thrun & Ian Moore
Henry Thrun finished his season on a high note, recording three assists over four games last week. The United States Hockey League season has come to an end, and the Clark Cup Playoffs are set to begin on Monday night. Thrun finished the season with eight goals and 21 points in 24 games played, which ranked second among defensemen on his team. The Dubuque Fighting Saints finished as the fourth seed and will face Ian Moore and the Chicago Steel in the conference semifinals, a best-of-three series that will begin on Apr. 30. The Steel have the better head-to-head record this season with a 5-2-1-0 record against the Fighting Saints
Upcoming Games: Apr. 30 & May. 1/2 vs. Chicago
Moore failed to register a point in the Steel’s final two games of the season last week. He finished his rookie USHL season with ten goals and 14 assists in 45 games played, which ranked ninth in team scoring and third among defensemen. He led all Steel defensemen in power-play goals (5) and tied for first in goals (10). He was also named USHL Defenseman of the Week for his performances the week before. It was the first such award of his USHL career, as he recorded one goal and two assists in two games played.
In a press release from the team, Steel associate head coach Matt Deschamps had this to say about Moore’s fit with the team this season:
Ian’s overall character and high-level play has shown through his play thus far. Ian is a great teammate with charismatic attitude that’s highly valued in our locker room. Ian possesses great offensive instincts and a heavy, accurate shot. Ian’s been a key contributor to our style of play and deserves this great recognition by the League.
Upcoming Games: Apr. 30 & May. 1/2 vs. Dubuque
Brayden Tracey & Ethan Bowen
Tracey extended his point streak to four games last week with two goals and two assists in three games played. The Victoria Royals lost all three games, but it’s still nice to see Tracey find the scoresheet with regularity. Over his four-game point streak, he has three goals and two assists. He leads Victoria in scoring and has points in 11 of 13 games this season with eight goals and eight assists. He has more goals this season in only 13 games than he did in 24 games with the Royals last season.
Upcoming Games: Apr. 26/30 vs. Prince George, Apr. 27 vs. Kelowna, May. 1 vs. Kamloops
Bowen amassed two goals in three games last week, both tallied in a 6-5 victory over Merritt on Apr. 23. He now has six goals and six assists in 13 games played which co-leads Chilliwack in scoring. He had 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 41 games played for the Chiefs during the 2019-20 season. He is committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2021-22 season.
Upcoming Games: Apr. 26/29 vs. Merritt, Apr. 30 vs. Prince George, May. 2 vs. Merritt
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.
