The Anaheim Ducks made the right choice to allow Tristan Luneau to play for Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship. He is expected to be a key part of the Canadian defense corps at the tournament while occupying a top-four spot and seeing time on the second power-play unit. His NHL experience will also likely make him a leader on the team. Luneau should be able to shine offensively against players in his own age bracket, which he did during his time in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Representing Canada in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the World Juniors will be great for his confidence, and it should benefit his development as a player.
The 19-year-old blueliner has already had a busy 2023-24 season after he managed to crack the Ducks’ roster out of training camp. It has been captivating to watch Luneau’s journey unfold so far, and it will be interesting to see what the Ducks do with Luneau once the tournament is completed. Does he return to the NHL? Or does he report to the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques? It’s unclear at this time what the team intends to do, but we will examine the two paths that await Luneau and the Ducks.
Ducks Could Keep Luneau at the NHL Level
Luneau was a surprise addition to the NHL roster for the start of the 2023-24 campaign. He made his big-league debut on Oct. 19 against the Dallas Stars, posting one shot on goal and logging nearly 16 minutes of ice time in a 3-2 defeat. He was a healthy scratch for six consecutive contests before getting sent to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) on a conditioning stint. Luneau picked up two helpers and 12 shots on goal in six minor-league outings before returning to the Ducks on Nov. 17.
Luneau’s time in the AHL proved to be beneficial, as he earned his first NHL point in his first game back in the lineup when he contributed an assist in a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 22. At 19 years, 322 days, Luneau became the fifth-youngest Ducks defenseman to score his first career goal, which he achieved in a multi-point performance (one goal, one assist) versus the Washington Capitals on Nov. 30. He averaged 18:50 of ice time in five contests before being loaned to Canada’s National Junior Team. Luneau has played with a variety of defense partners in the NHL but spent the vast majority of his minutes alongside Cam Fowler.
General manager Pat Verbeek was complimentary of Luneau’s play when he spoke to Alexis Downie on Ducks Stream’s “The Beeker,” but he was quick to acknowledge that the situation has been a challenge. “Well, he’s played fairly well. For a guy who hasn’t seen a lot of action, it’s tough to kind of come in and play one game a week, which he kind of has,” said Verbeek. “Then we were able to get him down to San Diego where he got to play six games in a two-week span, which was really good for him. I think it got him jump-started. It’s a big adjustment. Tristan likes to carry the puck a little bit too much, and we’ve been working with him on that to move it quicker, and he’s adjusting.”
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If the Ducks want Luneau to cut out junior habits — like holding onto the puck for too long — then it would make some sense to keep him in the NHL for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. However, if he isn’t playing regularly, then the process of slowly burning a year from his entry-level contract could end up being a waste. He has only played in seven games, so he could play in another two contests before the Ducks really have to wrestle with that decision.
Luneau is not eligible for full-time assignment to the AHL, so he will either need to be an NHLer or a QMJHLer once he is finished with the World Junior Championship. If Jamie Drysdale is able to return from a lower-body injury while Luneau is playing overseas, the Ducks will have seven healthy rearguards on the roster. That could make the call much easier to return Luneau to the junior ranks.
Ducks Could Assign Luneau to Gatineau
Luneau has achieved a great deal in the QMJHL despite losing most of the 2020-21 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He still managed to generate 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) that season en route to being named the QMJHL Rookie of the Year and the QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Luneau improved to 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) over 63 games in 2021-22 before erupting for 83 points (20 goals, 63 assists) across 65 appearances in 2022-23. He was named the recipient of the Emile Bouchard Trophy in 2023 as the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year after leading all defenders in the league in assists and points.
There is certainly an argument that Luneau is too good for the QMJHL, and returning there for another season wouldn’t be in his best interest. However, it could also be said that more seasoning, and another dominant showing in junior is more beneficial to his long-term development than sitting in the press box for long stretches at a time in the NHL.
A situation like this played out similarly last season with Brandt Clarke of the Los Angeles Kings. He started with the Kings before getting scratched for extended periods. Clarke was eventually assigned to the AHL’s Ontario Reign for conditioning before getting loaned to Team Canada for the World Juniors. Following his nine-game trial, he was assigned to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. Clarke has five goals and 26 points through 25 AHL outings with the Reign this season. Luneau may follow down that same path, but the Ducks like to handle things a bit differently, which is evident in Leo Carlsson’s strength and development plan.
Ducks’ Decision Should Be About Playing Time
Luneau’s case isn’t the same as Carlsson, who has a starring role with the team. Carlsson is expected to become a regular in the lineup as the season progresses, but Luneau’s position on the roster carries much more uncertainty. If the Ducks want to keep a defenseman around for depth, or as injury insurance Robert Hagg, Drew Helleson, or Colton White could get call-ups from the minors.
Olen Zellweger or Tyson Hinds should see NHL action down the stretch, but they need to be playing, and so does Luneau. Working on details at the pro level is a valuable experience, but putting them into practice is where the real progress is made. If Luneau is going to keep spending time in the press box as a healthy scratch with the Ducks, he is probably better off going to the QMJHL for the rest of the 2023-24 season so that he can see as much game action as possible.
