Ducks' Tarin Smith: Latest defender to Orange County
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Smith was the 79th overall pick by the Ducks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
The No. 20 overall pick by Everett in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft, Smith was a key cog for the Silvertips during his first CHL campaign. He posted 44 points in 67 games and finished the season with a plus-26 rating. Smith is a strong offensive player and an asset with the man advantage, but his skating is questionable, and his decision-making with the puck isn't the greatest. Still, with some size (6-foot-1) and legitimate skill to his game, Smith makes for a solid depth addition to a deep Anaheim prospect pool.
Procyszyn was the 68th overall pick by the Ducks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Procyszyn's offensive numbers this past season (15 goals, 36 points in 62 games) were underwhelming, but it's important to note he played on a loaded North Bay team. He's a big body (6-foot-2, 190 pounds), really competes, and has displayed an ability to contribute on both special teams, making him an intriguing long-term prospect, even if this seems a bit early in the draft for Procyszyn to have gone.
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Ducks' Maxim Masse: First pick of Round 3
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Masse was the 66th overall pick by the Ducks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 QMJHL Entry Draft, Masse made an immediate impact for Chicoutimi two seasons ago, leading all newcomers in both goals (29) and points (62 in 65 games) while being named QMJHL Rookie of the Year. He took a step forward from a production standpoint in 2023-24 (36 goals, 75 points in 67 games), but not a massive one. Masse's work ethic is exceptional. He's constantly battling along the boards and in front of the net and typically emerges with the puck. His foot speed remains a work in progress, but there's an intriguing mix of size (6-foot-2), skill and compete level here. Masse is an exceptional depth addition to the Anaheim system.
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Ducks' Lucas Pettersson: Round 2 pick of Anaheim
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Pettersson was the 35th overall pick by the Ducks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Pettersson is a two-way center who plays an advanced game for his age, as evidenced by his five appearances for MoDo of the SHL this past season as a 17-year-old. He spent most of the year playing for their club in the Swedish Jr. league and dominated to the tune of 27 goals and 57 points in 44 games. A jack-of-all-trades and master of none, Pettersson has an outside chance of developing into a top-six center for the Ducks but can be more comfortably projected as an excellent future third-line pivot. He was a solid selection at this stage of Round 2.
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Ducks' Stian Solberg: Punishing defender quacks in 23rd
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Solberg was the 23rd overall pick by the Ducks at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Solberg is a punishing defender who's emerged as the top defender after the big six D in this year's draft. He's mean and strong, and sometimes takes it too far in one-on-one coverage. But he'll mature into a more controlled game as he develops, and his already strong closing skills are going to take a lot of forwards by surprise. Solberg has a decent shot, but his offensive upside is limited. He's exactly the kind of mobile rock that every NHL team covets. The Ducks see him as a left-side Radko Gudas, which means he'll be a favorite in Anaheim when he eventually arrives, but his fantasy upside is limited.
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Ducks' Beckett Sennecke: Big leap to third at draft
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Sennecke was the third overall pick by the Ducks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
While some kids hit their growth spurt before high school, others, like Sennecke, grow almost five inches after they're eligible to get a driver's license. The winger now stands almost 6-foot-3 and finally found his game in the postseason. Sennecke exploded for 22 points in 16 playoff games for Oshawa (OHL), and his stock is trending way up. So much so that he catapulted from a likely 12-15 draft spot to No. 3.. Sennecke has game-breaking skill with the puck and a great shot and there are some who think he might end up at center. That's a tough transition, but the Ducks might try it given his size. His game needs to mature, but count on Sennecke to become a playmaking, second-line power winger once he grows into his new height.
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Ducks' Damian Clara: Signs entry-level contract
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Clara signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Anaheim on Monday.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Clara posted a 25-8-0 record with a 2.23 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 34 regular-season appearances for Brynas IF of Sweden's HockeyAllsvenskan. He also posted a mark of 10-1 with a 1.68 GAA and a .931 save percentage in the postseason to promote Brynas to the SHL for 2024-25. Clara will probably return to Sweden next season. The Ducks selected the 19-year-old netminder with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
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Ducks' Rodwin Dionicio: Secures ELC
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Dionicio signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Ducks on Friday.
Dionicio was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. In 60 OHL games with Saginaw and Windsor this season, he racked up 25 goals, 73 points and 108 PIM. He later added 17 points in 17 postseason appearances. Dionicio should spend next season with AHL San Diego with his eyes on an NHL debut in the relatively near future.
Buteyets signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on Wednesday.
Buteyets has gone 40-32-6 with a 2.36 GAA and a .923 save percentage over 81 games with the Russian second-division team Chelmet Chelyabinsk. Buteyets was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Entry draft. He has just one game of KHL experience under his belt, so it's unclear if he'll make the jump to North America on a full-time basis in 2024-25.
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Ducks' Max Jones: Recovers from shoulder injury
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Jones has been cleared from his sprained shoulder injury, the team announced Wednesday.
Jones missed the final 11 contests of the season because of the injury. He finished 2023-24 with five goals, 15 points, 33 PIM and 125 hits in 52 outings. The 26-year-old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and Jones figures to maintain his bottom-six role with the Ducks in 2024-25 if the two sides are able to come to terms on a new contract.
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Ducks' Pavel Mintyukov: Ends year with bone bruise
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Mintyukov's lower-body injury is a bone bruise that kept him out of the last eight contests of 2023-24, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Mintyukov sustained the injury on a Jakob Silfverberg shot in a game versus the Oilers on March 30. Mintyukov is expected to be recovered in time for the 2024-25 campaign.
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Ducks' Max Jones: Dealing with sprained shoulder
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Jones ended the season with a sprained shoulder, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Jones was out for the final 11 games of the season with the injury. The 26-year-old winger is set to be a restricted free agent, though it's unclear if the Ducks have interest in bringing him back for 2024-25.
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Ducks' Mason McTavish: Will avoid surgery
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McTavish is dealing with a sprained MCL in his knee, but he won't required offseason surgery, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports.
McTavish missed the last six games of the season with the injury. The 21-year-old will compete for a top-six role in training camp in the fall.
Vaakanainen was scratched for four of the Ducks' last 11 games.
Vaakanainen set a career high with 68 games played in 2023-24, picking up 14 points, 67 shots on net, 55 hits and 79 blocked shots. He was generally solid in a bottom-four role, but he couldn't maintain an everyday role in the second half of the season. Vaakanainen is a pending restricted free agent.
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Ducks' Ben Meyers: Playing time shaky after trade
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Meyers played in 14 of the Ducks' final 20 games after he was traded from the Avalanche.
A reunion with head coach Greg Cronin, who worked with Meyers at AHL Colorado in previous seasons, was not enough to spark the winger's offense. The 25-year-old has not accumulated enough games in his career to remain a restricted free agent, so he'll be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer. Meyers has eight points over 67 career NHL appearances.
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Ducks' Ross Johnston: Finishes season cold
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Johnston failed to record a point over his last 10 contests in 2023-24.
Johnston had just four points with 139 hits, 117 PIM and a minus-12 rating over 68 appearances in his first year with the Ducks. He's under contract for two more seasons with a $1.1 million cap hit. He can help provide toughness on the Ducks' fourth line, but if the team experiences an influx of talent, he could be waived again as he was at the start of 2023-24 to make room for more talented players.
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Ducks' William Lagesson: No points for Anaheim
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Lagesson didn't record a point in 10 appearances with the Ducks after he was claimed off waivers from the Maple Leafs.
Lagesson got shuffled out of a crowded defense corps in Toronto and couldn't claim a full-time role in Anaheim. At 28 years old and with just 11 points to his name over parts of four seasons, there's no guarantee Lagesson will get an NHL deal this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Even if he does, he'll likely have to settle for a two-way contract.
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Ducks' Cutter Gauthier: Registers helper in debut
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Gauthier notched an assist and three shots on goal in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Gauthier took a pass from Leo Carlsson and set up Jackson LaCombe on the game-winning tally. It was a glimpse into the future for the Ducks, with Gauthier joining a growing talent pool after a surprise midseason trade from the Flyers. Gauthier may still need a taste of the AHL in 2024-25, but he'll likely be given every opportunity to win an NHL job in training camp.
