Latest news with #LeoCarlsson
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Anaheim Ducks Prospect Rankings: 10. Nathan Gaucher
The Anaheim Ducks have missed the playoffs every year since 2017-18 and in doing so, have drafted in the top ten for seven consecutive seasons and procured one of the NHL's deepest and most potent prospect pools. Despite several young players having graduated and become full-time NHLers, such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, the Ducks still have an impressive pipeline of potential impact and depth prospects yet to make the jump. Lukas Dostal: Increased Pressure, Journey from 'No-Name Goalie' to Paid Among NHL Elite Ducks Sign Drew Helleson to Two-Year Extension Ducks Sign Lukas Dostal to Five-Year Extension For this exercise, only players who haven't lost rookie status are eligible for a ranking, and to be clear, these are my (Patrick Present) subjective rankings. Honorable Mentions: Yegor Sidorov, Herman Traff, Tarin Smith, Lasse Boelius, Calle Clang It was a difficult decision to cut Sidorov from the list and rank Gaucher in the tenth spot. Ultimately, it came down to path and projectability. Based on his position demand, brand of hockey, and draft pedigree. It's a near-certainty that Gaucher will play NHL games, likely well over 100, in his career, beginning within the next couple of seasons. Though having shown more electricity and offensive upside to this point in their careers, the same cannot be said for Sidorov. Gaucher is a straight-line, tenacious, and defensively detailed right-shot center who plays a heavy brand and is difficult to play against on a shift-by-shift basis. He's an explosive skater, which he uses to cover a great amount of ice to eliminate time and space, whether that's in defensive zone coverage, on the backcheck in the neutral zone, or on the forecheck in the offensive zone. He utilizes his 6-foot-3, 207-pound frame to establish body position, protect pucks, and bully his way to the front of the opposing crease. The Ducks selected Gaucher (22nd overall in 2022) in the first round of the 2022 draft, Pat Verbeek's first draft as GM of the franchise, with a pick acquired in the trade of Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins at the 2022 trade deadline. Before his pro career, and in his four seasons playing in the CHL for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, he scored 158 points (80-78=158) in 199 regular season games and added 29 (11-18=29) in 36 playoff games, en route to QMJHL and Memorial Cup championships in 2023. He won two World Junior Championship gold medals with Canada in 2022 and 2023, playing a shutdown, checking role and totaling six points (2-4=6) in 14 games between the two tournaments. Offense has not been easy to come by since beginning his professional career in 2023-24 as a member of the San Diego Gulls, as he's only produced 44 points (18-26=44) in 128 AHL games over the last two seasons. He is, however, making his trademark 200-foot impact on every game, and he quickly found his 'B-game' when failing to find scoresheets. 'Nathan has had to deal with a couple of really important injuries that have set him back a little bit since we drafted him. And unfortunately, he hurt himself right before camp, so it took him a while to get going this year because of that,' Ducks assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Martin Madden told The Hockey News: Anaheim Ducks, when asked about Gaucher's progression. 'And then, unfortunately, ended the season with injury as well. 'But he grew a lot in terms of his confidence with the puck, offensively. Overall, his offensive play grew as he gained confidence, establishing himself as a hard player to play against on the defensive side. They were using him in a checking role, PK. But as the season went on, his skating got better and better, and I think that helped with time and space, so he had more confidence in his hands. He had more confidence to look around and make plays.' The offense was coming around for Gaucher toward the final stretch of the 2024-25 season, as he scored 11 points (5-6=11) in his final 12 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Unfortunately, Gaucher bookended his 2024-25 campaign with injuries: first, he missed a significant percentage of rookie and training camps with a lower body injury, and then sustained the aforementioned shoulder injury to end his season, requiring surgery. He was given an estimated recovery time of 4-6 months after sustaining the injury in March and is expected to be fully healthy by rookie and training camps in September. It's plausible to believe Gaucher will rediscover what made him offensively successful at the end of last season, compound it with his defensive prowess, and hit the ground running in 2025-26, which will be his third season in the AHL. If he can continue to polish his two-way game and explore the reaches of his offensive capabilities, he will likely be playing NHL games within the next two seasons. Projecting Future Extensions for Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier Ducks Sign Clang, Myšák to One-Year Deals Ducks Prospect Uljanskis Chooses CHL for 2025-26 Season Photo Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL contract grades: Mikael Granlund is pricey but sensible for the building Ducks
Mikael Granlund signs with the Anaheim Ducks on an three-year contract with a $7 million average annual value. Give Pat Verbeek and the Anaheim Ducks some credit: They're trying. We've seen it happen more than often enough over the years — franchises can choose to rebuild, then complete part of the process but miss the exit. You can't be bad forever. At some point, you've got to at least make the attempt to win hockey games. Advertisement That's what this calendar year has been about for the Ducks — the attempt. If you're skeptical of the specifics, you're probably right to be, because players such as Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and, yes, Granlund aren't perfect. They're not particularly close to perfect. And, given their respective ages, they're only getting farther away. There's something to be said, though, for filling out a roster with real, live, proven NHL contributors, especially when you've got a few foundational pieces in place. In Anaheim, those are Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier and, hopefully, a defenseman or two. And they've all already spent more than enough time losing games. Granlund, like Kreider and Trouba, will help change that. He remains a creative, fairly versatile player capable of contributing on a contender's middle six, as we saw with the Dallas Stars. Granlund landed there after rehabbing his value with the San Jose Sharks. Defensively, he's still a mess, a fact that the Stars helped mitigate, but he also seems capable of producing — at even strength and potentially on a power play — at level high enough to pull his weight. Expecting another season in the 60-point range wouldn't be unreasonable. At this point in Granlund's career, he works best on the wing. Not coincidentally, Anaheim started free agency with one of the very worst groups of wingers in the league. Granlund's passing ability would slot in nicely next to Carlsson. His defensive impacts … less so. But hey, it could be worse. Now, is he a $7 million AAV player on balance? Nope. Anaheim, though, still has approximately $30 million in salary-cap space. They shouldn't care, and it doesn't seem like they do. The term is short enough, too, to not pose any real problems. On the player's end of things, Granlund gets an A-plus. He bottomed out in Pittsburgh, worked his way back in San Jose and then popped for the Stars on the way to the Western Conference final. At 33, he's cashing in, and he deserves it. Contract grade: C- Fit grade: B-
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ducks Young Star Listed as 'Untouchable' Amid Trade Rumors
Ducks Young Star Listed as 'Untouchable' Amid Trade Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Anaheim Ducks are getting ready for a big offseason following another year that saw them miss the playoffs. Anaheim did take a jump in the standings, but fell short of the goal to reach the postseason. Advertisement The Ducks quickly brought in veteran head coach Joel Quenneville to take over the team, and he is expected to help them end the long drought. Quenneville brings experience behind the bench, but the roster also needs some major upgrades. Anaheim has been involved in all sorts of trade rumors, and it could see them be very active. But Eric Stephens of The Athletic has listed young star Leo Carlsson as "untouchable" this offseason. "Coming off his first 20-goal year, in which he pushed his points average up from 0.53 as a rookie to 0.59, Carlsson played a big role for Sweden at the World Championships. He had 10 points in 10 games, including a two-goal effort in the quarterfinals against Czechia and a two-assist game in the bronze medal win over Denmark. And with 29 points in his last 31 Ducks games, he's looking like a No. 1 center moving into his age-21 season.", Stephens said. Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (11) celebrates with center Leo Carlsson (91) after scoring a goal during the third period of a hockey game against the Dallas Stars at Honda Center. Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images Carlsson was selected by the Ducks with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. The young star has emerged as a true option for Anaheim and seems to be a player that the Ducks want to build around. Advertisement Last season for the Ducks, Carlsson posted 20 goals and 25 assists over 76 games played. The center started to look much more comfortable on the ice down the stretch of the season, and the Ducks would likely be best served to keep him around long-term. Related: Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner Linked to New Eye-Opening Landing Spot Related: Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Predicted Stanley Cup Final Rematch Last Year This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Overtime Win over the Flames
Apr 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson (91) sends the puck past Calgary Flames right wing Matt Coronato (27) to Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier (not pictured) who scored during the overtime period Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Anaheim Ducks hosted the Calgary Flames on Wednesday in the first leg of a back-to-back that will take them north to face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. The Ducks were coming off a nail-biting 3-2 victory over a depleted Edmonton Oilers squad on Monday in which they were outshot 47-21. Advertisement Game #78: Ducks vs. Flames Gameday Preview The Flames entered just four points out of the second wild card spot in the Western Conference standings with a game in hand on the Minnesota Wild, the team currently occupying the spot. Calgary had registered points in four of their previous five games. Jacob Trouba missed his third straight game for the Ducks with a lower-body injury and was replaced by Oliver Kylington. Jansen Harkins was reinserted into the fourth line after serving as a healthy scratch on Monday in favor of Brett Leason. Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks in this game and saved 36 of 39 shots. Advertisement Rookie sensation Dustin Wolf took the crease for the Flames and stopped 19 of 23. 'From the bench, it was a frustrating environment,' Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said postgame. 'It just was a sloppy, ugly game. But, tremendous amount of credit to our guys for coming back when it was 3-1.' Apr 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier (61) is congratulated by defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) and center Trevor Zegras (11) after a goal during the third period against the Calgary Flames as Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Here are my notes from this game: Penalty Kill-For the second game in a row, the Ducks penalty kill was tasked with killing six penalties, and they've killed all 12. Leo Carlsson played 3:53 on the PK, Cutter Gauthier played 2:16, and Troy Terry played 2:00. That trio made the difference along with Jackson LaCombe, who played 7:26 on the PK, as they were able to anticipate and close quickly when the puck moved north/south throughout the zone. Advertisement 'Guys did a really good job on the PK and for a goalie, it is like you know where the shots are coming (from), so it gets kind of easier for you.' Ville Husso said. 'Six kills is pretty good.' Ville Husso-Husso earned his first win as a Duck in this game and did his best Lukas Dostal/John Gibson impression, keeping the team in the game with a structured and calm approach until they were able to pot some timely goals. He was terrific on his angles all night and was especially unwavering when there was a scramble or flurry at the top of the crease. Cutter Gauthier-Gauthier tallied eight shots in this game and wouldn't be denied from the hop. He's made immense progress this season off and on puck, and his anticipation skills have refined significantly. Pucks are seemingly drawn to him now (not an accident) and his chemistry with Leo Carlsson is blossoming into something special. The two can operate at high speeds, change pace, and make dynamic decisions at critical junctures in the course of a single play. Advertisement 'I'm just trying to shoot as much as I can,' Gauthier said. 'Coach has been harping on us that we don't shoot pucks enough, so I'm trying to make up for some of the guys that don't shoot it as much. Just trying to get pucks on net and hopefully, they go in.' The Ducks will next head up the 5 Freeway to take on the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday evening. Ducks 2023 Second-Round Pick Signs ELC John Gibson Selected for Ducks' Masterton Trophy Nominee
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oilers visit the Ducks in Pacific Division play
Edmonton Oilers (44-27-5, in the Pacific Division) vs. Anaheim Ducks (33-35-8, in the Pacific Division) Anaheim, California; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The Edmonton Oilers take on the Anaheim Ducks in Pacific Division action on Monday. Advertisement Anaheim has a 9-13-1 record in Pacific Division games and a 33-35-8 record overall. The Ducks have a 29-3-4 record when scoring three or more goals. Edmonton is 44-27-5 overall and 13-8-1 against the Pacific Division. The Oilers have gone 22-10-4 in games decided by a goal. Monday's game is the fourth time these teams match up this season. The Ducks won 6-2 in the previous matchup. Mason McTavish led the Ducks with two goals. TOP PERFORMERS: Leo Carlsson has scored 20 goals with 20 assists for the Ducks. Trevor Zegras has four goals and four assists over the past 10 games. Leon Draisaitl has 52 goals and 54 assists for the Oilers. Viktor Arvidsson has scored five goals over the past 10 games. Advertisement LAST 10 GAMES: Ducks: 4-5-1, averaging three goals, 4.7 assists, four penalties and 9.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.8 goals per game. Oilers: 6-3-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 4.9 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game. INJURIES: Ducks: None listed. Oilers: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
