The Anaheim Geese have been rebuilding their roster for a number of years now. A frequent participant within the yearly draft lottery, the Geese have missed the playoffs for six straight seasons, together with a Thirtieth-ranked 27-50-5 document in 2023-24. Whereas outcomes have been disappointing on the ice, the Geese have one of many brightest futures within the NHL. They’ve amassed a great deal of promising younger expertise with their lottery picks and have hit on some later-round picks to construct what is often thought-about considered one of the perfect prospect swimming pools within the league. As we did final yr, let’s take a look at the ten greatest prospects from this loaded group.
Associated: Anaheim Geese’ State of the Rebuild: 2024 Offseason
To simplify issues, I’m utilizing Calder Trophy eligibility as my definition of “prospect.” To be Calder-eligible, a participant has fewer than 25 NHL video games performed in a season and not more than six video games per yr for any earlier two years in a serious league. This excludes loads of Anaheim’s future core, together with 19-year-old Leo Carlsson, who appeared in 55 video games final season. The truth is, 5 gamers from final yr’s high prospect listing have graduated, and a sixth participant, Jacob Perreault, has since been traded away.
10. Yegor Sidorov
Yegor Sidorov is a troublesome prospect to rank. On one hand, he’s a inventive and gifted goal-scorer, lighting the lamp 65 occasions in 82 video games for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL) final season. Nonetheless, this manufacturing got here as a 19-year-old in a league the place his opponents will be as much as 4 years youthful than him. He signed an entry-level contract (ELC) in April and can doubtless play for the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, this season.
Sidorov could be a potential game-breaker on the NHL stage, however he wants a extra full recreation earlier than coaches will likely be comfy skating him on the highest stage. The extra age-appropriate competitors of the AHL will power him to depend on teammates extra incessantly, and will probably be a fantastic check of how nicely his high-end manufacturing carries into the skilled stage.
9. Sasha Pastujov
Considered one of three prospects coming back from final yr’s listing, Sasha Pastujov accomplished his first full skilled season with the Gulls. The 20-year-old proper wing had a big chunk of the season taken from him because of a lower-body damage and completed with 23 factors in 46 video games. As an immensely proficient playmaker with a little bit of a skating hitch, he is without doubt one of the group’s extra boom-or-bust prospects. He’ll want extra time within the AHL, however his spotlight reel can be a welcome addition to Anaheim’s top-six.
8. Rodwin Dionicio
The Duck’s defensive prospect pool has been mentioned advert nauseam, however Rodwin Dionicio is one other promising addition to the group. A fifth-round decide within the 2023 NHL Draft, Dionicio had a remarkably productive 2023-24 season within the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was considered one of 9 defensemen within the final decade to achieve 25 targets in an OHL season and totaled 90 factors in 77 complete video games break up between the Windsor Spitfires and Saginaw Spirit.
Dionicio’s greatest hurdle to the NHL would be the logjam of left-handed defensemen the Geese are creating. Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Jackson LaCombe are graduates of final yr’s high prospect listing, and Tyson Hinds accomplished his first skilled season in San Diego. He’s turning professional this season as nicely, however he’ll be doing so in Switzerland as a member of EHC Biel. Whereas the three-year deal raises questions on when, or if, he’ll return to North America, he extra lately signed an ELC with Anaheim. Out clauses are now not wanted for a participant to maneuver between the Swiss League and the NHL, however it’s unlikely he’d return to the States to play for the Gulls except one thing modifications to the logjam forward of him on the depth chart.
7. Damian Clara
The primary Italian-born participant drafted in NHL historical past, 19-year-old Damian Clara has been among the best goaltenders in Sweden’s second league. His .913 save share (SV%) helped Brynas to a 25-8-0 document with him between the pipes. He was much more dominant within the postseason, upping his SV% to .931 and posting a 10-1 document, main the group to a promotion from HockeyAllsvenkan to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He’s the youngest goaltender ever to guide their group to Sweden’s high league.
In June, Clara signed a three-year ELC with the Geese, however he’s doubtless staying in Sweden in the intervening time. Goaltending is a troublesome place to judge, however Anaheim does have a couple of promising netminders within the system. Lukas Dostal is a graduate from final yr’s listing, whereas Calle Clang, Tomas Suchanek, and Vyacheslav Buteyets are all older and additional of their growth. Nonetheless, the towering 6-foot-6 Clara has the expertise to leap up the depth chart within the coming years. The Geese could choose a Dostal and Clara tandem after the John Gibson period runs its course.
Lucas Pettersson, a second-round decide in final month’s NHL Draft, is a strong two-way heart prospect. Offensively, he has extra of a knack for goal-scoring, however he’s a strong skater with good hockey sense, encouraging his growth as a playmaker. He recorded 57 factors in 44 video games within the J20 Nationell, Sweden’s high junior league. Days after being drafted by the Geese, Pettersson was chosen by the Saginaw Spirit within the 2024 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Pettersson’s an thrilling prospect due to his versatility. He isn’t elite at anyone factor, however he performs a whole recreation for such a younger participant. He even describes himself as a “mature two-way heart,” which is able to make his path to the NHL simpler. It’s not going that he’ll crack Anaheim’s top-six with its future core as loaded because it at present is. But when he continues to develop a accountable 200-foot recreation, he can develop into a dependable third-line choice with penalty-killing duties.
5. Stian Solberg
The Geese traded up final month to pick out defenseman Stian Solberg twenty third total. The 6-foot-2 Norweigan blueliner is a throwback defender and provides Anaheim’s prospect pool a component of nastiness it lacked prior. Geese basic supervisor Pat Verbeek even described him as “Radko Gudas however three inches taller.” Gudas made a big impact in his first season in Anaheim, so a youthful, taller model of him is an thrilling thought.
Solberg isn’t a lot of an offensive driver, however the Geese’ roster group permits that to be a non-issue. They’ve a number of puck-moving defensemen to unfold by means of the pairings. As a left-handed defenseman, he might make a thunder-and-lighting pairing with Tristan Luneau. Solberg signed his ELC with the Geese however will play for Färjestad BK within the SHL this upcoming season.
4. Nathan Gaucher
The second of three gamers returning on the listing, Nathan Gaucher is without doubt one of the group’s extra NHL-ready prospects. The 6-foot-3 heart accomplished his first skilled season with the Gulls, recording 25 factors in 72 video games. Adapting to the skilled stage could be a problem for energy forwards, as they’re extra doubtless to achieve success utilizing measurement to their benefit on the decrease ranges. Gaucher was roughly a point-per-game participant within the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in his final three years (134 factors in 140 video games), however the challenges of taking part in in a league of full-grown adults noticed his manufacturing take a dip.
Gaucher’s path to the NHL doesn’t lie in his manufacturing, however in what he can deliver to the roster’s depth. His measurement is uncommon amongst Anaheim’s depth items, and his means to play heart and wing ought to put him on the shortlist for damage call-ups this season. If he sticks within the NHL, it’ll doubtless be within the bottom-six with penalty-killing duties.
3. Tristan Luneau
The ultimate returning entrant to this yr’s listing, Tristan Luneau is all of a sudden the group’s high right-handed defensive prospect. The offensive-minded defender was a little bit of a shock to make the Geese’ roster out of camp final season, however he was making vital strides in every recreation he appeared in. In the end, he was restricted to seven video games for Anaheim final season earlier than a knee an infection price him the remainder of the season.
Anaheim’s entrance workplace and training employees needed to have appreciated what they noticed in his restricted pattern measurement, as a result of the Geese traded their most developed right-hand defensive prospect, Jamie Drysdale, whereas it was recognized Luneau can be out for the yr. Because of this, Luneau will tackle a a lot greater position this season.
2. Beckett Sennecke
Anaheim’s yearly custom of unusual first-round picks didn’t disappoint this yr, as even Beckett Sennecke didn’t know he would hear his identify introduced third total. The Toronto native is an interesting prospect and will swimsuit the Geese’ wants as they develop into extra aggressive. Proper wing is Anaheim’s weakest ahead group, and the hope is that Sennecke is the highest choice within the coming years.
Sennecke is 6-foot-4 however had a five-inch development spurt since coming into the OHL. This implies he developed the puck expertise of a sub-6-foot playmaker, and so they’ve managed to translate to his extra imposing body. Final season, he recorded 68 factors in 63 common season video games for the Oshawa Generals and continued to show up the warmth in the course of the postseason, notching a further 22 factors in 16 video games.
Sennecke was a boom-or-bust choice for the Geese. His upside is sufficient to warrant the quantity two spot on this listing, however he’ll have to proceed to fill in his body and spherical out his recreation to achieve his potential. His upcoming season in Oshawa will likely be price being attentive to.
1. Cutter Gauthier
The brand new high prospect in Anaheim arrived within the beforehand talked about Jamie Drysdale commerce. Cutter Gauthier was the fifth total decide in 2022 by the Philadelphia Flyers however was unwilling to signal with the membership which prompted the commerce. Gauthier is ready to skate in his first full season within the NHL after making his debut in Anaheim’s 2023-24 season finale in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Gauthier’s greatest attribute is his shot, and he’ll doubtless get the possibility to indicate it off as a characteristic a part of Anaheim’s top-six. He led the NCAA with 38 targets in 41 video games for Boston Faculty final season and was a runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award. His means to be a sniper ought to present quick assist to a Geese group that ranked Thirtieth within the league final season in targets scored. Regardless of the offensive prowess, he’s no slouch on the opposite finish. At 6-foot-3 he can use his physique to create turnovers and apply strain on the forecheck.
Statistics courtesy of Hockey-DB and Elite Prospects.
