Ducks’ future looks bright as top prospects shine in Rookie Faceoff

Logan Nijhoff, an undrafted, 20-year-old near helping who was invited to the Ducks’ rookie camp, scored the tie-breaking extremity with lone 1.7 seconds remaining successful a 5-4 triumph implicit the Arizona Coyotes connected Monday successful the last crippled of the Rookie Faceoff Tournament successful Glendale, Arizona.

The Ducks were 2-0-1, defeating the Coyotes and San Jose Sharks and dropping an overtime determination to the Colorado Avalanche. The extent of their endowment excavation was underscored by the information that first-round draught picks Jamie Drysdale (2020), Mason  McTavish (’21) and Trevor Zegras (’19) didn’t play Monday.

Who other stood retired successful the Rookie Faceoff?

For starters, defenseman Olen Zellweger, a third-round prime successful July, showed helium could skate and grip the puck with the aforesaid benignant of poise that Drysdale showed portion playing 24 games past play with the Ducks. Zellweger scored the Ducks’ archetypal extremity Monday and acceptable up the adjacent two.

Zellweger, who turned 18 connected Sept. 10, is apt ticketed for a instrumentality to his inferior squad successful Everett, Washington, for different play of playing with his peers. Because helium hardly made the property cutoff for the astir caller draught and due to the fact that he’s lone 5-foot-9, the Ducks tin spend to beryllium diligent with him.

Among the forwards, halfway Bo Groulx and wingers Sasha Pastujov, Jacob Perreault and Brayden Tracey helped to spark the Ducks’ discourtesy to an mean of 5.67 goals successful Arizona, a invited improvement for an enactment that averaged an NHL-low 2.21 past season.

Groulx played a beardown two-way crippled against San Jose and Colorado earlier sitting retired Monday’s finale against the Coyotes. Pastujov had a chapeau instrumentality against the Sharks. Perreault’s changeable was each spot arsenic bully arsenic advertised. Tracey had 4 assists successful an 8-4 triumph implicit the Sharks.

Last but not least, goaltender Lukas Dostal didn’t enactment successful the Rookie Faceoff, remaining successful Orange County to skate with the Ducks’ veterans. Dostal, 21, is considered to beryllium among the Ducks’ apical 5 prospects, on with (in nary peculiar order) Drysdale, Groulx, McTavish and Zegras.

Heading into grooming campy Thursday greeting astatine Great Park Ice, Dostal is 3rd connected the Ducks’ goalie extent illustration down starter John Gibson and backup Anthony Stolarz. Dostal is expected to statesman the play with the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks’ AHL team, and to beryllium their No. 1 goalie.

Roman Durny, a fifth-round draught prime successful 2018, and Gage Alexander, a fifth-round enactment successful July, handled the goaltending duties successful the Rookie Faceoff. Olle Eriksson Ek, who rounds retired the Ducks’ extent chart, was not connected the rookie team’s roster, but is expected to be grooming camp.

Nijhoff!!!!
He scores with lone 1 2nd near to springiness america the W, 5-4. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/QS8dntsxA9

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 20, 2021

Kindopp puts america successful the lead!
It's 4-3. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/zppAeCSvxA

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 20, 2021

Golod gets america backmost successful beforehand connected the powerfulness play!
We pb 2-1. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/N0V9Xfqdyi

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 20, 2021

Olen gets america rollin' with this SNIPE.
We pb 1-0. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/TRdo31NDKc

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) September 20, 2021