Ducks prospect Benoit-Olivier Groulx making all the right moves

3 years ago 363

IRVINE — The walk from a teammate was speedy and connected target.

So was the shot.

In a nanosecond, Benoit-Olivier Groulx one-timed the puck past goaltender Roman Durny and into the backmost of the net, 1 of galore highlights during the Ducks’ rookie squad signifier Thursday astatine Great Park Ice, up of their information successful the Rookie Faceoff Tournament successful Arizona.

The autobus to Scottsdale departed Irvine with 5 first-round draught picks aboard, including Jamie Drysdale (sixth wide successful 2020), Mason McTavish (third successful ’21) and Trevor Zegras (ninth successful ’19). Groulx wasn’t 1 of the five, having been selected successful the 2nd circular (54th overall) successful 2018.

No matter.

Groulx, a 21-year-old center, emerged arsenic 1 of the Ducks’ apical prospects aft lone 1 play with their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls, pursuing a stellar vocation successful the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was the Gulls’ third-leading scorer with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) past season.

Andrew Poturalski, 27, led San Diego with 43 points, and Chase De Leo, 25, was the Gulls’ second-leading scorer with 35 points past season.

Groulx’s crippled doesn’t diagnostic the aforesaid benignant of sizzle arsenic Zegras. Groulx and Zegras play the aforesaid position, but antithetic games. Zegras is simply a flashy playmaker who tin bring fans to the borderline of their seats. Groulx besides tin produce, but successful ways that don’t ever marque the nightly item reels.

That’s OK.

Subtle play tin beryllium effective, too.

Solid two-way play is ever invited astatine each levels of hockey, and particularly successful the NHL.

“I cognize what they expect of me,” Groulx said of his relation during the upcoming tournament. “I’m 1 of the older guys present and they expect maine to pb the mode connected and disconnected the ice. I deliberation since I americium 1 of the astir experienced successful presumption of NHL camps, I’m going to assistance the young guys.”

After a dilatory commencement to his rookie play successful San Diego, Groulx recovered his comfortableness zone. By season’s end, helium had claimed a pivotal role, taking and winning key, late-game faceoffs successful the antiaircraft portion and defending against the opposition’s apical centers. He accepted it willingly and helium excelled astatine it.

The past is successful the past, though.

Groulx has precocious expectations for himself this coming season, possibly adjacent battling for a roster spot erstwhile grooming campy begins for the full squad adjacent Thursday astatine Great Park Ice. The Ducks’ archetypal accumulation crippled is Sept. 26, and they unfastened the regular play connected Oct. 13 against the Winnipeg Jets astatine Honda Center.

“I conscionable privation to travel present and amusement that I improved a batch this summer,” Groulx said. “I had a really, really, truly bully offseason. A batch of power. A batch of speed. I privation to amusement it successful the Rookie Tournament. After that, successful the main camp, I conscionable privation to spell 1 time astatine a time. I don’t privation to enactment excessively overmuch unit connected myself successful making the roster connected opening night. (But) I truly privation to amusement however overmuch I improved implicit the summer.

“I deliberation bully things volition hap if I bash that.”

Groulx impressed Gulls manager Joel Bouchard agelong earlier hitting the crystal for the Ducks’ improvement campy earlier this month. Bouchard, hired to regenerate Kevin Dineen arsenic the Gulls’ manager during the offseason, is simply a longtime person of Groulx’s father, Benoit, and faced Benoit-Olivier’s teams, portion coaching successful the QMJHL.

More recently, Bouchard coached the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL team, the Laval Rocket.

“I cognize ‘B-O’ from scouting him successful midget and coaching against him successful the Quebec league,” Bouchard said. “It’s ever amusive to spot young guys turn successful hockey, to spot them astatine 15 and to spot them astatine 22 oregon 23. I saw ‘B-O’ backmost successful the time and each of a abrupt you’re seeing him becoming a bully pro.

“It’s ever fun.”