Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included.

Today, we’re looking at the Anaheim Ducks.

From a future standpoint, the 2023-24 season was a big one in Orange County. The Ducks still finished 30th in the NHL, but Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger and Lukas Dostal all saw their first serious NHL duty, making up a big portion of the team’s core.

And yet, the Ducks still have a bucketload of quality talent on the way, aided by their third overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft when they took Beckett Sennecke. But what really helped this team push forward and build one of the best pipelines in the NHL was adding Cutter Gauthier in a trade after the 2024 World Juniors. Jamie Drysdale was an expensive piece to give up, but Gauthier was viewed as one of the best players outside the NHL before eventually making his debut before the end of the season.

The Ducks have at least one notable prospect at every position, which is really exciting. When you combine their young core already, plus some good value on the draft floor in recent years, it can make up for the fact that many of the team’s other previous young stars – Sam Steel, Maxime Comtois, Max Jones, Josh Mahura and Antoine Morand – never really panned out for them.

It’s seriously an exciting time for a franchise that hopes to challenge for a playoff spot sooner rather than later. And it’s only just getting started.

Biggest Strength

There might not be another team with as much notable depth in their pipeline as Anaheim. They’ve got good support centers in Lucas Pettersson and Nathan Gaucher to go along with some of their existing talent; Gauthier and Sennecke are both going to be top-six wingers. Zellweger, Stian Solberg, Tristan Luneau and Rodwin Dionicio are all stout blueliners with their own sets of skills; and Damian Clara looks like a future NHL goaltender. That’s what happens when you’re near the bottom of the standings year after year, but also when you find good value outside of the first round, too.

Biggest Weakness

The Ducks have a lot of good centers, but they’re missing more natural wingers. I expect Gauthier to move to the wing, but outside of maybe just Sennecke, there aren’t many others in the system that have a shot of being an impact NHLer. They have some decent options now, but if Trevor Zegras gets moved, snagging a skilled winger in return wouldn’t hurt.

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Olen Zellweger (Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)*

1. Cutter Gauthier, LW/C, 20 (Anaheim Ducks)

Acquired: Traded by Philadelphia for Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick in 2024

It’s hard to call Gauthier a gift, given they had to trade one of their best young defensemen to make it happen. But the Ducks might now have the best prospect in hockey, someone who put everyone on notice last year. The 20-year-old was named top forward at the World Junior Championship after leading the United States to a gold medal with a tournament-leading 10 assists. He then led the NCAA with 38 goals en route to a Hockey East championship and a finalist spot for the Hobey Baker Award. With Gauthier’s mix of confidence and skill, I have every reason to believe he’ll be a star sooner rather than later. And, maybe, he’ll be one of the biggest reasons why Anaheim is challenging for Stanley Cups before the turn of the decade. The biggest question, to me, is whether Gauthier slots down the middle or on the wing. He has significant experience at both, and has the physical traits you’d look for out of a center, but I’d love to see him as a finisher on a line with Zegras or Carlsson. Regardless, it’s an excellent position to be in, and I have no doubt Gauthier will be challenging for the Calder Trophy in 2024-25.

2. Olen Zellweger, LHD, 20 (Anaheim Ducks)

Acquired: Drafted No. 34, second round in 2021

Zellweger got his first taste of the NHL last year, playing in 26 games in the second half – just enough to not make him eligible for the Calder Trophy. He’s set to challenge for a full-time roster spot in 2024-25, where he’ll look to be a notable offensive contributor in the way the Ducks wanted Drysdale to be. Zellweger could easily register 30-plus points next year, especially if he gets the power-play time he’s capable of exploiting. Few young defenders cause as much damage as Zellweger does, and it’s thoroughly entertaining to watch.

3. Beckett Sennecke, RW, 18 (Oshawa, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted No. 3, first round in 2024

*Beckett Sennecke (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Sennecke looked shocked that he was taken third overall in the draft last month after watching his draft stock skyrocket as the season wore on. Was it a risky play for the Ducks? Maybe, but they’re banking on him truly developing into this overwhelming forward who can score, hit and outthink opponents with ease. He stands tall at 6-foot-2, plays a menacing game built on power, and continues to hone in his own abilities. And that’s huge, given his game was built on highlight-reel, ankle-breaking plays for so long. Add in the muscle and the way he drives the net and it makes him extremely difficult to contain.

4. Stian Solberg, LHD, 18 (Farjestad BK, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted No. 23, first round in 2024

The Ducks already have a couple of young, puck-moving blueliners in their system, so adding Solberg – one of the most violent players from the 2024 draft – into the system was a nice win. He’s 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and loves to punish anyone who gets near him. Solberg projects himself as a defensive defender who can handle penalty-kill assignments, but he’s also more than capable of playing heavy shutdown minutes against just about anyone. The fact that nothing seems to bother Solberg is exciting, especially given how much he improved this year. The move to Sweden will be big for Solberg’s development.

5. Lucas Pettersson, C, 18 (MoDo, SHL)

Drafted: No. 35, second round in 2024

As a centerman, Pettersson plays a stout two-way game and has really shown more confidence as the season has worn on. The U-18 World Championship was an excellent opportunity for Pettersson to step up for Sweden, helping them win bronze after putting in some great performances in the playoff round. Pettersson can fly around the ice and has gotten better at using that to steal pucks in tight. He’s also a solid penalty killer, too. The good thing about Pettersson is he can do a bit of everything out there, which makes him a versatile option for the Ducks.

6. Nathan Gaucher, C, 20 (San Diego, AHL)

Drafted: No. 22, first round in 2022

*Nathan Gaucher (Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)*

Gaucher isn’t going to be a big-time producer in the NHL and that’s OK. They have guys like that already. Instead, the rugged center brings a nice 6-foot-3 frame, good footwork and an unrelenting forecheck that makes him so tough to defend against. As a bottom-six forward, Gaucher is detailed-oriented enough to play a variety of roles in the NHL, and he has a good enough shot to make himself useful, too. I could see Gaucher playing in the NHL sooner rather than later.

7. Tristan Luneau, RHD, 20 (San Diego, AHL)

Drafted: No. 53, second round in 2022

Last year was a bit of a mixed bag for Luneau, who saw himself limited to just 13 games played between Anaheim and San Diego. Injuries meant the push to the pro game was hampered heavily, which was a shame, given he played well enough to start the year with the Ducks. So he’ll go back to playing some catch-up next year, but his Draft+1 year with Gatineau was so good that he earned top defenseman honors in the QMJHL.

8. Rodwin Dionicio, LHD, 20 (EHC Biel-Bienne, NL)

Drafted: No. 129, fifth round in 2023

Dionicio had a massive year in the OHL, registering 25 goals and 73 points to go along with 108 penalty minutes between Windsor and Saginaw. He won the Memorial Cup after registering a point per game between the playoffs and the tournament itself. Dionicio was also one of the top defensemen at the World Juniors, although Switzerland was eliminated in the quarterfinal. An overage draft pick last year, Dionicio has come a long way already, and he’s set to begin his pro career in Switzerland next year. Maybe we’ll see him make the move to San Diego the following year before potentially challenging for an NHL roster spot at 22 years old. Either way, I like him.

9. Damian Clara, G, 19 (Farjestad BK, SHL)

Drafted: No. 60, second round in 2023

Clara became the first drafted, and now signed goaltender to ever come out of Italy, so there’s a lot of people excited to see what he can do. He had a fantastic season with Brynas in the Allsvenskan and he’s set to share the net with former NHL goaltender Maxime Lagace in Farjestad this coming season. At 6-foot-2 and with incredible athleticism, Clara is viewed as one of the best goaltending prospects in the game today. By the time John Gibson eventually leaves, Clara might be ready to make a serious push in the NHL.

10. Maxim Massé, RW, 18 (Chicoutimi, QMJHL)

Acquired: Drafted No. 66, third round in 2024

*Maxim Masse (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Massé led Chicoutimi with 36 goals and 75 points, using his 6-foot-2 frame to his advantage out there. He was a shot generation machine, registering five or more quite often this year. Masse is a good two-way player with good energy. His skating is lacking compared to others this high in the draft, but there’s been an improvement over the past 12 months. I do wonder if he’s rounded enough to find a spot in the Ducks’ lineup if he isn’t in a scoring role, though.

Other Notables: Sasha Pastujov LW (20), Nico Myatovic, LW (19), Noah Warren, RHD (19), Coulson Pitre, RW (19), Carey Terrance, C (19), Yegor Sidorov, RW (20), Austin Burnevik, RW (19), Ian Moore, RHD (22), Vojtech Port, RHD (18), Darels Uljanskis, LHD (17), Tarin Smith, LHD (18), Alexandre Blais, C (18), Ethan Procyszyn, RW (17)