This is the second straight Rookie Tournament that Anaheim has gone 3-0. They outscored their opponents 21-9 and out of the 24 players on the roster, 19 of them had at least one point. Max Comtois led the charge with four goals and seven point while Sam Steel and Hunter Drew co-led the team in assists with four (although Steel only played in two of the games). Nine goals is a lot to give up over the three games, but each goalie was rock solid in their respective starts and would come up with big saves when the score was close. Out of the three goalies, Lukas Dostal led the team with a .931 save percentage facing 29 shots, Olle Eriksson Ek saved 36 shots and had a .923 save percentage, and Roman Durny was peppered the most, stopping 44 pucks for a .917 save percentage.

Here are notes on key players from the tourney:

Isac Lundestrom really impressed me. He looked sharp at the development camp back in June and in his two games during the rookie tournament, he made smart plays at both ends of the ice and finished the tournament with three goals and one assist in two games. Anaheim is deep at center so he will develop more back home, but expect to see his name in the lineup as soon as 2020.

Max Jones did not play in the tournament because he is recovering from hand surgery. I was looking forward to him skating with Steel and Terry, but another Ducks winger took full advantage of that opportunity. Jones has started skating and could start training camp, but expect him to start with the Gulls and refine his game as he adapts to the pros.

Max Comtois is turning out to be an absolute steal in the second round. He had great chemistry with Steel and Terry and was the perfect line mate for them. Comtois has a great pair of hands and would use his big frame to win corner battles and then go to the front of the net and finish. This could be a very dangerous line in the NHL within the next couple of years.

Hunter Drew was a 6^th rounder in the 2018 draft, but I feel he could turn into the team’s next Josh Manson. Drew is a mean defenseman, but found his scoring touch in the QMJHL last season and it transitioned over to this tournament. He was rarely out of position and could be a guy to contribute to those peripheral stats in your fantasy league (+/-, PIM, hits, blocks).

The Goalies: All three goalies played tremendous. I can remember four or five of the goals given up were absolute snipes that I’m not sure NHL goalies would have been able to stop. Eriksson Ek was a 2017 draftee and Durny and Dostal were both selected in 2018. With Gibson signing an eight year extension, these guys will be given time to develop, but keep tabs on them as all three of them have a bright future.

Lucas Main (@LAM1926)