Welcome to the September 2022 edition of the DobberProspects 32-in-32 Series. This month, we are diving into the depth of each organization, looking at their recent graduates, risers, fallers, and top-20 prospects.

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As mentioned in our August installment, the 2020-21 campaign offered both fans and fantasy owners a solid showing with regards to prospects. With the rebuild in full swing, this trend should continue as we push into the 2021-22 season. Here are your prospects to keep close tabs on.

Graduating players

Brayden Tracey, LW

Although he saw some time in the AHL last season due to covid, Tracey finished the year in the WHL when play resumed. This time around, he will be a full pro player. Not scoring any points in his 12 games with the Gulls, he was doing the right things on the ice, just not being rewarded on the scoresheet. He will need some seasoning in the minors before he becomes an NHL player.

Jamie Drysdale, D

A 19-year-old typically isn’t on this list, but with the pandemic, many junior eligible players were allowed to play in the AHL because there was nowhere else for them. The question was whether or not the players under 20 were able to keep playing pro or forced to go back to junior. As Darren Dreger reported earlier this summer, players who played at least 20 AHL games are allowed to keep playing there if their teams let them. While Drysdale only played 14 games with the Gulls, he suited up for 24 games with the Ducks. There’s a very good chance he graduates to full-time NHL duties, but nonetheless, there is nothing left for him to prove in the OHL.

Risers

Lukas Dostal, G

With the ducks not signing a veteran goalie, it will be Dostal and Stolarz who battle it out to be John Gibson’s backup. While he impressed in his first season in the AHL, management should keep him in the minors so he continues to see game action, but with Gibson usually missing a little time each season, don’t be surprised to see the Czech netminder makes his NHL debut

Henry Thrun, D

When Harvard announced they were not going to have their hockey season because of covid, thrun hopped over to the USHL to keep his development going. He scored at about a point-per-game pace (22 in 24) and was a main shutdown defender for Team USA at the world juniors. The Ducks have a number of young defensemen in the pipeline, but the American keeps making strides to separate himself from the rest.

Alexander Volkov, RW/LW

Finally out from the trenches he was buried in with Tampa Bay, Volkov was dealt to Anaheim at the trade deadline and made the most of his ice time. Averaging almost 14 minutes per game with the Ducks, he totaled four goals and eight points in 18 games while being an extremely effective penalty killer. He will be in the thick of young talent this season with the opportunity to finally prove himself, signing a one-year prove-it contract.

Fallers

Jacob Perreault, RW

Perreault was one player who did not benefit from playing against men while the OHL was shut down. Being in the AHL wasn’t the best for his confidence last season, but gaining the experience will go to show the work he needs to put in. The hope is he goes back to the O and regains his confidence before he has to make the move to pro official.

Brendan Guhle, D

Guhle is entering the last year of his contract and after losing most of last season to injury and only playing in the AHL when he was healthy does not bode well for his future in the NHL. The Ducks have multiple young defenders around now, and he has been bit by the injury bug in almost every season so many of his peers are passing him on the depth chart.

Josh Mahura, D

Even though Mahura secured a two-year contract this summer, only the second year is one way. He wasn’t able to stake his claim in the Anaheim lineup last season even though the team suffered a number of injuries on defense. He can still be a threat on the power play and skates well, but he is looking more like a bottom pair defenseman with second-team PP duties.

Organizational Depth Chart

(Combination of NHL readiness and upside).

Top 20 Fantasy Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Anaheim Ducks prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, the potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1. Trevor Zegras
2. Jamie Drysdale
3. Mason MacTavish
4. Lukas Dostal
5. Jacob Perreault
6. Maxime Comtois
7. Isac Lundeström
8. Brayden Tracey
9. Sasha Pastujov
10. Olen Zellweger
11. Benoit-Olivier Groulx
12. Henry Thrun
13. Josh Mahura
14. Sam Colangelo
15. Ian Moore
16. Jackson LaCombe
17. Blake McLaughlin
18. Tyson Hinds
19. Brogan Rafferty
20. Hunter Drew

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