While the Anaheim Ducks have begun to struggle recently at the NHL level, their organizational depth has continued to prosper. Many prospects have found their names on the scoresheet and will have opportunities to help their teams make a playoff push as we enter the home stretch of the hockey season.
Artyom Galimov was a standout performer at the on-Pause Tournament, hosted by his team, Ak Bars Kazan, while the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is on break because of COVID-19 concerns as well as the Winter Olympics. The tournament was a four-team round-robin between Kazan, Severstal Cherepovets, Locomotiv Yaroslavl, and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.
Kazan won the tournament after beating both Locomotiv and Neftekhimik. Kazan was led by Galimov, who centered the top line during the tourney and scored four goals (one in every game) and assisted on another.
Galimov was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Ducks and is still under contract with Kazan through the 2023-24 season and is unlikely to head over to North America until the expiration of his contract at the earliest.
The University of Minnesota’s trio of Ducks prospects were all on the scoresheet this week. Blake McLaughlin, Jackson LaCombe, and Jack Perbix combined for three goals and four assists in two games, both being wins.
McLaughlin, who scored the 100th point of his collegiate career on Friday, is in his senior season with Minnesota and leads the team in points, with 28 in 31 games. LaCombe, a junior, is the points leader among Minnesota defensemen, with 19 points in 31 games. Perbix, who is also a junior, has struggled to find consistency during his collegiate career but has set career-highs this season in both goals and points.
There is a possibility that McLaughlin could sign a pro deal with the Ducks following the conclusion of the NCAA season and would likely finish out the season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the San Diego Gulls.
Josh Lopina scored two goals this week for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and assisted on another. His second goal of the week proved to be the game-winner against the University of Connecticut.
Lopina has also proven to be a reliable force in the faceoff circle. The sophomore won 21 out of 25 faceoffs on Feb. 12 against the University of Maine and won 14 of 25 faceoffs last night against UConn.
After being drafted last summer in the fourth round by the Ducks, Lopina has built on a solid first collegiate season (23 points in 29 games) with an even stronger performance in his second season (17 points in 18 games so far).
Given the Ducks’ current place in the standings, we may see additional names added to prospect updates once the trade deadline has come and gone. New general manager Pat Verbeek has a wealth of prospects at his disposal.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!