With their season coming to a close, the Ducks have sent a trio of players to the minors. According to the AHL’s Transactions page, Anaheim has sent defenseman Jacob Larsson, center Sam Steel, and winger Max Jones to San Diego of the AHL.
Larsson has the most NHL experience of the three, spending the bulk of this season with Anaheim. He played in 49 games with the Ducks this season, collecting five assists while playing over 17 minutes a night on the back end. He will likely play a prominent role in the Gulls’ push to the postseason and then push for a full-time roster spot in Anaheim next season.
Steel, meanwhile, made a strong first impression with the Ducks in his rookie year. He played in 22 NHL games this season, recording 11 points, eight of which came over the last seven games. The first-year pro sits fourth on the Gulls in scoring with 39 points in 50 contests.
As for Jones, he had some offensive success with San Diego this season with 28 points in 40 games but that didn’t translate to much success at the NHL level as he recorded just five points in 30 contests with Anaheim. Given that the Ducks are going to be tight to the salary cap next season, the 21-year-old could be counted on to play a bottom six role in 2019-20.
There are likely more roster moves to come from Anaheim. However, since the regular season hasn’t officially come to an end yet, the Ducks are still subject to minimum roster rules. As a result, defenseman Brendan Guhle remains on the roster for the time being but will likely be sent down as well as early as tomorrow. However, he left Friday’s game early due to an upper-body injury so his short-term availability will be in question. Meanwhile, winger Troy Terry would have been among those eventually being demoted for the playoff run but he suffered a broken leg earlier this week which will keep him out for at least two months.